A PROUD Debbie Lee says it was a dream come true watching the Melbourne women’s team train for the first time, as it prepares for its inaugural season in the AFL Women’s competition.

Lee, one of the greats of women’s football, is now Melbourne’s women’s football operations manager.

On Tuesday night, she was out among Gosch’s Paddock, watching training and keeping a close eye on the girls as they build for their 2017 season.

“It was a relief and it’s been a long time coming and it’s great to see the girls all come together,” Lee told Melbourne TV.

“I was really impressed by what I saw tonight. There was a lot of nervous energy, but 10 to 15 minutes into the training session they were playing footy and it was really good to see.

“There were some really good foot skills and it was the first session, so it was great to get them together and have a look at their capabilities.”

Lee said it was fantastic to watch the players come together for their first training session.  

“It was great and exciting. You were making sure they felt comfortable and included. They walked in and had this prep time … and it was great to see the girls on the track,” she said.

“Some of them would’ve been excited, nervous and overwhelmed. You didn’t really see anyone out there where we went ‘oh, she’s a little bit behind’.

“It was great to see Emma Humphries out there, from Tasmania, and I thought she trained really well. Lauren Pearce trained really well, along with Daisy [Pearce], Karen Paxman and Lily Mithen and some of the girls from Geelong.

“From a cross-section, everyone really applied themselves well and that’s all we can ask.”

Lee said she also reflected for a moment earlier in the day that her dream was now a reality.

“It’s here and we’re ready to go for the journey to 2017,” she said.

“Today was all about getting the girls on the track and bringing the off-field staff together and the coaches.

“We did that really well at the start of the session and then they were able to get out and have a kick of the footy, which is what they wanted to do.”

The women’s squad completed a weights and education session after training at Gosch’s Paddock.