The old Waverley Park was Robert Harvey's home ground for seven years of his decorated playing career with St Kilda.
He won his 1997 and 1998 Brownlow Medals while outrunning and outworking the rest of the competition up and down its long and straight flanks.
Which makes much of his new place of employment so familiar and welcoming.
Be it the lightning quick green traffic light arrow at the Wellington Road turnoff to the howling winds blowing in all sorts of directions, Harvey might just be a few weeks into his role as Hawthorn's new midfield coach, but the surrounds already make him feel comfortable.
"Obviously the ground is a bit smaller and the exterior has changed, but it still has that Waverley feel about it. It's good to come back," he told AFL.com.au.
"Even the old grandstand they've kept parts of it intact, so it feels a bit like coming home to me."
Harvey and Hawthorn seem like the right fit and there is mutual excitement as they embark on their new partnership.
New coach Sam Mitchell, a childhood St Kilda supporter, feels giddy about it all.
"We're still calling him 'Mr Robert Harvey'," Mitchell said.
"Most of us in my age group grew up idolising him. The star factor is just starting to wear off and I haven't come around to calling him 'Banger' on a consistent basis."
Even though they were centre-square opponents for several years and have been rival midfield coaches more recently, they barely knew each other before Mitchell approached Harvey to fill the remaining position on the Hawthorn coaching staff.
Whereas the other assistant coaches – David Hale, Adrian Hickmott, Chris Newman, Andy Collins and Andy Otten – have existing or previous relationships with Mitchell either at the Hawks or West Coast, Harvey is the outlier of the group.
"You don't want groupthink, or just being Hawthorn or having known someone," Mitchell said.
"The last thing we want is for everyone to agree. You're not speaking openly or thinking critically. There's always that robust conversation and having Robert Harvey gives us a strong x-factor in that group."
Harvey said he is looking forward to offering a fresh perspective to the coaching group.
"The other guys have the relationship with him. I've come in with new eyes and give that feedback to see it from afar. That's how I see it," Harvey said.
"You have perceptions from the outside, but he is different to how I have perceived.
"He's a bit light and loose in a lot of ways, but he knows what he wants. He hasn't had to give them a bake yet, but he has that in him."
At Hawthorn, Harvey takes charge of a midfield led by Tom Mitchell, who since joining the Hawks in 2017, averaged 44 disposals in games against Harvey's Magpie midfield.
Harvey is looking forward to exploring what further wrinkles he can add to Mitchell's game but more importantly, developing him and Jaeger O'Meara as the on-field leaders.
"We have had a couple of chats already, but at Tom's age, to be able to impart his knowledge on the young midfielders will be good. The group here is so big, but it is young so it's a great chance to get involved with those young players and bring them through," he said.
"The improvement will come with those young mids and having guys such as James Worpel and Harry Morrison to jump up and take that next step."
Through stints at Carlton, St Kilda and Collingwood, Harvey has thrived and is keenly aware that he has a lot to offer as an assistant coach.
"I do enjoy it and particularly being around young guys, getting inside their heads and helping them as much as I can. I really enjoy that," he said.
"I was due for a change to get into a new environment and new people and this is the right group. It's good for me and really, it's what I needed."
