MIKAYLA Bowen had a big decision to make.

It was June 2022, and there was a surprise second AFLW season fast approaching. She could remain in Perth and re-sign with West Coast, where she was signed as the club's first AFLW player, or expand her horizons with a very interested Geelong.

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So the then-21-year-old and partner Liv packed up their lives and moved across the country, for what currently remains as a part-time, elite-level competition.

Liv's settled in beautifully, playing for Geelong's VFLW side this year, while Bowen has a job at the Cats as diversity and inclusion coordinator working with the wider local community, with her particular focus on the Pride space.

Pacey winger Bowen played all 11 games for the Cats in her first season, averaging 14.4 disposals, a touch under her career-high 16.6 as an inside midfielder with the Eagles in 2021.

"I wanted to get the best out of my football career. I got to the point of thinking I only have one shot at this, and I want to give it the best crack I can. Although at first the move was intimidating, the conversations I had with the club and the people I had them with, was so much more reassuring," Bowen told womens.afl.

"I actually came across here (and trained) in the AFLW Academy, it's all come round in an odd way. It's crazy how the universe works. When we came over here, I remember saying to Mum if I was ever to move – I wasn't considering it at the time, hadn't even played AFLW yet – this is the one place I could come to. 

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"I love Geelong (the city) in itself, I really love the openness of it, the really down-to-earth nature of the lifestyle as well. 

"Club-specific, the roots at this club really brought me here. I'd heard so much about the culture here, and from the outside, it's pretty easy to see the grounds of why they're such a great and successful club."

As an under-18 playing for Western Australia, Bowen was usually found at the bottom of a pack, the last one to haul herself off the ground and hand the ball to the umpire, but in the last few seasons has been making the transition from contested ball-winner to winger.

"Our midfield is definitely a powerhouse, and I'm not just saying that from being immersed in it, but also from going up against them and being on the other side of it. They're extremely well-rounded, not just the midfield itself, but there's a lot of girls who have the ability to roll through and expose the opposition," Bowen said.

"I actually had to really go through a process of accepting and making the role of the wing my own. When you're younger, I think everyone thinks they're an inside mid. 

"I've got to a point where I recognise my strengths individually, I can really expose in space and out through the ground. I think at times, it can be a lonely position, but it's the way you look at it and the mindset around it."

She nominates connection with the forward line as an area for both herself and the team as a whole to develop in 2023, and has an eye as to how the AFLW competition is set to evolve over the next few years.

"We have a group that wins the ball, but the more you can use your outside layers, the better your ball movement is and inside 50 entries are," she said.

"I think it's the next phase of women's football, the more teams can use their outside runners specifically. I'm extremely grateful to be part of a group that's moving in that direction and have the mindset of opening the game up and moving laterally."

Bowen has built a strong relationship with club CEO Steve Hocking, initially based on a surprising commonality around Bowen's unusual car.

"It's a V8 commodore, a Holden ute. If I can describe the shade of green, it's almost emerald. It certainly brings a lot of assumptions about who I am, which aren't necessarily accurate," she said with a grin.

"I've got a big passion for cars, and when I was younger, I always wanted a Holden ute. I ended up buying that one three or four years ago now, and I love that it's unique and different.

"When I first arrived at the club, [the car] was my first connecting point with Steve Hocking. I'd heard the most incredible things about who he is and what he's done for the club. 

"I rocked up out of my car thinking, 'he is going to regret this decision, having me come here', but he actually said to me that he's always loved cars himself, and when he was young, he owned a bright blue Holden commodore ute. He encouraged me that if anyone tries to pull me away from it, to stick with it."

Bowen features in Geelong's upcoming club AFLW documentary Step Two, shot across the entirety of season seven, a period which saw the Cats climb the ladder and qualify for their second finals series.

"I think season seven was a real turning point for this playing group. As an outsider, I could always tell the potential of the group, but to be part of it and have a bit more of an understanding of what we're capable of, is really special," Bowen said.

"[The name] Step Two is based off something (coach) Dan Lowther said to us, about this being the next step in our journey forward. I strongly believe this is just the beginning for us and there's been a lot of work to get us where we are. 

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"It's a raw, unfiltered look behind the scenes and underneath what you see on the field, what you think certain players might be like. There's a lot more that goes into it than just game day, and it's a really personal opportunity to get a greater understanding of what the club's like and where the players are at."

Step Two is a six-part series following Geelong's rise to finals in season seven. The series features behind-the-scenes access, player interviews and stories of the staff and people that make the Cats who they are. Episodes are released publicly on geelongcats.com.au each Wednesday.