ADAM Cerra wanted to build something from the ground up.

As he canvassed his options late last year, having made the decision to leave Fremantle and return home to Victoria, the prospect of starting anew – and starting from scratch – appealed to the talented 22-year-old's competitive spirit.

Cerra held Zoom interviews with premiers-elect Melbourne and attracted interest throughout the year from powerhouse Richmond, but ultimately settled on joining a Carlton team without a top-eight finish to its name in more than a decade.

Having just appointed Michael Voss as their new coach and with a couple of new players joining him at the club during the recent Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period, Cerra was sold on the ability to find that fresh challenge with the Blues.

"They were really young and stacked with talent. Some of the players who are coming back from injury now, that weren't even playing much last year, they just add to the group and its depth," Cerra told AFL.com.au.

"Hearing about the group and the boys, they seemed really motivated. With all of the changes, to be able to join Carlton now, you feel like you're a part of it and building it from the ground up.

"We want to bring the fans along with us on that, with crowds coming back to the games, so I think it was just the perfect time for me to join. Along with Lewis (Young) and George (Hewett), we feel like it's a clean slate and we could really be part of something that we started with from the beginning."

Cerra, a self-confessed footy head, arrived at his decision to nominate Carlton as his preferred destination having forensically studied the club's list and its potential to rise up the AFL ranks in the coming years.

A teammate of Lachie Fogarty's at Vic Metro level in his draft year and an opponent of players like Paddy Dow, Lochie O'Brien and Tom De Koning at NAB League level, Cerra had closely monitored their progress since arriving in the League.

But after officially joining the Blues last October, his knowledge of the finer details within the club's playing group has grown considerably. It's left him feeling even more secure in his decision to choose Ikon Park as his new home.

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"Obviously, I'd watched a bit of Carlton over the last few years," Cerra said.

"But also, because they're a young group, I knew a lot already because of the boys I'd come through with in the junior programs. I've always kept an eye out on those that I knew and how they were going, so I think that's helped me learn about certain lists over the last few years.

"Even since joining Carlton, I've found out about blokes like Alex Mirkov – who was taken as a rookie last year – within our group. I'm not exactly sure how tall Alex is, but he's a really exciting, young and developing player. The depth in all three areas of the ground, it's really built over the last year at Carlton. It's a good issue to have, that competition for spots. I think that's going to be a real strength for us this year."

Carlton was in the final stages of tying up a deal for Cerra last year, which included pick No.6 and a future third-round selection heading Fremantle's way, when the youngster was asked for coffee by his future captain Patrick Cripps.

The pair met in a Perth café and chatted through all things Blues. The catch-up provided a refreshing change for Cerra who, at that point, hadn't spoken to any members of the side's playing group about his impending swap of colours.

"I was already very excited with where the club was heading with all of the changes and the make-up of the group. But talking to someone that's actually a player and not a list manager or a staff member, it gives you a different insight into what the group is actually like," Cerra said.

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"You get to know what they're like socially. The way he spoke about the group, I thought it was a very tight group without cliques. There were no small groups within the group, everyone was just mates. I think that's the strength of the team at the moment.

"We all hang out with each other on days off, have lunches together all the time … the tightness of that group made me more excited to be part of it. It made me feel less nervous when I first rocked up on day one, not having to meet new people. I already knew from 'Crippa' about the sort of group they were."

Cerra gave Fremantle four years and 76 games worth of service, enjoying a career-best campaign last season in the face of constant speculation surrounding his contract status and future.

The topic was first put on the agenda by AFL.com.au last March when it was revealed the Dockers had tabled a four-year deal for him to stay in Western Australia, with interest in his decision rumbling on throughout the season.

But despite the added attention, Cerra still averaged improved numbers for disposals (23.1 per game), marks (5.2 per game), clearances (3.6 per game), inside-50s (5.0 per game), score involvements (5.3 per game) and metres gained (407.3m per game).

"It's not easy. At first, it shocked me how early it started getting written about. The questions started coming pretty early," Cerra said.

"Early on, I just wanted to focus on the present. I did a lot of interviews last year and I was pretty consistent with my messaging. I was just focusing week-to-week and, at that time, I was just trying to help Fremantle win games. I was fully invested for all of last year and for what we were trying to achieve.

"I genuinely wanted to deal with the off-season stuff when it came to it. I was giving Fremantle my all throughout the season, but I just wanted to stay present and listen to the people that matter – the football club, my manager, my family and friends. Just staying present and focusing on the controllables, that helped me a lot.

"I think it all turned out quite well in the end, and I ended on really good terms with Fremantle. They were great for me, they really developed who I became as a player and a person for the last four and a bit years. I'll be forever in debt to them and I hope they go well in the coming years."

Cerra finally got his first competitive hit-out in his new colours last Thursday morning, emerging as the most influential player in Carlton's unofficial practice match victory over St Kilda at Ikon Park.

The new Blues recruit impressed with his clearance craft, his skill breaking clear from stoppage and his nous around goal. He finished with two important majors, both kicked in a pivotal third quarter, showcasing his nice ball use on both sides.

With the club set to be without reigning best and fairest Sam Walsh for at least the first month of the upcoming season due to a syndesmosis injury, Cerra's immediate impact – and his ability to link with teammates Cripps and Hewett – will be key to the side's success.

"It felt good. You never really know how you're going until you play opposition. We've done a lot of match sim against each other, but obviously we've implemented a new game plan and you want to test it out against an opposition that is doing something different," Cerra said.

"I think we got some good looks (on Thursday). Personally, I felt physically and mentally good throughout the game and had that connection with the boys. I felt that continuing to build.

"Obviously, it'll take a little bit of time. But in that midfield group, we've got really strong depth now with George coming in and with Matt Kennedy going pretty well as well. I feel like we're building that connection week-by-week.

"We've obviously got stars on both sides of the footy, down back and up forward, so if we can all get going I think we can make some big steps this year."