WHEN Melbourne’s women footballer Tayla Harris made an ambitious pack leap to clutch a spectacular mark in the 2014 AFL Women’s Exhibition Match, she stamped herself in the AFL history books.

Widely commended as one of the best grabs of the year, Harris’ mark was a talking point for weeks and would later be viewed thousands of times online.

But the 18-year-old Queenslander says she is determined to move beyond the mark and, with a full pre-season at her back for the first time in her young career, establish herself as a consistent performer at the top level.

“Other pre-seasons, I’ve had injuries, which has stopped me, but I’m glad that this one’s been pretty good and pretty solid,” Harris told melbournefc.com.au.

“I expect a bit more from myself [this year] because I’ve got a better preparation.”

In her first AFL match, Harris took a quarter to find her feet but soon impressed with her poise, ability to make space and strong marking ability as she finished  the match with three goals to her name.

One of six players retained on Melbourne’s women’s list for 2015, Harris said she was keen to build on her first game and lock down a key forward position.

“I enjoy playing in the forward line just because I enjoy making leads rather than following – just because of instincts,” she said.

“So the forward line is the way to go, or through the midfield – I’m probably not a backline player to be honest.”

With the first AFL women’s match of the year taking place in May, Harris will look to build form earlier in the month at her final Under 18 National Championships.

“I’ve got nationals coming up in May, in Perth, so [it’s] going to be a big month because I’m going to Perth, then Melbourne [for the women’s match]," Harris said.

“Just trying to keep injury-free is my main focus at the moment.

“It’s my sixth and last under 18 nationals, so that’s a bit sad, but I’m going to try and give it a good crack and see how I go.”

Outside of her on-field prowess, Harris has set about forging a career within the football industry.

Since finishing school, she has commenced full-time work at AFL Queensland as a female programs trainee, while completing a business certificate through AFL SportsReady.

“I enjoy it because I get to see how competitions run and how all the different things are done behind the scenes,” Harris said.

“When the job got offered to me, I was thinking it’d be good because I didn’t even know how state teams are picked – so it’s been good.”

As part of her traineeship, Harris has also participated in player appearances at schools and Auskick centre.

Along with showing a video presentation, Harris discusses the pathways of women’s football and gives junior footballers an insight into her own football playing history, including her experience with Melbourne.

“We have a highlights video and it’s a visual for the kids to see what they could do if they continue playing and [it shows them] that there is actually a high level competition that they can get into,” Harris said.

“It’s good because being there I can say: ‘I did it, so you can do it.’

“I reckon it’s really cool because they come up to me after and they’re asking me things like ‘how was it playing in front of a crowd?’ [and] other questions.”

As for the mark? With footage of Harris’ leap earning a place in the AFL’s 2015 promotional video alongside men’s team high-flyer Jeremy Howe, questions about that highlight aren’t going to stop any time soon.

“People ask about the mark all the time,” Harris said.

“It's pretty cool to see it among all the other player highlights. It's great that so many people have seen it and are watching women's football.”