Traded to the Bulldogs for pick 44 in the AFL National Draft, Stevens said Coach McCartney and his team put forward a convincing proposition to bring him to Whitten Oval.
Watch Koby Stevens catch up with BulldogsTV during his first day at the Kennel on the media player above.
“I met with Macca and the boys and I was really interested in what he had to say,” Stevens said.
“They put a really compelling case forward and yeah, look, they got the trade done and a couple of days later I was packing up all my stuff and flew over.”
He needn’t look far to see a familiar face with close family friend Clay Smith already at the Kennel.
Hailing from Gippsland in Victoria’s east, Stevens and Smith played junior football together at local club Lucknow, represented the Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup under 18 competition, going on to join the elite ranks of the AFL.
“[I] know Clay pretty well, we grew up together and we were really close family friends and played junior footy together so yeah it is good to have Clay down here as someone who I can look to if I need any help,” Stevens said.
Adding a mature body to the Bulldogs inside midfield stocks, the 21 year-old joined the main group to commence pre-season training ahead of the tomorrow’s departure to London for the November 3 exhibition game against Port Adelaide at The Oval.
“It was good, straight into it, so we [came] straight here and did a six minute time trial… it was hard work but it was good to have a kick around with the boys and get into it,” he said.
“There is no better way to get into it I suppose, going straight to London on your second day and just hang out with all the boys and should be good.”
