It is hard to believe that one of the great careers in Geelong's AFLW history nearly never came to fruition.
With 62 AFLW games under her belt, Nina Morrison has become a bona fide star with the Cats over the journey, one of the toughest and most skilful on-ballers in the competition.
Her resume includes a Geelong best and fairest award, All-Australian squad selection and now, Morrison will co-captain the Cats in 2026 alongside Becky Webster.
But despite her career, Morrison remarkably only picked up Australian Rules Football late in her teenage years, a product of the rise of the AFLW competition and the pathways available to women in footy.
In just a couple of short years, she went from not playing the game to the number one pick in the draft, quite a transition that Morrison touched on when she joined this week's episode of 'To the Final Bell.'
"Yeah it is super cool, I think star is probably a bit of a stretch when talking about being a tennis player," Morrison joked.
"I didn't pick up footy until I was 16 or 17, it was when the AFLW competition first started.
"I saw women playing footy and went down to the Falcons, and sort of tried it out.
"From there, I just loved it. I had always loved footy as a kid, but I fell in love with playing it as soon as I was down there."
It is something that most kids have aspirations for at one stage or another, but it is also the opportunity of a lifetime only afforded to a select few in Australian Rules Football.
The ability to represent your country is an honour unlike any other, striding out emblazoned in the colours of a nation, with the backing of some of the most passionate sporting fans anywhere in the world.
For Australians, it could be anything from donning the green and gold at the Commonwealth Games to wearing the baggy green in an Ashes Test, or even representing the Socceroos at the World Cup.
No matter where in the world it happens or in what sporting code, there is an abundance of national pride anytime the Australian emblem is promoted on a grand stage, and it is a notion that has not been lost on Morrison.
The Cats co-captain will feature in the historic Australia v Ireland AFLW match this Saturday at North Sydney Oval, noting that it is a lifelong dream come true to don the green and gold.
"As a kid growing up, I always wanted to represent my country in something," Morrison said.
"You go to the Olympics or to represent your country on that international stage, that is the dream.
"When you play footy, that doesn't really seem like a possibility. So to now have this opportunity, to get the chance to wear the green and gold, Australia is such a proud sporting nation.
"It is just such a cool opportunity to be a part of and to get to play with some of the competition's best, to learn and play alongside them is such an incredible opportunity. I can't wait.
