AT 33 years of age, Essendon midfielder Georgia Nanscawen considers herself to be a "young footballer".
That's because the Bomber has only been playing football for nine years.
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Prior to her AFLW career, Nanscawen represented Australia in hockey, competing at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.
But at the age of 24, Nanscawen decided that she no longer loved the game and turned her attention to football.
"I feel like I'm a young footballer," Nanscawen said on this week's episode of Tagged.
"Hockey was my first love. I picked up a stick from the moment I was born and my dream was to play for Australia and go to an Olympics, and I was very, very fortunate for that to eventuate.
"I was about 24 years old and I just hit a point where I realised that I didn't love it anymore and that I needed to do something different.
"It was a really hard realisation to come to because, you know, as you guys know, sport becomes your identity and from this young age, I was a hockey player. That's how people knew me.
"I was living this almost false life, so I made the decision at 24 years old after 205 games that I was ready for a change and stepped away, and yeah, never looked back."
Nanscawen was picked up by North Melbourne in 2019 and played two games in her first season.
But it hasn't been all smooth sailing for the former Olympian, who has had to overcome her fair share of setbacks since transitioning to the game.
At the end of 2019 she was delisted by North Melbourne, and on the eve of Essendon's entry into the AFLW Nanscawen ruptured her ACL, causing her to miss all of 2020.
"I got delisted from North, had this great patch with Essendon VFL, did my ACL before our first AFLW season. It's the cliche of a rollercoaster," Nanscawen explained to co-hosts Sarah Hosking and Sarah Rowe.
"But I think for me, it's just made me appreciate getting able to play more and really embracing the opportunities I get to be out there."
Since recovering from her ACL, Nanscawen's career has gone from strength to strength. She is a mainstay in Essendon's midfield and is arguably having her best season to date.
Nanscawen is averaging career-best numbers per game in disposals (25.6), tackles (11) and score involvements.
Last season, Nanscawen made the All-Australian squad of 44 and credits her success to the environment at the Bombers as well as her own desire to continually want to improve and get better.
"From the moment I walked in the doors (at Essendon), that was the biggest thing that stood out to me, that I felt valued. I felt that I could be myself. I think that's when you play your best football," Nanscawen said.
"I think you're always your own harshest critic. There's been phases through this year … when I was getting really frustrated over things and it took a couple of our coaches and even teammates to say to me, 'Focus on the things you're good at.'
"That together with never wanting to be satisfied with where I'm at. We see the draftees coming through at the moment. They're incredible. If you're staying still, people will overtake you and just that drive to get better."
You can watch Tagged every Tuesday on AFL.com.au/AFLW and the AFLW and AFL Live Official apps, and listen to the podcast on your preferred platforms on the same day.
