THE PAST six months have resembled a whirlwind for Demons recruit Ricky Petterd.

After the excitement of being drafted by Melbourne and shifting south from the Gold Coast, Petterd took part in his first AFL pre-season and made his senior debut within the first five rounds.

The 18-year-old midfielder has now been recognised for his impressive entry into the competition by winning this week’s NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.

While honoured with the nomination, Petterd is still reeling from the simple fact he's fulfilling his life-long dream.

"I was talking to my dad a couple of days ago, and I just said, ‘I can't believe I'm doing what I'm doing’,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

"It's just so surreal because I never thought it would all happen this quickly. I thought it might take a couple of years, but to be in the senior side already … it just snuck up so quickly.

"It still gives me goose bumps to think about it."

The native Tasmanian made his debut in round five this season, and used the occasion to casually pick up 20 possessions against the grand finalist of the past two years, Sydney.

Don't let the composed demeanour he brought to that game fool you – he admits the experience was certainly harrowing.

"My first game was definitely nerve-racking. I was almost throwing up," he laughed.

"I had all my friends and family there, so it was really good. I had heaps of support, and I knew I just had to go out there and do a role.

"I seemed to do that pretty well, and Neale was happy."

With his first match behind him, Petterd faced his next big milestone of running out on to the ground he holds in the highest regard – the "home of football".

"The second time around probably was (just as nerve-racking), because I was playing at the MCG, the place I've always wanted to play football at," he said.

"In the last few years, I've just been like, ‘Imagine playing football at the MCG’. It just snuck up on me.

"It all came so quickly."

The impressive youngster suffered some hamstring soreness after the Power clash that ruled him out of the round seven clash against the Western Bulldogs, giving him a chance to reflect on his rapid rise to senior football.

Petterd was born in Hobart before his family shifted to the Gold Coast when he was nine years old. Having always played football as a youngster, he said there was little temptation to switch to rugby once the northern move was made.

"My dad played footy, so I just got wind of it when I was young and started playing when I was four," he said.

"When I went to Queensland, I was nine and nothing changed. I just kept playing.

"Football is something I've always wanted to do, and there wasn't much pressure to convert to rugby. I played rugby at school, mucking around with mates and stuff, but nothing serious."

Petterd said he "always wanted to move to Victoria" to pursue his footballing dream, so the act of leaving home last year wasn't as dramatic or emotional as it can be for some.

While he misses the Gold Coast, particularly the "weather and the beaches", he's now happy to call Melbourne home and has moved in with fellow emerging Demon Heath Neville.

"I love Melbourne. I've been here a few times, and I wasn't really nervous about moving here. I was just nervous of coming to a new club and meeting new people and trying to fit in," he said.

"I miss the Gold Coast. It's a great place, and I miss the beaches. But, my friends do come down a bit, and my family too, so that's good."

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.