Mitch Burgess ready to play for GWV Rebels in 2020 after 'really big pre-season'

The Warrnambool export was weeks into his new life in Geelong when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, bringing sport worldwide to a standstill.

Burgess, 18, had moved into a house with fellow Hampden exports Liam Herbert and Josh Dwyer and was in the midst of his first VFL pre-season with the Cats.

He also had NAB League, as an overage prospect with Greater Western Victoria Rebels, to look forward to.

Instead his plans were thrown into disarray temporarily. But it worked out with his mum Jane getting a job as an architect in Geelong.

"I stayed down here and my mum has moved in. She has a job down here as well so it worked out in a way," Burgess said.

"The boys (Liam and Josh) who I was up here with went back home and she came in here while we had the house."

AFL rules forced Geelong out of the 2020 VFL competition, which will start on August 1.

Luckily for Burgess, a speedy half-back flanker, he can play for the Rebels when a six-week NAB League season starts on August 22.

"Everything was up in the air so we just wanted to know if anything was going to come back and then found out," he said. "It gives a bit more motivation with training knowing that's going to come back. I am pretty excited to play a little bit of footy. It's been a while."

Burgess has used the extended break to work on his fitness, using ovals and tracks around Geelong.

"It's been like a really big pre-season to work on all parts of my game," he said.

"I am feeling a lot fitter. I have always tried to improve my fitness. I struggled over big distances, so getting a bit more of that in my game will hopefully help as well as working on my speed."

Burgess said he was eager to remain in the Cats' VFL system next year.

"Me and the boys (including Terang Mortlake's Isaac Wareham) were pretty happy," he said. "We only had about three weeks up here (with Geelong) and it was a pretty fun three weeks."