Fijian Josaia Delana will begin life as an AFL player this week after officially joining Greater Western Sydney as a Category B rookie selection.
Standing 176cm, the elusive small forward is set to provide plenty of energy and excitement to the Giants' attacking half.
Delana also has a strong defensive element to his game which was on full display during the Allies' National Championships win when he recorded 14 tackles against Western Australia.
Across his four games for the Allies he averaged 13 disposals and seven tackles.
Delana also showed impressive signs when playing for the Giants' VFL team in eight games last season, with his best performance coming against the Gold Coast in Round 17 when he gathered 19 disposals.
Possessing clean ball-handling skills and terrific agility, Delana is considered a team-first player and a strong decision maker with the football in hands.
His athleticism will be a weapon for the Giants. It was on full display at the recent AFL Combine when he recorded an agility test time of 8.39 seconds and 6:38 for the 2km time trial.
GWS' Head of Talent, Adrian Caruso, described Delana as "another great Giants Academy story".
"Joey has come a long way with his footy in the last couple of years," Caruso said.
"A pressure small forward, he brings great energy and intent to the role as well as a genuine team-first mindset and willingness to play any role.
"He had some great exposure to our VFL later in the year so brings in a strong understanding of our system."
Hailing from the rugby league heartland of Western Sydney, Delana told News Corp while growing up, AFL football was considered a "very foreign sport".
"Still to this day, my dad hasn't actually watched an AFL game," Delana said.
"It was always rugby league and soccer for me, and then a bit of OzTag on the side.
"And then in primary school, AFL NSW/ACT had Auskick come in for an after-school program with some of the Giants people there and I absolutely loved it.
"A lot of my mates early on gave me a bit of crap for it, they just never really understood the game and took an interest to it, but the mates that I've made through AFL are great."
Delana is hoping to eventually inspire kids from a similar background to strive for the same goal.
"I hope that later on when I am playing AFL and I'm a bit more of a role model that I am able to inspire other kids to take this journey," Delana told News Corp.
"Even if it's foreign or not seen as equal to rugby league, I'm really looking forward to seeing what the future holds for AFL and Western Sydney.
"It (footy) suits a lot of people with that athletic build and I can see it now watching my brothers and sisters play, the culture is building as well."
