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THE new cricket season may be another three months away, but Xavier Crone can't wait to get started.
Pace bowler Crone will start the 2016-17 Victorian Premier Cricket season for the first time as a Victorian Bushrangers rookie contracted player.
He is excited by the prospect of training alongside some of Australian cricket's biggest names, including fellow fast bowlers Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and John Hastings, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and swashbuckling opening bat Aaron Finch.
"Those guys have been very welcoming - it's great to have them around," he said.
"I can learn so much from guys like that."
Crone was back in Bendigo on Tuesday, lending his young experience to the next generation of stars from the Northern Rivers region as part of Cricket Victoria's Diamonds in the Bush program.
It was a chance for the former Strathfieldsaye paceman to work alongside and pick up a tip or two from one of the program's mentors, former Australian Test bowling legend Merv Hughes.
"We had a bit of a chat over lunch about the transition down from Bendigo and how I have been going," he said.
"It's really good to have people like him around."
At just 18-years-old and one of six rookies on the Bushrangers list, Crone, who has drawn comparisons to a young Glenn McGrath, knows that opportunities will be scarce early on.
Especially with the Victorians returning all of last season's victorious Sheffield Shield winning team, bolstered by the recruitment of highly-regarded former Western Australian opening bat Marcus Harris.
But that has not stopped Crone throwing himself head-first into the pre-season program.
"It's been good having a full pre-season to date," Crone.
"There's been a lot of gym work and a lot of running on the track so far, but we are starting to see a bit more bat and ball stuff coming in.
"At the moment it's all about getting the body right and building the right body for a cricketer."
Bushrangers coach David Saker said Crone, who plays Victorian Premier Cricket with Carlton, would get his chance early with Victoria in the Toyota Futures League.
"If we get some injuries to our fast bowlers and he goes really well there's a chance he might come into the first team," said Saker, who is also the head coach of Big Bash team Melbourne Renegades.
"Fast bowling is quite hard on the body, so we wouldn't want to rush him in until he's ready.
"He's got all the attributes to play first class cricket well for Victoria and beyond, but we are not going to rush him in."
Crone played five matches in the Carlton's firsts, claiming 11 wickets, including a haul of 5-25 against Prahran late in the season.