When Crows AFLW recruit Ruth Wallace was called into Bec Goddard’s makeshift office at Norwood Oval on Wednesday night, she was expecting bad news.

Something that Goddard had told her earlier in the week had stuck in Wallace’s mind.

“Bec mentioned the other night that she only spoke face-to-face to those that didn’t get selected,” Wallace said.

“I was obviously pretty nervous when Bec asked me to step into her office.”

However, Wallace’s nerves were soon calmed when Goddard told her that she would be making her debut in Saturday night’s game against the Brisbane Lions.

“She obviously played a little joke on me there,” Wallace laughed.

Wallace can’t wait to play at her ‘adopted’ home ground, after being a member of the inaugural SANFL Women’s premiership winning side, Norwood, last year.

“It’s so exciting, it does feel a little bit like home,” she said.

“There’s obviously different faces in the team, but it’s a good feeling to come home so I’m looking forward to it.”

Selected with pick No. 38 in the 2017 AFLW Draft, Wallace previously played soccer for the Australian Junior Matilda’s in 2009 and for Adelaide United in the W-League.

Having played football when she was growing up, Wallace retuned to football seriously in 2017, being the leading goalkicker in the Adelaide Footy Women’s League for Adelaide Uni.

She led Adelaide Uni to the Division One premiership to go along with her SANFL one with Norwood. 

Wallace said the teams’ excitement matched her own.

“I think with all that build up, expectation, it’s made me enjoy the experience so much more, I’ve absolutely loved it,” Wallace said. 

“The girls, they are just a bunch of normal girls just like me, having fun and playing lots of footy.

“At the end of the day, this weekend is what we’ve all been waiting for. 

“To play a first game of AFLW, wow, I’m just stoked.”