YOUNG Essendon midfielder Sam Lonergan has a unique chance to launch his AFL career.

The 20-year-old is being coached by the man he looked up to when he was a youngster.

While Matthew Knights was plying in trade over 270-plus games for Richmond, a young Lonergan was admiring from the Tasmanian town of Lauderdale and hoping he too would one day scale the AFL heights.

After two years in the Bombers system under coach Knights at Bendigo, the talented midfielder/forward is ready to make the regular step to senior football.

He said having Knights in charge was a huge bonus.

“It’s amazing: 270 games, you just don’t stumble over that and you can learn a lot from him,” Lonergan said.

“Every time you chat to him, he’s a smart man and he has the team set up well. You can’t ask for anything more as a junior to come into that environment.”

Lonergan said the early days of going from talented junior to AFL draftee had been difficult, but now with two years’ experience he was ready to step up and play more senior games and help lead a Bombers revival.

“When you first come in you brainwash yourself,” he said.

“You’re coming out of an elite level and you’ve always been in the top one or two players and you come into an AFL club where you’re booted down to number 34, 35, 36, and it’s a bit of a wake-up call, especially when you moved interstate with no family.

“It’s always going to take at least a year to settle in. Leaving Tassie they expect you to break in straight away, but it’s really a two-year apprenticeship and I’ve got that behind me now.”

Lonergan said having Knights in charge was exciting, particularly with a new breed of players coming through at the same time.

He said the Bombers were itching to play their first NAB Cup match against Brisbane at Carrara on February 16.

“There’ll be opportunities there and there’ll be a half dozen that put their hand up and take it and I’ve given myself that opportunity to put my hand up,” he said.