The North Warrnambool Eagles export said reigning Melbourne best and fairest winner Jack Viney had taken him under his wing during his first three weeks in the AFL system.

“I am getting a bit of one-on-one stuff from him,” Johnstone said.

“Just the knowledge he has of the game and the way he goes about it, it’s pretty impressive.”

Johnstone, a small forward known for his tackling pressure, hopes to emulate Viney’s tenacity.

“I’m learning from Jack Viney, who is only small, but he is a very powerful and strong player,” he said.

“One (thing I am working on) is body work I guess, being smart with body work and building strength as well.”

Johnstone, who arrived at Melbourne via pick 64 in November’s national draft, is chasing a round one debut in 2017.

“My main one is to be playing senior games for the club,” he said of his goals.

“And just to work on the things I need to and just do everything the coaches tell me.”

The 2015 Oakleigh Chargers premiership player – he spent two seasons in the TAC Cup system while boarding at Scotch College in Melbourne – has settled into the high training demands placed on AFL players.

“It’s going great, I’m loving it,” Johnstone said.

“I knew it was going to be tough. All pre-seasons are tough but being at an elite AFL club, looking at the way they go about things, it’s completely different to any training I have done.

“Obviously you’re training a couple of hours a night at TAC and then you’re done and this, as I said, is a full-time job. You’re training five days a week, majority of the day. Now I am training more with the main group. I’m doing every drill bar one, which is good.”

Johnstone, who played in North Warrnambool Eagles’ first Hampden league senior grand final in September, is living with a host family.

He is also using fellow indigenous players – Jay Kennedy-Harris, Jeff Garlett and Neville Jetta –  as sounding boards.

“They’ve all spoken to me and if there is anything I need help with or need to talk about anything footy or non-footy related, they’re happy to help,” Johnstone said. “I am very privileged to have them on the team as well.”