Demon Alex Georgiou back on Adelaide Oval in a different pair of work boots

IN six months Melbourne’s Alex Georgiou has gone from working for the company that built Adelaide Oval to playing on it.

Former Norwood defender Alex Georgiou returns to Adelaide Oval with Melbourne.

IN six months Alex Georgiou has gone from working for the company that built Adelaide Oval to playing on it.

From battling full forwards in the SANFL to standing toe to toe with Lance Franklin.

To say it’s been a whirlwind for the 24 year old is an understatement but the mature-age pick up from Norwood is taking it all in his stride.

Georgiou was rookie-listed by Melbourne after establishing himself as one of the best key defenders in the SANFL while winning two flags with the Redlegs.

He’d started believing he was good enough to play at the highest level after witnessing the success of former teammate Tom Jonas at Port Adelaide and has backed that up by playing every game for the Demons this season.

It’s a big change from working as engineer for Baulderstone while playing at Norwood, but Georgiou couldn’t be happier.

“It couldn’t have panned out much better - except for a couple more wins,” Georgiou said.

“The coaches made it pretty obvious from the start the rookie list was no barrier to be able to play.

“If you can earn a spot they’ll find a way to pick you.”

Georgiou quickly made his mark at Melbourne, showing his ability to play on forwards much taller than him - like Tom Hawkins and Ty Vickery - during the NAB Challenge.

He earnt a promotion to the senior list when Mitch Clark stepped away from the game and has already played on giants like Nic Naitanui and Jon Patton.

But he caught the entire AFL world’s attention for the first time last week by landing a blow on the chin of superstar Sydney spearhead Franklin.

“He was holding me and I was trying to release his grip on me. My third swing just grazed the fluff on his chin,” Georgiou said.

After Franklin jumped back to his feet, Georgiou suddenly found himself nose to nose with one of the most intimidating players in the game.

“I just went into defence mode, to make sure I didn’t get my own block knocked off,” he said.

Georgiou received a reprimand at the tribunal, allowing him to line up for the Demons against the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

“Every month I had a meeting at the oval so I actually watched it go up,” Georgiou said.

“I was there at the handover stage about two or three weeks before round one. It looks bloody amazing from down on the ground.”

Georgiou is sharing a townhouse in Richmond with teammate Dean Terlich, who he played with at Norwood.

It’s been an interesting transition to go from the most dominant club in the SANFL to one of the AFL battlers.

“I must admit it is tough. I’d only lost five games of footy in two years leading into this season,” Georgiou said.

“But the biggest change is just coming in to a completely new environment. I was one of the more senior players, a leader of the club. Now I’m the new kid on the block, not a key part of the team, trying to earn my spot.”

Working under a coach like Paul Roos - who Georgiou says is quite similar to his coach at Norwood Nathan Bassett - has made it easier.

And he believes the Demons are improving.

“You can draw some similarities to Norwood’s early days when we could defend OK but couldn’t put a score on the board,” he said.

“The scoring has dropped. We’re conceding a lot less. We just need to work on our ball movement.”

STANDING TALL

Alex Georgiou’s opponents this season

R1 - Rhys Stanley (St Kilda)

“I reckon he kicked one. It was over the back though, I wasn’t really on him.”

R2 - Dean Cox/Nic Naitanui (West Coast)

“I was on Cox and Naitanui most of the game. Naitanui kicked one on me in the first quarter. Naitanui is ridiculously strong. He got me in a wrestling contest.”

R3 - Jon Patton (GWS)

“I was on Patton. His leading patterns were really good and he was throwing me around like a little kid. He kicked two that day.”

R4 - Patrick Cripps/Andrejs Everitt (Carlton)

“I was on the young fella Cripps mainly and also Everitt. Neither of those kicked goals on me. I was probably lucky that game.”

R5 - Sam Day (Gold Coast)

“I was on Day for most of the game. He kicked 1.2.”

R6 - Lewis Roberts-Thomson (Sydney)

“I was on Lewis Roberts-Thomson and he didn’t kick one on me.”