Wylie Buzza is at his best in the centre circle, except when there is a coin being tossed rather than a football.

The second-year ruckman was announced as captain in Saturday’s practice match against Collingwood but the short notice caught Buzza off guard.

“(I found out) 20 minutes before the game, so plenty of time to prepare,” Buzza said.

“It was interesting, I had no idea what I was doing with the coin toss.”

The 21-year-old took on the captaincy in full stride but joked that he would have attempted a stirring pre-game speech if he had time to plan for the role.

“If it had been a bit earlier, I might have written some notes down and a few little inspirational quotes for the boys,” He said.

“It’s pretty easy in the first game of the year, everyone was pumped to go so no ‘special’ chats before the game.”

Cats coach Shane O’Bree saw Buzza as the perfect candidate to lead the side against the Magpies and believes leadership roles can speed up player development.

“Buzz speaks well so if you are ever going to throw it on someone without any notice, it would be Buzz, who can handle it,” O’Bree said.

“When they are named skipper, it is good for their leadership, seeing how they respond.”

Whilst the formalities of captaincy were not his strong suit, Buzza’s on field performance set the standard for the rest of the side.

The key tall played in the ruck and up forward, racking up 11 disposals, six marks and two goals in a best on ground performance.

Buzza attributes his breakout performance to a fitness base that he has developed since coming to Geelong after the 2015 draft.

“First game back, I was blowing but I got to a lot more contests that I would have never got to last year,” Buzza said.

“When you train full-time, something has got to happen and I think It has, I have gotten a lot fitter and can go longer and influence the game for longer.”

The newfound fitness has helped Buzza get his body in excellent condition, helping him feel better physically and mentally.

“Confidence level is obviously up just knowing you are a better athlete,” He said.

“I’ve put on some proper size and got rid of the fat on the guts, trimmed down and trying to turn into a better athlete.”

A year at the football club has also given the Queensland native a new city to call home that he is growing to love.

“Coming down from Queensland, Geelong is pretty good at making you feel at home,” Buzza said.

“I now know my way around Geelong, don’t need the GPS and I know a few different people, so starting to build networks.”

Buzza is hopeful that his developed fitness and maturity will help his form continue to rise in 2017.

The young tall knows he will need to continue to improve but hopes his competitiveness will lead to future success at the Cats.

“All of us are striving to get to the top level, I don’t want to get ahead of myself but if I keep putting in solid performances in the VFL, I can try and force my hand,” He said.

“You’ve got to be patient but at the same time keep knocking on the door.”

While he may still be a while off AFL football, the 198cm Queenslander has the potential to play in almost any position on the field.

Throughout 2016, Buzza played key forward and back but it was his time in the ruck where he felt most confident.

“I still think I’m better around the ruck, it’s more see ball get ball,” Buzza said.

“I am happy to play the second ruck role and get myself into the game that way.”

However, he may not stay a ruckman permanently, with a hunger to improve his marking and kicking ability, Buzza is keen to push forward more often.

“I’m really keen to develop as a forward, I think that is going to be my best position.”

“I just want to keep developing, I’m still young and still learning the game so the more places I can learn the better.