NOW IN her third NAB AFLW season, top draftee Jasmine Fleming is coming into her own.
The young Hawks star is the daughter of Australian cricketer Damien Fleming and Australian netballer Wendy O'Donnell, and is forging her own path at the elite level.
But there's still always time for dad.
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Hawthorn's round one clash with Carlton coincides with Father's Day on Sunday, and the Hawks invited players' dads and father figures to the club for a tour and training session.
"It's exciting. Pre-season has gone really quick, so to be already at round one, and facing an unknown rival in Carlton – we haven't played them in the AFLW yet – the buzz around the club is awesome," Jas said.
"I'm probably a little more composed and calm. I haven't gone through two pre-seasons, probably one and a half prior to this year. So I'm feeling a little more comfortable and I know what works for me. It's been awesome."
Damien – now a noted commentator and never short of a word – proudly stood next to daughter Jas at a press conference, chipping in with a few gags and some poignant observations.
"I'm pretty good (at spectating). You've got to remember where the women's game has gone so quickly. Jas started playing with the boys, and then stopped to play cricket and basketball. Five or six years on, I get to see her play at the top level for the club we support. It's more positive than negative," Damien said.
"First off, what I love watching about Jas is her speed, because I didn't have any. Her mum Wendy has given her speed. She's always been driven at any sport, very team-oriented.
"I wasn't overly surprised she was in the leadership group at 18, and now has a chance to grow into that with 'Batesy' and 'Westy' (Emily Bates and Eliza West). I think it's the constant improvement, and how much she gets out of it."
The Hawthorn dads and father figures were each given a T-shirt with a small Hawks logo and "AFLW dad" on the front, and their daughters' numbers on the back.
They joined in on some drills – including a giant five-star handball drill and another with a kicking focus – and also spent time simply taking pot-shots at goal.
"Being a Hawthorn supporter, living in Springvale, this is my local ground, and I know these windy, cold conditions very well," Damien said.
"I used to sit behind the scoreboard that was down there. But today is fantastic, to celebrate Father's Day – up until 10 years ago, it wasn't a goal for daughters, but also for the fathers as well, watching their daughters play AFL at the top level.
"It's a great way to acknowledge the fathers, but we also got a little insight into the way 'Webby' (new coach Daniel Webster) is going about the game plans. It's also about having some fun, sitting back and appreciating how much the AFLW has grown and how much it will continue to grow in the future."
With the presser happening in the early stages of the lengthy warm-up, Damien – now 54 years old – was concerned about missing out on a crucial aspect of training.
Jas cheekily suggested his Achilles tendon might be an issue, happily planting another seed of doubt.
"[Hamstrings] wasn't a strength of my cricket career. Quads, hammies, probably calves today," Damien said with a grin.
"If I can get two reverse torpedos today, it's a win."
