DEFENDING NAB AFL Women’s premiers Western Bulldogs have signed basketballer Tessa Boyd on a rookie contract.

The 20-year-old Boyd is the sister of Bulldogs premiership ruck/forward Tom Boyd.

The Bulldogs noticed Boyd – who plays for the Nunawading Spectres in the SEABL – during trials for their VFLW team, picking up on her speed, agility and competitiveness.

"It’s pretty new to me, so I’m very excited to get started in November,” she told the club’s website. 

"I have a lot to learn…I tried out for a few (football) teams a few years ago but every team I tried out for ended up folding, so I took that as a sign to stick with basketball." 

The club’s AFLW list manager Michael Sandry said Boyd showed plenty at the trials.

"Unfortunately, due to university and basketball commitments, Tessa couldn’t play VFLW with us this year," he said.

"However we kept in contact with the hope of signing her to our AFLW list, which we are really excited to do.

"Tess has a strong appetite for the contest and is really competitive. She has a really natural kicking action and we believe she will be able to adapt to multiple roles." 

The rookie-signing period closes on September 28. AFLW teams can sign up to two players who have not played football in three years (prior to May 1 this year) or have not been involved in an AFLW high-performance program.