Swapping a hockey stick for a football has re-ignited Georgia Nanscawen’s love of sport.
No stranger to an elite environment, the 26-year-old is looking forward to trying her hand at Australian Rules after retiring from hockey earlier this year.
“I’ve been playing hockey around about nine-years for the Hockeyroos and so this is something new, something fresh, and finding that passion in sport again is really important,” Nanscawen told North Media.
“I’m so excited to get started, I’ve been loving everything so far, and am just really looking forward to taking on the challenge.”
While it's a completely new game to learn, Nanscawen has already identified some similarities.
“There are many similar aspects in both sports, playing to space, being aware of your teammates … all of those sorts of things,” she said.
“Obviously, it's a different ball and in one game I’m running around with a stick, but I’m transitioning quite well I think and I’m really enjoying it.”
Nanscawen is confident her professional sporting experience will help her adapt quickly.
“Having a good training ethic from playing hockey for Australia will certainly help me," she stated.
“I’ve been in a professional sporting environment for a long time and know how to train at the highest level, and hopefully I can bring some of those professional attributes to the team … and hopefully they can teach me a bit of football,” she said laughing.
Earlier this year Nanscawen played for the Swans Districts in Perth, but injured her ankle nearing the end of the season.
Now she's back home and couldn't be happier.
“I actually grew up just around the corner from Arden street so it’s really nice to be in walking distance to the grounds. This was kind of my local,” she added.
“Growing up in Victoria, I’ve always loved kicking the ball around, but never really got the opportunity because I started playing hockey so young. But that means that now footy isn’t completely foreign for me.”