COLLINGWOOD vice-captain Jordyn Allen is known for her sense of calm and composure on the field, and the ever-present smile plastered on her face.

But that hasn't always been the case.

"I was, quite honestly, a brat growing up," Allen admitted to AFL.com.au.

As a kid, Allen was involved in an array of sports, but alongside older brother Jackson, they were all in on motocross racing. Picture it: an eight-year-old Jordy Allen belting around a track desperate to beat all the boys. The little hurricane.

Unfortunately, when things didn't work for her, that competitive nature turned ugly.

"The etiquette in motocross, especially in juniors, is very much that everyone waits for the last rider, and then everyone shakes hands and then you ride peacefully and slowly through the pits," Allen explained.

"And then I would come dead last, like often I would be in a really strong position, at the head of the pack, and then I would completely stuff it up by trying to be too aggressive to just, unforced errors… and I'd be filthy on myself.

"There were so many races where I would just blitz past all of the competitors who were waiting for me, wouldn't shake any of their hands, wouldn't look any of them in the eye, and then I would speed through the pits."

As such a little kid, her inability to regulate emotions wasn't something she could consciously address, and she admits that she lacked the self-awareness to be embarrassed by the behaviour.

"I didn't have any remorse; I don't remember feeling that that was a bad thing to do or maybe I should pull my head in. I've stomped off, this little eight- or nine-year-old literally stomped off with big motocross boots and helmet," Allen said.

"Then Mum is following behind me picking up my (things). I'd thrown my gloves; I'd thrown my goggles. All of this expensive equipment is just in a trail of fury behind me."

It started to turn when Allen and Jackson started to be a threat on the track. With some good performances under their belts, a local motocross shop became interested in sponsoring the siblings.

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The only caveat was that Allen's attitude needed a tune up.

"Mum and Dad went in and spoke to Darren, who was the head of the race team, and then they invited us in and Darren said to Jackson 'Congratulations, you're with Top Gear racing, we'd love to sponsor you'," Allen said.

"And then he looked at me and he's like, 'Now, we need to have a talk'. He basically said, 'If you throw, if you disrespect, if you break any piece of our equipment, there's a no tolerance policy, you will no longer be sponsored'."

To up the stakes, Jackson would also lose his sponsorship if she took a wrong step.

"That definitely made me pull my head in. I remember there was a bit of an adjustment period after that where I would go to absolutely crack it if I crashed or lost a race… and I'd wait in the pits and I could see Mum and Dad and Darren standing on the side and they were watching me, and I'd slowly drive through the pits and very carefully place my bike back and take my pieces of equipment off one by one," Allen laughed.

Team sports had never been Allen's thing, instead wholly focused on her individual competitive spirit. This sponsorship, however, gave her a taste of being part of something bigger than herself.

"I think I had to learn those lessons through motocross to develop the ability to work as part of a team. The sponsorship, that was me playing for a team even though it was an individual sport because the consequences weren't just my own," Allen said.

"That was the first time that I understood how to play as part of a team, and also to manage my emotions. No one wants to be that person in a team who can't self-regulate, who is a shit teammate essentially, which I would have been if I hadn't learned those lessons."

As the siblings grew older, the injuries and danger also grew. Eventually it became too great a risk for their parents. The Allens racing motocross was no more, so footy it was.

It was a chance for Allen to spend more time with her friendship group, but didn't quite scratch the itch that motocross once did, until the AFLW came around and Allen could see a future in the sport.

Jackson was also a fair footballer, and would challenge Allen when they would go for a kick. The pair, who are just 16 months apart, are close now, and have always been hyper-competitive with one another.

"I genuinely would not be the footballer that I am today if it wasn't for Jackson, because I feel like all the major life lessons that I've had to learn, especially as a kid, were because of him," Allen said.

"I wouldn't have been exposed to motocross if it wasn't for him. I wouldn't have even done footy if it wasn't for him, because he was like 'I want to kick the footy in the backyard' and he was patient enough to kick with me, and he would be really hard on me if I didn't kick it back to him.

"He was a teacher and a mentor, but also my biggest competitor."

Now, Allen is the vice-captain of Collingwood's AFLW team, and a fan favourite, while Jackson runs ultra-marathons and plays local footy.

"He is just good at absolutely everything he does," Allen said.

"He is one of the most naturally gifted people, which also meant it was hard for me to beat him at anything."