Ruby Svarc has played 41 AFLW games, and won a premiership. But she's never played better footy than she is right now.
In Brisbane's hard-fought six-point win over Hawthorn in Sunday's qualifying final, Svarc was her side's firestarter. Setting up two goals, one on either side of the main break, she helped the Lions establish some vital momentum after early Hawks control.
And it's all come from a sense of freedom and confidence.
"I think (playing with freedom) is something that I've been working on," Svarc told AFL.com.au.
"Naturally, when I first broke into the team it was all about the defensive pressure and the speed that I could bring, and over the last couple of years I've been really working hard on my offensive game, having not come from a history of football, so just learning what to do when you have the ball is something I've been working on.
"I feel like it's really starting to show now."
Svarc's day on the stats sheet might not look outstanding – 10 disposals, six tackle, two inside 50s – but the spark that she offered her team was unmatched.
As Hawthorn's defensive pressure threatened to derail the Lions' express path to a fifth preliminary final, it was Svarc's sidestep and agility that broke through the press.
Her speed has always been a great asset, but making use of it to not only close down opposition space, but create some of her own, has been the change.
"Ruby likes responsibility and likes to be the organizer in that part of the ground, which is fantastic. She's a pretty intelligent person, and she likes the responsibility of setting people up where she wants them," Lions coach Craig Starcevich said.
"She brings a lot to the table in that part of the ground with her pressure, but also she should be a handful for the opposition with her elite speed. So, that part of it's always really pleasing from 'Rubes'. But I think she loves it.
"When you give her that confidence and responsibility, she responds."
Svarc herself admits that her output has been inconsistent in the past. In fact, she was delisted at the end of the 2021 season, before Rheanne Lugg's retirement offered her a reprieve.
But now she has come to realise the importance of her pre-game mindset, and how that can influence her performance.
"I actually felt really good coming into today," Svarc said after the qualifying final win.
"It's probably been games where my mindset hasn't been great, or a little inconsistent at times, and I find if my mindset is 100 per cent, that's when everything falls into place. So, I really just focused on the way I was feeling, and the physical stuff comes with that.
"I felt really calm out there, and reflecting on the amount of games I've played now, I've actually played a fair few finals games. So, coming in today, it was just another game for me. Obviously, there's a lot on the line, but in terms of just going about the method and the way I play, I just treated it like any other game. So, when I had the ball in hand, I just felt comfortable."
Playing alongside her sister doesn't hurt, either. Particularly when she's setting up the goals, and older sister Cathy is kicking them.
"I mean, I wasn't sure who I was kicking it to, we had a few Lions down there," Svarc laughed.
"I was actually thinking I was going for 'Daks' (Dakota Davidson), but Cathy just popped up out of nowhere, so I think she enjoyed getting on the end of that one."
