Nicole Bresnehan's AFLW journey has been a unique one.

North Melbourne's vice-captain, who has played 49 career games including last year's Grand Final, didn't pick up a footy until she was 19 years old, and only found out she had been drafted after congratulatory messages started rolling in.

"It's actually quite funny when I look back and think that was my draft experience," Bresnehan said on The Heart of It podcast.

"I remember watching (the draft) at work, and there were a few other things going on, so I wasn't watching it completely, pick for pick. But then I got this message on my phone that said, 'Congratulations' and I thought shit, what's happened here?"

The truth was, Bresnehan wasn't even planning on nominating for that 2018 draft. But a simple comment from an opposition coach, Craig Grace, in the lead up to the Tasmania State League Women's (TSLW) Grand Final that same year planted the seed.

"We had a presser at Blundstone (Arena) … I just remember standing there having a chat with him as well and that's when he said, 'Are you going to put your name in?'" Bresnehan said.

It was a turning point, despite Bresnehan still being very early in her footy life.

Growing up as a swimmer, her competitive nature was satisfied in the individual sport. With butterfly her speciality, she spent time travelling the country as part of Tasmania's state squad.

Close in age to Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus, she often found herself going head-to-head with the champion as a junior.

"I don't know whether I should call that as a claim to fame," Bresnehan laughed.

"She's an incredible athlete, and incredible person to watch, and just hearing her story as well. I mean, growing up (in the) small town of Launceston and where she is today is just so incredible.

"Having someone like her, racing against her at the time, she wasn't a crazy big name so to see everything she's put in from then until now. She hasn't got there on sheer talent; she got her own determination and work ethic and that's pretty incredible to see."

In her late teens, swimming stopped hitting the spot for Bresnehan, which meant a brief step away from all sport. That was until a friend asked her to come down to Clarence for some training sessions.

"My first initial reaction was 'Hell no'," Bresnehan said of being invited to train.

"I don't know how to play, and that was really scary for me. I think as an athlete or someone that is competitive, you don't really like failure or not being the best at something … I knew I'd be going into that environment, and I definitely wouldn't know really what to do and that scared me."

Eventually, she agreed to give it a crack, and that first experience of tackling had her hooked. And while there aren't a whole lot of transferrable skills between swimming and footy, Bresnehan's endurance stood out, and remains a key brand of her game today.

That was 2016, and with AFLW launching the following year there was finally a big goal to strive for in footy. It didn't take long for Bresnehan to go from learning the game in her late teens, to striving to be drafted.

Extra skills sessions with her dad were key to her development.

"Dad was always a yes. Every time I asked to go for a kick, I don't think he's ever said no. He could be sick, not feeling like it, raining, he always said yes," Bresnehan said.

All that work was rewarded in October of 2018 when North Melbourne drafted her with pick No.63.

She has since become an important part of the ever-challenging Roos side, while also working for AFL Tasmania in the talent pathways program ahead of her home state's entry to the AFL in 2028.

"Being involved in the junior pathway in the state, seeing what (getting a team) means to those young boys and girls is just amazing," Bresnehan said.

"We've seen levels of participation numbers skyrocket since the announcement of the team … I think we can already see what it's done for the state."