Height isn't everything in the AFL – and Brent Daniels is proof of that.
The GIANTS' small forward will play his first final next week as the GIANTS face an elimination battle with the red-hot Western Bulldogs.
Daniels, the competition's second-smallest player at 170cm, capped off a breakthrough year with a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in round 23.
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The former Geelong Falcon said the accolade was a feather in his cap while reflecting on his path to the AFL.
"I've been told I'm too small," Daniels told AAP.
"But it hasn't really fazed me too much because I know (my footy's good enough and that height shouldn't matter)."
"The ball is on the ground a lot more than in the air, so I find it an advantage."
Daniels, who played his junior football at Nyah-Nyah West United near Swan Hill before boarding at Geelong Grammar, made his AFL debut in round 16 last season.
He managed seven games but fell out of the senior side for last year's finals run before bouncing back to be one of only four GIANTS to play every match this season.
"It's pretty special. A lot of guys have to wait a long time to play finals," Daniels said.
"I'm pinching myself a little bit."
The Victorian is second in stature behind only Western Bulldogs backman Caleb Daniel, who would likely have featured at GIANTS Stadium this Saturday if not for being sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The diminutive Dog was someone Daniels looked to for inspiration, along with Richmond's vaunted 'mosquito fleet'.
"Richmond winning the 2017 premiership with a lot of small guys on their team gave me a lot of confidence that I'd get my chance at an AFL club," he said.
"Guys like Caleb gave me confidence as well."
What Daniels lacks in height, he makes up for with speed and pressure acts.
He only booted nine majors this season but amassed 22 goal assists, the equal third-most in the competition.
It was a stat the GIANTS dominated this year, with Harry Himmelberg (26) topping the list and Jeremy Finlayson (22) not far behind.
Himmelberg, Finlayson and Coleman medallist Jeremy Cameron all missed time over the final five weeks of the season before reuniting to smash Gold Coast by 72 points in round 23.
Daniels was glad to have the tall trio back for the Giants' last pre-finals tune-up as they passed the 100-point barrier for the first time since round 16 against Collingwood.
"To have that continuity for week one of finals is huge," he said.
"The mix of the smalls and talls, I think we work together pretty well together."
