Maeve Galvin's first impression of goalkeeping was that it wasn't something she really wanted to pursue.
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Fortunately she changed her mind.
Following Tudor Wests' 2-all draw with Flames on Sunday, in which she played a pivotal role, Galvin recalled watching her older brother Harper play at the national championships one year.
"I remember watching one of his games and their goalie was getting slogged at and I remember sitting there thinking I don't want to do that, don't want to be a goalie," she said.
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Fast forward a few years and the 16-year old is one of the best young keepers in the state.
She started keeping when she was in the junior girls. They used to do a volunteer roster, she explained, but a few times there was no-one so, despite her previous reluctance, she put her hand up to do it.
She ended up being pretty handy at it and was asked to trial for the Tamworth rep team. While she didn't end up being selected as the goalie that year, she did the next year and has just continued to develop from there.
The Year 11 McCarthy student did hit a bit of a speed bump last year, rupturing the ligaments in her ankle mid-way through the season. Playing out in the field for Tudors in second grade she twisted it outwards and sat on it, and was lucky to avoid surgery.
It still though kept her on the sidelines for the rest of the season.
Galvin said Tudors coach Helen Willis has been "amazing" through the rehab process.
"Originally I was not crash hot when I got back in the goals, I was missing everything. But Helen was always there to say 'no you've got this'," she said.
On Sunday she showed she certainly does.
She was under a lot of pressure from Flames in the final quarter as they searched for a match-winner but she kept them out, saving a couple of short corners.
"She was awesome today, made some really good saves," Willis said.
As Galvin eluded to, not the most popular position on the field, she said she likes being able to "see the game from a different perspective".
"It really makes you appreciate just how much work every player puts in," she said.
"And mentally I like the challenge of not flinching and just staying there, and having to say to myself 'you can do this'."
Willis said Sunday was a great overall defensive effort. That was highlighted in the final quarter when at one stage they had two players off with cards but Flames were unable to get the breakthrough.
"We scrambled pretty well today," she said.
"Flames' speed put us under a lot of pressure."
Particularly in the second half the competition leaders "stepped it up".
Beaten 4-2 in their first meeting, Willis thought they moved the ball well and noted that they were able to stretch Flames a few times and get in behind them.
In the other games Chloe Scicluna fired Olympians to a 1-nil win over South United while Hayley Lennon slotted a double as Warahahs pipped Services 2-1.
