JUDD McVee has the type of unflappable nature that has already paid off during a challenging start to his time with Fremantle, with the defender's cool-headed style set to be tested again when he takes on his former club on Saturday night.  

Recruited from Melbourne at the end of last season to bolster the Dockers' backline and ball movement, McVee has settled into life as a Docker and made his club debut against Geelong in round one. 

While his poise and skill was on show in flashes against the Cats, his early weeks at the club were a challenge that set the former Demon back and robbed him of the chance to make an immediate impression. 

Teammate Jordan Clark was living with McVee during his early days at the club when the 22-year-old was struck down with a virus just as he started pre-season training with new teammates and coaches. 

It was a period that gave Clark the first glimpse into just how laidback the Geraldton product can be in the face of challenges. 

"I had him for a week early on, and I was a bit shocked to see what we'd brought into the club because he was really crook and he wasn't at his best," Clark told AFL.com.au. 

"I remember waking up one morning and asked if he wanted brekkie, and he said no. I was like, 'OK. You realise it's day one and it's about 35 degrees over here in Perth and we're going to be on the oval for three hours?' 

"We had time trials and he didn't set the world on fire. Then I got up to lunch and he said, 'I'm not even hungry' and he didn't eat lunch after training. 

"I thought, what have we got here? But it turned out he was really crook and he didn't get to start off on the right foot. And that knocked him around a little bit pre-Christmas."

Clark, who had got to know McVee through mutual friends and played a role in pitching the Dockers to the young defender, could tell there was a lot on his new teammate's plate early on as he packed up his life in Melbourne after 65 games in three seasons. 

His partner, Lily Johnson, was still away after finishing her AFLW season with the Demons before also joining the Dockers, and McVee had the task of finding a house while also settling into a new club. 

"It was quite a big workload placed on very young shoulders, but to be honest, the one thing that stood out to me is that he doesn't get fazed too often," Clark said. 

"He's very laidback and a very country sort of guy. He's almost too laidback at times and you need to grab him and slap him across his face and go, 'Mate, are you with us?' 

"I think that's something that will work in his favour, because he doesn't stress the small things in life, and if he takes that attitude onto the footy oval, I think he'll be a very, very good player in the future."

The downside of McVee's relaxed nature for Clark, is that he was happy to have his dog roaming inside while he was a house guest and is yet to replace a ball thrower that his labrador chewed through. 

The tidy No.17 has earned plenty of respect, however, for the hard work he put in to make up for his interrupted start, drawing up a specialised plan for the Christmas break with backline coach Jade Rawlings and new high performance boss Adam Beard. 

"They used that for him as a training block to get him up to speed, so he went and did that off his own bat to his credit," Clark said.  

"He spent a bit of Chrissy in Tassie with his partner's family and then ended up back in Geraldton for a bit. 

"He came back a completely different person and different player and was the Judd McVee we thought we were getting."

During the period of pitching to McVee and attempting to get him to Fremantle, Clark was able to share his own experience as a player who has shifted clubs and flourished, going from a fringe player at Geelong to an All-Australian and leader at the Dockers. 

His influence with the rookie pick was clear ahead of the Dockers' season opener against Geelong, with Clark given the job of presenting McVee with his jumper in front of teammates, coaches, and the half-back's parents, Melanie and Rodney, who travelled from Geraldton in WA's mid-west for their son's club debut. 

McVee went on to win 14 disposals, including a contested ball on the wing that was followed by a spin out of trouble and a clean kick into the corridor, showcasing in that moment everything Fremantle wanted when it recruited the half-back. 

After using pre-season practice games to find his feet in the Dockers' game style, the pre-game message from Clark was about embracing the young defender and understanding there's no expectations on him to be the finished product immediately.  

"You want to rush things [at a new club] and you want to do everything really quickly and try and be the best player you can be," Clark said. 

"But we go out there and we win and lose together. We make mistakes together and we achieve special things together. 

"It's not about individuals here, and I just wanted us as a group to make him feel welcome and know that he's not alone when he goes through being at a new club, first game, wanting to go well, and making a mistake. 

"This week he'll be coming up against his old mob, but it's just about 'you're not on an island, mate. We're all here. We've all got your back'."