Port Adelaide AFLW recruit Julia Teakle will miss the first week of pre-season as she finishes off uni exams before heading to South Australia.  

The club announced the signing of the 18-year-old from Geraldton on Thursday but Teakle says it's been a few weeks in the making. 

"It was nice to have it finally released," she said.

She will join her cousin Brynn who was picked up by Port Adelaide in the mid-season draft last week. 

"Him being at Port Adelaide now definitely played a part in my decision to come over," she said.

Family connections

Teakle played juniors with her brother Bohan at Railways before pulling on the boots for Northampton in the Great Northern Football League women's competition. 

The team enjoyed a premiership win last season and she took out the association's fairest and best award. 

Most recently, Teakle has been playing for East Fremantle in the WAFLW, including a couple of games with her 15-year-old sister, Tiani. 

"She's killing it down here," she said. 

While Teakle is excited about the move, she is disappointed to be leaving the Sharks who are sitting on top of the WAFLW ladder undefeated. 

The humble multi-sport athlete said she's yet to learn where she will play on the field.

"I'm hoping to just get a game first," she said.

"I've played most of my game up forward in the WAFLW, and a bit of midfield in the GNFL.

Growing up, Teakle was handy at most sports and said she loved both netball and basketball.

"I do miss playing basketball and netball," she said. 

"I love playing with the girls and, yeah, basketball was definitely one of my favourite sports there for a moment but footy is just so much fun and I love the social side of it."

She will head to Adelaide in just over a week after finishing exams for her first semester of physiotherapy studies at Notre Dame.