PORT ADELAIDE midfielder Abbey Dowrick has used the AFLW’s Pride Round to speak of how fortunate she has been to have a supportive family in her own pride journey.

Dowrick partnered with teammate Hannah Ewings to design the guernsey the club will wear against Collingwood in Thursday night’s Pride game.

In the design she paid special tribute to her family, who along with friends, have supported her and accepted her without question since she came out.

Dowrick also spoke about building on last year’s Best and Fairest season with improved fitness, preparing for multiple games in short succession and the form of young ruck Matilda Scholz:

Abbey Dowrick on the way the side has been able to fight out games, including in Saturday’s win over West Coast in Perth:

“It's been two and a half years in the making, but I think it just shows real maturity from our group, that we were able to make that response after the first quarter (in our) fourth game in 16 days. So to have that turnaround after a big travel over to Western Australia shows a lot of the hard work and fitness that the girls have put in over the off season to be able to get that job done.”

Abbey Dowrick on her own fitness and noticing the improved level within the team:

“I was someone that I think lacked a bit of that last year, but it was one of my main goals in the off season, coming into this season, to get my fitness (up) and push myself as much as I could and get all the running done. And yeah, you definitely feel it like even if you think you can't go, you just have that extra gear in you, and then when you see someone do it, you just want to do it as well. It's an infectious feeling and I think it's showing in our footy, in our skills, and that's all playing out.

Abbey Dowrick on coming off a best and fairest season and whether she was challenged or challenged herself to get fitter:

“I think (it was a) bit of both. I didn't want to sit on those accolades and just wanted to keep growing and growing and pushing myself and seeing what more I can do. And hopefully that just keeps continuing over my footy journey. But I just keep setting myself goals and not letting my (laurels) sit where they were.”

Abbey Dowrick on ruck Matilda Scholz’s recent form:

“She's absolute gun. Just the bodywork that she's able to do and over some of the more experienced rucks in the comp, she's able to get that front access and just able to deliver the right touch where we've been practicing. And even when she's not winning them in the air, she's first one to the ground and collecting her own ground ball or running out of stoppages and kicking it a good, 40 or 50, metres forward. She's a lot more confident this year. And like the rest of us, I think she's only going to get better and better every single year.”

Abbey Dowrick on Shineah Goody’s job after quarter time to limit the impact of West Coast’s Ella Roberts last Saturday:

“I think it's very important. Especially Goody, being a first-year player like, you've got to kind of reduce the impact that Ella Roberts obviously had on the game, but it was good that she was able to not just focus her game in on Ella… she was able to get a bit of the footy herself and impact the game with her own skill as well. Give Ella full credit. She was incredible, especially in that first quarter, but yeah, (Goody) definitely lessened her impact after that first quarter.”

Abbey Dowrick on preparing for Collingwood off a five-day break:

“I guess we've had a bit of practice over the past few weeks with short turnarounds so I think the girls are on top of it now. You sleep and what you eat and ice baths, all that stuff obviously flow on. And it's just important that we're keeping around each other and just keeping each other accountable - being really on top of your recovery, and just getting in as much extra skills and education and stuff and as possible is really important.”

Abbey Dowrick on having the opportunity to design the club’s Pride guernsey that’ll be worn against Collingwood:

“I think it's just so incredible that we get to have that as a round in itself. I didn't think it would be something that they would have, but it's just incredible that we have a dedicated round to show that equality and that pride. And then even just the fact that it's a jersey that I got to design with Hannah is just so special to me, and definitely will hold a place in my heart for a very long time. To be able to do that and run out there with the girls and just see everyone in that jersey, it'll be a feeling that I’ve probably never felt before. It's exciting.”

Abbey Dowrick on the nod to her family with five love hearts on the guernsey:

“I think family's always been such a massive thing for me. I'm such a family driven person and they were very supportive of me. Lucky is another word for me. When I was coming out to my family, I was very lucky and supported from not just my immediate family, but my cousins and aunties and friends. It was really, really nice to be able to have that support so that's why it's one of my key things.”

Abbey Dowrick on why she loves the Pride Round:

“I love to see it, even some of the girls still wear their pride socks, even when it's not Pride Round. And you see people wearing the T shirts and stuff all year round. It's great to see that everyone gets around it. And it's not just for that week - it's all year round. It's very nice to see colours everywhere all the time. It just makes you feel included no matter where you are.”