Drafted to his childhood club and named after one of the Essendon greats, draftee Dyson Sharp has entered his first AFL pre-season all guns blazing.

Playing his first game in the sash last week against the Tigers in an unofficial practice match, the midfielder is getting the gist of what Bomber life is like and is learning from some of his childhood idols.

Sharp joined the crew on FiveAA Adelaide to chat about all things draft, pre-season, and how he’s found life as a Don so far.

Read the full chat below.

Sharp on… becoming a Bomber

It (draft night) was a big night. I was pinching myself at the end of it. I didn't think it was real. 

I was very happy and very grateful for the opportunity that the Essendon Football Club's given me. 

And to hopefully one day wear the sash that I've grown up going for would be amazing. 

To be honest, the lead up took forever… minutes felt like hours, while you're sitting there waiting for your name to be called out. 

From when my name got called out to now, everything has gone by very fast.

Sharp on… pre-season

I've gotten through it. That's the main thing. 

The load definitely is a whole new level. We've got a new high-performance team with Matt Inness, who are doing a mountain of work to get us in good shape and ready to go for the start of the season. 

They’ve done a tremendous job. The boys are looking really good, and I feel good also. 

The goal was just to get in and get through it, which I have, so I’m very pleased with that.

Sharp on… culture and development

I think coming in; to grow confidence, you have to have a good group of guys around you. The boys have been very welcoming, the staff, the coaches, everyone around the footy Club, and the fans.

They’re making me feel welcome, which has allowed me to have the confidence to put my best foot forward, both on the track and in the practice matches.

I really feel like I am finding my way within the team, the structure and the game plan. Now it's just about consistency and continuing to put my best foot forward. 

Sharp on… fellow draftees

Jacob (Farrow) has put together a really nice pre-season block, he’s been tearing up the track, which is really good off the halfback, and so is Hussey (Hussien El Achkar) and Max (Kondogiannis). 

Unfortunately, Sully (Sullivan Robey) early on got a stress fracture in his back, so he's been in rehab. He’s been getting to work and making sure that his body is right for his return. 

I feel that us draftees as a collective have really hit the track running and putting our names out there quite nicely.

Sharp on… learning from the best

It's very hard to go past Darcy Parish. You know he's, respectfully, one of the best players on our list, up there with Zach Merrett as well. 

But just the way that he goes about his business, both on and off the track, is very admiring, the way that he leads from the front. 

You can just tell someone like him has had lots of experience in the game, because his knowledge of where to run, when to run, when to impact and when to help out in defence, it comes with time. 

I've really just been trying to be a sponge off those guys, but he'd be one of the older guys that's really stuck out to me. 

Sharp on… Mason Redman

When I was transitioning over here, I lived with him (Mason Redman) for a few weeks pre-Christmas. He is another South Aussie boy, so he kind of put me under the wing. 

He’s been showing me the ropes of what it's like to be professional and what AFL footy is like, the lifestyle, the intensity and the standards. 

He's been a really big help for me, especially off the field.

Sharp on… Saints hit-out

They're (St Kilda) primed and ready to go. They’re playing next weekend in Opening Round, so they'll be firing. 

It will be a really good challenge for the boys to go out there and to really measure where we're at. 

Hopefully we show the fans all the hard work that we've put in over this pre-season block.