NEW Port Adelaide rookie Nathan Barkla had an easier first day at Alberton than his fellow new recruits. It was not because he got to take it easy on the track – far from it.

Instead, it was because the teenager had spent time training with the AFL and SANFL sides over the past couple of years as a graduate of the club’s Next Generation Academy.

Barkla’s name was not called during the National Draft this week and that meant he was able to be automatically listed as a Category B rookie.

The speedy defender/forward was confident he would end up at Port Adelaide over recent weeks and could not wait to get started as an AFL player.

“I was waiting for quite a while because I already knew a few weeks before the draft so I was just waiting, sitting at home wanting to get there already and train,” Barkla said at a media conference after training on Friday.

“But when I woke up this morning and got to training and saw the boys again, I was thrilled.

“It’s fully sunken in now.”

Joining Barkla at Alberton for the first time on Friday were draftees Tom McCallum, Tom Scully and Kyle Marshall.

The quartet are living together in a rental home for the next few days with National Recruiting Manager Geoff Parker to help them get to know each other and get used to life as Port Adelaide players.

Barkla said it was “a bit easier” for him on Friday, having spent plenty of time around his schooling training at Alberton over the past two seasons.

“Obviously, I’ve known the boys for a year or two now so it’s good having the relationships there, and I’m trying to build that more,” he explained.

“It was great to see all the boys again and they’ve helped me through a lot of the sessions.

“They’re all really helpful and I’m thankful for them.”

Especially helpful were Connor Rozee and Zak Butters, who Barkla likes to model his game on.

He said the pair had been very supportive as leaders amongst the younger group training this week until the full squad returns on Monday.

“Obviously, I’ve got a lot to learn but they’re just amazing players and play the way I’d like to play,” Barkla said of Rozee and Butters.

“I feel like I can learn off them because they’re quite speedy and agile as well so I can build my game off them and they can help me a lot, which they did in the first session.

“They helped me with structure and where I should position myself to get the best out of myself so they’re very helpful.”

Barkla is a Port District and Woodville-West Torrens junior, averaging 20 disposals, 3.5 clearances and 3.6 tackles per game in 12 Under 18 matches for the Eagles in 2022.

The half-back also played the last three SANFL games mostly as a forward for Port Adelaide after being given permission under an AFL rule granting clubs access to their Next Generation Academy and father-son players during their draft year.

While he admits growing up supporting the Crows, the 18-year-old says his allegiances well and truly switched a couple of years ago when he joined the NGA.

He said his mum had also become a Port supporter at the time, and was even more of a fan, having met coach Ken Hinkley.

“He’s great. I feel like he’s quite approachable,” Barkla said of the senior coach. “He talked to my mum the other day and she was really happy.

“She was thrilled and so happy that she met Ken Hinkley.”

“Mum is fully a Port supporter now. She probably has been from about two years ago but she loves Port.”