Max Beattie returned to training at Fremantle on Thursday ahead of what he hopes will be the biggest month yet of his blossoming career.
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Beattie was invited to train with the Dockers before Christmas as one of three train-on players vying for the two remaining spots on the club's rookie list.
Tall forwards Pat Voss and Sam van Rooyen are the other two players in contention.
Voss started his career at Turvey Park and enjoyed a breakout season with Essendon in the VFL last year where he won the club's best and fairest.
While van Rooyen played for Claremont last season and is the younger brother of Melbourne key forward Jacob.
"This is my dream," Beattie said.
"Growing up, all I wanted to do is play the highest standard of football possible.
"My goal at the moment is to make the most of this opportunity and gain a spot on the rookie list.
"If I don't make it, obviously I will be disappointed.
"So for the next month I just have to give 100 percent and if I miss out, at least I know I gave it my all and at the very least I will be better for the experience."
Beattie made the move to Woodville-West Torrens last year from Wodonga Raiders in the hope of enhancing his draft prospects.
The 20-year-old enjoyed a solid debut season in the SANFL after he averaged 14.3 disposals, 3.7 marks, 3.3 tackles and finished sixth in the club's best and fairest.
Beattie said training with an AFL club in the lead-up to Christmas had been a real eye-opener.
"It's obviously a huge step up in intensity and it was pretty tough the first few sessions while the body was adjusting," he said.
"I'm loving the experience though and Perth is an amazing place to live.
"Training with Fremantle, it's such a professional environment and the facilities that I have got access to and the treatment that you receive... it's something new to me and I feel pretty fortunate at the moment.
"The club provides breakfast and lunch every day, you get access to massages, pilates and all other different types of stuff.
"So it's an amazing experience and I'm pinching myself to be honest."
Beattie who plays predominantly as a small forward, prides himself on his running ability to help create space and bamboozle defenders.
He revealed he was pleasantly surprised to be among the top handful of players in most of the running drills during his short time at Fremantle so far.
"My aerobic capacity is probably one of my biggest strengths, so I really enjoy the running drills and showing what I have to offer," he said.
"I have been finishing near the front in most of the running, so that has given me a bit of confidence in regards to my fitness levels."
Despite his fitness levels, Beattie said the final training run before Christmas was the most brutal he had endured during his short career.
"Our last session before Christmas was the most brutal I've ever encountered," he said.
"I was wearing my fitness tracker and clocked up 22km by the time it finished.
"Being new to the environment, initially in the first couple of weeks we didn't do all the training so we could adjust.
"But that last session was easily the toughest that I've ever done.
"Not only was there a lot of running but there was a lot of match simulation with breaks where you would also do an activity indoors.
"I caught a flight home the next day and I was fairly sore sitting in the plane."
While Beattie may be in direct competition with Voss and van Rooyen for the two remaining rookie spots, he said the trio have become quite close.
"I live with Pat and we get along pretty well," he said
"I get along well with Sam as well.
"We are the train-ons and are all in a similar situation, so we are competing against each other I guess but I really like both Pat and Sam as blokes.
"At the end of the day, yes I do want the spot and I'm not going to say that I'd rather either of them get the spot before me.
"But I don't think there will be any hard feelings between us when someone misses out because that's the cut-throat nature of the industry."
