Holly Cooper is Newcastle's latest AFLW player after earning a contract with the Sydney Swans for 2024.
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The Adamstown 18-year-old landed on the Swans' AFLW list for next year during the competition's expansion under-18 talent pathway pre-signing period, which concluded on November 17.
The former Cardiff Hawks player and Swans Academy product only took up the sport four years ago and was in still in shock this week.
"The expansion clubs have a pre-signing period and I had a meeting with the club and knew they were considering me but I wasn't entirely sure," Cooper told the Newcastle Herald.
"Then [Swans coach] Scotty [Gowans] rang me up last week and asked if I wanted to be an AFLW player.
"It's definitely come quicker than I thought, not than I hoped. I've been thinking about it since the start of the year and I really wanted to get here. I just didn't think I would get here this quickly.
"So, it's kind of crazy, considering I only joined the Swans Academy last year."
Cooper grew up playing netball but decided to give AFL a go at the insistence of a friend four years ago.
She was hooked instantly.
"I just loved it," Cooper said. "It was so fun, so different. I didn't really know what I was doing. It was a bit more aggressive, and I liked it."
After starting out at Wallsend, Cooper played for Cardiff in the Black Diamond women's competition before earning a place in the Swans Academy program.
A break-out 2023 has included being selected for the under-18 Allies team to compete at the Australian championships then showing her athletic ability at the AFLW Draft Combine, where she was the top-ranked athlete in the country.
Cooper scored a near-perfect performance across the jumps, sprint and agility testing.
Amidst it all, she also completed year 12 at Lambton High School.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Cooper plans to seize the opportunity.
"I'm just looking to keep improving," she said.
"I haven't been playing for that long. I'm just really excited and I want to aim to play at least one game, improve my game and endurance and just learn as much as I can.
"Now, I have to put the foot down. I do like a challenge. I love to work hard. I love to reach something."
Cooper joins Nelson Bay product and experienced AFLW player Lisa Steane at the Swans, who went from winless in their maiden campaign last year to finalists this season.
Pippa Smyth (Nelson Bay) and Sarah Halvorsen (Newcastle City) have also played in AFLW with the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
"There's so much potential up here," Cooper said of the Hunter region.
"There are so many girls that travel down to Sydney. There was 10 of us in the Academy who were driving from Newcastle and they're all amazing. They're coming through the same pathway and I think it will continue to get bigger."
Cooper's athleticism and attitude impressed Gowans.
"Holly has great balance and poise with the footy in hand and has explosiveness out of contests," Gowans said.
"She is good by both foot and hand and can play as a midfielder or through the wing. We are looking forward to seeing what she can bring next season."
The Swans were still coming to terms with the disappointment of their 12.10 (82) to 2.3 (15) loss to minor premiers Adelaide in Adelaide last Saturday during the second week of finals.
Steane said the semi-final showed the Swans were "not quite there yet" but only served as motivation to get "back onto the grind" to be stronger in 2024.
"You don't go all that way to not want to win or to progress further, so we were super disappointed," Steane said.
"But, after we let the disappointment settle in, we spoke about what a huge achievement the year has been and how nobody would have expected us to get there.
"To go from the bottom to a semi-final is huge. We have a whole off-season to improve to get closer to them next year."
