FOR THE Sydney Swans’ Daniel Currie, his 2006 drafting to the harbour city didn’t mean an immediate move to New South Wales.

Then 17, the ruckman still had a year of school to complete in Melbourne, so after eight weeks of training and two pre-season games for the Swans  – including a match in which he made his NAB Cup debut against the Western Bulldogs – Currie found himself back in Parade College, and just a regular student.

“It was quite surreal because I left school at midday on the Friday and flew to Canberra in the afternoon for the NAB Cup the next day and then it was back to school the following week,” he says.

“I felt like an AFL footballer and school was the last thing on my mind, so it was tough going back and being away from the club for extended periods.”

However his football exploits did earn him a little extra attention in the school yard.

“It was a bit weird at school, some of the younger kids would be yelling out your name and you wouldn’t have a clue who they were.”

While Currie was officially an AFL player he wasn’t getting much game time.

The drought in Victoria meant that school competitions were postponed until May. So the young draftee went from the high of his Swans’ debut to no action at all.

But the powers that be at the SCG made sure he was never short of training opportunities.

Saturdays were spent doing one-on-one skills sessions with Swans recruiter George Stone and weights with former Melbourne player Stephen Tingay, while midweek evenings were dominated by school training or sessions with the Northern Knights.

“It was hard to fit in school work, but I tried to put pen to paper when I could,” Currie says.

His school days seem like a long time ago now.

Finished with exams and books, the 18-year-old is living in Sydney full time and although injury (inflammation of the groin) has ruled him out of participating in the NAB Cup this year, he’s delighted to finally be living in the same city as his teammates.

He lives with Kieran Jack and Aaron Bruce but having stayed with Tadhg Kennelly last year in pre-season and during holidays, he admits that it’s the Irishman he looks to for guidance in kick-starting his AFL career.

“I really look up to him, even though he probably doesn’t even realise it,” Currie says.

“The way he conducts himself … his preparation is second to none.

“But then when he switches off, he’s great fun to be around and really has a laugh so I try to do the same thing. I really admire that aspect of him.

“Be serious when I need to be and have a laugh and enjoy yourself when you’re not around the footy club, that’s what I want to do too.”