The Giants see Himmelberg as a dynamic forward that will offer plenty in a smaller forward line that will shift its focus towards tackling pressure this season.
"I made that shift from back to forward now pretty permanently," Himmelberg said.
"I'm really enjoying being a part of the forward line and trying to learn as much as I can off blokes like Jez [Jeremy Cameron] and Jon [Patton] so we can work well as a unit and hopefully bring the pressure and the points we need to.
"It's probably my more natural position but once you get into an AFL club it's all about the dynamic as well. I'm just trying to work with the other forwards and trying to train the things we've been working on.
"Obviously it was disappointing last year with Jez going down with injury so late in the year at such a crucial point but I stepped up and played a pretty important role, whether it was playing defensively in the first couple of finals or hitting the scoreboard when I could.
"I definitely take a little bit of confidence out of last year but then again it's a new season and there's always areas to improve on. I'm looking to improve on last year and hopefully we have a good year."
Himmelberg says the shift from Wagga to Canberra shaped him as not only a footballer, but a person, and it held him in good stead when he made the leap to Sydney.
He moved to Canberra as an 18-year-old and gained exposure to NEAFL football when he was on the books at Eastlake before he was drafted with pick 16 in the 2015 draft.
The Riverina junior penned a two-year extension to stay at the Giants until the end of 2019 in August last year.
While it's nice to have some security for the next two seasons, Himmelberg says the best thing about remaining a Giant is he feels like he is at home.
"You don't look too far into the future, you play it by week as the season comes around," Himmelberg said.
"I'm always looking to improve obviously, the more everyone can improve the better we become as a team. It was really good to sign an extension, it's always good to have some security, but it hasn't really affected my mind too much.
"I got drafted with three other blokes who I was fairly familiar with going through the academy and living in the Riverina with and whatnot.
"From the start it pretty much felt like home here and I'm glad that I'll be here for another couple of years."
AFL ROUND ONE
Sunday: GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval, 1.10pm. Tickets from Ticketek. TV: Live on Fox Footy.
Comments disabled
Caden Helmers is a sports reporter for The Canberra Times
Morning & Afternoon Newsletter
Delivered Mon–Fri.
[contf] [contfnew] 
SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
