DAYLE GARLETT loves his footy.

In the middle of his first AFL pre-season, a challenging and confronting time for the new draftees, Garlett isn’t getting caught up in the buzz that is being on an AFL list.

No doubt he’s enjoying it and probably still coming to terms with realising a boyhood dream, the youngster is still taking the time to step back and appreciate the opportunity he’s been given rather than getting caught up in the exhaustive nature of pre-season training.

The 19 year old recruit is settling in to his new life as a Hawk and loving every minute of it, whether he’s out on the training track, in the gym or hanging out with his new teammates around the club.

So far, he’s been given the opportunity to travel overseas for the first time and complete a gruelling training camp with his new teammates in South Africa and become physically and mentally stronger.

When he was drafted with pick 38 in the 2013 National Draft, he couldn’t wait to get stuck into training with his new club and now, two months in, he’s still enjoying it as much as he did on his first day.

While he admits it’s tough, there’s nothing he’d rather be doing.

“From day one I knew it was going to be a challenge but now that I’m into it I’m quite used to it,” he told hawthornfc.com.au

“To be around the boys, it’s just so exciting and a great thing to be doing and to be part of.

“Training is hard but it is good fun as well.”

He is keen to many a good impression at his new club but most of all, wants to build on the undoubted talent he already possess.

A quick midfielder who has good goal sense, Garlett can play both in the midfield and up forward but it is his speed and ability to break through packs that are his biggest strengths.

He wants to build upon what attracted Hawthorn to him but also work on other parts of his game.

“You always want to improve in each training session you do, which one of my main focuses,” he said.

“It is something though that all players aim at, to just keep getting better and that’s something I’m aiming at as well.”

Having joined the Club at the end of November, Garlett headed to South Africa on 8 December barely knowing the people around him.

So for him, South Africa was about more than just training. It was about settling into his new surroundings, getting to know his teammates and earning their respect.

“One of the big things about that trip was the opportunity to bond with and get to know the new players and our new teammates so that was really good,” he said.

The camp was a tough on the mind and the body and pushed each player to their limits.

But, there is nothing more satisfying to an athlete than overcoming challenges placed in front of you and that’s how Garlett felt as he and his teammates conquered Table Mountain.

“Training over there was pretty intense, it was very serious,” he said. “We walked up Table Mountain, which was very intense and took us about an hour.

“It was mentally and physically challenging because we’d just done our last session before it and it was a pretty big session.

“To then go and do the Table Mountain climb straight away after that was pretty intense and you had to be mentally strong as well as physically but we all got through it, which was good.”

Garlett says completing the mentally and physically demanding camp has given him confidence heading into his first year on an AFL list.

But before he even dreams of making his debut for Hawthorn, the Club he grew up supporting, he wants to knuckle down and work hard.

“I just want to train and work hard and do what I came here to do, which is play AFL footy hopefully but until then I’m just focusing on my training and getting respect from my teammates,” he said.