Lamb, who was taken by the Swans with pick 21 in last year’s NAB AFL Draft, said he was looking forward to pressing his claims with a strong performance in Friday’s intra-club practice match at the SCG.
"I think I’m ready (to play AFL)," Lamb told sydneyswans.com.au at Sydney’s Telstra AFL Community Camp in the Illawarra.
"Obviously it’s one thing to get drafted and another to play AFL, and my dream wasn’t just to get drafted, I wanted to play. I don’t have any expectations this year, but we’ll see how it goes," he said.
"Sydney’s a good club in giving opportunities, I think five of our six draftees played senior football last year.
"I haven’t been told (about whether I’ll play in the NAB Cup), but hopefully I go well on Friday and that might be an indication," he said.
Lamb said he had enjoyed his first AFL pre-season, especially the support the club and in particular coach John Longmire had given him in settling into the city after moving from country Victoria.
"I’ve loved it. All the running and fitness work has gone to plan, and I’m looking forward to the season starting. The Swans are a really welcoming club and all the boys have been really good in helping me settle in," Lamb said.
"John’s a really good fella, he pops down to the change rooms all the time and makes sure us first-year boys are getting on well and getting through the home sickness side of things. It’s been pretty hard moving from home, and it’s a big move, but it’s all going fine," he said.
In entering his debut season, Lamb, who dazzled in the TAC Cup last season with the Dandenong Stingrays, said he had quizzed the likes of Lewis Jetta, Gary Rohan and Rising Star winner Dan Hannebery on what to expect at the top level.
"I have a fair bit to do with them in asking a lot of questions and they’re really good to get some more information about structures and game plans which the club has been working on for the last few seasons," Lamb said.
Lamb was one of a group of Swans to hold AFL clinics throughout the Illawarra and in Wollongong on Tuesday and said taking football back to the community was something of a throwback to his own childhood.
"I come from a small community group as well, so I know what it’s like for these kids growing up and I remember how much I used to like it when AFL players came to our club at home," he said.
"I used to talk to them and ask them questions all the time, so hopefully the kids here will come up and also be AFL footballers one day."
