THREE-TIME premiership player Libby Birch pours her heart and soul into her footy, and now, she's done the same with a children's book.
The picture book, Libby's Footy Adventures, was a chance for Birch to fill the gap she saw in the market for representation of young girls playing footy.
"It came about just through the actual need for it, for young girls to see themselves in a book," Birch said.
"It was a friend who wanted to buy a footy-loving book for a young girl, and there was nothing that could have been bought for this young girl, and I thought, that is just, how is that possible after 10 seasons to have that problem?
"And so, I wanted to do something about it, and poured my heart and soul into this book and all my amazing experiences I've had across three teams, particularly starting at VFL level, VFLW level, at the Darebin Falcons, to my experiences with Daisy Pearce and how she brought me into footy.
"I just think AFLW has brought so much to our community, and this book is about making sure every young girl feels like they can belong."
It was Pearce who brought Birch into the fold back in 2016, drawing her away from netball and into the community of local footy.
Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, playing 91 games to date, and winning flags with the Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, and most recently North Melbourne.
"Daisy, she was the first person that actually got me into footy. She gave me a pair of boots, they were orange, I can remember them. They fit perfectly, so it was the Cinderella moment as well," Birch recalled.
"She drove me to my first training session at the Darebin Falcons and she didn't know me from a bar of soap, and I think that's why I've dedicated the book to her and the 'Falcs' because, in essence, that sharing of footy and sharing of love and community that they gave to me, I want to give to every young girl, and make sure that that's felt in everyone that reads the book."
With a host of young girls from the Ascot Vale Panthers flanking Birch across the book's launch event, Birch was determined to get across the message of community, diversity, and inclusivity.
"The message is about AFLW, how far we've come in 10 seasons, the difference we've made to have those girls there looking so excited and happy to be a part of footy. That's what this is about," Birch said.
Libby's Footy Adventures will be available for purchase from Tuesday, July 29.