DESPITE his obvious talent, Adelaide recruit Troy Menzel can't expect to waltz into the club's starting 22, teammate Josh Jenkins insists.
Menzel returned home to South Australia in October after 40 games in three seasons with Carlton.
The 21-year-old possesses serious X-factor but given the strength of the Crows' forward line, Jenkins believed Menzel would have to prove himself capable of holding down a spot inside 50.
As well as skipper Taylor Walker and Jenkins himself, Eddie Betts and Tom Lynch are also certain starters.
Speaking to AFL.com.au before driving to back to Swan Hill in north-western Victoria for Christmas, Jenkins pointed to February's NAB Challenge as an opportunity for Menzel, as well as a number of other young players, to get themselves picked for round one.
"I don't think they would have pursued [Menzel] if they didn't think he could make an impact in our group straight away – but there are certainly no walk-up starts in that forward line," Jenkins said.
"He's got plenty of work to do in terms of his fitness coming off some injuries so at the moment he's just got his head down and bum up trying to impress the coaching staff and impress the playing group.
"You only have to look around – Walker, Betts, Lynch, Charlie Cameron's not far away…you start to lock away a few spots and you realise there's only two or three left.
"Troy, Riley Knight, Mitch McGovern, Keenan Ramsey – those young guys that are looking for opportunities – six or seven doesn't go into two or three.
"It'll be interesting to see how that plays out…but that's why NAB Challenge games are important because they can give you a really good insight into what your season looks like."
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Jenkins will enter 2016 on the back of a career-best season that saw him boot 46 goals in 21 games and establish himself as one of the club's most important players.
At 26 and yet to play 100 games, he believed he still had improvements to make in his game but was pleased by his continued progress each year.
"I'm still only five years into my playing career [but] I think I've been able to take – whether it's a big step or a small step – but move forward each season," he said.
"I definitely think I was able to do that last year…2014 was probably the year I, not broke out, but cemented myself in the team.
"Then last year (2015) I was probably able to take that security to another level and actually have a big influence over the group and how we went.
"I know what my role is, it's pretty straight-forward, so I'll just continue to try and do it to the best of my ability."
Adelaide's NAB Challenge campaign begins on February 21 against West Coast at Unley Oval.
