In Chapter 3, 'Realising and Chasing My Dreams', Wade recollected the time he scaled the junior ranks playing Australian Rules football. By the time he was 13 years old, he said he knew that he wanted to play the game professionally, even remembering the specific moment when this goal became clear to him (see below). In this chapter, he recited a string of successes as an adolescent player and how he made various state and national age group teams, including several as captain. During these recollections, Wade underlined the preference he had for participating in team sports, especially the enjoyment and comfort he gets from working with others to achieve success. However, up to the age of 12, Wade was prohibited from participating in football, because of family church commitments. Despite describing his parents as 'extremely supportive' of the whole family, on this specific matter, Wade remembers having to strongly convince them to eventually let him play on Sundays.
Despite his feats as a junior hopeful, Chapter 4 ('Draft Setback') represented the time when Wade, at 17 years of age, experienced 'the sick and hollow feelings' of failing to get drafted into the AFL. He remembers being 'extremely disappointed', because he believed football was his destiny. 'That was my dream and I thought that was what I was here to do'. However, not to be put off, Wade remembers quickly deciding to keep perspective and renew his commitment to playing in the AFL. He deferred university and got a job for a year, which he saw as significant to his eventual transition interstate to his current AFL club. 'I grew up ... [and] I look back on it now and think it was probably the best thing for me. It just helped teach me a lot of things and put a bit of drive into me as well'.
Part of it was that I think I could always play.... Also, I always had a feeling inside that it was what I was here to do. Since I was 13, I just always felt like it was my purpose to play AFL. I have always known that .... It's always been something inside.