For many footy players around the region, the first few weeks of the season are a time for working off the rust and getting back into the swing of things.
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That's not the case for Samantha Hanrahan.
The Bathurst teenager has been playing non-stop for virtually a year now and, if the weekend is anything to go by, there's no sign of slowing down.
The rangy outside back scored a hat-trick for the Bathurst Bulldogs rugby side on Saturday and she backed it up less than 24 hours later with another three tries for the Bathurst St Pat's league tag outfit.
It's the latest stellar showing for one of the region's most exciting multi-sport stars.
"It was pretty good," an understated Hanrahan said of her weekend.
The 18-year-old's red-hot start to the season comes after she was part of the Penrith Panthers Tarsha Gale Cup side earlier this year.
The Panthers made it to the second week of finals before losing to eventual premiers Parramatta, but that run was a success after the side won just three games a year prior.
Hanrahan was a key part of the backline and had to travel to train, but it was all worthwhile as she chases her footy dream.
"It's such a different experience," she said of being around the Panthers.
"You're training three times a week and it's just such a higher intensity, but it's all refreshing.
"It's great to be around other people who feel the same way and have the same passion."
Hanrahan impressed with St Pat's last season and also starred in school union, where she went on to earn NSW honours in rugby 7s.
From there, Hanrahan went straight into Western Women's Rugby League competition with the Panorama Platypi late in the year, before the Panthers' Tarsha Gale pre-season kicked off.
Since settling back into local footy, Hanrahan has certainly looked at home.
The Bulldogs' Westfund Ferguson Cup side has two wins from the opening three rounds while St Pat's have started the tag season by piling on 82 points and conceding just eight in the first two games.
Hanrahan has also been a representative netballer previously while she's also a budding referee who ran the line in the Tom Nelson Premiership under 18s competition on Sunday.
As much as she loves her sport, it's also about much more than what happens on the field or court.
"It's something to do on the weekend and it's kind of my social life, too," she said.
The bond within the St Pat's side is one which has been spoken about at length by members of the squad previously.
Many of the players within the tag team have been a part of the side for roughly a decade and while Hanrahan is a relative newcomer in recent years, she quickly felt at home.
"Even from my very first training session, I could just see they were all so tight-knit," Hanrahan said.
"They weren't just girls who played together, they were girls who were friends with each other.
"It just makes it so much easier."
Pat's have welcomed former NRLW player Cheynoah Amone back to the club this season and her experience has been welcomed.
Amone's presence also boosts the side's hope of regaining the silverware after being beaten in the grand final by the Macquarie Raidettes last year.
While Hanrahan wasn't a regular during pre-season - Panthers commitments took precedence - she said there has been a good energy around the squad as it aims to reach the summit of the competition again.
"We're all keen. There's some new people around and we'll just work hard like we did last year and see how far we can go," she said.
Hanrahan's Bulldogs have a home game against Forbes next Saturday, May 10, while St Pat's will travel to Litghow the following day.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior sports journalist for Western NSW, covering all that's happening in in Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst and everywhere in between. Contact me at nick.guthrie@acm.media
