Andrew Kellaway's return to Australian Rugby in 2021 was announced in an eight-second social media video. The year ended with nine Wallabies tries and the Rookie of the Year award.
Kellaway's emergence as one of the premier wingers in the country has been remarkable, admitting the honour was a shock after years of grinding out his craft across the world.
“It’s an interesting one to be named Rookie or Breakout Player of the Year at 26 years old,” he told Rugby.com.au. “When I was younger, I thought it’d all happen really quickly but I’m glad it happened how it did. I was really able to learn a couple of really valuable lessons along the way.
“The consequence of that is when I got the chance, I was as ready as I could any be.
“It’s a massive privilege and a bit of a shock really, when I got told the who else was in the mix, there were some pretty good contenders in there so I’m really happy.”
Kellaway's rise was meteoric ever since linking up with the Rebels for Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, a shock selection for the Wallabies' squad for France.
Dave Rennie has himself admitted Kellaway wasn't a part of the Wallabies plans initially.
However, the 26-year-old made the most of whatever opportunity he got, eventually earning a starting spot for the first Bledisloe Test with Filipo Daugunu (arm) and Marika Koroibete (suspension).
His 'nothing to lose' attitude paid off as he has started every game since, scoring the most tries for the Wallabies in a calendar year since Israel Folau and firmly establishing himself as one of the first picked in the squad.
“I think I was quite lucky that I didn’t have anything to lose,” he elaborated on at a press conference on Friday.
“Dave (Rennie) said it, I wasn’t in the plans or any of that so being called in was good enough at that point. The expectation was slim to none.
“From that perspective, I’m really fortunate and they're always good circumstances to perform under when no one expects anything.
“You’ve got a little chip on your shoulder trying to prove something but I really enjoyed the year and looking forward to this season in Melbourne dealing with a little more expectation and pressure.”
To call Kellaway a 'rookie' feels almost unjust given his experience across the world.
Since announcing himself in the U20 World Championships, the winger has played for several clubs across Australia, England, New Zealand and Japan, learning new skills at each destination.
It's this experience and perspective that have made him the player he is today, knowing 'the clock's ticking' on his career.
“It was five teams, four countries so I didn’t think I’d be still called a rookie seven years later but I think the difference is perspective,” he admits.
“I didn’t know what I didn’t know as you do when you are young. It took me a little longer to learn those lessons but I’m glad I learned them the way I did because a lot of less fortunate people learn them on a job site or in an office.
“If I was thrust in at 21 and in hindsight, I probably was into the Waratahs team stacked with Wallabies…I think I look back and look at the performances and how involved I was in these games, there's no other way to say it (but) I was a passenger, happy to be there rather than happy to compete.
“I look now and the clock’s ticking, there’s not much longer left for me. I might be getting Rookie of the Year but I’m still 26 going on 27 so in terms of Rugby timeline, that’s definitely ticking.
“It’s all about perspective but within that, it’s about being able to compete and understand that every season goes by is one less you get in the future.”
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Kellaway enters Super Rugby Pacific with something he hasn't had for a while - external expectation - looking to guide the 'underachieving' Rebels to the finals.
With the growing depth in backline stock across the country, the 26-year-old is well aware of the need to perform to ensure he retains his spot come July against England.
“It feels weird to be a rookie with that much travelling under my belt but I think the challenge moving into this season is expectation," he believes.
“I was scrapped into the Wallabies set-up in the first place and even then I reckon a Lion’s share of people thought it was just lip service and I was lucky enough to get a crack.
"What’s changed now is from a Melbourne Rebels perspective, just like (Reece) Hodgey is, you have to be consistent and one of the top five performers in the team which is the challenge to be me to bring those performances every single week because without that, the last 8 months don’t mean a lot."
