Former Horsham Saint Rene Caris is over the moon after making her AFLW debut for the Geelong Cats on Saturday.
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Caris travelled to Brisbane with her team-mates to take on the Brisbane Lions at Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex.
The Cats played some of their best football for the season in the contest, defeating Brisbane by 27 points, 35-8.
Related: Caris to make AFLW debut
Caris said it was a fantastic experience.
"It was incredible," she said. "The girls presented me with the jumper before the game and that was really special.
"Everyone really got around me, which was amazing. To run out there, just to hear a few Cats supporters there who were cheering, and to play in front of the whole crowd was pretty special."
Caris said travelling interstate with the team was a big part of the experience.
"It was sort of a big deal to go up to Brisbane for my first game," she said.
"You go up the day before and you have a lot of time to kill before the game, so the whole time I was learning and seeing how everyone else deals with the nerves and the excitement.
"That was part of what was so great about it, just being on the plane and travelling together - that's where you get to know your team-mates even better."
Caris also had some special supporters in attendance at the game.
"I was lucky my parents came up as well. It was really great for them to be able to make it," she said.
"Of course Dad had a few words of advice afterwards, as he always does. It was great to be able to have them there for it."
Caris said the match was a big step up in intensity from the VFLW. As the second ruck, Caris worked tirelessly throughout the match and finished with seven disposals, four hit-outs and a behind.
"When I got out there I immediately noticed how quick the game was and how fast and strong everyone was," Caris said.
"I'm not really sure how I went, it's kind of hard to tell - I think I just tried to get in and help.
"I was playing in the ruck, so I focused on just following up after every contest."
Caris said she hoped to keep her spot in the team for another week, with team-mate and fellow ruck Aasta O'Connor serving the second of her two-game suspension next weekend when the Cats take on Fremantle.