JUST THREE weeks on from becoming an AFL player, Joel Fitzgerald looked right at home on the hallowed turf of the MCG.
After years of hard work in the VFL, the mid-season draftee made his career debut on Saturday, with a fairytale finish of a 45-point win over Essendon.
“It felt unbelievable, I was just rapt to be playing,” Fitzgerald.
“The nerves were alright last night but driving here this morning they started to set in. Once the game started, I started to ease into it.
“That’s definitely the biggest crowd I’ve ever played in front of, it took some time to adjust.”
The 22-year-old didn’t take long to warm up to top level football, finishing the game with 26 disposals and five clearances.
Despite this solid impact in his first game, Fitzgerald is eager to use his opportunity at the club to keep developing his craft as a midfielder.
“I still think I have a lot to grow in my game,” Fitzgerald said
“I’ll continue to work with the gun mids we have in there and then hopefully I can take it to another level.”
Fitzgerald wasn’t the only Demon to debut on Saturday, with fellow mid-season draftee Lukas Cooke running out for his first game.
In the first half, fans saw glimpses of Cooke's impressive skills in the backline, but the 22-year-old was unlucky with injury, coming off with a cheekbone concern.
“It’s been great coming into the club at the same time as [Lukas], we’ve been able to learn everything together and lean on each other,” Fitzgerald said.
“To debut with him today was really special, unfortunately he came off with that injury but it’s still been unbelievable alongside him."
Speaking to media following the win, senior coach Steven King praised the impact of both debutants, highlighting their composure at the top level.
“They’re both mature and have dominated their state leagues for some time now,” King said.
“[Fitzy] looks like he’s really comfortable at AFL level…his ability to find the footy and his strong body, he didn’t look out of place at all and he’ll add significant depth to our midfield now.
“I think they’re both going to be really good players for our club for a long time, which is great.”
