When she was about 11, Able Seaman Meg Buchanan ran down and tackled a male player to win the ball back, and the crowd roared.
It is one of her fondest memories of playing Aussie Rules as a junior.
"Sometimes people think girls aren't that tough, but that showed them. That feeling reminds me I am good enough to be here and do this," Able Seaman Buchanan said.
It's been a whirlwind 10 months for the boatswains mate, who debuted with Port Melbourne in the recently finished Victorian Football League Women (VFLW) season.
Scraping into sixth with a draw, Port Melbourne faced the same team again in the first elimination final, but this time had a win against the Hawks.
"The feeling of winning my first VFLW final with the girls all pumped - the whole team vibe just felt so good," Able Seaman Buchanan said.
It was "crushing" to then lose by two goals in the semi-finals against the Western Bulldogs last month, but being in both final playoffs capped off a "great season".
Port Melbourne VFLW recruiting and team manager John Bonanno said Able Seaman Buchanan was a welcome addition to the club.
"Meg is a tough competitor with great speed and athleticism, who reads the game well for someone that has stepped up to this level for the first time," Mr Bonanno said.
"Her attitude towards being a semi-professional athlete and the way she has dedicated herself to our high-performance program has been first class.
"It's no surprise that she is starting to reap the rewards of all her hard work."
Last October, Able Seaman Buchanan moved interstate to train the pre-season with Port Melbourne.
'You can be a really good player, but have to also be lucky enough to have the right moment for the right people to see you. A lot of good players slip under the radar and don't get seen.'
The back and midfield player worked on perfecting her skills after coming from a rugby league background.
"I didn't have a lot of AFL experience compared to the other girls who have been playing from a young age," Able Seaman Buchanan said.
"I had to prove myself, because I hadn't played in Victoria at that level before. They had no clue who I was."
Based at HMAS Cerberus as a weapons instructor assistant within Recruit School, she drove three-hour round trips to the club to train three nights a week and weekend games.
Three months later she received a contract.
"I was just ecstatic and so relieved and excited; it was a massive mixture of emotions," Able Seaman Buchanan said.
"You can be a really good player, but have to also be lucky enough to have the right moment for the right people to see you. A lot of good players slip under the radar and don't get seen."
Aussie Rules runs through Buchanan blood.
Able Seaman Buchanan and her brother, Ryan, watched their father play with the Albury Tigers, sometimes running onto the field with him.
"Being so little and he would run fast, he'd just hold my hand. I'd go flying off the ground and loved it," Able Seaman Buchanan said.
In his day, her father trained with the Sydney Swans. Able Seaman Buchanan wears his number eight when playing for Navy.
Able Seaman Buchanan took a break from AFL at about age 11 as her local Ulladulla club didn't have a girls' team. She turned her sights to rugby, but after enlisting in the Navy in 2021, she returned to kicking the Sherrin with the Cerberus team, who won the flag the following year.
Posting on board HMAS Choules made it hard to play civilian sport, according to Able Seaman Buchanan, so she competed for Navy last year, winning two awards and selection on the Defence team.
ADF All Stars head coach Lieutenant Commander Elisabeth Quinn, also a leadership and culture coach with Richmond AFLW, saw her potential.
With Lieutenant Commander Quinn's help, Able Seaman Buchanan sought elite-sport recognition and credited the ship's supportive command to posting early.
Enjoying watching the women's sport grow bigger in the past few years, Able Seaman Buchanan wants girls to know that they can be just as tough as the boys.
"[Young girls spectating] ask for a high five and when you give them one, they're just ecstatic," Able Seaman Buchanan said.
