Elliott Kavanagh has been to Windy Hill a fair few times before. Having just completedhis VCE at the local Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, Kavanaghoccasionally popped in for casual kick of the footy, slotting goals from theplayer race or threading passes in front of the Allan Hird Stand.

Watch highlights of Kavanagh here on BomberTV ?

He also spent apre-season at Essendon through his AIS-AFL Academy scholarship, so has strolledup and back Napier Street many times and knows the area well.

Now, he is aboutto become infinitely more familiar with his Essendon surroundings.

The next timeKavanagh, 18, walks into Windy Hill will be a completely different story afterthe Bombers took the talented midfielder with pick No.19 in Thursday's NAB AFLDraft. It's a change he hasn't quite got his head around. 

""It justhasn't sunk in yet,"" Kavanagh said.

""It's justlike I'll be going to the Essendon Football Club, which I've been to a lotbefore so the feeling hasn't really sunk in that I'm actually a player therenow.""

It's somethinghe'll need to get used to quickly, with high hopes for the confident but quietteenager to inject some more pace and class into Essendon's developing midfield.

Kavanagh fitsEssendon's needs perfectly. He has a healthy balance of speed and endurance,wins his own possessions and delivers the ball nicely. Next season – keeping inmind he needs to add some weight to his light frame – he has an eye on a spoton the wing.

After astunning 2010 year as a bottom-age player, Kavanagh's injury battles – aserious hamstring tendon injury and then a thigh injury at the end of the year– made 2011 a difficult season for the Western Jets' onballer.

He returned andplayed with the Jets and in the AGVS system, but couldn't recapture the formthat saw him rocket up the ranks in 2010. It left recruiters wondering justwhat to make of his ability, and where he sat in the draft pecking order. Essendon,though, saw enough and were delighted with the selection.

The inevitablequestions on his hamstring will remain – he even admits to at times doubtinghimself through the season – but he is confident that it won't hinder hiscareer.

""Youdefinitely doubt yourself at times and you get frustrated but you have to justgrit your teeth, get yourself going and get through it all,"" he said.

""ObviouslyEssendon saw something different in me to what other clubs saw and thought itcould be an opportunity for me to shine rather than worry about myhamstring.""

""It's (thehamstring) going to be something they'll build up and make stronger and manageproperly and I think it's good that they're taking it on. I've got full faithit will be fine.""

On Monday,Kavanagh's AFL career will begin. He's already had phone calls from a number ofplayers, coaches, board members and CEO Ian Robson – ""I didn't expect thatmany people to be in contact with me that quickly,"" he said – but thingswill get serious when he's handed the Bombers' pre-season program and set totask.

He's especiallykeen on working under coach James Hird and assistant Simon Goodwin, after achildhood of shared AFL club loyalties.

""Early on I was pretty influenced by the Bombers because they were localso I barracked for them pretty early, and then I just chose a team and it wasAdelaide so I was a bit half and half,"" Kavanagh said with a laugh.

""I followed James Hird as a kid and watched a bit of Simon Goodwin as wellso it's going to be very good being under him as the midfield coach. It's goingto be interesting, it's exciting.""