I’ve been living in Sydney for six months now but before I moved here last year, I had only been to Sydney twice, and those visits were so short I didn’t even count them as visits.

I came here last year, when I was playing with Hawthorn, for a game at ANZ Stadium, and all I saw was the ground and the hotel. And the other time was when I came up for a groin operation in hospital, so I didn’t see much then either. So really, when I moved here I considered that to be the first time I’d really been in Sydney.

Now I can say I’m a local, because I’ve got stuck in the wrong lane on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and copped a fine for driving in the bus lane!

I’m living in Botany, but I drive over the bridge to visit my auntie, Loretta, her husband, Mark, and their four year old son, Gianmarco, who’s now a big Swans fan.

I’m very fortunate to have my auntie here. She’s been really accommodating when I’ve been in need of a feed or a bed. I couldn’t ask for much more, especially when I first came and had to find stuff for my kitchen. I wouldn’t know where to start so I was very thankful for Loretta and John and Gianmarco.

I’m living in Botany with Taylor Gilchrist and Patty Veszpremi. As far as cooking and diets go, Patty and I are pretty similar, but Gilly is on a completely different diet… he is trying to put on weight, and we are trying to maintain it, or lose it.

In fact, Patty is on a special diet and he has got his own food which comes in a big foam box, and his own mini fridge.

I didn’t know either of them before I moved here, but I knew Taylor’s older brother, because we played together for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup in Melbourne.

The Club’s player welfare manager, Dennis Carroll, sets us up in the houses, and tries to work out who will be best suited to live together.

I am the oldest in our house and Taylor is the youngest but he is actually the house leader… very mature!

We watch a fair bit of TV together, and then Gilly has his X-Box in his room and Patty has his DJ decks which he plays on most nights, with headphones on, but you can still hear the sub woofer shaking the whole house, doosh, doosh, doosh.

But it’s all good fun. And life is especially good when we string a couple of wins together, as we’ve done the last two weeks.