carltonfc.com.au take a look back at our new recruits.

When Carlton recruiting manager Wayne Hughes named Shaun Grigg as the club's choice at selection 19 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft, the Grigg family, huddled around the radio at the family home in Ballarat, erupted with joy.

But the realisation that her son was heading to Carlton was especially sweet for Robyn Grigg, a lifelong fanatical supporter of the Old Dark Navy Blues.

Shaun and his brothers had followed their father Peter's lead and grown up following Essendon in a 'mixed' household, and while cheering on the arch enemy will never come naturally to Peter Grigg, the transition from Bomber to Blue has been as smooth as silk for 18-year-old Shaun.

"It's been fantastic to go to a club with such a proud history and it's going to be exciting in the future and all the boys have been more than willing to help," said Grigg.

"Training has been pretty tough, but all the players have been really helpful and if you have any questions or dramas they're more than willing to help, so settling in and feeling comfortable and getting used to the routine has been fine."

An Under-18 All Australian and Vic Country representative in 2006, Grigg enjoyed an outstanding season with the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup.

But it was his performance at the NAB AFL Draft Camp where he finished in the top 10 for the 20-metre sprint that firmed-up his standing amongst the club recruiters.

Initially, there were indications he could be heading interstate as a first round draftee.

"I originally thought Adelaide at pick 14, but then when that didn’t happen, I had talked to Carlton in the week leading up to the draft and I was just hoping to get my name read out," Grigg said.

"You can never really count on going here or there, you don’t know for sure until your name is read out, but when it was I was excited, for sure."

For the record, Grigg is set to become just the fifth person with his surname to play VFL/AFL football and the first since 1921 when Dick Grigg, "as fine a player as any in the land" according to the Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers, played the last of his 194 matches with Geelong.

Shaun Grigg isn't aware whether any of his forebears played in the VFL, but he does have a close connection with five of his Rebels team mates who found new homes in the draft, including the Brown brothers, Mitchell and Nathan who were classmates of Grigg's at St Patrick's College.


"We're real close down there and half the boys were at school as well, we would spend all day together. I think we had four in the top 20 (in the draft) and it's a real credit to the program they've got down there," Grigg said.

"Both programs at St Pat's and the Rebels were very professional and they were more than happy to help in any way and they did everything they could to prepare us to be the best we could be."

At 190cm and nudging 80kg, Grigg refuses to be typecast and is looking forward to making an on-field contribution to his new club wherever he's required.

"I've played everywhere over the years and I can fit in anywhere - half-back, wing, on the ball or half-forward," he said.

"I've been working with (Carlton assistant coach) Gavin Crosisca and the defenders early on but, like everyone else, I don't mind kicking a goal."