Hurley was the special guest at the launch, which took place at the Macleod Junior Football Club in Melbourne's northern suburbs, and featured a classic grassroots breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked on a barbeque.
Before Hurley graduated to the Northern Knights TAC Cup team, from where he was drafted by the Bombers, the 21-year-old was a star with the MacLeod JFC.
In 2006, he was elevated to the seniors by Macleod's coach at the time, Wayne Harmes.
Harmes, the three-time Carlton premiership player, saw that Hurley had the courage and skill to hold his own against grown men.
At the age of 16, Hurley helped Macleod make it all the way to the Northern Football League's senior Grand Final, although the Kangaroos were well beaten in the big game by Greensborough.
Two years later, he was taken by Essendon with pick five in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.
Even now, Hurley can often be seen at Macleod matches, cheering on his mates.
And given he lives only a few hundred metres from the club's home ground, he can often be seen jogging around the oval where his climb to the top began.
During this year's NAB Cup countless similar stories will be told when games are held at a variety of grassroots venues, including Wangaratta in Victoria, Victor Harbour in South Australia, Mandurah in Western Australia and Maroochydore in Queensland.
