New Fremantle recruit Josh Deluca already shares a special bond with veteran pair Ryan Crowley and David Mundy after his first day at Freo Dockers training.
The youngster joined fellow recruits Lachlan Weller, Connor Blakely and Ed Langdon at Fremantle's first full squad pre-season session on Monday.
The 18-year-old, who was taken with pick No.68 in last week's NAB AFL draft, won a WAFL premiership this season with Subiaco in his first year of senior football and discovered he had something in common with the two Fremantle veterans.
"After we went out for training Ryan Crowley and David Mundy came up to me and told me that they too are premiership players at Subi – it was really nice," Deluca said.
Crowley and Mundy played in Subiaco's 2004 WAFL premiership triumph alongside Matt Priddis and Fremantle development coach Marc Webb.
Deluca played 12 WAFL matches with Subiaco this year under the guidance of former AFL player Jarrad Schofield.
The dynamic 182cm midfielder/small forward believes his experiences at Subiaco will help him immensely at Fremantle.
"It's always ‘team first’ with Subiaco," Deluca said.
"I have noticed their professionalism has rubbed off on me and coming here (to Fremantle) the professionalism here, small things I have noticed will help me transition into the AFL environment.
Connor Blakely also played senior football at Swan Districts last season and he believes his 14 games at WAFL level helped his game enormously.
"That helped so much," Blakely said.
"Just being around older guys and bigger bodies and playing senior footy does help a lot but I don't think much can prepare you for the training and the pre-season that's coming up."
The 189cm midfielder has been likened to David Mundy and he said sitting in front of the star midfielder in the team meeting on Monday was surreal.
'Lucky' Blakely relieved to get picked up
"I had to pinch myself at one stage when Ross Lyon was talking," Blakely said.
"He was talking about Hawthorn and Port Adelaide and I was sitting there thinking this is actually the AFL. It was a pretty big wake-up call that I'm actually here now."
