BIG CHANCE ARRIVES FOR GISU

FORMER Shalom Christian College student Delma Gisu wondered if the day would come.

She has been desperate to finally step on to the field for the GWS Giants, but with one round left in the season she thought her chance had passed.

Each week coach Al Mcconnell had told her, “Sorry, you’re not playing this week”. Gisu expected much the same when it came to naming the team to take on Geelong at Canberra tonight.

“I was sitting there and Al was giving a talk to all us girls,” Gisu said.

“Then Al was like, ‘Congratulations to Delma, you’re making your debut this weekend’.

“I was speechless. I was just hiding my face. Finally, I get a game.” It’s been a hard slog.

Gisu’s the first female Torres Strait Islander to be drafted by the Giants and the move from her home of Mer Island has been difficult.

Without her teammates and housemates, she wonders if she would have made it.

Now she’s set to play her first AFLW game, and will stay on in Sydney to play the offseason with the Giants to give herself the best shot possible of featuring heavily in 2020.

“It was really hard at first but now I’m settling in,” Gisu said.

“The two girls I’m staying with, Tanny (Tanya Hetherington) and Swanny (Emma Swanson). Thanks to them, they’ve been encouraging me and checking up on me that I’m OK. They’re always there.

“It was tough (at first). Tough. In trying to balance football and being away from family was tough.”