REMEMBER having to play the recorder in primary school?

St Kilda midfielder Olivia Vesely can play two at once – with her nose.

The 20-year-old joined womens.afl to explain just what exactly that special skill has to do with her round five NAB AFL Women's Rising Star nomination.

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"We had a team meeting and one of the leaders said to me that all the girls are pretty down about the loss (to Carlton) and asked if could I do a performance with recorders," Vesely said.

"I can play two recorders in both nostrils."

Vesely got up and joined Kate McCarthy for a ripping rendition of St Kilda's song on the recorder.

"There's a funny joke that I have this lame mouthguard that everyone dared me into getting," Vesely said.

Saints co-captain Rhi Watt dared Vesely to buy a mouthguard that had 'fear me' inscribed to use during the pre-season, and then Nat Exon offered the 20-year-old $50 to wear it in round one.

Following the performance earlier this week, McCarthy presented Vesely some new dental protection.

"They had a mouth guard and had written in permanent marker on it 'Rising Star'," Vesely recalled. 

After seeing Georgia Patrikios and Caitlin Greiser receive their nominations in previous weeks, Vesely admits she was in total shock at the news as the performance request totally threw her off.

The ball-magnet couldn't be loving her time at St Kilda more, but it hasn't been as easy road for the midfielder.

Vesely was eligible for the 2017 NAB AFL Women's Draft, but was overlooked, despite playing for Vic Metro and being invited to the Draft Combine.

"I wasn't really that fit because I was trying to focus on year 12," Vesely admitted.

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She wasn't overly concerned as Carlton and St Kilda offered her a spot on their VFLW lists for 2018, but she picked the Blues as the Saints wouldn't have an AFLW team until this year.

An MCL tear derailed part of Vesely's season, but she was able to get her body right for an all-stars game in which St Kilda coach Peta Searle was desperate to see her play.

"Pete (Searle) rang me up after I played an all-stars game in 2018. She rang me like six times I think," Vesely said.

"I actually broke my wrist in that game, so I didn’t come down (to the Southern Saints' pre-season training) until October or November."

Vesely ended up with the Saints for the 2019 VFLW season and played well enough to be taken as a pre-selection for St Kilda's inaugural AFL Women's team.

Even after being picked, playing in one game - let alone five straight - was not something Vesely thought would happen.

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"The goal was to play round one, and I didn’t think before Christmas that I was a chance to play round one after a couple of chats with the coaches," Vesely said.

"I said to myself after that game, every other game is a massive bonus.

"I feel very grateful to be on the team."

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Vesely has been one of St Kilda's most consistent players, never gathering less than 13 disposals in a game this year.

After missing out on the draft twice, the midfielder now has flipped all the scripts and firmly entrenched herself in the AFLW ranks.