West Coast draftee Kayla Dalgleish didn’t think she would be picked up in Monday night’s AFLW draft and is pinching herself about a cross-country shift to play for Daisy Pearce’s growing side.

The small forward is still coming to terms with the news after a rollercoaster of emotion, including tears of joy, on draft night.

The Dandenong Stingrays product landed at the Eagles with pick 56 in this week’s draft, but said her dreams of being added to a list were slipping away.

“It’s more surreal now especially when all your friends are gone and it’s more just settling into what’s actually happening,” she told The West.

“I didn’t think I was gonna go so I was already in tears and then I heard my name and I absolutely just screamed and just started bawling,

“Everyone jumped on me it was amazing.”

West Coast selected South Australian utility Lucy Boyd at pick 53 before Richmond opted to pass.

The 18-year-old thought that meant her dream had been dashed, but she was announced just moments later as the Eagles’ fourth new player.

“As soon as a team passes it’s like ‘OK, the draft’s over’,” Dalgleish said.

The Victorian said she had to “psych” herself up to move across the country as part of the league’s first-ever fully national draft, where every player from every State could be taken by any club.

“You don’t want to think about it, but it’s always a possibility and you try to psych yourself up for it if it does happen and the opportunities that come with it,” Dalgleish said.

But now she is already excited about working with second-year Eagles coach and former Melbourne premiership captain Daisy Pearce.

“It will be amazing because she’s one person that’s been through it all the way to the top so that comradery will be awesome,” she said.

Dalgleish is excited to be reunited with Vic Country teammate and the cub’s top draft pick Lucia Painter

“I’m glad I get to play with Lu, we played in the country together and she’s an amazing human being I love her,” she said.

“Just getting the opportunity and pushing even further to play round one.”