He stands at just 174 centimeters tall, but Western Bulldogs midfielder Nathan Hrovat is attracting plenty of attention.
He can boast a mentor in North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey, and has already drawn comparisons with former Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell.
But rather than get drawn into the hype, Hrovat is keeping a level head as he begins his football career at the Dogs.
"I try not to take any of that sort of stuff in," Hrovat told AFL.com.au.
"People like to talk about who you could be and stuff like that, but I'm nowhere near Sam Mitchell.
"If I have a career half as good as his I'll be stoked. I just need to work on things that I need to get better at, and obviously he's a player that I can watch and sort of model my game around which is good."
Even so, it's tough being a young player in a side which club president Peter Gordon openly admitted 'probably won't win the flag this year'.
But the club's brutally honest approach hasn't put a dent in Hrovat's determination in 2013.
"Pete's got a great sense of humour," Hrovat laughs.
"It was a really enjoyable speech and he talks with such passion and he loves the club so you can't really take any of that to heart.
"I think the club's going in a really positive direction. It's just going to take time.
"I think we set realistic goals, and we have set our own little goals within the club about where we want to be throughout the year and at the end of the year and that sort of stuff. We'll try to tick them off and do the best we can."
Hrovat has had one, albeit small, taste of senior football already, as a substitute in the club's practice match against Richmond.
That cameo signaled his return from a quad injury, which interrupted his summer preparation.
"Pre-season's been a little bit interesting. It started off really well, and then I copped a little bit of an injury which set me back a couple of weeks, but I'm back training now and getting into some games which is good."
Earning a spot in the senior side is Hrovat's next goal.
"I think cracking in is probably the big one, just trying to get a game and put my best foot forward and do my bit for the team.
"Whether that takes a couple of weeks, or if I don’t get a game all season, just keep trying to crack in, and pretty much be up for selection is probably the ambition I have for this year."
