KEY FORWARD Sarah Perkins is in the unique position of playing for two top-level clubs in the same year.
The Melbourne local has played for Adelaide in the NAB AFL Women's competition for the past two years and will again line-up for the Crows next year.
But she has spent her winter back home, playing for Hawthorn in the VFLW competition.
"At the moment it works because one is in the AFLW and one is only in the VFLW. We were smart about what we wanted to do," Perkins told AFL.com.au.
"I also weighed up joining NT Thunder (with some of her Adelaide teammates) once I found out they were joining the VFLW.
"Both clubs have worked really well together. I've done everything to the best of my ability. The Hawks are in constant contact with the strength and conditioning staff in Adelaide.
"I'm working with both clubs and I think it's been great.
"I'm in a lucky position, where both clubs care a lot about their players and about me."
The 25-year-old had a comparatively quiet AFLW season in front of goals in 2018, kicking just one goal compared to 11 the year before.
Some of that was partly a result of superstar Erin Phillips missing the first two matches with a quad injury. Once Phillips was back, she was often restricted to full-forward (Perkins' usual position).
When Perkins was going well in 2017, she was benefitting from Phillips' effective inside-50 entries.
Perkins was also forced up the ground at times, sometimes starting in the middle for centre bounces.
"I was just trying to get my hands on the footy to be honest. Just to try something different," she said.
"Erin was injured, so we needed to find something.
"(Playing up the ground) is something I'm still trying to work towards potentially for season three.
"I'm not too sure what 'Doc' (new Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke) has planned for us and the way we structure up, but I'm looking forward to getting back in November."
Perkins has already worked Clarke, who has been at the Crows as the AFL ruck coach since 2008.
"There was a chance I would have to play in the ruck last AFLW season, so he did a lot of ruck work with us taller girls," she said.
"I've spoken to him a couple of times, I've even called him throughout the VFLW season and got a bit of feedback."
"I know he's doing a lot of work with the girls at the moment and they love it, so can't wait to get back and start working with him."
Perkins is working in the Hawks' community department and spent the past six weeks with grade five and six girls at Dorset Primary School in Melbourne's outer-east.
She ran clinics, teaching the youngsters basic footy skills. The program culminated earlier this week with in the Maroondah region girls football gala, an all-day tournament featuring 200 girls from 12 primary school teams from the outer-east.
"I love coaching. I must admit, I probably threw myself into the deep end, as I've never really coached younger girls before," Perkins said.
"I'd only ever coached the older-age groups, so it's been a bit of a challenge having to strip it back and teach them footy.
"This is the first time Hawthorn has done this in the Maroondah region, so to see 200 girls was amazing.
"One of the schools only has 100 students. They're only little but they've got together a team of 20, so it's good to see them out here playing footy.”
Hawthorn is unsure when it might enter the AFLW competition but its VFLW side is flying, sitting third with a guaranteed finals berth ahead of this weekend's final home and away round.
The Hawks can finish second if they beat Geelong, or even first with a win and a Collingwood loss to Casey. A loss to Geelong would see them drop to fourth.
The team boasts the likes of AFLW players Phoebe McWilliams (Geelong), Rebecca Beeson and Pepa Randall (Greater Western Sydney), Melissa Kuys (Collingwood) and Emma Mackie (Western Bulldogs).
Former AFLW players Meg Hutchins and Lou Wotton (Collingwood), Kim Ebb (Western Bulldogs) and Tahni Nestor (Carlton) also play.
Perkins has kicked 12 goals from 10 matches this year and has been named in the best twice. She has missed a few matches with niggling injuries but is now fully fit.
The team had a season-defining 25-point win over competition pace-setters Northern Territory Thunder in Darwin last week. The Thunder feature many Adelaide AFLW players.
"The Hawthorn girls were very excited to get up to Darwin. I was looking forward to getting back up there too after playing there earlier this year," Perkins said.
"I got a win over my (Crows) teammates, so that's always exciting, and it was good to catch up with them.
"We've hit form at the right time of year, got some continuity in the team. We've got Geelong this week, then finals, so we'll see how we go."
The Hawks take on the Cats in a VFLW/VFL double-header at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday, with the women's match starting at 11.30am, followed by the VFL game from 2pm.
