Sam Darley officially became a Western Bulldogs in the final hour of the 2013 Gillette AFL Trade Period but this isn’t the first time he has worn Club colours at Victoria University Whitten Oval.

As an AIS Academy player in 2010, Darley was given his first insight into the professional world of AFL and its demands at the Bulldogs and was immediately impressed.

“I did my week as an AIS student back about four years ago now here and loved the Club then,” Darley said.

Now 20, with three years in the AFL system, he will make the kennel home after being traded from the GWS Giants for pick 78.

“[I] Had a little bit of wind that it (trade) might have happened and then towards the end [and]was starting to get a little bit anxious,” he said.

“I was pretty glad when it went through and got a call from Jase (List Manager Jason McCartney) and the boys.

“I am obviously part of the Western Bulldogs football club now and I was really excited.”

Darley’s connections don’t end there with the Tasmanian recruit having also played junior football at the same club as new teammate Liam Jones.

Plying his trade as a midfielder at North Hobart, the 20-year-old added defensive skills to his arsenal, after shifting to half-back at the Giants.

“[Senior Coach Brendan McCartney] said that hopefully this year [I will] be an outside midfielder or play at half-back and hopefully add something to the group,” he said.

“In all my juniors I was a midfielder and then come to the Giants and we had a great abundance of the young midfielders so they put me at half-back and tried to utilise my kick.

“That is where I have played the last couple of years, I’ve really enjoyed it down there and hopefully can do a little bit here and hopefully show the coaches exactly what I can do.”