SINCE being drafted by Geelong in 2019, Nicole Garner has watched as six of her teammates be presented with their jumper ahead of their debut.
On Friday night, the 28-year-old will get to experience the same emotions as those half-a-dozen players before running out in the Hoops for the first time in the Cats’ clash with the Western Bulldogs.
“I’ve watched a lot of girls debut now, and I’ve got the goosebumps and borderline tears every time I hear the jumper presentation speech, and then the feeling of the group when they all get around the debutant,” Garner, who works at the Victorian Police Academy in Glen Waverly, said.
“I’m really looking forward to that moment; just pulling on the Hoops for real and then running out on to GMHBA Stadium for a pretty special moment.
“I’ve got a fair bit of family coming down from Sale, and a lot of people are going to tune in and watch.
“I’m really looking forward to embracing the special moment, and just trying to take it all in, and hopefully not let the nerves take over too much.”
Garner, who will make her AFLW debut five years after making the switch from baseball to football, has been named as an emergency by the Cats on five occasions since being drafted.
So it was a nice change when coach Paul Hood pulled Garner aside before heading to the change rooms on Wednesday night.
“Over the last 18 months, it’s usually been that disappointing news that you’re not quite there,” she said. “Thankfully last night was quite the opposite.
“He walked me over to the boundary line where there was a bit of a set-up where the camera was there to film the moment, which was really lovely.
“He said “we’ve got a VFL practice match on Saturday and we don’t want you to play in that. We want you to play in the AFL game on Friday”.
“I couldn’t believe it. You wait for that moment your whole career and then it finally comes.
“I’m ready to embrace it.”
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Hood says news of Garner’s debut was well received.
“It was amazing the reaction teammates when it was announced to the group that Nicole was going to play her first game,” he said “Everyone was so thrilled for her.
“She’s worked so hard in her 18 months as part of our program. She’s worked so hard to develop her skills and her body, and to learn the way the Geelong gameplan works.
“She’s been a fantastic example with her dedication, and to be able to pick her in the team was a thrill for me, and no doubt it was a thrill for her, and a thrill for all the coaches that work with her.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
