IT'S TOUGH to find anyone at Simonds Stadium these days wearing a broader smile than Nakia Cockatoo.

The 18-year-old midfielder, who grew up in Darwin and was taken by Geelong with pick 10 in last year's national draft, is loving every minute of his first season at the Cattery.

"I couldn't dream of going to a better club," Cockatoo told geelongcats.com.au.

"I was a Port Adelaide supporter, but I was rapt to come to Geelong. They always seem to be pretty good."

"I think to myself every day that it's amazing that I'm at such a great AFL club."

Despite playing just one game last year after needing surgery to fix a broken foot, Cockatoo hit the ground running when he arrived at Geelong.

Since then, he has impressed his coaches and teammates with his efforts on the training track over the pre-season.

"There have been some pretty tough sessions, but I've ground through it," Cockatoo said.

"I've got a lot to work on, and the other players have helped me out with anything that I need a hand with.

"I'll ask anyone about the game and they'll say, 'Maybe you should have done this or that.'

"They're so helpful. They know everything about it."

The hard work Cockatoo put in over the summer held him in good stead when he debuted for the Cats in their NAB Challenge opener against Gold Coast in Townsville.

He finished the game with 10 disposals, six tackles and 54 AFL Fantasy points, having shown flashes his trademark pace and skill while roaming through the midfield and across half-forward.

His encouraging performance came after he was so nervous before the game that he struggled to sit still all morning.

"I think it's good to be a little bit nervous," Cockatoo said with a grin. "The first quarter was real quick. I didn't expect it to be like that.

"Then it died down a little bit in the second quarter and I found my legs a bit."

Cockatoo had mixed emotions after the Cats went down to the Suns by eight points.

"I was sad and happy," he said. "I know it was only a NAB Challenge game, but I like to win.

"But I was just happy to be out there. So it was a good feeling to be part of it."

Cockatoo, who is living with the same host family as fellow recruit Jordan Cunico, has found it easy enough to cope with the pressure that comes with being a top-10 draftee.

"I'm okay with it," he said. "I just try and play football and don't worry about what everyone else is thinking.

"I just want to go out there and try to do my job.

"Once I get the ball, I just want to take on the play. I want to be really clean with the ball.

"And my second- and third-efforts as well are really important.

"If I can do those defensive acts every game, hopefully I can stay in the side."

Cockatoo knows that he will need to be patient during his first couple of seasons in the AFL, as the Cats still have a plethora of top-line midfielders and half-forwards.

But he does occasionally ponder how great it would be to run out in the navy blue and white hoops when Geelong takes on the Hawks in round one of the home and away season.

"To play me first real AFL game against a big team like Hawthorn, my nerves would be flying everywhere I reckon."