Jono O'Rourke will become the latest young GIANT to make his debut when he runs on to Manuka Oval in the NAB Cup against Essendon.

O'Rourke, number two pick in last year's NAB AFL Draft, caught up exclusively with GIANTS TV and said he had mixed emotions about playing his first game.

"I'm pretty excited to get picked to play this week and I'm really looking forward to it but I'm also nervous… there's a bit of a mixture," he said.

The AIS-AFL Academy graduate said that he had spoken to his team mates Lachie Whitfield, Lachie Plowman and Aidan Corr who had all made their debuts in recent weeks.

"I think that they had similar emotions to me… Once you're out there… you're back to playing footy and you just try not to think about it being AFL, just holding all those nerves in I guess.

"Coming up against one of the big clubs of the AFL like Essendon is pretty exciting also, playing against guys like Jobe Watson will be pretty cool and under lights as well. I haven't played too many night games so I'm really looking forward to it," he said.