IT WAS always a dream of Tim Klaosen's to pull on an Adelaide guernsey and play alongside the likes of Patrick Dangerfield, Scott Thompson and Taylor Walker.

Basketball might have been his sport, but as a life-long and "die hard" fan of the Adelaide Football Club, the Crows were his team.

As he spoke to afc.com.au sitting next to Taylor Walker at breakfast after being selected as one of Adelaide's three 'category B rookies' on November 8, Klaosen could pinch himself with confidence; this was no dream.

"I live and breathe Crows as a fan so it's a shock, but in a good way," Klaosen said.

"Just this morning we had a 7am to 8am workout, so I'm at breakfast with 'Tex' Walker at the moment.

"I didn't plan on going to breakfast after the morning workout, I thought I was just going to relax, but I can't say no to Taylor Walker."

It was a whirlwind transition from basketball to football for the 196cm prospect, who played for Sturt in the Central Australian Basketball League up until a week after the AFL Grand Final.

Unsure where his future lay or where he wanted it to lie, Klaosen admitted his love for the club helped convince him to try out when approached by the Crows.

"My basketball season finished a week before the SANFL Grand Final so as soon as that happened, it was the next day, I was contacted by the Crows," he said.

"I hadn't made my mind up but thought, 'how can I say no to the Crows?'

"I went out and had a kick and when they kept inviting me back out I thought, 'Wow, I might actually have to think about this'.

"After a couple of weeks of tryouts I knew it was what I wanted to do."

It has been nine years since Klaosen played a game of Australian football, but he said he was confident he could work his game to the level required for senior selection.

The 23-year-old said that while he was taking his development slowly, he was encouraged by how applicable his basketball skills were in his new game.

"I played football when I was 14 and then dropped it and played basketball all my life really," he said.

"It's not quite like riding a bike, but I've got three awesome development coaches who are with me every day.

"I've got, what, four months until the first SANFL game? So I've got time to get better each day, I've just got to keep ticking boxes.

"At the moment it's just focusing on ball drop and kicking, everything else I'm ok with; basketball skills and reading the play translates really well, especially defensively."

Klaosen obviously has confidence in his ability.

On day one of pre-season, he stunned all who looked on to take out Adelaide's first five-minute run of the summer.

He wasn't satisfied with the win though, claiming he already had his sights on captain Nathan van Berlo who, year after year, sets the benchmark in the endurance test.

"I thought I did well - I won it - but it turned out the second group was a lot faster," Klaosen said.

"I felt good to win it and hopefully they move me up to the faster race next time.

"I ran 1560m and van Berlo, who's a freak, got 1610m or something.

"I'm not too far off so hopefully by the end of pre-season I'll get there."

Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.