The struggle to secure a sustainable income has cast doubt over Britt Tully's future in the AFLW but the door remains open for a return to the elite level.
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Tully has re-signed with the Giants for the 2020 season having withdrawn from the squad last season due to personal issues.
The nature of the fledgling AFLW competition means players are often forced to take time off work to play at the highest level.
But Tully is refusing to turn her back on the competition as she looks to manage work and travel with her football ambitions.
"Yeah probably," Tully said.
"It was just so hard the year before, trying to settle down with a job and then go to Sydney for six months and then come back to Canberra and then trying to have a sustainable income over that time.
"I have been playing their latest VFL season and that went pretty well."
MORE CANBERRA SPORT
The Giants are never too far away for Tully - she is the head coach of the club's youth girls academy in Canberra.
"AFL Canberra approached me about coaching the Giants youth girls," Tully said.
"I'm keen to take on anything I can and especially developing the junior girls."
But first for Tully comes a chance to test herself against AFL Canberra's best as the Ainslie Tricolours prepare to tackle the high-flying Queanbeyan Tigers at Margaret Donoghoe Oval on Saturday.
The reigning Mary Ann Bainrot medallist has impressed throughout her first seven games with the Tricolours but even she will have to find another level in the final match of the regular season.
The Tigers are desperate to bounce back from their first defeat of the season - a 37-point loss to Belconnen which snapped a 13-match winning streak.
Those in the heart of Tigerland will hope it was the loss they needed to have. Those at Ainslie are hoping they can inflict another en route to the finals.
"It will be a good test for us before finals," Tully said.
"We just need to get a few structural things right and then hopefully we can start the first week of finals in a better place than we are currently.
"It's a different mindset this year, we are really looking at developing for the next few years so just making finals was the key aim and then anything past that will be an extra achievement.
"The girls are going into the finals with positivity but also the fact we want to win as well."
Meanwhile, Queanbeyan's men's side will launch an unlikely last-ditch push for a top two spot and an all-important second finals chance when they meet Ainslie at Margaret Donoghoe Oval.
Belconnen are in the box seat to claim a major semi-final spot heading into the final round, which would see Queanbeyan host Eastlake in the minor semi-final - setting up an identical scenario to that of last year.
Meanwhile, the Canberra Demons will host the Aspley Hornets in their final home game of the NEAFL season at Manuka Oval on Saturday.
The final fortnight of the season looms as a chance for Canberra duo Sam Martyn and Ben Halse to go out on a high after the pair announced their retirements from NEAFL football.
Jarrod Osborne, Jonathan Spina, Riley Corbett and Adam Kinasch have been recalled for Canberra's penultimate game of the season.
AFL CANBERRA ROUND 15
Women's - Saturday: Queanbeyan Tigers v Ainslie Tricolours at Margaret Donoghue Oval, 2.45pm; Gungahlin Jets v Belconnen Magpies at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, 3.45pm.
Men's - Saturday: Queanbeyan Tigers v Ainslie Tricolours at Margaret Donoghoe Oval, 12.15pm; Gungahlin Jets v Belconnen Magpies at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, 1.15pm; Eastlake Demons v Tuggeranong Hawks at Manuka Oval, 3pm