THREE days before Tuesday's NAB AFL Pre-season Draft, John McCarthy's phone rang.

It was Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus, who the ex-Magpie hadn't had much contact with since he toured the club in November.

Primus told McCarthy the equation was simple; the Power wanted to take him in the pre-season draft, and with a pick ahead of Richmond - the club he had been training with for nearly a month - it was likely he'd be cloaked in teal within days.

Although the 22-year-old initially preferred to stay in Melbourne, where his girlfriend, Dani Smarelli, is a budding musician, Primus had a strong selling point for the former Pie.

After being faced with limited senior opportunities at Collingwood - just 18 games in four years - when pitted against the Pies' blue-chip midfield, Primus told McCarthy he would be a regular in the Power's engine room in 2012.

And, after the finances were sorted, with McCarthy being one of two players eligible for the pre-season draft to nominate terms, he was on a plane to Adelaide before he knew it.

"It's been pretty full-on but it's great to get stuck back into it," McCarthy told AFL.com.au on Wednesday.

"I got a call from Matty and he just said, 'You need to get your head around the fact we're thinking of taking you, we think you're our man, so you need to think about that because it could be an option'.

"Up until then I thought I was going to Richmond because I'd been training with them for a month and I hadn't really spoken to Port for about a month. I thought it was a done deal.

"But I'm glad now it's happened and I'm thankful for the opportunity to be up here and getting ready to get stuck into it."

About 24 hours after the Power surprised the football world by calling his name at the draft, McCarthy touched down in South Australia and was headed to Alberton. 

He met the players, arranged that he would live with Brett Ebert until the Christmas break, had lunch, and was then into the gym for his first weights session in the early afternoon.

McCarthy said he felt he was in good physical shape, having trained with Collingwood up until the October 1 Grand Final, and then with Richmond for the best part of a month after a small break.

While the Tigers were mindful of his late finish to the year and didn't "flog him", they kept him moving and helped him maintain his fitness.

Now, without established midfielders such as Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Luke Ball casting a shadow over him, McCarthy is hoping he can take the opportunity in front of him and finally become an AFL regular. 

"It's exciting times for Port supporters, there are a lot of young guys around so hopefully I can just step in and make an impact," he said.

"They're a young club and they've got a talented list. They're very young and they just need to mature a bit and get some games under their belt.

"But Matty said I would get plenty of opportunities in the midfield, which is what I'm after, and I'm probably one of the older guys here and I'm only 22."

Smarelli, who is currently ranked second on the charts of Triple J's Unearthed website, will move to Adelaide in January with McCarthy when he returns from his Christmas break.

She accompanied him when he visited the club in November and they got to know the city, which McCarthy admitted he had only really seen when visiting for football, limiting his knowledge of Adelaide to the interior of hotels.

McCarthy said the trip helped both of them feel comfortable with the new life that now awaited them.

"They were fantastic to both of us so it was great we got that opportunity to come over here beforehand," he said.

"Dani's doing gigs in Melbourne at pubs - here, there and everywhere, and we've checked out things over here and hopefully she'll slot in nicely with a few pubs.

"She's also looking for a job in the industry so hopefully she can get a job at one of the record labels, in any form.

"She's going to have to make a few sacrifices to come over but she's willing to and she's very supportive."

Having sat down with his new teammates for lunch before they bonded over heavy metal in the gym, McCarthy is even more enthusiastic about his fresh start. 

He also believes he'll be even more dedicated to his career now he knows the prize of regular AFL football is closer than ever. 

"To come in and know I'm going to get more an opportunity, it's really exciting for me and it's probably going to make me work even harder knowing that I'm going to be rewarded at the end of the day," he said.

"I came in today and all the boys gave me a warm welcome. They've embraced me, and there are a few boys who have come over so there are a few in the same boat as me.

"It's good to know I'm not alone."

 The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs