She was the third overall pick in last year’s draft and one of the country’s best young talents, but Kaitlyn Srhoj says she is excited by the challenge of having to earn her way into Cam Bernasconi’s side this upcoming AFLW season.

Joining the GIANTS in the summer after a pair of stellar seasons for Peel Thunder in the WAFL, as well as dominant form for Western Australia in the Under-18 National Championships, Srhoj has been the cream of the crop amongst her contemporaries for most of her sporting life.

Despite the huge wraps on the young midfielder, Srhoj (a surname of Croatian origin and pronounced Sir-hoy) says she won’t just be handed games at the GIANTS -and that is exactly the way she wants it.

“Throughout my whole sporting career I’ve never really been told ‘no’, or that I’m not good enough to make a team, and this year is really where I have to push myself to earn spot in a team which is really exciting,” the mature and determined teenager said.

“It’s exciting being a midfielder as an 18-year-old because it’s quite a hard spot to maintain [in an AFLW side] so for me it’s about working incredibly hard and pushing myself and seeing what I can do this year.”

Part of the 2023 Under-18 All-Australian team and the AFLW National Academy, the young midfielder says she is looking forward to learning about herself as she strives to make it at the elite level.

“It will be exciting to see how I take it on and how I can either be resilient [if I’m not in the team], or if I can perform under that kind of pressure [if I am in the team]. I’ve never been told ‘no’ so it’s exciting to see how I mentally use that [if it happens] to fuel and motivate myself and my teammates as well,” she said.

“I have a very competitive nature and that’s in every aspect of my life and that’s what motivates me.

“It’s why I’m really excited to see how I’ll thrive in a professional environment, because I love seeing other people who also have high aspirations and I’m excited to see how I’m going to flourish.”

Hailing from Mandurah just south of Perth, Srhoj says she’s on cloud nine in her new life as an AFLW player.

“I love it. This is what I’ve aspired to be pretty much my whole life. Growing up, sport has been my absolute everything. Being an athlete has always been the goal and it’s been so fun. I’m loving the club environment, I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” she said.

Pointing to midfield duo Bec Beeson and Alyce Parker as two she’s enjoyed learning from, Srhoj said former skipper Alicia Eva had also been huge in her development so far.

“For me the biggest learning is trying to be a sponge and learn off as many people as possible, that’s something I really enjoy doing,” she said.

“There are a few girls in my line who give me pointers, like ‘Parks’ and ‘Beeso,’ and then Alicia Eva has been huge. She still has those leadership qualities embedded in her and every time I am at the club she’s always asking if I want to do extra craft or watch vision with her and she’s doing that in her free time and it’s something I really appreciate.”

While not a household name just yet, Srhoj is hoping to be one soon enough, despite her coach still having some issues spelling and pronunciation the youngster’s surname.

“Everyone stuffs it up, ‘Berna’ [Bernasconi] still butchers it,” she laughed.

“And he spells it wrong. I have known him for eight months now and he still butchers it. But I think I’ve just grown to accept it.”

The talented teenager, one of eight new GIANTS this year, will continue to press her claims for a round one debut in the coming weeks, with the club set for a pair of practice matches against the Kangaroos and Swans next month ahead of an opening-round clash with the Western Bulldogs in Canberra on Saturday, August 31.