Sydney Swans youngster Nick Blakey says his father John has settled in seamlessly in his new role at North Melbourne.
John Blakey accepted a role as senior assistant under new Kangaroos senir coach David Noble in October last year, departing Sydney where he was an assistant since 2006.
His son Nick has been at the Swans since being taken with pick 10 in the 2018 National Draft, playing an 37 games in two years.
But after living with family in his first two years up north in Sydney, Blakey is adjusting to life living with two teammates and in a different state to his family.
“It’s been a different start for me this year moving out of home and in with a few boys with the club,” he said on SEN 1170 Summer Mornings.
“It’s been good, I’m living with James Rowbottom and first-year player Braeden Campbell. We get along really well, we’re a tight-knit group at the Swans.”
Blakey’s immediate family have followed dad John down south as he prepares for his first season as an assistant at North Melbourne.
The young Swan keeps in regular contact with his father and said he was enjoying the change of scenery at Arden Street.
“Dad and I are really close so I’m always asking how he’s going,” he said.
“We speak most days and I suppose not a lot changes day to day, it sounds like he’s enjoying his time (at North Melbourne) at the moment and as a family, that’s the most important thing.
“Mum is down there now and my sister is as well, they’re really happy. It’s been a big move from Sydney to Melbourne, but they seem to have liked the transition and are really starting to enjoy it.”
Sydney face a tough opening to the 2021 premiership season, facing Brisbane and Richmond in the first three rounds.
Blakey is relishing the chance of playing two of the best sides in the competition within the first month of the season.
“It’s exciting to play the best (sides) to start off with,” he said.
“We get to see where we’re at in the first few weeks, we’re confident we’ve been training well, so we’re hoping that it transitions to playing well early in the season and starting off a bit better than last year.”