![Rand-Walbundrie-Walla young gun Nathan Wardius is turning heads and made his VFL debut for GWS Giants on the weekend. Rand-Walbundrie-Walla young gun Nathan Wardius is turning heads and made his VFL debut for GWS Giants on the weekend.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/asdkjfewiKKD/d14facb2-5115-4aea-8c1a-7606ec2d341c.jpg/r0_147_2547_1579_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It proved to be a weekend of firsts for Rand-Walbundrie-Walla's Nathan Wardius.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The Giants' young gun made his VFL debut for GWS Giants on Sunday after attracting the attention of talent scouts with his performances in the Hume league this season.
And while Wardius is flying on the field, the 18-year-old revealed the flight from Albury to Sydney on Friday was the first time he had been on a plane.
"It was an awesome experience to be able to play for GWS in the VFL," Wardius said.
"It was a lot more structured than I anticipated but I think it will be good for my development.
"It was the first time I've ever caught a plane so the whole weekend was a bit new to me.
"I got to train with the playing group on Saturday morning and it made it a bit easier meeting all the players.
"We played yesterday (Sunday) and I was fairly nervous in the lead-up.
"It was exciting but I couldn't really contain my nerves, especially before the game."
Wardius rotated off the bench and across half-forward and played roughly 10-minutes of each quarter.
He finished with four kicks, two handballs and four marks.
![Wardius is a classy finisher on his lethal left boot. Wardius is a classy finisher on his lethal left boot.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/asdkjfewiKKD/e6fa5396-a1f0-476b-b297-28f325ff7038.jpg/r0_0_2134_3201_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I really enjoyed my game time and just tried to play my role as a half-forward," he said.
"I got a couple of grabs in the first quarter which helped ease the nerves."
Osborne young gun Nick Madden also played for the Giants on Sunday after joining the club as a rookie at the start of the season.
"I obviously knew Nick when he was at Osborne and he was great on the weekend and made me feel welcome," he said.
ALSO IN SPORT
Wardius revealed he got some positive feedback from the Giants after the match.
"They were happy with how I performed in my role," Wardius said.
"It was a bit daunting playing for a new side and trying to learn so much in a short amount of time.
"But I enjoyed it.
"I think at this stage it may have only been a one off but I will jump at the chance if I'm given another opportunity this season."
To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark https://www.bordermail.com.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @bordermail
- Follow us on Instagram @bordermail
- Follow us on Google News