It wasn’t a typical debut, but GIANTS youngster Caitlin Miller says she’s just thrilled her biggest supporter was there to see her realise her AFLW dream.

Miller, the GIANTS’ first pick in the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft, made a surprise AFLW debut against the Demons in Canberra on Sunday after being thrown into the GIANTS’ line-up just minutes before the first bounce following the late withdrawal of Annalyse Lister with a calf complaint.

The 19-year-old Queenslander admits the unexpected news was a shock to the system.

“I found out five or 10 minutes before we ran under the banner and I was so excited, but I didn’t really have time to process it,” Miller said.

“I was sitting on the bench waiting for the girls to run out and one of the trainers told me to get up and run inside and then as she was strapping my ankles she said, ‘You’re on, you’re playing your first game.’

“I said, ‘Are you sure?’,” Miller recalled with a laugh.

“It was definitely different [to the usual debut], however it was good because I didn’t have time to think about it or stress about it, it was just go out there and play.

“That’s all I wanted to do because it’s so much easier to go out and play rather than stressing over the week.”

Thrust from spectator to participant in the blink of an eye, the 165cm pocket rocket said guidance from a wise teammate was crucial in preparing her for a sudden AFLW debut.

“I still don’t think I’d taken a full breath until we ran out and were doing ground balls out on the field and Pepa [Randall] grabbed me and said, ‘Hey let’s take a couple of breaths together’.

“I think it was still quite obvious I hadn’t entirely processed it and still hadn’t taken a breath and that definitely helped me,” Miller said.

“That’s when it hit me that I was on the field and about to play my first game.”

While it was a debut that went off-script, Miller is just happy a familiar face - her dad Craig - was in attendance to be part of the special day. 

“I was lucky enough to have my dad there, he drove from Sydney to Canberra on Sunday morning,” she said.

“As we were running out, I turned around and yelled at a couple of girls in the crowd to get my dad and as I was standing under the banner, I remember looking at my dad and he waved at me and gave me a thumbs up.

“He’s my number one supporter and has always supported me through footy and even away from footy.

“He’s like my best friend so having him there was great and really made me feel like I could do it.”

As for the game itself, a tough loss to the premiership favourite Demons, Miller said experiencing her debut alongside her new teammates was the highlight.

“There’s not a specific moment but more so just being around the girls,” she said.

“The girls in the forward line and the ‘mids’ [midfielders] were talking to me a lot which was really good and just overall it was great being around the girls and on the field with them.

“It’s definitely a lot faster game and a lot more physical but I knew my role and think I did my role quite well when I was on the field.”

Just a few months - and now one game - into her AFLW career after uprooting her life from Queensland, Miller is loving life as a GIANT.

“Before I moved here, I always said footy can develop a person and an athlete, both on and off the field, and I’ve definitely noticed the development within myself just being here for a short amount of time,” she said.

“The club has helped me develop in becoming a better person and a better footy player.

“It’s definitely a different vibe and different people but the club did a great job in making it a really smooth transition and I would never change anything I’ve done in moving here.”

The GIANTS’ AFLW side will return to Sydney this weekend to take on Richmond at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday at 1:05pm.