KIERAN Lovell made his way onto Hawthorn’s list just three weeks ago, and he’s already in the thick of a gruelling pre-season camp.
Selected by the Hawks with pick 22 in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft, the 18-year-old Tasmanian has jumped straight into the deep end.
He was expecting plenty of hard work.
But he’s been surprised with the intensity of life as an AFL footballer so far.
“I’ve been pretty surprised at just how hard all the boys work,” Lovell said.
“But everyone is so together and everyone motivates everyone, so it helps everyone get through.
“It’s just so draining, mentally and physically, all the training and all the learning that we’re trying to do in the first few weeks.”
In between packing his bags for a move to the mainland and heading to Mooloolaba for a 10-day pre-season camp, Lovell has barely had any time to put his feet up.
But he’s not complaining, and making the most of every experience.
A skills session on Saturday was backed up with a demanding beach circuit on Sunday.
“It was really hard work (the beach session),” Lovell said.
“The boys were sort of saying all throughout the week that it was one of the tougher sessions, so it’s good to have it out of the way and have the money in the bank.
“I was with ‘Dimma’ (fellow draftee Blake Hardwick), who’s a pretty strong boy, so he sort of had me on my back a few times.
“The medicine ball push ups were pretty hard as well, but it was all pretty tough.”
There’s plenty of leaders showing him the way.
“I think they’re all good examples. Everywhere you look, they’re all doing the right things,” Lovell said.
“Billy Hartung’s one with the running that sort of try to I aspire to be like, and obviously Luke Hodge the way he goes hard at training.”
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