CHLOE Baker-West charmed everyone during her club interviews at the Telstra AFLW Draft Combine.
Personable, friendly, chatty, and most of all, incredibly, incredibly driven.
She wants to be an AFLW player, and has been very clear about her ultimate goal.
But that drive came at a cost last year, pulling up sore with a stress reaction in her shin.
"It was just from too much running. It was a tough one, but it's about learning (about) your body and how your body reacts to different things, and not overdoing it," Baker-West told AFL.com.au.
"I used to love ticking everything off on my program, and then doing extras on the side of that, but now it's about knowing what's right and what's wrong and what your body can take.
"I had fractured and dislocated two of my fingers (at the time), so I couldn't do any skill work or training. I had Calder Cannons and Vic Metro at the time, and I didn't manage my running loads properly. I took a step too far.
"I used to be a big treadmill runner, whether it was 200s, 400s, whatever it was. I live near the Maribyrnong River (in Melbourne's inner north-west), so now I like doing my long distance runs around there, it's good scenery next to Flemington Racecourse."
The 163cm midfielder is a ball magnet, racking up the numbers in the first few rounds of this year's Coates Talent League with the Cannons, and finishing the season averaging 33 disposals and seven clearances from her nine matches.
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Baker-West was initially appointed co-vice captain of Calder, but with a serious injury suffered by skipper Jade McLay (broken collarbone), she stood up to lead some games.
It's a long way from trotting around after father Darren at Strathmore, who was coaching older brothers Mitchell and Lachlan, but she's always had her eye on playing at the top level.
"My dad coached a lot of footy, and I was a mascot for him when I was younger. I was running around with a (footy) singlet on, always with Dad right next to him, holding his whiteboard," Baker-West said.
"I started off with the boys when I was eight, played with them for about six or seven years, and transferred over to the girls in under-16.
"It was just so enjoyable, I loved playing it and I was happy when I played it. I loved waking up on a Sunday morning, going to local games and running around. I loved playing midfield, running in the guts, into the forward line then into the back line."
The Western Bulldogs supporter loved sports so much, she'd play tennis, netball and school volleyball on a Saturday, with footy on Sunday, before ultimately settling on the latter when she was 14 or 15.
"I graduated last year, so I took an opportunity to study (osteopathy) at Vic Uni. Then I deferred osteo, and decided to take up a PT course and complete my cert III and IV," she said.
"I have a personal trainer myself, who I've had for three years, and he said he could give me some hours and paid work. I'm now over halfway through my 18-month (PT) course, then I'll go back to uni next year. I've always wanted to go down that health-science path."
