There were four broken toes, six stitches to close a shin injury - high-speed crashes off ramps made of milk crates, plywood and PVC piping rarely end well.

When Haynes was drafted to the Giants in 2011 he was told his skimboarding days must come to an end. Things were about to get hectic in a different sort of way. "I played TAC Cup at centre half forward and then at the nationals on the wing. I got drafted as a tall midfielder, apparently, then got thrown down forward," the surfie-looking 23-year-old says.

"Then, late in my second year, against St Kilda, Chad Cornes went down the night before the game and they chucked me down back. I struggled a bit, didn't really know what I was doing. But Chad was out the next week, too, I went all right in that next game and that was that. I've been a defender ever since."

Haynes can laugh now at the way the Giants tried to fit him into their plans early on, but it is that versatility and willingness to do whatever job is asked of him that has made him such a valued member of the team.

He is now a firmly entrenched and rapidly developing member of a back six the Giants rank as their premier line, headed by Phil Davis, Heath Shaw and Joel Patfull. The experienced trio seem to get all the accolades, but that sits fine with Haynes, one of several shining lights in what's shaping as a breakout season for the club. Coach Leon Cameron describes the former No.7 draft pick as "the quiet assassin", a humble and relaxed footballer with a fiercely determined motor and competitive spirit.

"Backlines are always called the working class part of the team and Haynesy has that real attitude of 'Let's get the job done' each week," Cameron says. "The boys love him because they know he's so brave. He's courageous in the air but he's equally competitive on the ground. He's got that competitive streak that we love at our footy club. He's a terrific young lad. He's really quiet, but his attitude to beat his opponent is first class. He wants to knock off the tall, the small or the medium [forward]. He's so flexible he can play on a number of players. When he does that he wants to chop out and help his mates. That sort of defender is like gold."

Haynes became a defender because Cornes was sidelined. But it is the sideline assistance Cornes has provided as GWS defensive coach that Haynes credits with having helped him settle into the role. Davis, too, has been a great mentor, teaching the ins and outs of positioning and one on ones. And Patfull has had a big influence since joining the Giants this season. "Joel's the kind of player I'm trying to be, so I'm trying to learn as much as possible from him as well," Haynes says.  "We're similar size, around 190, 195, and he's able to play on talls and smalls. That's one thing that really appealed to me.

"It's pretty hard getting into this team at the moment. We've got a lot of good defenders, so being versatile like Joel adds another string to your bow. He's been doing it for 10 years, playing on guys like Stephen Milne - really small - and then trying to shut down Nick Riewoldt. I looked at it and thought maybe I could do that too."

Haynes found himself in the deep end again when Davis was injured in round one last season. He played key position, a great learning experience, he says, marking up on the best forwards each week. This year his assignments have varied. "Each week it changes up," he says. "It's just good to have the coach trust that I can do the job on anyone."

Haynes filled in well for Davis before having his own injury challenge when he broke his ankle in round eight. It gave him a new appreciation for being a footballer, he says, and pride in having done the hard yards at the young club.

"Those first few years were tough, getting belted every week," he says. "But it helped us learn to play good one-on-one footy. We're good at that in the back six now, a pretty solid defence, I think. Hopefully over the years we get a bit more offensive, beating our man and expanding our game."

The better Haynes becomes, the less chance there seems of a return to skimboarding on the flats at Frankston. Not that he seems bothered.

"I've signed for another two or three years," he says. "My contract finishes at the end of next year, I think. No ... Oh ... I don't know really. I'm just pretty happy playing footy here at the moment."