YOUNG West Australian Tom Mitchell is getting a taste of what lies ahead, joining his new Sydney Swans teammates for pre-season training during his school holidays.

Identified as one of the country’s leading young talents, the Swans have committed to selecting Mitchell - the son of former Swan, Barry - next year under the father-son rule after the 17 year-old declared his desire to join the Swans, rather than nominate for the 2011 National Draft.

Though he will not officially be a Swans listed player until November 2011, Mitchell has been at the Swans for the past few weeks and says he's relishing the opportunity to get a headstart and familiarise himself with his new teammates, the environment of an AFL club and a new city. 

“I thought it would be an advantage to spend some time at the Club,’’ Mitchell said. “I figured not many kids would get to do an extra pre-season with an AFL Club before they were actually eligible to play, so I was keen to get over to Sydney and do a bit of extra work.

“It really helps getting used to the training loads. It’s a lot different to what I would do at home as there is pretty much stuff on all day, every day,” he said.

While in Sydney, Mitchell has had the rare privilege of living with the Swans co-captain Adam Goodes.

“Living with Adam, you get a really good sense of the level of professionalism required to be an AFL footballer. He sets a really strong example and is always willing to share some advice.” 

Mitchell, a ball-winning midfielder, said he had plenty to work on over the next 12 months as he prepares to join the Swans full -time.

“I think the first thing you notice when you train with these guys is just how fit they are, and that is something I will be working hard on during my time with the Swans and throughout next year when I’m back home in Perth.

“I want to be known as a midfielder who can play inside and outside. I’d like to model myself on someone like Jarrad McVeigh, who can play both in and under, and as an attacking outside midfielder,’’ Tom said.

Swans Manager of Football Development, Stuart Maxfield, said Tom was quickly adapting to the AFL environment.

“Tom continues to impress all of the coaches and his teammates with his football smarts & overall desire to improve,” Maxfield said.

“He is quickly grasping all facets of our midfield structures & overall game plan. 2011 will be a challenging year for Tom but we are confident he will manage his Year 12 studies back in Perth, and football commitments accordingly,” he said.

Mitchell will return to training with the Swans after the Christmas break, and it’s planned that he will spend more time with the Club during the school holidays next season, to further his development.

Having overcome some minor injury setbacks which plagued him in 2010, Mitchell is looking forward to the challenges ahead in 2011, including the chance to represent Western Australia at the Under 18 National Championships.