IT WAS a deal that was discussed for weeks in the lead up to the 2023 AFL Trade Period.
Will Shane McAdam make the move from Adelaide to Melbourne?
The dynamic forward requested a trade to the Dees in September, but it wasn’t until the penultimate day of the silly season that the deal finally went through.
McAdam breathed a sigh of relief, landing at the club he envisioned continuing his career at.
“When the trade was officially done, it took a little while, it was later in the trade period, so I was starting to get a little nervous,” McAdam told Melbourne Media.
“But the club was speaking to me the whole time, my manager was speaking to me the whole time, saying that it was going to be done.
For McAdam, the move to Melbourne was one he was eager to make, excited by what he saw from Dees.
From afar, the new recruit was motivated by the collaboration among the playing group and the leadership of the coaches.
“I wanted to come to the Demons, because looking from the outside-in, it looked like such a great culture at this footy club, led by the coach Goody,” McAdam said.
“And the way they play, it’s such an exciting team, so I wanted to be a part of that.”
The 27-year-old officially started at the club this week, joining the first-to-fourth years a week ahead of the remainder of the playing list, who will return on Monday 4 December.
“I’ve come in a week earlier with the younger boys,” McAdam said.
“It feels like I’ve been here a long time that’s how welcoming the boys are.”
In his first week, McAdam is taking the time to settle into the club and get to know his teams, but is keen to be a malleable player, happy to play whichever role he is given.
“Hopefully I’ll continue the role I played at Adelaide which is a hybrid forward,” McAdam said.
“For me, I want to focus on my fitness, that’s a big one for me, personally.
“Then, getting to know my teammates, getting respect off them, that’s another main focus.
“We’ve got an exciting forward line which I’d love to be a part.”
Hear more from McAdam below.
