Persisting through a slow start to the season and building his body up to handle the rigours of Australian Rules Football, Cillian Burke wasted no time showing his potential in a solid first hit-out for the VFL Cats on Sunday afternoon.
Switching codes and making the trek from one side of the planet to the other, the Irish recruit joined Geelong as a Category B Rookie at the end of the 2024 season, following in the footsteps of teammates Oisin Mullin and Mark O'Connor.
A highly touted Gaelic footballer, Burke overcame an interrupted start to his inaugural AFL season and pulled on the Hoops for the first time last weekend, displaying plenty of skill and athleticism in his Geelong debut.
One of the top highlights from the match came just before half time, when the Irishman swung around on his left boot and curled home a brilliant goal, a skill that Burke said he practiced quite frequently during his rehab sessions.
"I am naturally right legged, a lot of people have been saying to me that they didn't know I had that in my left leg," Burke said.
"In rehab we do a lot of our stuff down in the left pocket, so we most days we have fun kicking them and it actually came into play during the game which was good.
"I was delighted to get out there on the park, it has been a while since I played anything really. It had been about 10 months, I was nervous really and anxious to get out there of course.
"There was plenty of nervous energy, but the lads helped me a lot and everyone in the club really just made it easy to go out there. They put no pressure on you and just tell you to express yourself which is good."
In a game where rain fell profusely throughout the afternoon, Burke registered three score involvements and two intercept possessions in a forward role, helping the Cats to return to the winners list with a three point victory over Gold Coast.
Despite the difficult conditions, the Irishman believed it actually helped to take the pressure off him in his VFL debut.
"It definitely made the ball a lot more slippery, it was like a bar of soap," Burke told Cats Media.
"I dropped it a few times, but it kind of made it a bit easier as well because it takes the pressure off the game.
"There were a few more contests and it was a kind of scrappy, which made it easier for me because you just have to throw yourself in there and get stuck in."
Burke immediately had a connection with Oisin Mullin and Mark O'Connor when he joined Geelong, following in their footsteps and switching codes to give Australian Rules Football a red hot crack.
The established Irishmen have both been influential at the top level this year, particularly noticeable in the Cats last outing against Gold Coast where the pair played effective negating roles on Noah Anderson and Touk Miller, while also generating plenty of offensive looks.
Burke said it fills him with pride seeing his fellow countrymen perform strongly.
"Seeing them go well gives you a bit of pride from home," Burke said.
"Living with Mark, he has been a huge help. They make you feel at home here and make you feel comfortable, having that person to talk to who went through the same experiences, and both of them doing so well.
"They certainly know what they are doing and are doing the right things, so listening to them has been a great help out on the field and off the field as well. Even how to get around things that aren't related to footy, they just help a lot which is good."
