Stevie J set to help guide young Giant










 Australian football











 Chris Dutton


 Jacob Hopper, Harrison Himmelberg, Matthew Flynn and Matthew Kennedy at the Giants' pre-season training.




 GWS Giants recruit Harrison Himmelberg
  will work with three-time 
 premiership player Steve Johnson 
 to fast-track his AFL development.
 


 Giants coach Leon Cameron has 
 backed Himmelberg to make the 
 leap from Eastlake's NEAFL roster 
 to the AFL after he was a shock 
 early selection in the draft last 
 week. The key forward officially 
 started his Giants tenure on Monday
  when he joined draftees Jacob 
 Hopper, Matthew Kennedy and 
 Matthew Flynn at the club's Olympic
  Park base for their first session.
 Himmelberg was a surprise pick 
 at No.16, but Cameron was adamant
  the 19-year-old was worth the 
 gamble as he finds room for the 
 Wagga junior to slot into the 
 forward line.
 "You can see Harrison's really 
 driven ... he's interesting and intriguing.
  Those sorts of kids are 
 always worth it because if you get 
 them right and they can progress, 
 they can become very, very good 
 assets to your club," Cameron said.




 "Playing up forward is probably 
 going to be his 'one-wood'. We're 
 over the moon to get him, a guy 
 that has moved into Canberra, and 
 that reinforces that we're looking 
 hard and fast in our home ground."
 The Giants were forced to take 
 Himmelberg earlier than expected 
 in the draft after the Adelaide 




 Crows put in a bid for the 
 194-centimetre forward.
 Cameron said the Giants had 
 heard rumours that Himmelberg 
 would be taken at the end of the 
 first round after several clubs 
 showed interest in his services.
 That's why they didn't hesitate 
 when they sacrificed later draft 




 picks to ensure they would have 
 Himmelberg in their program next 
 year. The Giants' four draftees all 
 came from the club's academy system
  and Cameron said there were 
 several Canberra players on his 
 radar for the future.
 The biggest immediate benefit 
 for Himmelberg will be a chance to 




 work with former Geelong star 
 Johnson. "[Johnson] has been with 
 us for a week now and having some 
 maturity in our forward line was an 
 area we wanted to focus on," 
 Cameron said.
 "There's no doubt Stevie will 
 teach him a few things and hopefully
  that environment helps 
 Harrison develop quickly.
 "For Harrison's height, he's a 
 very good ground-level player and 
 he has a knack of finding space and 
 making good decisions. There's so 
 much that's still raw - he's got to 
 learn running patterns and a 
 defensive side of his game. But 
 there's a lot to like - a good character
  and clearly you can see a driven 
 young kid who wants to get there."
 Himmelberg was selling suits 
 and working as a tradie in Canberra
  last month before his AFL 
 dream was realised.
 "It's really exciting to finally get 
 here and all the boys have welcomed
  us so that's great," he said. 
 "There are obviously a lot of really 
 good forwards at the club. It will be 
 good to get under their wing and 
 learn a lot from them and hopefully 
 have a crack."