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From gfc.com.au
Geelong draftees Stephen Owen, Ryan Gamble and Trent West got their first look at their new home on Thursday when they joined their new teammates for a light skills session at Skilled Stadium.
Owen - a medium forward from Ballarat taken with pick 35 - summed up the feelings of all three after the run.
"It's a dream come true, I've wanted to play AFL since I was a little kid and to go to Geelong - it's got like a country team sort of feel. It's just amazing I couldn't have asked for a better club to go to," he said.
"I was nervous at first just running alongside all these guys I've watched on TV for so many years. They all welcomed me really well and as the training went on it got better and better."
The Cats drafted 198-centimetre West to bolster their ruck stocks and while conventional wisdom says the bigger guys take a while to develop, West was keen to get amongst it as soon as possible.
"I'd like to play a few games next year maybe - you never know what might happen - last year they carried a lot of injuries in the ruck," he said.
West - a member of Gippsland's TAC Cup premiership side - is a lifelong Geelong supporter and he admitted to being a little starstruck during his first session.
"It was pretty scary, they don't look as big on TV and as soon as you get out there you realize how big they are. It was pretty good running around with the people you've had posters of on the wall all your life - it's pretty exciting."
Gamble is the only one of the three relocating from interstate, but the Millicent native didn't foresee any problems settling in.
"I already moved away from home when I was 17, up to Adelaide to concentrate on footy," he said.
"So I'd already made the move away from family and all I really had to do was move from Adelaide to here. I'm still the same distance away from home - it's just in another town."
Gamble eventually hopes to make his mark in the Cats' midfield, but knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.
"I was amazed at the skill of the blokes and how they hit the target and don't drop marks," he said after the training session.
"It was funny because I spoke to one of the trainers after and he said it was one of the scrappier days."
Geelong draftees Stephen Owen, Ryan Gamble and Trent West got their first look at their new home on Thursday when they joined their new teammates for a light skills session at Skilled Stadium.
Owen - a medium forward from Ballarat taken with pick 35 - summed up the feelings of all three after the run.
"It's a dream come true, I've wanted to play AFL since I was a little kid and to go to Geelong - it's got like a country team sort of feel. It's just amazing I couldn't have asked for a better club to go to," he said.
"I was nervous at first just running alongside all these guys I've watched on TV for so many years. They all welcomed me really well and as the training went on it got better and better."
The Cats drafted 198-centimetre West to bolster their ruck stocks and while conventional wisdom says the bigger guys take a while to develop, West was keen to get amongst it as soon as possible.
"I'd like to play a few games next year maybe - you never know what might happen - last year they carried a lot of injuries in the ruck," he said.
West - a member of Gippsland's TAC Cup premiership side - is a lifelong Geelong supporter and he admitted to being a little starstruck during his first session.
"It was pretty scary, they don't look as big on TV and as soon as you get out there you realize how big they are. It was pretty good running around with the people you've had posters of on the wall all your life - it's pretty exciting."
Gamble is the only one of the three relocating from interstate, but the Millicent native didn't foresee any problems settling in.
"I already moved away from home when I was 17, up to Adelaide to concentrate on footy," he said.
"So I'd already made the move away from family and all I really had to do was move from Adelaide to here. I'm still the same distance away from home - it's just in another town."
Gamble eventually hopes to make his mark in the Cats' midfield, but knows he has a lot of work ahead of him.
"I was amazed at the skill of the blokes and how they hit the target and don't drop marks," he said after the training session.
"It was funny because I spoke to one of the trainers after and he said it was one of the scrappier days."
