For years, top South Australian draft prospect Jake Eime was on the opposite side of the football field from close mate Campbell Thorp.
He remembers the tagging, the banter, the physicality.
But beneath the rivalry was a friendship forged as schoolmates in Year Three, which looked set to last a lifetime.
Whenever Eime's Golden Grove met Thorp's Tea Tree Gully, a familiar face was waiting for him.
They would play school footy together every weekend at Trinity College, sharing countless moments that make football such a formative and central part of 100,000s of Australian childhoods.
Those memories remain precious for Eime - and carry a sense of loss.
On 1 August, Thorp was killed in a tragic motor vehicle accident.
“I've taken it as best as I can. It's challenging. I've never lost someone so close to me in my lifetime,” Eime revealed to Zero Hanger.
“There's a point where it's challenging, but the support I've been given through my family and friends and the Crows boys through the period he passed away - they were supportive of me, flicking me messages.
“It's so good to see the support you can really get.”
Picture: Craig Dooley/AFL Photos
It remains a raw topic for Eime to reflect on, but he was keen to address it to keep Thorp's legacy alive.
Thorp also spent time as a development player at Central District with Eime. While football was at the centre of the friendship, Eime remembers it far more emotionally, with Thorp the sort of person who could make ordinary moments memorable.
“Campbell was one of my really close mates. We have a group of 10-15 boys who were really close with him and spent a lot of time together," Eime said.
“It's still raw and was a shock. I spent a lot of time with Campbell growing up. We went to the same school. Campbell was one of the ultimate people. Someone who had a crack at everything he did in life and made it fun.
“After spending a lot of time with my mates, we caught up the week after and spent a lot of time together. It's a real testament to how strong our friend group is and how well we're coping with a tricky situation when it's still raw.
"He was one of my best mates, so he leaves a legacy that will remain with me for the rest of my life, and I'll remember forever. He had a crack at everything and was always there when you fell down."
Amid the loss, Eime's journey has gathered steam as he has established himself as one of the best half-backs in the draft class, with Under 18 All-Australian honours and the opportunity to play SANFL for Adelaide, the highlights of a productive season of significant growth.
Under different circumstances, Thorp would have been there watching every step of it, riding the emotional wave, celebrating the wins and commiserating the losses.
The teenager still carries his mate close to his heart.
“He would be so happy for me and be happy for anyone who wants to chase their dream,” Eime said.
“He was a mad footy supporter, so that's something I want to tick off for him, and he will be a bit of motivation and a big part of what I do in the next few years.
“The way he played and teammate and mate he was, I want to put that into perspective for me.”
Last year's South Australian Under 17s Futures game at the Adelaide Oval put Eime, who models his game on GWS' Lachie Ash, on the radar, with his electric first half catching the eye before he sustained an injury.
Eime's rise has been steady this year, with his athletic profile and ball-use making him a prototype half-back.
Eime has Indigenous heritage, which the Crows only learned of this year due to an administrative error.
As he was not part of the Crows Academy prior to turning 15, the Crows will not have priority access to a player who could go as high as the top 15, which he learned of in June.
“It was a bit of a tricky process and a bit confusing as well,” Eime said.
“I looked at it from the perspective of 'it is what it is', so I used that mindset. It is a bummer not to get approved, but I just want to work on what I can control, and that's just being a better footballer.
“All I worried about was playing good footy and focusing on what I can control because it would be an absolute dream if any club picked me up.”
Once the Crows learned of his heritage, he was given opportunities within the club, spending time at West Lakes in February and training with the AFL group for four weeks after the Under-18s National Championships.
He also played SANFL during that time for the Crows, averaging 19 disposals across two games.
“I worked closely with Wayne Milera. He was my tutor through the four weeks,” Eime said.
“He took me under his wing, and I appreciate that. As an All-Australian half-back, he's someone I look up to, so to learn off him was awesome.
“I'm an ultimate competitor. I love competing. To play at such a high level with people you've looked up to for so long was cool.
“You feel protected seeing Nick Murray and Jordon Butts next to you. The boys looked after me, and I took a lot away from that experience.”
A question mark on Eime, which caused him to miss the state squad for the Under-16s National Championships, was his size. As a late developer, there were questions about whether he had the strength to compete with the bigger kids.
Rounding out his defensive game remained an area of improvement in 2026, but positive feedback from Adelaide backline coach Andrew MacPherson and Centrals defensive coach Corey Ah Chee has given him confidence that he has done everything within his control.
“It was a bit of a kick in the guts (to get told you're too small),” Eime admitted.
“It's not something I could have controlled, so when you're told that you're thinking, 'What can I do to get better?' and it was moreso a time thing, so I worked on what I could control and knew I would catch up and was confident the size would come, and I feel like it is starting to come.
“Missing the state team ended up being a turning point for me. I've seen a lot of nutritionists, and the Adelaide dietician was really good for me, working through a daily meal plan.
“She said there wasn't anything too wrong with what I was eating, but a few integrations here and there to make sure I'm hitting my protein and getting my fats in.
"In terms of the gym, I've been at iPerform for three years, and he's been good for me, doing specific training based on footy and how I play, and it's starting to really show.”
