Tom Boyd, Josh Kelly, Cam McCarthy and Rory Lobb today hit the training track at Tom Wills Oval for the first time with their new teammates.
Today’s number one pick in the NAB AFL Pre-season Draft, Jed Lamb, also enjoyed his first official day as a GIANT after being the one and only pre-season pick.
Number one pick Tom Boyd, from the Eastern Ranges, said everyone had settled in well at the club.
“They do a mountain of work, Craig and Melissa Lambert, in looking after us here at the GIANTS,” Boyd said.
“They do everything they can to make it feel like home. I’ve settled in with Josh Kelly and Cam McCarthy who are so far really easy to get along with.”
Boyd said the first training session at Tom Wills Oval finally made his new AFL career feel like a reality.
“When you’re first at the club and you’re not really doing anything you still feel like you don’t quite belong so to get out on to the track with all the guys and in the gym and share the hard work with them, that makes you feel part of the club.
“I’ve had a really warm welcome from the boys today and the message has been pretty clear; get working and make sure you put your best foot forward and work hard and you’ll get their respect pretty quick.”
Former Sandringham Dragon and number two pick Josh Kelly said the four draftees had become quick friends since arriving at the GIANTS.
“It’s all pretty surreal to finally be at an AFL club, we’ve been waiting for this for a while and to finally be here and about to have the first session with the boys, it’s really exciting,” Kelly said.
“It’s been tough and I was expecting that. We haven’t even got into training yet but it’s everything I wanted it to be and getting out and training with the boys for the first time is something to look forward to.
“It’s good to have four other boys develop at the same rate so we flew up on Monday and since then we’ve become pretty close living together.”
Cam McCarthy, selected at pick 14, and Rory Lobb at pick 29, have both made the long trip to the GIANTS from Western Australia but excitement outweighed the nerves for both draftees.
“It’s not daunting at all,” McCarthy said.
“It was a long trip over, an early wake-up on Monday morning, 3.30am wake-up. But once I got over here and met all the boys all the nerves seemed to calm down. They’re a great bunch of blokes and I just can’t wait to get stuck into training.”
For 20-year-old Lobb, the eldest of the quartet, arriving at the GIANTS hasn’t phased the 206cm ruckman at all.
“I’ve grown up out of the house since I was 14 I was sort of living away and working away so I’m sort of used to it,” Lobb said.
“I’m feeling alright at the moment. Obviously a few calls from the family and a bit sad and stuff but they’re all supportive. The time zone is a little bit different from Perth so I’m waking up pretty early but I’m sure I’ll get used to it soon.”
And being close friends with fellow-West Australian Stephen Coniglio has made the introduction to the GIANTS all that much easier.
“He’s actually trying to get me to move in with him so it would be good to hang with him, we’ve been pretty good friends for a while.”
