DESPAIR turned to joy fairly quickly for Jess Waterhouse after missing out on the 2022 NAB AFLW Draft.

The former Junior Matildas captain received a lifeline from the Crows after Jasmyn Hewett was placed on the inactive list.

"I was definitely disappointed. It's not so much that I had the expectation I was going to go and that everyone had let me down, it wasn't like that," Waterhouse told womens.afl.

"It was more just the anticipation of wanting to hear your name being called out and then the massive high, and there's the low after, so it was disappointing.

"A few days after, we just had a chat, saying 'look sorry, we didn't realise it would turn out like that. Just understand it's a business decision, and try not to take it personally'. The draft is generally more for those younger girls anyway. I'm not old at 25, but I feel older than those girls in the draft.

"I then got the call to say they wanted me to train with them, then that conversation turned into someone's been made inactive and we want to sign you up."

Small forward Waterhouse – the niece of former Fremantle No.1 pick Clive – set the SANFLW alight this year with her form for South Adelaide, kicking 16 goals from 12 matches.

It was Waterhouse's second stint at SANFLW level, having played a handful of games for Glenelg in 2018 after her first full season of local footy at Christies Beach.

A break from sport altogether followed, before she returned to local level with Happy Valley, then onto South Adelaide.

"A lot of girls like Ruth Wallace and 'MJ' (Marijana Racjic) had made the switch from soccer to footy and seemed to be having a ball, so I thought I'd give it a crack," Waterhouse said.

"I started playing soccer when I was very young, about four, with the boys, through to when I had to switch to the women. Went through state programs and that led into junior Matildas.

"Had lots of Australian camps at the Australian Institute of Sport, and finished up a while ago. I then had a little stint in China with the girls, and just felt like I didn't want to give any more to the sport, and it was time for a bit of a break."

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It's been a quick adjustment period for Waterhouse (who also featured for A-League club Adelaide United from 2012-14), heading straight up to Darwin for a pre-season camp, working alongside the Australian Defence Force.

"Darwin's been really good, really warm. We've been working closely as a team, the Crows pride themselves on culture and the close-knit family vibe," Waterhouse said.

"And we've been doing those types of exercises with the Australian Defence Force to build team culture and trust. Everything we did on the obstacle course, I think that translates a lot to the football field with trust in each other and teammates, so we've got a lot out of it."