Hawks youngster Denver Grainger-Barras says Sam Mitchell was one of the first people to call him after he was drafted last year, imparting on him some of the "best advice" he has ever heard.

Speaking on the Golden Years podcast on Thursday, Grainger-Barras said he "vividly" remembers his initial conversation with the now Hawks coach.

"Sam said 'even though it is your time - call someone who has helped you get here, or has been influential on you, and say thank you to them because it will make their week,'" Grainger-Barras said.

"So I ended up calling Adam Pickering, my league coach and Percy Johnson who's a WAFL legend, and just saying thank you to them.

"It was probably some of the best advice I've gotten - to self-centre, humble myself and focus on what was in front of me. That was calling those two people, so I thank Sam for that."

A look back at our 2020 draftees and their journey since

Grainger-Barras, who was taken with Pick 6 in the 2020 national draft, made his debut in Round 15 against Greater Western Sydney at the MCG.

Hailing from Western Australia, the 19-year-old went on to play five senior games, impressing fans with his intercept marking and composure on the field.

Reminiscing to the draft night last year, Grainger-Barras said despite it being "pretty well-known" that he was going to get drafted by a club, the process was still stressful.

"It was a big mental battle to try and get through the year and then there is also the element of trying not to get too complacent just because I'd spoken to majority of clubs," he said.

"Right before the draft was about to start my manager said to me 'mate I don't think you're going to Sydney (the club Grainger-Barras was linked to)'.

"That's when the nerves kicked in and I thought - 'okay where am I going to go here?'"

Grainger-Barras said there was also some internal pressure in deciding who was going to be there alongside him on draft night.

"I remember coming home one night and mum telling me who was coming and it was this big long list," he said.

"But I really wanted it small...with all the people closest to me, so we just camped around these tiny couches and cheered on.

"I had a photographer rock up at my house at 9.30pm with a Hawthorn guernsey.

"We ended up taking photos that night - but the realisation probably came the next day when I was doing the photo shoot at Optus Stadium.

"It was a surreal feeling to feel as though I was finally a part of my big dream."

Now almost 12 months on from that first phone call with his now coach, Grainger-Barras said Mitchell has been an "instrumental" figure in his journey so far.

"Sam has created a really good connection with the younger boys and that's given him the ability to understand people and how to best communicate with them - whether it is harsh, critical feedback or more diplomatic and softer," he said.

"The way he gives feedback makes you stop and think."

To hear more from Grainger-Barras, listen below or search for Golden Years on your chosen podcast provider.