Giant Whitfield gets tips from Toby Greene

GWS star Lachie Whitfield is learning the half-forward craft off teammate Toby Greene as he prepares to take on a new role heading into the AFL season.

Lachie Whitfield has embraced a new positional role at the GWS Giants. (AAP)

All-Australian half-back Lachie Whitfield is soaking up tips from teammate Toby Greene after taking on a new positional challenge he rates as probably the hardest in the game.

Whitfield played primarily on the wing for his first five AFL seasons before a hugely successful switch to the backline last year.

With half-back and fellow speedster Zac Williams healthy after missing almost all of last season, Giants coach Leon Cameron has given 24-year-old Whitfield another challenge..

"I did probably most of my stuff pre-Christmas as a half-back and then coming through January we got a couple of players in some good from across that half-back," Whitfield told AAP.

"So Leon said 'We're going to toss you to half-forward and see how it works out for us' and since then I've been doing a lot of work there.

"I'm trying to improve my craft as a half-forward which is probably almost the hardest position to play on the field in my point of view," he said.

"I'll just try and learn that and we'll see how we go in the first month of footy."

All Australian-half forward Greene has been his chief mentor.

"Toby is the one with all the knowledge and he's happy to share that," Whitfield said.

'"He's a very good teacher for someone who is only a year older than me."

Whitfield's pre-season got off to a slow start after knee surgery, but preparations have ramped up recently.

While he's happy to play any position, he ultimately craves more minutes as an inside midfielder, a role he played before he got drafted.

"I think I got drafted at 74 kilos, if you can believe it," he joked,

"I've almost put non on eight kilos. I know, I still look pretty skinny. I've always wanted to try and get inside in the middle of the ground.

"That's the end goal but when you've got a lot of talent and a lot of really good contested balls in there it's obviously hard."

Whitfield still expects to spend some time at half-back but doubts the rule changes will make much difference to his game.

"I think I'll tend to just roll with the punches a bit, just play what's ahead of me," he said.