Greater Western Sydney's Callum Brown kicked five goals against Collingwood, but the Irish forward believes he's just getting started.
Born in England and raised in Northern Ireland, Brown was an 18-year-old rising Gaelic football star playing for County Derry when the Giants lured him down under.
The now 21-year-old was recruited as an international rookie through the 2018 draft and has not looked back since.
Learning the game in Western Sydney at a club boasting early draft picks and talented players who grew up with the sport, Brown made his debut in 2021.
The medium forward played only two games in his first season but finally cracked into the side in 2023, kicking 19 goals across 19 games.
"Maybe a couple of times, I thought I was ready and some of the coaches thought as well and it just didn't work out," Brown told AAP.
"I knew in the first two to three years it was still developing years for me.
"It's just been massive growth for me in the last six years."
Struggling to get a spot in the season-opening side since his arrival, Brown proved his doubters wrong with a spectacular showing in the Giants' 32-point Opening Round victory over Collingwood.
The Limavady product emerged as the game's top goalkicker, sending Engie Stadium rocking to El Sonidito by Hechizeros Band - his celebration song of choice five times on Saturday night.
"I've been speaking to a couple of boys and they knew that it was my first game of the season in my sixth year. It's pretty special for me," Brown said.
"I love playing with these boys ... if I'm playing constant footy and adding to the team, I'll take every opportunity I can get."
The powerhouse display against the reigning premiers is not only symbolic of how far Brown has come and how far he can go. It's also a mirror of the team.
Under coach Adam Kingsley, the former rank outsiders have been bullish about their aspirations for a maiden flag.
"It just felt like we were dangerous every time we went inside 50," Brown said of their performance against the Magpies.
"We just felt the energy was there constantly around us boys.
"Hopefully, it will follow through for the rest of the season and we beat North next week."
Of his goal celebration song choice, Brown hopes it becomes a familiar tune for the home crowd.
"Back home, a couple of my mates we were in the car and we put that song on to get the energy up," Brown said.
"We would just stop the car in the middle of the road somewhere, just start dancing and just go nuts.
"I was trying to get the crowd to do that as well.
"You get annoyed but all of a sudden, you're like, 'You know what? This song actually isn't too bad'."
