Moving into the midfield has taken Anne Hatchard’s game to the next level, with the former defender impressing in the first two rounds of 2019.

Having spent most of her football career down back, Hatchard worked hard on her fitness and confidence over the pre-season in order to improve her aerobic capacity and athleticism.

The hard work paid off, with Hatchard dominating the midfield in Adelaide’s 13-point win over Carlton last Sunday.

Hatchard had a game-high 22 touches, seven tackles, four clearances, four marks and four inside 50’s.

The 20-year-old said she had thrived off the positional switch.

“It’s been really exciting. I’ve worked really hard in the off-season to get fit and get my body in shape,” Hatchard said.

“I wasn’t minding where I was going to play but being thrown in the midfield has been great for me.

“My fitness levels and confidence have gone up, I believe in myself now and I feel like my teammates trust me to get the job done.”

GALLERY: Round Two Photos

Hatchard was an integral part of a number of chains towards goal against Carlton and consistently hit her teammates with long kicks.

It was the ability to stay calm and composed that Hatchard believes got the team over the line.

“The biggest difference [from Round One] was our composure,” she said.

“Our forward entries, we definitely got them into better spots for the forwards and they finished off well for us.

“Carlton really brought it to us, especially at the start of the third quarter, but we held our own and came forward and did what we could.”

Despite playing so well that she was named in the AFLW Team of the Week, Hatchard will be best remembered for her unique celebration with forward Sarah Perkins.

After Perkins kicked a goal, Hatchard went up for a chest bump but lost her balance and fell to the ground.

“Unfortunately, when I landed, my foot was trodden on, so I’ve gone down and fallen on my bum,” Hatchard said with a laugh.

“It was Sarah and Rhi Metcalfe’s goal celebration. Obviously Rhi can’t play at the moment so I thought I’d step up and try to do the job but I think I let her down with that one.

“I think I’ll give it another try and land on my feet this time, it’s all a bit of fun.”