Just 24 hours on from Sunday's semi-final loss to Melbourne City, who scored a 107th minute winner in stifling heat at Canberra Stadium, Brush was in Sydney as the Giants players and coaching staff reviewed last weekend's six-goal loss in the season opener against Adelaide.

She trained the following night, drove back to Canberra late on Tuesday, then returned to Sydney on Thursday afternoon for one last training session ahead of the Blues clash with last weekend's heartbreaking W-League defeat still stinging.

"It's probably helped me deal with the loss a little better knowing that I've got an AFL game to look forward to this weekend," Brush said.

"There was that feeling of 'is the season over, is that it', especially finishing on top and then being on such a high the week before and leading into the game.

"I didn't have too long to dwell on the result and could switch my focus straight away. The GWS teammates got around me and were excited to have me back full-on as well."

Brush's only other game of Australian rules was the trial match against Brisbane last month where she played in the back pocket and off half-back – successfully transferring her well-honed defender traits from the round-ball game.

She jokes about the challenges of switching between the two codes, threatening to accidentally head the Sherrin when it comes her way on Saturday, but she is determined to succeed at her newly adopted sport.

Her experience and leadership will be a welcome inclusion to a team that lacked composure at crucial stages against the Crows.

The Giants run into a Carlton side brimming with confidence after a 35-point win last Friday night over Collingwood in front of a heaving crowd of 24,500 at Ikon Park.

Fans were turned away at the gates with the old Princes Park bulging at capacity, and another blockbuster attendance is expected on Saturday's double-header where Collingwood play Melbourne after the Blues-Giants clash.

While playing in front of 20,000-plus fans is a foreign concept to most of the Giants' list, Brush knows exactly what it's like thanks to her two seasons with the Houston Dash in America's Women's National Soccer League.

Her first game for the club was in front of a capacity crowd at Providence Park in Portland in May 2015, only a day after she'd flown into the country

"I had tears streaming down my face in the American national anthem in front of this crow; all of them have scarves and they all throw them up simultaneously at the end of each line of the song," Brush said.

"Then they wave them all together at the end and the drums start going and fireworks as well.

"It's really exciting and a bit scary, first ever game of AFL and you're thrust into that.

"Hopefully I can draw on some of those experiences [from the WNSL]. I'm usually a pretty calm player and don't let the nerves get the better of me.

"I'll just be hoping to keep relaxed and get the basics right and focus on what I've got to do but take in the atmosphere and be in the moment and realise what a special thing it is."