WEST Coast vice-captain Lewis has always known who she is.

It's the world that has started to catch up, offering members of the Pride community a sense of security, particularly within the scope of women's footy.

"In this environment and this kind of time, it's nearly 2025, I think there's less hesitation when I bring up having a partner that's a girl," Lewis told AFL.com.au.

"I grew up knowing, to be honest. I think I came out to (my family) when I was like four or five, so an element of me always knew, but then especially with footy we talk about how we need to give back to the Pride community and make the Pride community feel comfortable that you can come down to our games.

"But really, at the end of the day, that's where women's footy stemmed from. It's the Pride community's game, really."

The Eagles have, externally, had a tricky history with Pride, something the club has worked hard to improve in recent seasons.

In the past, public comments made by former coach Michael Prior, and the club's lack of a Pride Round guernsey in 2022 (S6) had the football world questioning West Coast's commitment to the Pride conversation.

But Lewis has never felt that her club has been anything but wholly accepting of herself, and other members of the Pride community.

"We as a group never lost that value," Lewis said.

"Unfortunately, there was that media perception, but I think we as a group, and some of our staff that had come down from the executives, that had really emphasised how much of a value it was to the club, so we just carried that in."

Since that early 2022 season, the Eagles have worn Pride guernseys each year, completing the full set of AFLW clubs donning special guernseys for the dedicated round.

"It's gorgeous," Lewis said of West Coast's 2024 edition.

"We thought that we'd done a good job last year, and the year before, but I think this is definitely my favourite to date… I wish we could make it our home guernsey."

For their Pride Round match, the Eagles will travel to Melbourne to face Hawthorn on Saturday afternoon, and while cross-country travel is a challenge, for Lewis it has become part of her routine.

Her partner, Western Bulldogs defender Issy Grant, is based in Melbourne, so any trip across the Nullarbor has the extra element of getting to see one-another.

"I probably never thought that I would do long distance, but I think the fact that we both are in this environment (helps)," Lewis said.

"She's amazing, and our communication is just what you've got to do to keep it up, and I think the fact that we're both in this (footy) environment helps us so much, because when we're feeling up or we're feeling down, we can really empathise with each other."

Both star players in their respective teams, it's unsurprising that they are highly competitive with one-another.

"We say there isn't, but there definitely is," Lewis laughed about their competitive nature.

"We go down to the park to kick the footy with her brother, and we always end up in a one-on-one contest, and then we don't talk on that car ride home.

"I asked her to teach me how to mark, because I can't mark and she's the best at it, but then I get really frustrated that I can't do it."

While Lewis doesn't rate her own marking ability, her game as a whole has gone to a new level this year, with not only her but the whole team thriving under the new leadership of head coach Daisy Pearce.

"This year, especially with, obviously, the change that we've gone through with all of our coaching and Daisy and that kind of thing, we've been extremely process-driven," Lewis said.

"It comes from belief. We've changed our mindset about believing that we can win every game. So, for me that’s helped."

The key words have been freedom and confidence. Players are moving on the field in a way that conveys the freedom the new coaching panel has afforded them, and a confidence in their abilities – both individually and as a team.

Lewis credits leadership specialist Darren Harris with leading that focus on values and trust in one-another, just as much as what Pearce and her assistants have added to the program.

"Individually for all of us, there's an element that we've really been encouraged to play to our strengths," Lewis said.

"You see that not just in the way I play, not just in the way Ella (Roberts) plays, but you see Beth Schilling, Zoe Wakfer, these girls that a more key role players. They're playing with freedom, even though they have a task… it's how encouraged we have been to play with a bit of freedom, knowing that we know the game plan, so we can just go out there and create."

That freedom has propelled the club to its most successful season ever, with four games still to play. Lewis' own form has been a key part of that as a slight role shift has maximised her impact on the side's fortunes.

"I've been playing more of an outside role, so I'm getting more uncontested possessions… and I do a mid-forward rotation as well," Lewis said.

"I love it. I always thought 'Oh, I want to play midfield' and then going down into the forward line, I absolutely love it."