ASH SAINT is a competitor.
Now in her sixth season of AFLW, she has become an increasingly important leader at Port Adelaide.
With former captain Erin Phillips now retired, Saint's work in the forward line not only to hit the scoreboard, but guide the emerging line, is vital to the club's improvement in 2024.
"I think our club culture, it's more than one person," Saint told AFL.com.au.
"Erin was a great leader and she's led me previously as well, which has been great. I've learned so much off her in the forward line, just her craft and her elite professionalism… across the board I think not one person's taken the role, but I think everyone's stepped up."
Part of stepping up has been an increased fitness across the playing list, with Saint herself shaving a minute off her 2km time trial in the off-season.
"I've worked really hard this off-season. I think being able to have two days off a week, so working part-time now, has allowed me as an athlete to focus more on being an athlete," Saint said.
"I really utilised those days, I did extra running and extra stuff in the gym just so I could obviously be a better athlete. So, yeah, shaved off a minute, which I was really excited about. I was hoping for a little bit more, always want more, but really happy."
It comes as part of a shift in conditioning at the club, after it welcomed new head of high performance Anthony Gallomarino back in March.
"He's just come into the program and fit in quite well, and I think the way he goes about his programs and just explaining why we're doing certain types of running or strength programs, I think the girls really love the reasoning why," Saint said.
Port Adelaide has enjoyed its best start to a season since joining the League in 2022 (S7), and part of that can be attributed to the side's ability to run out games with more energy.
In the week one Showdown, the Power got the closest they ever have to Adelaide, falling by just 14 points, before cruising past the Western Bulldogs by 40 points on the MCG.
Those games have seen experienced players like Saint, Gemma Houghton, and Justine Mules-Robinson step up, but more importantly, the Power's youth has shone bright.
"We do have a younger team, but just their maturity this year and how far they've come in the off-season and understanding what it is like to be a part time professional athlete, I think they've really taken it this year and bought into the program, which is really exciting to see," Saint said.
One of those young players is Shineah Goody, who was named the week one Telstra AFLW Rising Star nominee and is someone Saint has been keeping a close eye on for more than a year now.
"She's always been a gun, 'Goody', and she knows it as well," Saint said.
"She works really hard doing the extras, always getting extra touch in, so it comes off the back of that, all the hard work that she's done. She was a train-on with us last year, and I wanted her to play last year even though she wasn't on the list. I was like, 'Get her in!'"
