MELBOURNE midfielder Cat Phillips admits she's indebted to fellow AFLW players Nicola Stevens, Alicia Eva and Cecilia McIntosh. 

As a latecomer to football, the raw recruit feasted on the knowledge and experience of her teammates at VFLW team Melbourne University last season. 

Now Phillips must push aside that admiration when she battles the Collingwood trio in a second-round NAB AFL Women's match at Ikon Park on Saturday night. 

It will be typical of the new rivalries some players find themselves part of at AFLW level. They’re foes now, but will become mates again when state league competitions start again in April. 

The temporary halt to friendships struck Phillips at wet and windy Casey Fields last Sunday with Uni teammates Kaitlyn Ashmore and Nicole Hildebrand in the Brisbane Lions' victorious team. 

"I marked both of them for a couple of minutes each, but nothing was said because you're so busy concentrating on what you're doing," she said. 

Phillips, who won sporting fame representing her country in Ultimate Frisbee competition, was drafted by the Demons after playing only five games with Melbourne University late last season.

"It was incredible coming into the club having never played and so many of (my Uni teammates) are now leaders in the AFLW. They helped and taught me a lot and guided me on what to work on," she said.

The 25-year-old rookie is a quick learner, evidenced by her nine disposals, four tackles, three intercept marks and nine pressure acts in atrocious weather conditions in Melbourne's 15-point loss to the Lions in the opening round.

She topped the team's disposal efficiency (at 67 per cent) and the 224 metres she gained were bettered only by elite teammates Karen Paxman, Elise O'Dea and Daisy Pearce.

"Obviously, I'm disappointed with the outcome, but from a personal point of view, I'm learning so much every game and getting more confidence that I can compete with these girls. I’m starting to feel I belong and am comfortable out there," Phillips said. 

"In the practice match (against Carlton) I felt like I was in the right spots, but not disposing of the ball very well because I panicked a bit. That has been the focus over the last month – to be composed and able to execute properly and I felt I did that quite well."

It's a remarkable sporting transformation for Phillips from the frisbee competition, a mix of American football and netball played with seven-a-side on a rectangular grass field with end zones and a "try" is effectively a goal. The game is played mainly in the United States, Canada, Japan, South America and Europe. 

Phillips caught recruiters' attention at an AFL talent search at Whitten Oval last summer, particularly as a standout for speed and endurance in the beep test and 20m sprint.

With a six-day week, the Demons spent most of Monday in recovery sessions at AAMI Park before Phillips, whose family are devoted Magpies supporters, headed to her job with a city engineering consulting firm. 

"I had to get up and go to work on Monday morning and that was tough. Everyone at work was having a bit of a laugh with me hobbling around," she said.