NEW GEELONG ruckman Zac Smith says he will be able to hit the ground running when the Cats begin their pre-season in November.

The 25-year-old, who has played 65 AFL games, joined the club on Monday after the Cats traded a pair of third-round selections in this year’s draft to Gold Coast.

The 205cm big man will move to Geelong early next month and is looking forward to hitting the track with his new teammates.

“[My body is] really, really good at the moment,” Smith told SEN Radio on Tuesday morning.

“It’s really exciting to have an off-season where I don’t have to do any rehab.

“That’s a really good thing.”

Smith’s career has been curtailed by serious injuries over the past three seasons.

He spent 12 months on the sidelines after needing a knee reconstruction in 2013, then missed the last part of the 2014 season after badly injuring an ankle.

But he managed to get through the Suns’ 2015 campaign unscathed.

“I actually played 22 games of footy this year, whether they be in the NEAFL or seniors,” Smith said.

“So I played every week, which was really positive.”

Smith, who came out of contract at the end of the recent season, decided to pursue a move to Geelong after meeting with the Cats’ hierarchy during September.

“You could just tell there were great people involved and such a good environment,” he said.

“We went through things like where I could fit into the team and areas where they think I could improve … and I really loved what they had to say.”

Smith grew up in the regional Queensland city of Rockhampton, so he is delighted to be moving to Geelong rather than a capital city.

“I have to say that was a bit of a factor in the move,” he said.

“When you’re going to a club you’ve got to look at the footy side of things, but there’s also a lifestyle change, and Geelong seemed to be the best fit.”

The chance to palm the ball to the likes of Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield also has Smith excited about the future.

“[When thinking about joining the Cats], I definitely thought about who I was going to be tapping it to, that’s for sure,” he said.

“I was pretty excited when they picked up the three other recruits. It’s really exciting times.”