Nathan Wenke playing the best football of his career at Rand-Walbundrie-Walla Giants

At just under 160cm, the 24-year-old is one of the Hume League's more diminutive figures - as rival sides are quick to remind him.

But Wenke has quietly become a crucial member of the Rand-Walbundrie-Walla side which this weekend plays its second semi-final in as many seasons.

"I do get quite a few comments but I get a good laugh out of it," Wenke smiled.

"It's quite amusing, some of the stuff you hear.

"One of the best ones would have been 'Tony' because they said that I had no shins!

"That was a pretty good one.

"It's a bit of a laugh but it also gives me a bit of inspiration to keep going because although I'm not the tallest one out there, I'm still having a crack."

Wenke's ability to win ground ball at the contest is a key weapon in the Giants' arsenal while he has also chipped in with nine goals this season.

A junior with Rand-Walbundrie, he's played 124 games for the Giants since their merger with Walla although only 19 of those had come in the senior grade prior to last season.

Wenke has now firmly cemented his spot and is playing better than ever.

"I've absolutely loved it this year," he said.

"It's been one of my more enjoyable seasons with the bunch of blokes that we've got at the moment and how the club is looking.

"I've probably improved as the season's gone on.

"I tried to work hard on my fitness in pre-season and through the year as well, trying to improve myself every week and with the age I'm at now, there's a bit of maturity and finding my grounding."

Wenke, who lives and works locally, came through the ranks as an Auskicker and knows how important the club is for his community.

"It's something that's hard to explain, the camaraderie it brings and how it influences different people, the way people come together to make the club and to do their bits and pieces," Wenke said.

"It's definitely something special we've got and it's something that would be good to carry on for as long as we can.

"It definitely would leave a huge hole in the community if the club wasn't here.

"I love coming here and playing footy on the weekend, it's definitely one of the special times of the week, getting together with everyone and people you don't normally see.

"There are people in the community you wouldn't normally see but on a weekend they come to the footy and support you.

"It's just great."

The Giants have the chance to reach the preliminary final when they clash with Brock-Burrum at Holbrook on Sunday.

"These games are absolutely unreal to play in," Wenke said.

"The atmosphere the crowd brings, with not just your general club supporters but all the other supporters from other clubs on the sidelines as well, it takes it up another level.

"It's going to be an interesting game over at Holbrook.

"Brock-Burrum has a similar game style to us, having quite a bit of speed throughout their team and they like to move the ball quickly.

"But with the group of blokes we've got, I feel very confident."

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