With composure and polish, debutant Josh Glenn settled his nerves in the opening minutes by calmly slotting the first goal of the game to set the tone for the evening.
 
After beginning like a seasoned campaigner, the mature-aged rookie looked comfortable throughout his maiden appearance, finishing with 21 possessions, five inside 50s and four tackles.
 
The SANFL product’s football grounding has been built around perseverance and self-belief after turning his back on the draft combine and national draft in 2013, before being overlooked in last year’s national draft by all 18 clubs.
 
Since landing on the Gold Coast after being selected with pick No. 7 in last December’s rookie draft, Glenn has rapidly risen up the ranks inside Metricon Stadium, culminating with a round five debut.
 
“It’s an unbelievable feeling. Obviously to get the win is brilliant, we just gave effort all day and that’s the main thing,” Glenn told SUNS RAW following Gold Coast’s 64-point win over the Brisbane Lions.
 
“At the end of the game I was a little bit fatigued and cramping a bit, but I thought I ran out the game pretty well. That’s obviously my strength – my tank. So I thought I did my job.”
 
One game is hardly a sufficient sample size, but Glenn, just like fellow mature-aged rookie Adam Saad, is looming as another recruiting masterstroke by revered list manager Scott Clayton.
 
The pair have blazed similar paths to the AFL and live together – making Glenn’s debut all that more special for the South Australian.
 
“He’s my best mate here, I live with him. He got around me a lot during the week and just told me ‘It will be alright’,” Glenn said.
 
“He always gets nervous before games even though it’s not his debut anymore. He just kept getting around me.”
 
With game one now well and truly in the rear vision mirror, the boy from Central Districts has set his sights on cementing a spot on Rodney Eade’s engine room. And given the gaping hole left by injured trio Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara and David Swallow, Glenn might just be the answer.
 
“I want to play the rest of the season now, just keep improving week to week and just do my job for the team,” he said.