He was part of the latest wave of talent joining the young western Sydney outfit, but for all their apparent potential, the Giants were badly bruised after another season of hefty floggings.

The AFL knew this would be the case and the message was simply to hang in there, absorb the punishment and things would eventually turn around.

It took just three more seasons for GWS to establish itself as an AFL force, and a fourth-placed finish has earned Kelly's side a mouth-watering qualifying final next weekend against minor premiers, the Sydney Swans.

But even the 21-year-old future superstar admits he didn't think progress would be this rapid.

"To be honest, probably not," Kelly said. "There were a couple of tough times, a couple of tough years – the boys that have been here from the start say the same things.

"They only had a couple of wins in the first year, "We always had hoped, but to be getting a bit of success now is absolutely awesome.

"It's all a bit surreal for myself, as a young kid wanting to play AFL footy now getting my chance at my first AFL final. Some players never get the chance to play finals. In my third year, it is an extremely exciting time."

Kelly heads into the qualifying final against the Swans having played all 22 games this season.

He's a brilliant young talent, capable of not only winning the hard ball but distributing it as well. And he loves the defensive side, too, averaging almost four tackles a game this year.

Raised a North Melbourne fan as the son of Phil Kelly, who played 61 times for the Kangaroos, Kelly grew up idolising the likes of Wayne Carey early on and then Drew Petrie and Brent Harvey, who he played against last weekend.

Kelly was just one  when North won the 1996 premiership, and boasts only hazy memories of the club's 1999 grand final win, which featured Swans coach John Longmire.

Since being drafted to the Giants, though, that allegiance to North Melbourne has evaporated and Kelly has made sure that's the case with his family, too.

"I've made them [change clubs], because I've shifted and they've had to shift with me," Kelly said.

"Dad's been absolutely massive for me. My whole childhood he was always there, giving me tips, giving support.

"I was always leaning on him to guide me through.

"He was there [last Saturday to watch the Giants play North Melbourne]. It was all a bit surreal. They had the highlight tapes of Boomer [Harvey], Drew Petrie, [Michael] Firrito, [Nick] Dal Santo. I was just a bit in awe because I watched them growing up, they were my team.

"What he [Harvey] has done for the game and the way he's just kept kicking on, you do look at him and think, 'far out, if I can look like that when I'm however old, after 400 games', you'd take that, wouldn't you."

Another clash with North Melbourne this year is possible, but would require GWS to lose to the Swans and the Kangaroos to beat Adelaide.

But Kelly isn't thinking that far ahead. His only focus now is taking on a star-studded Swans midfield, three of whom, Dan Hannebery, Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker, were named All-Australians on Thursday night.

"Dan Hannebery plays a similar position to me, and something I always prided myself on as a junior was to be able to play inside and outside, something he does really well," Kelly said.

"He's been a superstar this year so to get the opportunity to go up against him in our first final is really exciting. I'm always learning off the way he plays.

"I'm slowly getting to that stage, adding weight, becoming a bit more physical at AFL level because, obviously, it's bigger bodies."

Swans defender Dane Rampe and rampant forward Lance Franklin also earned selection in the All-Australian team, alongside the two Giants' representatives, Heath Shaw and Toby Greene.

"You don't be minor premiers without being a really good team," Kelly said of the Swans.

"We always draw off them a bit and learn off them. We've gone one-all with them this season and we take a lot of confidence out of the fact we've knocked them off.

"At the same time, they're an unbelievable team. They've got finals experience, a lot of them.

"To be playing AFL finals, maybe [I'm] a bit nervy about it all, but I just can't wait. We'll be going into it extremely excited and aiming to knock them off."