HAWTHORN'S young forward Cyril Rioli can't believe his luck playing in a grand final in his first season of AFL football.

“Coming in, in your first year, you don’t expect much … I left home when I was 14 so I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. Now it’s all paying off,” he said at Friday's 2008 Toyota AFL Grand Final parade.

Rioli, who came second in the NAB 2008 Rising Star competition, has been starring in his role as a crumbing forward for the Hawks all year and appears unfazed by the huge build up to the much hyped all-Victorian grand final.

So has the usually unflappable 19-year-old been affected by grand final fever at all?

“I’ll probably be a bit nervous tomorrow but I’m loving every bit of it and just want to enjoy it.”

Rioli conceded he did not know what to expect Saturday, but a chat during the week with his uncle, Essendon legend Michael Long, put him at ease.

Long won the Norm Smith Medal for best afield in the grand final in 1993, while another of Rioli's uncles, Maurice Rioli, won the medal in 1982 with Richmond.

"I was with my uncle Michael on Wednesday and he just gave me a bit of advice, just talking to me about what's going to happen and the pressure and just to enjoy myself really," Rioli said.

"Just enjoy yourself and have a lot of fun' – that's all he said to me."

And midfielder Chance Bateman has praised Rioli's composure.

“He’s naturally a relaxed sort of guy,” Bateman said of Rioli.

“Not too much fazes him. He’s played that way throughout the year at the highest level. He’s slipped into it pretty comfortably and just taken everything that comes his way. It’s made his transition into AFL a lot easier being his composed as he is.”

Rioli isn’t the only Hawk getting the plaudits.

Bateman admitted he was flattered by Long listing him as a strong candidate to claim the Norm Smith Medal on Saturday.

“It’s pretty flattering but I won’t be looking to do anything special tomorrow. I’ll just go out and the coach will give me my instructions and hopefully I’ll just fulfill my role, just like the other 21 players.”