LAST month, he was a carpentry apprentice. This month, he's winning games under the Marvel Stadium roof.

It's all part of the whirlwind change in scenery for St Kilda mid-season recruit Campbell Lake.

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The 21-year-old was taken with pick seven in May's Telstra Mid-Season Draft after impressing with VFL side Southport over the past 18 months, and it took only one game in the second tier with the Saints to earn his shot at the top level.

Sporting his peroxide shaved hair, the Queensland native entered Marvel Stadium on Sunday for only the second time in his life and left with his first four points in what he described as an "electric atmosphere".

"It was full on, but exciting as. It was my second time ever being at Marvel. The first was back in like 2016, I came down here to watch a game," the former Gold Coast Suns Academy member said.

"The roof closed, it was electric in there, it was awesome.

"With the close games, it gets nervous and I got nervous out there. But it's awesome and you'd rather be in a really close game rather than a blowout.

"The club's been awesome to me. They've got me settled in really well and the boys have been looking after me, so it's been a really smooth transition."

Lake was impressive on debut last week in the Saints' heart-breaking loss to Sydney with 17 disposals. While against Greater Western Sydney he found less of the ball, he provided the forward pressure that secured him his spot on an AFL list, laying seven tackles to rank in the top three on the ground.

It is what his new coach Ross Lyon has already come to expect from the livewire, saying after the narrow win that there were positive signs after his first fortnight at the top level.

"I said it during the week, as advertised ... compete, speed, power, pretty clean and a reasonable decision-maker," Lyon said of Lake.

"I think he's shown some composure with the ball.

"It's very difficult in that position because you've got so many attacking half backs and you just hunt the ball. (Lachie) Whitfield and (Lachie) Ash get off you, but I thought he struck a balance between being able to defend and attack against the level of quality. So they're good signs."

Like many mid-year recruits, it's suddenly all happened quickly for Lake after years of work. Undrafted in 2022, he'd been toiling away in the VFL for the past four years before the Saints came calling.

Initially playing for the Suns, Lake has been on the ground for the past three VFL Grand Finals; he won the 2023 flag with Gold Coast before switching to intrastate rivals Southport that off-season and falling short in the 2024 and 2025 deciders with the Sharks.

But while team success was always there, it wasn't until he got a call up to last year's VFL State Team that his name was put on the radar of clubs. A breakout performance in their win over the SANFL during Gather Round last year and a strong finish to his 2025 season kept the belief growing as he set his sights on achieving his AFL dream.

Seven goals from the opening three games of this year put his name up in lights, with Lake crediting the strong environment provided around him for his eventual selection.

"It was just a step up for me to just have confidence in myself," he said of the state team selection.

"I feel like I've always been a good football player, but having confidence in myself got me the opportunity for where I'm at today as well as hard work, just putting in the work. That's probably the reason why I'm where I'm at today.

"They were really good at supporting me at Southport and just flushing me with confidence and it just took care of itself.

"Some great coaches; Matthew Primus has been elite for me and players like Jacob Dawson (and) Zach Foot really got around me. Zach Foot was a big person in my growth so far this year, so props to him for just filling me with confidence."

While Lake is not getting ahead of himself after two games in the red, white and black, two thrilling finishes have him eager for more.

And like any 21-year-old in a new city, he's keen to explore.
 
"(There's) plenty to learn. Not looking too far ahead of myself and a lot of hard work will go into it, but hopefully I can be a Saint for a long time," he said.

"It's so cold down here, but it's been good, it's been really smooth so I'm loving it.

"I get my car on Monday so I'll go for a bit more travel and see what Melbourne's about. I think I might have to get into golf. I'm not really a good golfer but I might have to get myself some clubs or something so I can get out there with the lads."