The 22-year-old skippered the Oly Whites through their successful Oceania qualifying campaign and had a big hand in booking New Zealand’s ticket to London 2012, scoring from the spot in the final against Fiji to secure a 1-0 win.
But Draper’s name was the most notable absence when coach Neil Emblen announced his 18-man squad last Thursday, the striking berths instead going to Kosta Barbarouses, Shane Smeltz, Chris Wood, Marco Rojas and Dakota Lucas.
“I was hugely disappointed but I knew there was always a chance I wasn’t going to be involved, I was prepared for it,” Draper says of the blow.
“It took a couple of days to get over it but all I can do is concentrate on my club form now.”
That side of the former Wellington Phoenix player’s career has gone exceedingly well this year with Draper’s 27 goals helping The New Saints to the Welsh Premier League title last season. He finished as the club’s top scorer and was also named player of the year as TNS qualifed for the UEFA Champions League.
“I did everything I could to make the Olympic team so I am not going to beat myself up about it,” Draper says. “I will just move on to the Champions League. Hopefully, we can put a couple of great results together and move forward to the next stage of the competition.”
The one-cap All White has already ticked the Olympics box on his CV after taking part in New Zealand’s debut appearance in Beijing four years ago and says he will be right behind his former team mates in the upcoming campaign.
“I’ll go and support them,” he says. “It depends on where we are with TNS with away games. We’ve got a Champions League game a day or two after the first Olympic game but if I’m here I’ll go.”
Draper scored three times in the qualifying tournament but Emblen says he has missed out largely because of the versatility of Lucas. The pint-sized Team Wellington player can operate up front or wide on either flank while Draper is more of a traditional targetman, a role already filled by the likes of Wood and Smeltz.
The Oly Whites leave for London on July 9 via Asia where they will play Olympic-bound Japan and Korea Republic on July 11 and 14 respectively before meeting fellow finalists UAE in Europe in their final warm-up on July 19.
New Zealand have been drawn with Belarus, Egypt and Brazil in Group C of the 16-nation finals, opening their campaign against the Belarusians in Coventry on July 26, one day before the Games’ opening ceremony.

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