With the Lions AFLW pre-season now in full force, star defender and 2022 All-Australian Nat Grider said that their Preliminary Final heartbreak still remains fresh in her mind.

In the competition’s first AFLW game to be held at the MCG, the Lions were unable to hold on against Melbourne, going down 29-33 and ending their 2022 Premiership campaign.

Grider said that she will be using the emotions of that loss to fuel her performance in Season 7.

“It’s definitely something that no one is forgetting anytime soon,” the defender admitted.

“You want to hold onto those emotions and use them to drive you coming into Season 7.

“It’s been such a short break between seasons, but if anything, that’s only going to benefit us in the long run just being able to remember what that Prelim Final loss felt like and bottling up those emotions ready for Round 1.”

Entering week three of their pre-season and with only seven weeks until Season 7 kicks off, Grider said that the squad is enjoying getting back into the swing of things.

“We’re coming into week three now which is exciting, but it’s gone pretty quickly,” she said.

“All the girls are just happy to be back with the group and training again.

“Rolling into the next season with only a little bit of time off everyone is super excited to get back into it and it’s almost like we’re playing like full-time athletes.”

The 2022 NAB AFLW Season 7 is due to commence on the weekend of August 26-28.