IT’S QUITE fitting that Wade Derksen and Nick Haynes made the trip from IKON Park to the Virgin Australia terminal on Friday morning in preparation for Carlton’s trip to take on GWS.

While they’ve had two quite differing careers to this point, there’s been some shared landmarks along the way for the duo. Both are Giants-turned-Blues, they had something of a mentor-protege dynamic at GWS when Derksen was drafted and they’ve both had to overcome being written off at various stages to arrive to the point they find themselves in now.

Derksen’s had to do it the long way, going everywhere to chase his footy dream which culminated in a three-day drive from Darwin to finally earn an AFL debut in Navy Blue.

Then there’s Haynes, an inaugural Giant who’s now a veteran Blue that has become an integral piece of Carlton’s defensive setup.

Speaking on the journey, Haynes said the prospect of travelling with Derksen to take on the Giants seemed a world away just a few years ago.

“I never thought we’d be driving to the airport together to play at ENGIE Stadium, that’s one thing I never thought,” Haynes said.

“We played a bit of footy together in 2024, in the back half of the year when I was playing in the magoos. ‘Derk’ and I were running around at Blacktown and Casey Fields: it just shows you that footy can change pretty quickly.

“We’re just grateful to still have the opportunity to play at the highest level - we don’t take it for granted at all, going out there and playing like it’s our last. It’s been great to see ‘Derks’ improve his game and get the opportunity he deserves, he’s only going to get better the more he plays.”

When Derksen first arrived at the Giants, he had already ventured on the road well-travelled… although there were still a few stops to come. His pathway to the Giants came via Darwin, Alice Springs, Canberra (Queanbeyan Tigers), Melbourne (Essendon VFL), Darwin again and Perth (Peel Thunder) before getting onto an AFL list.

He latched himself onto Haynes early, initially training against him when he was a forward for the Giants before he swung to defence and could learn directly from the man he dubbed “the intercept king”.

“When I first got to the Giants, I did a lot of work with him in terms of body stuff and also some timing. He’s taught me a lot along the way, I’m very grateful to be here with him,” Derksen said.

“When I got there, I looked at ‘Haynesy’ as an absolutely freak. He teaches you a lot about the game, and it’s definitely helped me improve.”

Haynes returns to his old stomping ground in Sydney Olympic Park for the first time since his move to the Blues, after playing over 200 games prior to his 2024 switch.

But there’ll be no time to be sentimental when the Navy Blue team takes on the orange team on Saturday evening.

“It feels like I’ve been at Carlton a lot longer than a year and a half - it feels like I’ve been here for years.

“My time at the Giants is a chapter I’ll always cherish. I’ve moved on pretty quick - a new life in Melbourne and at Carlton which I’m really enjoying.

“It’s just another game, a massive game. I’m just looking forward to hopefully getting a win and continuing our form in the back half of the year.”