IT HAS been a summer of change for Harry Himmelberg.

The Giants star has a new coach in Adam Kingsley, a new hairdo – having dispensed with the long locks and the styled man bun over the off-season – and a new position. Or, an old position, depending on which way you look at it.

Himmelberg spent the bulk of his first seven seasons with Greater Western Sydney being used primarily as a key forward under Leon Cameron who, up until last May when he departed the club, was the only coach the 26-year-old had worked under.

The promotion of Mark McVeigh as the club's interim coach ahead of the side's round 10 clash with West Coast therefore brought about an unusual situation for Himmelberg to find himself in. All of a sudden, he had a new coach. And a new role.

Himmelberg, despite kicking 18 goals from his first 10 games last season – including a goal in each match – was asked by McVeigh to head into the backline. Having not been used in defence in years, the shift came with a sense of the unknown.

"I was learning a lot on the run," Himmelberg told AFL.com.au.

I played a couple of years when I first got to the footy club as a defender. But it was good this time, being a little bit more senior and having a little bit more input. I learnt a few things, playing on some good players."

As evidenced by his goals tally, Himmelberg had been in good touch as a forward when asked to make the move. However, he finished the season in arguably even better form to average 23.7 disposals and 7.9 marks in 13 matches as a defender.

The arrival of Kingsley therefore came with a question mark around Himmelberg's long-term position at the club. Not just for outsiders – primarily AFL Fantasy fans, who have been pestering him about his role – but for the player himself.

Due to fly to the United States for an off-season holiday, Himmelberg caught up with Kingsley for a coffee date before his departure. A cheeky back and forth between the pair gave him some surety on his future.

"He asked, 'where do you want to play?' I said, 'wherever you want me'. He said, 'nah where do you want to play?' I said, 'wherever the team needs me'," a chuckling Himmelberg continued.

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"He thought, with the way we're going to play and with the way the gameplan was going to eventuate, that my attributes would suit us as a forward. At the moment, it's going really well.

"Obviously, there is scope to chop and change. But that's handy to have as well. If the structures aren't right or depending on personnel and injuries, I can always go down back. That's handy for the team and for myself."

Himmelberg feels like he is best utilised as a forward. However, he understands that his defensive output was helped by having played in attack for the majority of his career. Now, he hopes he can become a better goalkicker thanks to his experiences last year.

"I'm probably more of a natural forward," Himmelberg said.

"I feel like the backline is easier when you've played forward, because you know exactly what the forwards want to do in terms of their spacing and all of this stuff and where people want to get the footy.

"It was actually a really good learning curve to play on some really good key forwards. I played on Charlie Curnow for a quarter, guys like that. It helps you as a forward as well. But I don't really have a preference.

"With the way we were going last year, I was more suited to playing down back. There were more entries coming my way. But you want to be winning games of footy and being in the forward half when you're winning games is pretty hard to beat."

The 2023 season is crucial for both Himmelberg and the Giants. From a team perspective, the club is bullish about its prospects of rebounding from a disappointing 6-16 campaign last season.

Himmelberg, meanwhile, is set to enter his eighth season in the AFL system and will thus hit the free agency market for the first time in his career. For now, though, his focus is concentrated elsewhere.

"My manager obviously speaks about it here and there, but he's on the same page as me. I just want to play a good year of footy again. I've been like that with every contract I've ever had," Himmelberg said.

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"We'll see what happens. I definitely want to get into the season to start with. I'm not in a rush either way. It's not something that I think about too much anyway. I'm pretty confident in what I can do and I just want to perform now. I want to get better."

Internally, it is hoped Himmelberg's return to the forward line will help the Giants two-fold next season. Not only will his experience help the club's potency in attack, but it will also provide new No.1 pick Aaron Cadman with another leader to aid his development.

"He's a pretty good player," Himmelberg said of Cadman.

"Some of his physical attributes and the way that he moves and kicks, it reminds me a little bit of Jeremy Cameron. It's probably not a huge take, given he was the No.1 pick, but he looks really good.

"He's just a really good, natural footballer. He's really hungry to get better. He's always asking questions, he's always trying to do the right things. That's good as well. He doesn't have an attitude and he's got no ego. He's going to be a good player."

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Himmelberg hopes the result of Cadman's arrival, the rejuvenation the club has received following Kingsley's appointment, and his return to the forward line, will all culminate in an improved season ahead.

"It's actually been really fun and really refreshing to have an entirely new coaching staff and a new gameplan that all of the players are buying into," Himmelberg said. "It's been really good. I can't wait to see it unfold in games."