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The 22-year-old started her AFLW career at Geelong, debuting in 2019 and claiming the Cats’ best and fairest in 2020, along with an All-Australian selection at half-forward.

Her 2021 season was cut short due to an ACL injury, and she joined the Demons after it, where she finished her rehab and re-joined the competition midway through season six in a red-and-blue jumper.

While she made an immediate impact in her first season back, it was in the second season this year that she really shone, averaging 23.3 disposals, 3.8 tackles and 3.8 clearances a game, and receiving her second All-Australian blazer.

The second youngest of five sisters, it isn’t surprising she has a competitive streak. That along with being the daughter of Kane Purcell, who was drafted to Collingwood at pick 30 in the 1991 draft and known for his white-line fever, despite not playing a senior game.

Yet off the field, Purcell is a laid-back surfer and self-proclaimed “bit of an introvert”.

“A different side of me comes out when I play footy and then away from that, I feel completely different as well.

“Before a game I keep it very relaxed and then as soon as I’m playing everyone’s like ‘whoa’. And as soon as the game’s over, I switch off and I’m back to normal … I feel they [her teammates] think it’s pretty amusing ... I don’t know where it comes from. Just happen,” she laughs.

Purcell said part of that getting on with it was the team re-grouping after the result and decided to really focus on playing for each other. “You sort of use it to fuel you and you can feel it amongst the team ... the only way that we’re going to get the best possible result, whether it’s a win or loss, is probably through playing for each other.

“And you can’t really rely on one or two people to get it done. It’s going to take all of us.”

The ultimate test of that will be on Sunday against the minor premiers, with premiership glory once again within Melbourne’s grasp.

The AFLW grand final is at Brighton Homes Arena on Sunday at 2.40pm (AEDT).

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