Cam his own hair man

NO. 1 draft pick Cam Rayner says he is done with the mohawk for now, instead hoping his football captures the attention in his first season with the Lions.

Throughout his junior career, Rayner ( pictured) was likened to Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin because of his explosiveness and brutal fend, and the comparisons only increased when he went with a mohawk throughout a dominant under- 18s carnival.

When Rayner arrived in Brisbane yesterday, fellow draftee Toby Wooller urged him to bring back “the champ’s cut”, but the 18- year- old from Melbourne has other ideas.

“I’m not going back there,’’ he said. “I’ve got to start off on my own. Those comparisons, they come, but I don’t read too much into them. It is pretty good to be compared to a player like that, but I’m here to play my own footy and I want to start my own brand.’’

Leaving his tight family was tough but Rayner believes he will mature pretty quickly.

While there is no escaping the scrutiny he will face as the No. 1 draft pick, it will not be as suffocating in Queensland as it would have been in Victoria.

“I know if you’re in Melbourne the pressure would be higher,’’ he said.

“Once we start playing that’ll be my opportunity to show why I went No. 1 pick.’’

Rayner was the hot tip to go first in the draft, so there was no real surprise in Sydney on Friday.

But it still took some time to sink in when he reported for duties at the Gabba yesterday with Wooller and fellow draftees Zac Bailey and Brandon Starcevich.

“It’s a bit surreal walking into an AFL club, but all the boys have been really good. It’s exciting and I can’t wait to get stuck into it,” Rayner said.

“The last couple of days have been a whirlwind and a little bit strange, but now that we’re here and getting into training and meeting everyone, it’s become more of a reality and it’s exciting.”