Fleet-footed Sydney Swans draftee Justin McInerney has locked his eyes on some of the club’s brightest stars as he looks to stamp his impact in his first season in red and white.

McInerney caught the Swans’ attention in Northern Knights colours in the TAC Cup and Sydney jumped to sign him, securing his signature via its third-round selection at last November’s AFL Draft.

The 18-year-old wingman crossed the white line alongside star Sydney duo Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker for his first official pre-season match last Saturday, and he said they had offered calming advice ahead of the opening bounce.

“They said to just go out there and enjoy it, don’t think too much about it, go out there and play your game and that I got picked to have a crack, so I should enjoy it,” McInerney told SwansTV.

“Getting to run out with guys like Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker was an unreal experience. Even though it wasn’t a real game it was just unbelievable.”

McInerney has slotted in on a wing with ease in match simulation and Sydney’s first two pre-season fixtures, the first an inter-club match against GWS and the second a JLT Community Series fixture against its cross-town rival.

McInerney is now in the frame to face the Gold Coast Suns in the Swans’ second and final JLT Community Series game at Lismore’s Oakes Oval on Sunday afternoon.

The young Swan is clear on what his game is founded on, and he said Harry Cunningham and Oliver Florent – who both play on a wing themselves – had, like Kennedy and Parker, shown him the way.

“The run-and-carry is one of my main assets and I also use my foot skills,” McInerney said.

“I’ve learned a lot from Harry and Ollie. At training I try to play on Harry, and I watch my clips from games with Ollie and watch some of his as well, so that’s helping me a lot.”