An Auckland teenager is getting a taste of his future this week during the St Kilda Saints AFL team's 10-day high performance camp in Queenstown.
Aorere College pupil Giovanni Mountain-Silbery (17) signed with the club earlier this year in what could be described as a dream come true.
The former rugby league player initially inquired about playing AFL with a local football club late last year, purely for fitness in the off-season.
He did not anticipate that inquiry would lead to him being offered an international scholarship and a chance to play with the St Kilda side once he turns 18.
After asking about AFL, his name was put into the New Zealand AFL system - a week later he was invited to a high performance programme where his basic skills were tested.
Next, came a flight to Wellington to participate in an AFL New Zealand National Combine, where he was tested on speed, endurance, agility and lateral jumping.
''That's where I got noticed,'' Mountain-Silbery said.
''A week later, I talked to a couple of [St Kilda staff and management] on Skype and in mid-January they flew over to my house and offered me everything.
''It all happened really, really fast.''
Since his signing - announced in March - the teenager has seen an individual coach regularly and has also travelled to Melbourne during school holidays for training.
This week in Queenstown is his first time with the 46-man squad, which is being put through its paces by coaching staff.
For Mountain-Silbery, it is all about conquering ''new challenges''.
''I'm not too sure where I want to go with the sport. I'm just trying to make the most of it really.
''Hopefully, something big comes up. If something happens I'll take it with both hands and just go for it really.''
Assistant forwards coach Mark Hamill said Mountain-Silbery was one of two New Zealanders in the wider St Kilda squad, the other being 18-year-old Joe Baker-Thomas, originally from Wellington.
The Saints won their first two games last season - the first time since 2010 - and, following two losses, beat top-eight favourite Essendon by 16 points.
However, they went on to finish the season at the bottom of the table with four wins and 18 losses.
Hamill said the team was in a building phase having lost ''a fair bit of experience'' in 200-game players Stephen Milne, Jason Blake and Justin Koschitzke in 2013.
''We went back to the draft table - clearly, there's ... a vision for the club; which is about bringing young, talented kids into the football club.
''[We want to] create an environment where they can learn as much as possible and we can keep creating an environment that hopefully will hold them in good stead in a couple of years time.
''It's all about getting games into these young kids ... the quicker we can do that ... we'll be in good shape.''
Hamill said another aspect of Mountain-Silbery and Baker-Thomas' signings was one of the club's key strategies: New Zealand. Next year will be the third time St Kilda has played an Anzac Day ''home game'' in Wellington.
It will play Carlton on the 100th anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli.
''The Anzac Day game ... we really want to play to the occasion and the New Zealand public and definitely put on a good show for them.''
Additionally, the AFL is looking to expand into the New Zealand market, depending on funding, Hamill said.
Key defender Luke Delany (25) said there already seemed to be a good understanding in New Zealand of AFL - a game that lasts about three hours, including breaks, with ''a bit of everything'', including tackling from 360 degrees.
''The skills are elite at our level. It's pretty quick; there's not too much down time.
''There are some particularly freakish players in AFL. It [the Anzac Day game] should be pretty exciting to watch.''
• The Saints will hold a public training session from 9am to 10.30am tomorrow at the Queenstown Events Centre.
