MADDI Gay is no stranger to the big stage of AFLW.

The 22-year-old has seven games of experience under her belt after playing for Carlton in 2018, but on Sunday afternoon she will begin a new chapter in her football career – wearing the red and blue.

Gay is a hard-at-it midfielder who can drift forward for the Demons and is expected to have an immediate impact.

Although she’s only been at the club for a short stint, the bubbly character felt immediately at home when she entered the Melbourne doors.

“It just feels like I’ve been here from the get-go,” Gay told Melbourne Media.

“The girls have welcomed me with big open arms, and I feel like I’ve known them for a very long time.”

The strong bond between the girls has been evident throughout the pre-season and Gay credits her teammates for helping her fall in love with the game.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better group really,” she said.

“They’ve made me enjoy my footy and they even make me enjoy myself outside of footy.

“It really is all I could ask for and that’s what they’ve delivered.”

On Tuesday afternoon, Gay was informed she would be making her Demon debut and says it was a moment she will always cherish.

“They brought us into the room and sat us down,” she said.

“I actually got to find out through Daisy [Pearce] which was pretty cool.

“Them giving me the news put a big smile on my face and just got me excited for Round 1.”

Gay, like many of her teammates, has been desperate to get her 2019 campaign underway after a grueling three months of training.

“You go through a pretty hard pre-season, a few sweat and tears, but it’s all worth it,” she said.

“I’ve had a bit of an up and down pre-season with injury and going through rehab, so it’s been a while waiting for Round 1 to come along.”

After countless hours of hard work, Melbourne will finally get its campaign underway when it takes on Fremantle at Casey Fields from 3:05pm on Sunday.

And for Gay, it will be an incredibly special occasion.

“When you finally get to take the field with your mates after 12 hard weeks there’s that extra special feeling,” she said.

“And even watching the girls and knowing how hard they’ve worked from the outside, and now being able to run alongside them this Sunday is exciting.

“I’m just really looking forward to it.”