ALLEN Christensen was mates with just one Brisbane Lions player before coming to the Gabba, but in just three short weeks, he already feels at home.
Signing Christensen was a major off-season coup for the Lions, when after four seasons and one premiership with Geelong, the 23-year-old wanted a change of environment.
He played alongside Trent West in the 2011 premiership, but aside from the injured ruckman, wasn't quite sure what he was walking into.
"I was coming in pretty blind," Christensen said after completing the last challenge of the Lions' pre-season training camp at Noosa at the weekend.
"I'm really enjoying it, it's a nice change of environment for me.
"A lot of the boys have come from interstate, and you don't have much family or outside friends, so we're all one big, happy family up here.
"I've been really lucky they've welcomed me so well."
Christensen is all smiles, and while he said Geelong would always hold a special place in his heart, the move had already exceeded his expectations.
He and his partner have moved into a place in East Brisbane, just a good drop punt from the Gabba.
The fleet-footed midfielder has inherited the famous Lions No.3 guernsey worn by triple premiership captain and former coach Michael Voss.
He sits alongside James Aish in the locker-room and has already had the teenager around for dinner a number of times.
"Going to a new place and seeing different things, being able to do different things, is a massive thing for me," he said.
"I'm really enjoying driving around and getting lost and those sorts of things."
The main issue for Christensen now is getting on the training track, with a back issue that required surgery limiting him to just eight games for the Cats in 2014.
He has been a regular in the pool and on the stationary bike so far, but expects to resume running prior to the Christmas break and is confident of being available for selection come round one.
"The last few weeks I've been pain free," he said.
"Hopefully we can ramp it up, if I can persuade the physios to let me get going a little bit earlier. I'm coming along really well."
