Adelaide wingman Lachie Sholl says a number of new recruits - and the return of some old faces - have him working harder than ever to secure his AFL spot. 

With midfielder Jordan Dawson arriving at West Lakes in the trade period and the return of Matt Crouch and Wayne Milera Jr from injury, Sholl knows he has to put in the work during pre-season 2022. 

The 21-year-old, who received his second Rising Star nomination in 2021, said it wasn’t just the midfield that was firing to sure-up spots. 

“There are spots up for grabs everywhere and I think the competition is really high at the moment,” Sholl said. 

“It holds everyone accountable and it makes everyone work that bit harder.”

Sholl, who lined up in 19 AFL games in 2021, said he was ready to take his game to the next level.  

“I was really fortunate in terms of opportunity and got a really good look at the standards of AFL and what’s required,” he said.

“While there were some learning curves it was really enjoyable to be a part of that day-to-day grind of AFL football, so hopefully I can take those learnings into this year.

“It’s been more around my sharpness around the contest… that’s something I’ll continue to chip away at.”

Personal growth aside, the team-focused youngster said his biggest hope for 2022 was to build up his side. 

“For me personally, I’ve never been really big on the individual goals,” he said. 

“That might sound a bit cringe or cliche… but a big thing for me is looking at the process and trying to do everything that I can possibly to get myself up for a game, both physically and mentally.”

But there is one thing Sholl will be stepping away from this season - his pre-game superstitions.

“I’m not too superstitious now, I used to be really bad a few years ago,” he said. 

“It got to a stage where I was doing a few things in my prep where I was like, ‘there’s no way this is affecting how I’m playing’.

“So now I’ve kind of gone the opposite way where I’m not worrying about what I’m doing pre-game.

“The only one is that I have a pair of undies that I try to throw on… but if they happen to be in the wash the night before, I don’t stress too much about it now.”