NORTH East football product Jemma Rigoni is looking forward to making her mark in her first AFLW season.

Following in the footsteps of her father, Myrtleford export and 107-game Melbourne Demon Guy Rigoni, Jemma has made her way to the top level of the sport, taken by the Demons at pick 29 as a father-daughter prospect at December’s draft.

Now, with the 2024 AFLW season almost here, Jemma and the Demons are preparing to make a run for the flag.

Jemma said being on an ALFW list was a noticeable step up from other levels of the sport.

“I was very fortunate the Coates Talent League pathway is such a great stepping stone, but you definitely notice there are even more resources,” she said.

“The elite behaviours and preparation and performance, a lot goes into it behind the scenes with staff and coaches.

“While it was a great stepping stone, you definitely see the jump with that elite performance environment and what really is required of an athlete to compete at that level.”

It’s been far from smooth sailing for Jemma since her draft, with the speedy utility battling a number of injuries throughout preseason.

“At the start of preseason I noticed an injury towards the abductor and groin area,” she said.

“I’d obviously been training since February in the offseason, I’d put in a lot of work in the offseason, and I think it resulted from a little bit of overload.

“There was no specific name as such given to it, other than it’s abductor tendinopathy that coexists with a bit of a bone injury.

“I’ve been more focussed on rehab in the gym, I’ve been often restricted with my running and kicking because those are two very big abductor-loading activities.

“We’re slowly progressing, it’s taken its time, it’s an injury that requires a lot of rest and management.

“Hopefully we’re on the up, but it’s been a challenging up and down process.”

While she’s focussing on getting her body match-ready, when she does make her AFLW debut, Jemma will run out wearing the same number as her father did in the red and blue, number 43.

“To all of my family it’s quite a special, to be able to carry on a tradition or a legacy, but I’m excited to make it my own,” she said.

“It’s the female competition, it’s still growing, and I’m excited to have a place in that, and wear a number that’s important and significant to me.

“I’m just excited, it’s a privilege to wear Melbourne colours in general, no matter the number.”