An unseasonably wet and windy Geelong was awaiting Jack Bowes when he flew into Melbourne on Tuesday night ahead of his first official day as a Cat, but the grey skies weren’t going to dampen the native Queenslander’s enthusiasm for the fresh opportunity that awaited him at GMHBA Stadium.

The former Gold Coast Sun joined the club during the October trade period and spent Wednesday going through standard medical and conditioning screenings, but he couldn’t hide his smile when he pulled on the hoops for the first time for a Cats Media photoshoot. 

“It feels great,” he told geelongcats.com.au. 

“I've been fortunate enough to know a few of the players and coaches already so there's a bit of comfort in that. It's been awesome to go through the facilities and check out my locker and really get a feel for the place.”

Bowes was one of three new players to cross to the Cats this past October along with Ollie Henry and Tanner Bruhn. As part of the deal with the Suns, Bowes also came with the coveted number 7 pick in the upcoming NAB AFL National Draft. The 58th and 64th selections round out the clubs' 2022 draft hand. 

The 24 year old said the process of getting down to Geelong was a ‘rollercoaster of emotions', but in the end he was thrilled to see the deal go through when it did. And while there were more than a handful of suitors for the midfielder’s service, it was the pull of the Cats’ culture that sealed the deal for the former Sun.

“It's a pretty successful footy club,” Bowes said when asked what lured him down south.

“It has such a good culture and I had a really good feeling about the Cats when I met them.

"They'd been speaking with my management throughout the year and I knew they had a role here for me to hopefully come in and help the group out in any way possible.”

Exactly what that role looks like will begin to evolve once pre-season training officially begins for the younger brigade next week, but for now, it’s just about settling in and finding his way around his new home. 

“Today is pretty low key - some physio screening and getting my bearings, understanding the place, a few logistics and things like that, so not too bad,” he said.

“I'm just really excited to get down here.”