Giants coach Leon Cameron says the Canberra midfielder is an integral part of GWS' future as the 19-year-old prepares for his first AFL game at Manuka Oval.

Steele said he was nervous about his return to his home town and it would be like making his AFL debut all over again when the Giants face Geelong on Saturday.

Cameron will again look to rotate him through the midfield and up forward, but it's not the first important role he's had for the Giants at Manuka.

Last year, he pulled the G-Man mascot outfit on "at a game or a function" and it's safe to say he enjoys his new GWS role a lot more.

The smell of stale sweat and the heat were far less pleasant memories than the ones from his short AFL career.

While the Cats game will be just his fifth, he's already become a consistent performer and felt like he was starting to belong.

"I was G-Man for a little bit, I jumped in the suit for an hour or two at a game or a function – I can't remember where it was – but it wasn't much fun, I can tell you that," Steele said.

"It smelt, it was hot. They're supposed to have a built-in fan in the helmet, but that broke and it was about March so it was still fairly hot.

"I think [that I'm starting to belong], one of the coaches said that I don't look out of place so I take that on board and try and build on that."

Cameron said it was always hard for first-year players to cement their spots in the starting line-up, with form fluctuations and the physical nature of the game making it tough to be consistent.

But he was confident Steele had a bright future at the club that took him with pick No. 24 in last year's draft.

"There's no doubt his performances in his first four games he's definitely earning his spot," Cameron said.

"But I can see that Jack Steele is going to be an integral part of this footy club and he's going to be better and better as he goes along, every game he plays and every year he plays."

A Giants win against the Cats would see the home team have a perfect three-from-three record in Canberra for 2015, but Cameron said that would be a tough ask against a side he said was one of the best in the AFL over the last decade.

But the GWS coach wanted to make Manuka an orange fortress, especially given it could be the Giants' first sold-out home game.

They could also get a step closer to their first finals campaign. The Giants sit seventh on the ladder, while the Cats are two wins behind in 11th, making it a crucial match for each team's hopes of playing in September.

While Cameron was refusing to talk about the dreaded F-word, Steele desperately wanted to play every game for the rest of the season – including finals if they come the Giants' way.

"I need to do what I've been doing, plus a little bit more, just to make sure I do hold my spot for the upcoming weeks and potentially finals," Steele said.

"I'd like to play the remainder of the games for the season, if my body's up to scratch, but it's just taking it a week at a time and doing things throughout the week to make sure my body is right."

The Giants could welcome back key defender Joel Patfull (ribs/lung), which would be timely given their injury-riddled defence and a Cats forward line containing Tom Hawkins, while Geelong captain Joel Selwood returns from suspension.

AFL ROUND 17

Saturday: GWS Giants v Geelong at Manuka Oval, 1.45pm. Tickets available from Ticketek.