After playing one game of AFLW last season, Launceston's Brooke Brown is eager to add to her tally.
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Debuting for the Tasmanian-aligned North Melbourne side in round four, the 24-year-old spent the majority of 2021 playing in the VFLW, fueling a desire for success.
"I played through the VFLW last season while all the girls were playing AFL, and with COVID I couldn't even be around them when they played," Brown told North Media.
"I was watching from a distance and that gave me a little bit of extra incentive to work hard and try and get in the team. I just wanted to be amongst it.
"VFL continued after the AFL season finished and I played right through, so it was easier for me to keep training and just not stop.
"I didn't really have an off-season, I just trained right through. I'm much fitter than I was compared to last year and that's really helped me push my case."
Brown is one of eight Tasmanians vying for a spot in the Kangaroos' round-one side to face Geelong on Saturday.
Old Scotch's Ella Maurer and fellow 2021 draftee Perri King added to the tally last season, with Mia King, Brittany Gibson, Ellie Gavalas, Daria Bannister and leadership group member Nicole Bresnahan also on the list.
Having played in defence, ruck and forward before getting drafted from Launceston, it was Brown's offensive talents that peaked interests.
However, after heading back to the opposite end of the ground, the former Launceston Tornadoes basketball player has a new lease on life in defence.
"The coaches decided to see me somewhere different, and it probably feels a bit more natural to me than playing as a ruck or forward.
"Playing in defence is less reliant on getting to the right spots, and you don't need your teammates to get you the ball to have an impact. You can just read it, intercept and run which suits my attributes.
"My basketball background seems to suit playing in defence and I think that's why I was tried down there.
"I'm also pretty athletic for my height and play more like a small than a tall, so having that extra bit of height works well in defence."
Brown's best game in the VFLW last season saw her collect 17 disposals, kick three goals and take three marks in a 16-point loss to Geelong, before backing it up with 16 touches the following week.