Ally Morphett is ready to leave a positive legacy at the Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans ruck was traded to the AFL Women's (AFLW) expansion club from Greater Western Sydney (GWS) in June ahead of season seven of the national competition.

Morphett said it was a dream come true to pull on the red and white guernsey and run out for the club in its first women's side.

"I honestly don't have words for the emotions I had that night," Morphett said.

"It was amazing having 8,000 fans and just hearing the roar when we'd done something good, it was just amazing."

Growing up in Wagga, Morphett, and much of her family, are keen Swans supporters, but it never crossed her mind she'd etch her name in the club's history when she first started playing footy.

Though the Swans didn't get the win, Morphett said the atmosphere of that night at North Sydney Oval is one she'll never forget.

"To look up at quarter time or half time, and just take that break, and look around and see how many fans were there in red and white, and they were all there to watch us girls make history for this club, it was definitely something special," she said.

Walking the halls of the club she's followed her whole life still feels surreal for the 18-year-old who said her heart still skips a beat when she finds herself crossing paths with Sydney men's royalty such as Lance 'Buddy' Franklin.

Unlike many players her age, who made their way through junior boys competitions before entering the elite competition, Morphett didn't pull on a pair of boots until she was 15-years-old.

The late start hasn't hindered her though, and she hopes to carve out her own playing style for future rucks entering the game.

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Standing at 188cm, she is one of the tallest players in the competition, and has been playing ruck since she first stepped on field as the tallest girl in her high school team.

"Normally you just see ruckmen tap the ball and then walk after the contest and not really do anything else. I like to do more around the ground and be a different player," she said.

"I don't want to be someone who inspires off, say Buddy Franklin, I do have players who I aspire to be like but I want to be my own person, to inspire young girls and young kids (to play their own game).

"I want to make my mark."

Since trading to Sydney Morphett hasn't missed a start and has been steadily increasing her game impact, racking up more possessions and hit outs in the first half of season seven than she did over the entire season six.

The controversial August season start didn't phase Morphett ahead of her first run with her new club, saying she preferred the quick turn around.

She said the only downside was the cross-over in Sydney pre-season and Giants end-of-season events.

"It was kind of weird because I had to go to the Giant's best and fairest when everyone had already known that I was making my trade to Swans, so there are a few things with inconvenient timing," Morphett said.

Looking towards season eight she hopes a longer pre-season may help Swans secure success earlier in the competition.

After round five the Swans haven't had a win, and are sitting at the bottom of the AFLW ladder.

The Swans looked though they may have secured the illusive first win in their AFL men's grand final eve clash against fellow expansion club Hawthorn, but were unable to hold onto their lead, narrowly going down 5.5 (35) to 4.7 (31).

"I think next year with a longer pre-season and a longer off season, it'll be really good for the Swans girls to connect more as people off the field so then when we do get back to training and games we'll gel together more as a team," Morphett said.

Swans attracted several experienced AFL players to their ranks ahead of their first season, including co-captains Brooke Lochland and Maddy Collier.

Morphett said playing alongside women she'd watched and admired from afar is surreal and that the team is filled with positive attitudes and good women.

"I never thought that I'd be on the same team as Brooke Lochland or Maddy Collier and those girls are so great as well, if you have any questions you just go up to them and ask and they're so experienced and they're just amazing," she said.

The Swans, or Bloods, culture has long been mythologised among the AFL community and Morphett said the attitudes of people around the club bring it to life.

"The culture there is a culture that I have never experienced," Morphett said.

"It's fairly famous, the Blood's culture, I don't think anyone really understands what it's like until you actually are part of it.

"It's a culture that I have never experienced at a different AFL club."

While Sydney continue to work towards the win they're so determined to get, Morphett said they're not getting ahead of themselves.

"When it does come, it's going to be amazing but we can't let it get a hold of us too much because there's always next weekend, and we're always going to be pushing for another win after that, and then another win."

While she's away living her dream, Morphett hopes to see more girls following her from Wagga over the coming years.

Acknowledging the difficulties Wagga competitions face with potential clashes between junior football and netball competitions as a barrier to entry for some.

As junior girls numbers continue to grow in Wagga and across the state, she believes the future of footy is in good hands.

"I've been to Swans Academy trainings and I would stand on the field and see 70 to 80 young girls going around chasing a football and it honestly just fills me with joy because it was never like that like years ago," Morphett said.

"To see young girls, and even boys, look up to AFLW athletes at games, they're kind of looking up to females as well as males. I think the next generation is going to be really good for AFLW and females in sport."

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