Throwing punches is usually not a great first impression to make at an AFL club but for GWS prized recruit Braydon Preuss it has proven an ideal introduction to Shane Mumford.
Preuss was among the Giants reporting for the start of pre-season training on Monday, when their push for a maiden premiership resumed in sapping heat.
Mumford, who came out of retirement for 2019 and will extend the second phase of his playing career into 2021, is among the older players who aren’t formally due back until January.
But Preuss, who has been backed by former teammate Max Gawn to soon become one of the league’s best ruckmen, has already got to know his new mentor.
“I’m not going to spar with him, that’s for sure. I want to stay injury free,” Preuss told AAP.
“But we’ve done a few boxing sessions together and the connection is already there, which is good.
“I’m not going to become a boxer any time soon. I nearly trip over every time I punch.”
Mumford, who is expected to juggle playing and coaching duties in 2021, has had a couple of chats with Preuss about their craft.
GWS coach Leon Cameron has already spoken with Preuss, a 2.06m giant who weighs 114 kilograms, about how he can take his game to another level.
The imposing 25-year-old is likely to shoulder the bulk of the Giants’ ruckwork next year.
Preuss joined GWS on a three-year deal after Cameron spruiked an opportunity to become the expansion club’s No.1 ruckman.
It was an attractive pitch for the big man, who lived in Gawn’s shadow at Melbourne after being Todd Goldstein’s understudy at North Melbourne.
“I was sick of being the apprentice,” Preuss said.
“If I find out I’m not good enough then I’m not good enough, but I certainly believe I am.”
Preuss is keenly awaiting his first showdown with Gawn, who recently predicted his former teammate will be “in the top echelon of rucks this next two or three years”.
“Gawny has helped me out more than he’ll ever know,” Preuss said.
“Training with Gawny was about trying to survive … if you can match it with him then you can match it with anybody, training was often harder than games.
“For him to say something like that gives me a lot of confidence.
“It also probably puts a bit of pressure on. Because if I don’t reach that level, I’ve sort of let him down.”
