Former Rebel Aaron Cadman pushing for round one selection with GIANTS

The 18-year-old's work so far with his new club has earned strong praise from teammate and fellow forward Harry Himmelberg.

Himmelberg, amongst many others, compared the Darley junior to another former Rebels product.

"Some of his physical attributes and the way that he moves and kicks, it reminds me a little bit of Jeremy Cameron," Himmelberg said.

"It's probably not a huge take given he was the number one pick, but he looks really good.

"He's just a really good, natural footballer. He's really hungry to get better. He's always asking questions, he's always trying to do the right things. That's good as well. He doesn't have an attitude and he's got no ego. He's going to be a good player."

Cadman will be hoping to line-up for the Giants in their pre-season clash with the Gold Coast Suns on March 4.

The meteoric rise of Greater Western Victoria Rebels graduate Aaron Cadman continues, with GWS GIANTS Assistant Coach Brett Montgomery declaring Cadman is a chance for a round one AFL debut.

The No. 1 draft pick in the 2022 AFL National Draft has made a strong impression on his new teammates and coaches throughout pre-season.

When asked if Cadman would play early in the season, Montgomery said he "would like to think so".

"He certainly hasn't put a foot wrong so far. He's only a slight build, incredibly athletic, he gets across the ground really well, so I don't see why not," Montgomery told SEN.

"We're really excited, really hopeful that he'll play some meaningful football early."

Cadman's rise towards round one selection has created an awkward situation for the Giants, as the coaches are still yet to decide on where Harry Himmelberg will line up this season.

"Obviously we'll have the dilemma with Harry Himmelberg who's a pivotal piece for us and whether he plays forward or back," Montgomery said.

"At the moment he's spending his time in the forward line just to make sure that we've got some insurance if Aaron isn't ready to go early in the season."

Cadman admitted he still has some work to do ahead of the season, as the lightly-framed key forward tries to adapt to the bigger bodies of AFL.

"Coming up against bigger bodies is a bit harder, so I'm just working on my body position and all that sort of stuff," Cadman told GIANTS Media.

"It's pretty hard when you're coming up against Sam Taylor. He's been throwing me down in the dirt."

The former Rebel put on a whopping 10 kilograms in his draft year to weigh in at 92 kilograms.

Despite this, Cadman kept his elite aerobic ability which helped rocket him to being the No. 1 pick.

"I've still got to add a bit of meat to these bones," he said.

"I'm trying to add as much as I can. Hopefully I can add another three or four (kilograms), which would be nice."

Cadman's 2022 draft class included Rebels teammates James Van Es (St Kilda) and Hugh Bond (Adelaide), with the latter also making an impression throughout pre-season training.

Bond's hard-running and high-pressure football that was a stand-out at the Rebels has also caught the attention of coaches at West Lakes.

The 18-year-old has been a top-finisher amongst his senior teammates in almost all pre-season fitness drills.

Bond will get his first taste of AFL football when the Crows fly to Perth to take on West Coast in an official pre-season fixture, as well as Fremantle in an unofficial match-up.