On the eve of her first AFLW season, Newcastle's Sarah Halvorsen is taking nothing for granted.
The quiet and unassuming 25-year-old has been pinching herself since being drafted to the GWS Giants in October.
The Giants contract came for the talented sporting all-rounder after three seasons playing for Newcastle City in the Black Diamond League and the past two winters in the Giants' development program.
But Halvorsen, who remains based in Newcastle and has been juggling work as an engineer at Port Stephens Council with training in Sydney three nights a week, has set no expectations on herself for the coming AFLW season which kicks off on Friday night.
Her main goal, she told the Newcastle Herald, was to learn as much as she could and to keep developing her skills.
Halvorsen is an accurate kick and her other assets are speed, strength and height.
"It's a pretty big step up to that level and I've learnt heaps off the girls who have been around for a little while," Halvorsen said.
"I'm just trying to soak it all in from the coaches and the experienced players and it's been a really good experience so far.
"It's still pretty exciting. I'm still really excited to go to training. It's not something that I ever really expected to do. I dreamed of it but the fact that it's happened is awesome."
The Giants open their campaign against new team Gold Coast Suns at Blacktown on Saturday. The league is split into two conferences and played over eight rounds.
GWS coach Alan McConnell has not named his match-day squad for the opening-round clash but Halvorsen was viewing any game time as a bonus.
"For me, I don't really expect to get too many games being a first-year player," she said. "Just take it week by week and control what you can control and whatever happens will happen.
"I don't want to take anything for granted. Work hard this season and put my best foot forward and see what happens. But I'm really enjoying it at the moment."
Twenty-five-year-old Port Stephens product Lisa Steane, who relocated to Sydney to pursue her dream of being an AFLW player, was also drafted to the Giants for this season.
Both featured in trial games against Adelaide and Brisbane as the Giants fine-tuned preparations.
As the AFLW enters its fourth season, Halvorsen said it was "pretty special" to be part of something new and a sport that is growing so fast.
The season begins with Richmond playing Carlton on Friday night.
