A POSITIONAL change spurred the second coming of Sabrina Frederick in 2023. This year, it's about going one better.
An inaugural AFLW player, Frederick was a marquee signing for Brisbane as a key forward back in 2017, but with her ninth season on the horizon, a lot has changed.
Frederick now dons the black and white stripes, after a couple of years with Richmond, and is now Collingwood's No.1 ruck.
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"I think part of the competition evolving, I think you've got to be open to change and willing to try new things," Frederick told AFL.com.au.
"Last season, we probably needed a bit more I'd say competitive nature in (the ruck) and they sort of suggested it to me. I thought, 'You know what, why not?' I've been playing forward for most of my career, and I've had glimpses in the ruck before, but not properly."
She made the role her own, leading the AFLW for hitouts throughout the home and away season, and adding a sense of identity in the air for the Pies.
"I genuinely love the position. I love the strategy behind it," Frederick said.
"I feel like the position can be under-utilised, especially because the ball starts a lot of times with stoppage or centre bounce. There's a real opportunity to restart and get first use of the football, which I probably didn't value as much when I wasn't playing ruck.
"Now I can really see the opportunity there, which excites me."
Going hand-in-hand with the positional shift was a need to get fitter. Covering the ground as often a sole ruck is no small task, so Frederick got running during the off-season.
"Last season there were points in the game where I was taking a mark on the backline, and then I'd be at the end of the passage of play kicking the goal, or being part of it down in the forward line," Frederick said.
"So, it definitely changed my approach to preseason, because I was running a lot more, having to take more contact. But I also think in that role, you can help your team as much as you put the work in.
"If you have the work rate to be able to cover the ground and get back to defend, you can help your defence. If you have the work rate to get forward, it can be a dangerous opportunity for your team."
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Last season's successful transition to the ruck isn't where Frederick will be leaving it either, instead, it's simply a starting point.
"I've only started out, this is new for me, and I feel like it was a base layer for me to build on," Frederick said.
"I can only go up from here."
Her improvement will get an immediate test, as she is set to face off against 2023 All-Australian ruck Ally Morphett in Friday's season opener against Sydney.
"She's a great ruck," Frederick said of Morphett.
"She's young, she's got a great midfield around her … I do believe that her being so great challenges me to want to get better. I'm looking forward to the battle, absolutely. I don't think it's going to be easy; I think it's going to be fun."
It's a game that Frederick believes will give Collingwood a chance to start its time under new coach Sam Wright on the right note.
"We really want to go for success, and we really want to push to be the best we can be, and not just for ourselves, but everyone that supports us," Frederick said.
"We put a lot of work in. We understand there's great teams in the competition, but we have the list, we have the talent, we have the strategy, and we've just got to go out there and do it."
