Melbourne AFLW senior coach Mick Stinear has thrown his support behind the club's newly recruited star Tayla Harris.
Harris joined the Demons in June after a pay dispute with her previous club Carlton, who shunned her contract demands - reported to be $150,000.
Speaking to The Herald Sun, Stinear said Harris is well-placed to excel at Melbourne, with current captain Daisy Pearce also supporting the recruitment of one of the competition's highest-profile players.
“Tayla’s been quite honest that when Covid hit last year she found that quite challenging and she didn’t have an ideal preparation leading into last season,” Stinear said.
“And we’ve experienced it as well with our players that a change of environment for some players is exactly what they need and it helps get the best out of them.
“We certainly hope that’s the case and the way she’s training and competing at the moment, things are looking really promising."
The 24-year-old secured a move to her third AFLW club as part of a massive trade deal earlier in the year, which involved five clubs and seven players.
Harris previously played at Brisbane in 2017 as one of the Lions' marquee players, before she joined Carlton in 2018.
It is hoped that a fresh start at Melbourne will call forth a return to Harris' best form. She was Carlton's leading goalkicker in 2018 and 2019, and also picked up an All-Australian appearance in 2018.
“She’s a pretty special athlete with a lot of talent and she’s really bought into our program and her role within the team," Stinear added.
“I think her physicality and athleticism up forward and her finishing ability around goal combined with her selfless nature, she’s going to bring something we haven’t had in our forward line before.”
Melbourne will be looking to bounce back from their preliminary final loss to Adelaide last season.