Nelson Bay product Pippa Smyth will make her NAB AFL Women's debut when the GIANTS take on the Crows at Blacktown International SportsPark on Sunday afternoon.

Smyth is the only change for the GIANTS as they finalised their side to take on Adelaide in round four. Smyth comes into the side for defender/ruck Louise Stephenson.

Smyth is a powerful and athletic key position player hailing from Nelson Bay on the north coast of NSW.

Since crossing from netball three years ago, she has continued to develop her footballing skills and has a strong overhead mark.

“She’s worked really over hard over the past 14 weeks to develop her game, in particular over the past three or four weeks with both Shane Mumford and other staff to develop her skills and knowledge of the game,” coach Alan McConnell said.

“She’s been rewarded for her hard work, she had a good preparation and is very athletic.

“The challenge is always been around the skills at this level of pressure and the game sense that just doesn’t exist where she comes from.

“We look forward to seeing what she can do in the ruck and up forward come Sunday afternoon against a tough opposition.”

Smyth arrived at the club with pick 43 in the 2017 NAB AFL Women’s Draft.

Playing in the Black Diamond Australian Football League, Smyth impressed with her performance at the GIANTS’ AFL Women’s testing day which led to a call up to the NAB AFLW Draft Combine where she impressed, finishing first overall in the 20m sprint.

She usually plays in the ruck but can also play in key positions or on the wing given her elite fitness gained from her job as a personal trainer.

The GIANTS play Adelaide on Sunday, February 25 at Blacktown International SportsPark at 4:35pm. Entry is FREE, gates open at 3:00pm.