Giants coach Leon Cameron has backed Himmelberg to make the leap from Eastlake's NEAFL roster to the AFL after he was a shock early selection in the draft last week.

The key forward officially started his Giants tenure on Monday when he joined draftees Jacob Hopper, Matthew Kennedy and Matthew Flynn at the club's Olympic Park base for their first session.

Himmelberg was a surprise pick at No.16, but Cameron was adamant the 19-year-old was worth the gamble as he finds room for the Wagga junior to slot into the forward line.

"You can see Harrison's really driven ... he's interesting and intriguing. Those sorts of kids are always worth it because if you get them right and they can progress, they can become very, very good assets to your club," Cameron said.

"Playing up forward is probably going to be his 'one-wood'. We're over the moon to get him, a guy that has moved into Canberra, and that reinforces that we're looking hard and fast in our home ground."

The Giants were forced to take Himmelberg earlier than expected in the draft after the Adelaide Crows put in a bid for the 194-centimetre forward.

Cameron said the Giants had heard rumours that Himmelberg would be taken at the end of the first round after several clubs showed interest in his services.

That's why they didn't hesitate when they sacrificed later draft picks to ensure they would have Himmelberg in their program next year.

The Giants' four draftees all came from the club's academy system and Cameron said there were several Canberra players on his radar for the future.

The biggest immediate benefit for Himmelberg will be a chance to work with former Geelong star Johnson.

"[Johnson] has been with us for a week now and having some maturity in our forward line was an area we wanted to focus on," Cameron said.

"There's no doubt Stevie will teach him a few things and hopefully that environment helps Harrison develop quickly.

"For Harrison's height, he's a very good ground-level player and he has a knack of finding space and making good decisions. There's so much that's still raw – he's got to learn running patterns and a defensive side of his game.

"But there's a lot to like – a good character and clearly you can see a driven young kid who wants to get there."

Himmelberg was selling suits and working as a tradie in Canberra last month before his AFL dream was realised.

"It's really exciting to finally get here and all the boys have welcomed us so that's great," he said. "There are obviously a lot of really good forwards at the club. "It will be good to get under their wing and learn a lot from them and hopefully have a crack."