AMID the excitement of the opening round of the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, young photographer Maya Thompson had a night she'll never forget. 

Thompson, the winner of the #FootyFocus21 photography competition, spent the evening at Marvel Stadium with AFL photographers Michael Willson and Dylan Burns, shooting the St Kilda v Collingwood clash. 

Her first impressions midway through the match? "So good, so loud," Maya told Willson after a hectic opening to the clash.  

Having photographed the entire game, including the pre-game entertainment and the post-match celebrations, Maya was bubbling with excitement. 

"That was so good, an amazing experience. It was like the best thing ever, I reckon," she said. 

>> CHECK OUT SOME OF MAYA'S PICS FROM THE GAME BELOW

Maya won last year's competition with her brilliant images from a school footy game between Sacred Heart and Rostrevor College in South Australia, capturing all the excitement, drama and heartbreak of a missed shot at goal. 

Her advice to fellow amateur photographers looking to follow their dreams behind the lens? 

"Keep doing what you're doing and if you love it enough, I'm sure it will give you as many opportunities as you kinda would hope for," she said. 

>> CHECK OUT SOME OF MAYA'S PICS FROM THE GAME BELOW