MEET David Swallow, the first man taken in the 2010 AFL draft.
No, that isn't a typo.

Twelve months out from the annual player lottery, Gold Coast have made their first selection and have shipped Swallow across the Nullarbor to join his teammates in pre-season.

So as draftees from across the country from the class of 2009 began their lives as AFL footballers this week, 2010's first graduate was hard in training under the watchful eye of Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna.

Swallow, the younger brother of Kangaroo Andrew Swallow, is a hardrunning midfielder who was joint winner of the Larke Medal as best and fairest at this year's national carnival.

McKenna said recruiting manager Scott Clayton ranked Swallow among the top three 16-year-olds in the country and had already decided to use one of the top three picks at their disposal in the draft to get him. So why wait?

"He has fitted into the program like a hand into a glove," McKenna said.

"We identified him, we know we have got the first three picks so we jagged one of them early.

"I was keen to get another pick but Scott Clayton wanted to let the dust settle, he wants another 12 months because we know in boys' development how much can change in the course of
12 months.

"But with David he was very confident, as we all are, that he is certainly in the top three."

It is an unprecedented move that demonstrates just how committed the AFL is to the success of its newest club.

The rules are very flexible for McKenna and co at Carrara.

Sure, it was inevitable Swallow would end up here anyway because the Coast have the first three picks. The major advantage it gives McKcenna and Swallow over the rest of the clubs and players participating in next year's draft is an extra 12 months of life as a full-time footballer.

"Because we have got to get these boys looking like men as early as we can the fact we can get two pre-seasons into him is a benefit for him," McKenna said.

"He gets used to living away from home, to travelling. All the other draftees we will get in 2010, they have got to learn all that in six months, David gets 18 months."

Swallow could also see the advantages and although the thought of crossing the country at 16 was daunting, the pros far outweighed the cons.

"At first it was (daunting) but when I came over and saw all the facilities and spoke to Bluey and saw all the plans they had in place, it wasn't too hard in the end," he said.

"I'll have two solid pre-seasons under my belt coming into my first AFL season and that will be a bonus."

Courtesy of Andrew Hamilton, Courier Mail.