Collingwood defender Harry O'Brien says Irish debutant Caolan Mooney possesses pace more explosive than Hawthorn livewire Cyril Rioli - and he would know.
O'Brien played on Rioli in round one this year and was often left in the wake of the little Hawk, who went on to kick two goals in an inspired second quarter.
Mooney, who will play his first game for the Magpies on Saturday against Fremantle less than a year after picking up the game, is said to be even quicker.
"The first thing we noticed about Caolan is his athletic ability, how quick he is and how high he can jump," O'Brien said on Friday before training.
"He's got this explosive pace that I haven't seen.
"I've had the pleasure of playing on players like Cyril Rioli and players that have real explosive speed and I'd say Caolan is another level up from that.
"It's really exciting to see. He's put in a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice moving across from the other side of the world to play a professional sport, and it's great for him to get an opportunity.
"I'm really looking forward to seeing what he can do because the sky's the limit for him."
The former County Down Gaelic football player has come a long way since walking into the club late last year.
O'Brien said the Pies had been stunned at how quickly the 19-year-old had adapted.
"It's funny; when you see the Irish guys come in, you just wonder how the hell are they going to turn into AFL footballers," he said.
"It's so amazing to see how fast the development is able to progress."
The Pies made two changes to their team this week with Jackson Paine and Mooney coming in for Tom Young and Martin Clarke.
O'Brien said there was healthy competition for spots at the club, and no animosity from Clarke - a mentor of Mooney's, given their heritage - over the more experienced Irishman's omission.
"I don't think he's come in at the expense of him. Marty and Caolan play completely different roles in the team," he said.
"It was unfortunate for Marty that he was squeezed out of the side but we've created an environment at the club where there's a lot of competition for spots so I think that's something healthy for the club going forward."
Chris Tarrant, Alan Didak and Scott Pendlebury trained on Friday while Luke Ball was out running laps beforehand.
"I think they just need a couple more weeks to get their bodies right," O'Brien said, of Didak and Tarrant.
"To be honest, I'm not too sure the time frame but they've certainly made a lot of development from when they first did their injuries."
Tarrant has been named to start at full forward for the club's VFL team on Sunday at Victoria Park.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.
Jennifer Witham is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.
