Tipperary's Aisling McCarthy says she's relishing the rough and tumble of playing in midfield for the West Coast Eagles this season. 

The former All-Ireland Intermediate player of the year has enjoyed a strong start in Perth with her 44 disposals in the opening three matches of the AFLW campaign among the top in the league.

McCarthy's also been averaging ten tackles per match in her second season in Australia and the Cahir native says she's aiming to impose herself in matches.

“There’s definitely a mindset you have to have when you come over here to adapt to the physicality, and just know that you can get tackled from a 360 degree  angle.” McCarthy told the Eagles official website.

“Even just being able to push off your opponents and stuff like that, it is a bit of a challenge.

“It does allow you to be competitive around football, and it’s something that I think that it’s something we enjoy because we don’t get to do too much of it at home.

“There’s parts of the game where adrenaline takes over, I 'spose' it’s those big hits as well, where you really just get stuck into the game.

“When the game gets hot, and it’s quite contested footy, I think that’s where I relish the challenge the most.

“I think not thinking too hard about it, not what’s coming next, and just going for the football, and trying to do the best for the team, is what I try to do.”