Gibson and her North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos teammates had their premiership dreams dashed when the pandemic forced the cancellation of the season during the finals series, in which the Roos had reached the preliminary final stage, before Melbourne went into lockdown, which saw the VFLW one of many football competitions cancelled.

Those factors ensured it was a very different winter for the 28-year-old, with the longest break between matches in at least five years for the Burnie Dockers premiership player from Wilmot, with training also providing a different environment due to the restrictions that are in place.

"It hasn't been the ideal lead into pre-season without having any football so it has definitely been a hard task to get back into it and get your body right,'' said Gibson, a former TWL best and fairest winner.

"You can run by yourself all you like, but until you add the game sense in with the kicking and the bumping it is hard to get going again and I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been easy that's for sure. But our medical staff have been fantastic in managing our loads and making sure we are as healthy and fit as possible.

"It is definitely mentally [a challenge as well] as that just comes down to that work rate and being fit enough to be able to push through that mental battle and I'm not going to shy away from that.

"Through the off-season as work did slow down, and the fact I am a country girl and I like my space, but I was hemmed in here looking at the same houses every day, it was quite a hard task with not having that outlet of football.

"As you are getting older some people might say the rest is good, but for me I just think I needed to keep moving a bit more than I did and I seized up a little bit when we started [pre-season training]."

But that is all behind her now, with Gibson saying she was fit and healthy with the AFLW community deep into its pre-season with round one scheduled to start on January 28.

North will get things going on January 31 against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium.

For Gibson and the Roos, there is that sense of unfinished business with last year's disappointment coming after the controversial conference system contributed to them missing out on the finals in 2019.

There's also a personal hunger for Gibson to finally get hold of an AFLW premiership medallion, with the past two years combining with two grand final losses for her with Brisbane.

"It is kind of like we are starting again as it feels new because we've had all these different takes of what pre-season should look like and what it does look like,'' Gibson said.

"But it is also in the back of our minds that we've pretty much got the same squad minus a couple of players so it is still in the minds for a lot of us that we have still got that unfinished business.

"For me losing the first one in Brisbane and the second one and not even making it last year, I've always been close and never actually tasted it and that feeling does gets stronger and stronger until you finally get to hold up that cup.

"It is still there and it is always going to be there until I get one, and hopefully a couple, before I do hang up the boots."

North will play its one practice match this year against Collingwood on Sunday [where former coach Scott Gowans is part of the coaching staff], with Gibson keen to "get out there and play against a full opposition".

She is set to start the year where she finished, as a deep forward, but could be thrown back when needed, saying she is just "keen to play her role".

Having the Tasmanian-based players calling Melbourne home [Mia King, Brooke Brown, Daria Bannister and Nicole Bresnehan] had been beneficial for the whole group and under new coach Darren Crocker there was a positive vibe heading into the season.

Gibson has also elected to step away from the club's leadership group to focus on her own game, with Emma Kearney to again captain the team, with Ash Riddell, Emma King and Jasmine Garner assisting.

Gibson, Bresnehan, Brown, King and Ellie Gavalas have all been named in the squad for Sunday's clash with Collingwood, with Bannister still on the comeback trail from injury.