WHEN it comes to finding a mentor at your new club, Zac Fisher couldn’t have asked for much more.

The young West Australian arrived at Carlton prior to last season without much knowledge of what to expect. Fortunately, he had a compatriot in Patrick Cripps ready to take him under his wing.

Those at Carlton say the likes of Fisher and fellow young midfielders Sam Petrevski-Seton and Paddy Dow look up to Cripps on the training track, watching and studying his every move and trying to implement traits from his game on their own.

But off the field, Fisher believes his impact has been just as significant.

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Both live close by to one another, they go for dinners together every week and are almost always playing either basketball or PlayStation against each other.

For Fisher, having a mentor who he can relate to in so many ways has made the process of settling in at Carlton as easy and as enjoyable as he could have ever imagined.

“He’s done a lot for me,” Fisher tells foxfooty.com.au.

“I’ve played more midfield time this year and that’s what I’ve always wanted to do. But he’s done a lot for me in terms of my craft.

“Off the field, he’s been great for me. He lives out near me and he’s invested so much in me outside of football. That sort of stuff is paying me back inside of football as well.

“In the end, we play for each other and we work for each other. So anything we do off the field helps you on the field.”

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Fisher has enjoyed a promising start to his Carlton career. Source: AAP

The feeling is mutual.

Having taken over as Carlton’s stand-in skipper in the absence of injured captain Marc Murphy, Cripps has relished the prospect of leading a young midfield group.

In particular, the opportunity to take a fellow country kid in Fisher under his wing is one Cripps has grabbed with both hands — and one he has really enjoyed.

“He’s a terrific kid,” Cripps says of Fisher.

“Back home, he actually played for Guildford, who was one of our rival teams in school footy.

“Guys like him show that the club is going to go when it does. He’s only played 25 games, but some of the games he’s played this year have been really A-Grade material.

“He knows what he has to do to keep getting better, it’s only the first stepping stone for him, but we’ll keep him level-headed and we’ll keep him working hard.”

The impact Cripps has had on Fisher’s game has been noticeable this year.

Having secured his place in Carlton’s team as a pressure forward last season, an outstanding summer on the track gave Carlton’s coaching panel little choice but to throw him into the engine room this year.

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Now playing regularly in his natural position in the midfield, Fisher’s numbers have lifted significantly across the board.

Still only 19, Fisher ranks first among all 47 teenagers currently plying their trade in the AFL for clearances and contested possessions, according to Champion Data.

He also ranks second for ranking points in that particular category, second for metres gained, third for disposals and inside the top five for tackles and pressure points.

According to Carlton coach Brendon Bolton, that’s a result of his relationship with Cripps.

“He invests in the young guys,” Bolton said when asked about their bond earlier in the year.

“(Fisher) is into his second year … (he’s had) a lot of contested possessions for a little guy. In a lot of ways, that’s Crippa investing in him. He’s another Western Australian boy, he gets his arm around him and he helps him.

“If only we could fast-forward 100 games into Fisher and understand what that’s like.”

Fisher has drawn comparisons to four-time premiership great Sam Mitchell. Source: Getty Images

Cripps is not the only Carlton leader to have invested time and energy into Fisher.

The club’s captain, Marc Murphy, is another to have quickly realised the young midfielder’s potential.

Fisher, in turn, is keen to tap into Murphy’s knowledge of the game.

“When I first came to the club, I really wanted to latch onto Murph,” Fisher says.

“He’s a similar size and build and he’s got similar attributes in the way we play. We did a lot of vision together. We’re doing more with Pat as well, especially since Murph has been out.

“He’s been good in that sense, trying to develop and fast-track my game.

“It does make it a lot easier. In terms of structures, say if we were a lot younger, it distracts you from actually playing football. Pat and Murph allow blokes like Samo and Paddy and myself in that midfield group to play more on instinct, even though we still have our responsibilities to set up.”

Murphy and Fisher have even developed a little rivalry at training during the week.

The pair have a competition going where they each take shots at goal throughout sessions. Having started with the person who missed the most shots buying the other coffee, only recently the pair have decided to “up the ante” and make it lunch, instead.

Just don’t ask Fisher how he’s coped since the stakes were raised.

“I’ve crumbled, I’ve really crumbled,” the youngster laughs.

“Fortunately on game day it’s been okay. I’m probably kicking more goals from midfield than when I played forward. It’s surprising, but I’m happy with it.”

Fisher recently re-signed at Carlton until 2021. Source: Getty Images

Fortunately for Carlton fans, Fisher has been locked away at the Blues for his best years.

Just last month, the teenager re-signed until 2021, with the process of settling into life in Melbourne one made all the more easier — and enjoyable — by the arrival of a new puppy.

His french bulldog is called Navy. And although Fisher insists it was named by his girlfriend, rather than being named after the Blues, that hasn’t stopped him from copping flak about it around the club.

But the youngster is happy to accept the ribbings. Now a fully-fledged regular in the senior team, he has quickly become a fan-favourite with the Blues faithful and a much-loved figure within the club.

“It’s a young group and we all love each other,” he says.

Fisher’s standing within the game, much like it is at Princes Park, is also growing.

Back in March, the talented 19-year-old was compared to Brownlow Medal winner and four-time premiership great Sam Mitchell by Fox Footy analyst David King.

“They’ve got a kid there at Carlton that I think possesses football IQ that is way, way off the charts — I think this kid is going to be a star,” King said.

For someone who idolised and studied Mitchell growing up, Fisher says the comparisons are both “crazy” and “a huge honour”. It’s clear to see just how humbled he is by that assessment.

But the diminutive midfielder will never stop looking for ways to improve his game.

This season, former Essendon player and Carlton development coach Brent Stanton has started taking Fisher to Bombers games to watch and analyse Stanton’s former teammate Zach Merrett.

It’s just another way — and another player — that Fisher will look towards in order to help develop his craft.

A mad Eagles fan growing up back home in Western Australia, there’s perhaps just one more player Fisher hopes will one day have an impact on his career.

“I met Chris Judd once. He’s a big man, which was surprising,” Fisher laughs.

“He’s on the board and he’s around the club, but I’m a bit scared to introduce myself.”