Although she was disappointed not to represent Victoria in last September's NAB AFL Women's State of Origin match, Western Bulldogs defender Hannah Scott knew she had more important things to prepare for.
Originally selected in the Victorian squad of 20, Scott was forced to pull out of the team that emphatically defeated the Allies team by 97 points after injuring her hamstring playing for the Eastern Devils late in the VFLW season.
The injury also meant the defender had a delayed start to her pre-season for season two of the AFLW competition.
"At the end of the day you've got to look at the bigger picture," Scott said of missing the State of Origin match.
"With the horrific injuries that have happened to some of the girls, [especially] the girls who have done ACLs, really I was pretty bloody lucky."
She took a professional approach to her rehab and the Bulldogs' fitness staff made sure she had a plan to recover in time for the start of the AFLW competition.
"When the injury happened towards the end of the year, they were straight into getting [the hamstring] scanned and then putting forward a plan for me to get back as a quickly as I could," Scott said.
"I'm back in full training. I'm trying to work on my fitness and make sure I'm up to speed with everything."
Scott deserved her spot in the Victorian team after averaging 12.7 disposals per game and tallying 23 rebound 50s in the inaugural AFLW season. Her defensive work saw her rank equal-second in the competition alongside Collingwood's Meg Hutchins and Carlton's Brianna Davey.
She finished third in the Western Bulldogs' best and fairest count, behind joint winners Ellie Blackburn and Emma Kearney, and provided important leadership for a young side.
The 27-year-old is determined to see her side improve on its sixth-place finish from 2017.
"I'm just trying to make sure I'm consistent with my efforts and that I'm there for the new girls and the young girls," Scott said.
"We didn't have the season we wanted last year but it's a new year and we're really happy with our acquisitions.
"Everything is coming along the way we want it to."
Meanwhile, Scott has another responsibility she needs to take care of ahead of the start of the AFLW season.
She's an account manager for Kelmatt Australia, which supplies goal post padding to the AFL.
"When I'm on the ground, I definitely keep my eye out to see if we've been putting things up properly," Scott said with a laugh.
