The young midfielder-forward is the son of former Hawthorn player Robert and nephew of two-time Hawks premiership star David.
And after playing four games in his debut season following his drafting in 2007, Polkinghorne has played the past three games for the Lions and is proving a valuable contributor.
Coach Michael Voss singled him out for special praise after the round six win over Essendon, while the 20-year-old collected a season-high 12 possessions to go with five marks against Richmond last weekend.
Aggression at the contest is Polkinghorne’s signature and the former Calder Cannon said his learning curve had been steep.
“I feel like I'm starting to find my feet, learning my position and making a contribution to the team,” he said.
“The first year I played four games which gave me a taste but one of my goals this year was to stay in and stay consistent and give them a reason to keep picking me.”
Polkinghorne did not miss a session in the pre-season and said it was important to him to show Voss what he could do in the NAB Cup.
“Ideally I'd like to play in the midfield but I like it in the forward line too,’’ he said.
“I see myself as a natural lead-up type of forward and it's great being around the likes of Browny and Braddy.
“I haven't kicked one [goal] yet so hopefully when it rains it pours. But we're just trying to get in and under their feet and then get back and help the midfield as well.”
For most players drafted to an interstate team, one of the biggest hurdles is their off-field battle with integrating into a new city.
Polkinghorne had a taste of Brisbane when he played in the national under-16 carnival, giving him a slight leg-up.
After a speech from current Lions star, Polkinghorne thought being drafted by the Queensland club might not be such a bad break.
“Luke Power came and talked to our team and I thought of the lifestyle he must be leading and how great it was,” he said.
“It's my second year up here and I'm really enjoying it. I've been back to Melbourne a few times to see my family and friends and a few games of footy, but I love it up here, the laid-back lifestyle, the weather, everything.
“I lived with Troy Selwood last year and taking everything in from a senior player, seeing how he lived life outside football, and he was from Victoria and moved up here, just seeing all those other things was great.
“I really haven't looked back since coming up here.”
