She just does not believe it was that big a risk.
The Silver Ferns had been well beaten in the first game of the two-match series and Aitken was under pressure to deliver results.
"She [Grant] had been training really well and we felt she was pushing very hard for a starting spot," Aitken said.
"We thought she had something special and we wanted to see it out there."
It was a gutsy call to blood a new international player with all the mounting pressure.
It would have been tempting to go back to the likes of experienced defenders Sheryl Scanlan or Leana de Bruin.
"As a coach, once you've made a call, if it works it was a good idea, if it doesn't it wasn't such a good idea all of a sudden. That is just the way it is. But our instincts said she was good to go.
"She showed the faith we put in her was well-founded."
Grant made a good debut. Together with world-class defender Casey Williams the pair snuffed out the Australians' supply of ball and help level the series 1-1.
Grant was a "ball-getter" and was skilled at disrupting the flow of ball into the circle, Aitken said.
She was also a quick learner and had benefited from her court time with the Steel in the ANZ Championship this season.
Aitken is not in Rotorua at the national championship this week as she has a trip to Australia planned.
With the Silver Ferns playing England in the three-match series later this month, the second of which is at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin on October 15, the coach thought it prudent to go on a reconnaissance mission and gather information when Australia play England in Australia tonight.
