SABRINA Frederick has lived her whole adult life inside footy clubs, now it's time for something new.

She knows the timing isn't ideal – hanging up the boots when her club is on its knees – but it’s not about abandoning a sinking ship. It’s about doing what’s best for her family, her body, and her future.

This hasn't been a quick decision either, she very nearly pulled the pin in November last year but ultimately chose to push through for one more season.

"I just didn't want to leave feeling like I could have actively done more, and so that was the main driver. Me being able to go to bed at night and go, you know what? I feel like I gave everything I possibly could to help, and I genuinely feel like I have done that in the last 12 months," Frederick told AFL.com.au.

"Obviously the results are still not where we want them to be, but at least I can go to bed at night knowing I have tried, because I want success for this program so much, and I want success for the entire League so much."

This wasn't where Frederick expected to be at 29. As a teenager she was a soccer star, attending a sport-specific high school and tracking toward a scholarship at a college in the USA.

The AFLW hadn’t been announced at the time, but women's footy pioneer Jan Cooper knew something was brewing and wanted to keep talent like Frederick in the code.

"I remember Jan Cooper, the legend that she is, just begging my parents, being like 'give it a bit more time, I'm hearing rumblings that there's going to be a competition, just please give it a bit more time, she's going to be the right age for it'," Frederick explained.

"Then, I think it was only a few months later that Gil (McLachlan) came out and gave that iconic press conference (announcing the AFLW). And I guess the rest is history, really."

More than 100 games across three clubs and two states later, there have been several sliding doors moments throughout Frederick’s journey in the AFLW.

Based in Western Australia, her first ever trip to Brisbane was as a 19-year-old being wooed by Craig Starcevich and Breeanna Brock – the masterminds behind the Lions’ entry into the AFLW.

"It's actually the craziest story. One day I'm just in my living room and I get a random phone call. I pick it up and it’s Craig Starcevich. He introduced himself like the quirky guy he is, that I love, and he goes, 'Sabs, all I ask is you get on the plane next week and you just come down for the weekend. You don't have to commit to anything, just come down for the weekend, hear our vision, no strings attached'," Frederick recalled.

It's fair to say the weekend went well. Frederick had signed her marquee contract before even boarding the plane back to Perth. The following month she was moving states, knowing only Starcevich, Brock, and fellow-marquee signing Tayla Harris, ready to kick off a whole new adventure.

It's an adventure that has totally shaped her life today, both on and off the footy field. Without footy, Frederick wouldn't have met wife Lili or become a mum to kids Florence and Otis.

"(Lili) was a fan of AFLW before she knew I existed… She followed all the social media pages and saw a photo of me one day, and she sent it to me, DM'd the photo to me, and said 'you have a nice smile', which is kind of how it started," Frederick said.

"I was in my second year at Brisbane and we did long distance, and thank goodness I was playing for Brisbane because we were flying to Melbourne to play every second week and so I got to see her and meet her in person, and that is how that happened."

Unfortunately, with that joy, came the heartbreak of needing to leave the Lions for opportunities in Victoria. It wasn’t about the club, rather the chance to live the life she wanted to lead, alongside Lili.

"I hit the jackpot landing at Brisbane with Craig Starcevich and Breeanna Brock. To land in that position, and I think back on it, there was quite a lot of pressure on me then," Frederick said.

"Leaving there was such heartbreak for me because I would have loved to play there and stayed with 'Starce'. I just saw he extended his contract, I'm so happy for him, and in my mind he’s my favourite coach I've ever had. It kind of just got to a point where I couldn’t live the life I wanted in Brisbane because I didn't have what I needed, which was the family support.

"You can't actually just click your fingers and that happens. So it was such heartbreak leaving there because it actually had nothing to do with the football at all. But I don't regret it, and seeing the success they’ve gone on to achieve, I've loved it."

Two years ago, had Frederick retired, she would have disappeared into a new life away from footy. That was always the plan, footy now, life after. But now her mindset has changed. Her purpose now becomes about helping to further establish the AFLW however she can.

Coaching is now part of the conversation – something she’d never really considered before – and ensuring that the right people are leading clubs. People who are passionate about women's footy, and see that as the end goal, rather than just a step along the way.

"I want AFLW to get to a place where if Florence, my daughter, came to me and said 'Hey, this is something I want to chase', I can genuinely turn around and say to her, 'I fully support it, this is a great option for you'," Frederick said.

"I think at the moment it’s still not there yet, and so the last 12 months for me has been really trying to get clarity of like I am so passionate about this competition, but where does that sit in how I can help in this next phase? I think this competition deserves coaches that want to be AFLW coaches, people that it’s not their second option or using as a stepping stone. They actually truly believe in the competition and understand it and want it to succeed."

And this is the start of the next phase of life. One that also includes the chance to snowboard without worrying about being injured, drinking a smoothie without concerns of what might be picked up on an ASADA drug screen, and jumping on the trampoline with her kids without a sore back because of footy.

She is confident that Collingwood will work itself out of the awkward position in which it's found itself, that the kids coming through have the capacity to rebuild the program if they’re given the right support, and she will be rooting for them every step of the way.

"My whole adult life I've been doing this," Frederick said.

"I've lived a dream, and now I get to have new dreams."