A YEAR ago, Anna-Rose Kennedy was making her AFLW debut in a preliminary final.
It was a final that Geelong would go on to narrowly lose to eventual premier Brisbane and Kennedy finished the game without touching the footy.
So, it would have been fair to expect some nerves from the Irishwoman heading into Sunday's clash with the Lions, but that wasn't the case.
"To be honest, I didn't really think of that at all," Kennedy told AFL.com.au.
"Just go out and play. Every game you just take it as it comes, no matter who your opposition is. Obviously, you know you have to look out for certain things, and you have certain matchups to worry about, but apart from that, it's just another match."
This time around, Kennedy and the Cats got the last laugh, defeating Brisbane by 10 points as they dominated from start to finish.
The defender enjoyed a career-best game in the process, with 18 disposals – used at an ultra-efficient 83.3 per cent – and a game-high 587m gained.
"There's a reason we played her in the prelim last year," Geelong head coach Dan Lowther said of Kennedy.
"You know, it would have been nice to get that kind of response last year, but for a first game in a big game … that's how much faith we have in Anna-Rose's ability to play the game and she's still learning, but today was a really big step forward."
Above all, it was a relief for the emerging defender, who is finally starting to find her feet at the top level of a foreign game.
"A bit relieved today, just to get a good performance for myself," Kennedy said.
"Just to get on more ball and get more involved in the game, that's what I was kind of going after. And just keep it simple, like I'm still learning how to play the game, so just do what I can, when I can."
Finding more of the footy, and getting more involved in the game, is something that Kennedy is "delighted" about, after averaging 6.3 disposals across her first eight games of the season, but establishing consistency as part of Geelong's defensive group has been important for her.
"All of us in defence can kind of rotate and mix and match accordingly, so sometimes I found myself (deep), and I was free at some stages as well," Kennedy said.
"Just the flexibility within our defensive group is great to just allow us to play our role when it counts."
She was a crucial part of the system that kept 2024 leading goalkicker Taylor Smith without a major for the first time this season, stopping the star forward, and then turning on the jets to get attacking.
And that self-assured attacking mindset has come as a result of an increasing comfort level on the footy field.
"(In Gaelic) I play around the middle of the field, so it's kind of the same run and carry game at home, so I suppose that actually transfers over quite nicely," Kennedy said.
"I think (I'm) not as anxious in terms of like 'What am I going to do', and you have a good understanding of how you're going to play and what the rest of the girls around you are trying to achieve, so that definitely helps.
"Definitely feeling a bit more comfortable and confident in myself."
