At a glance:

• Alice Burke is shaping as St Kilda's first father-daughter recruit ahead of the 2020 AFLW Draft.
• The 18-year-old has snared back-to-back best-and-fairests and leadership honours for Sandringham Dragons.
• Nathan Burke played 323 games for St Kilda and was inducted as the ninth Legend of the club in 2019.

The Burke name could be back at Moorabbin as soon as next season as Alice Burke continues her rapid rise to become the club's first father-daughter selection.

The 18-year-old boasts everything you’d come to expect from the daughter of St Kilda legend, Nathan Burke: courage, toughness and skill on both sides of the body, all backed up with consecutive best-and-fairests for Sandringham Dragons.

For Saints diehards, the continuation of the Burke bloodline at St Kilda shapes as an exciting prospect for many seasons to come.

But the weight of the family name is free from pressure for the up-and-coming AFLW star.

“I’ve never felt any pressure like ‘oh, I’ve got to be like him’ or ‘I have to play the way he played’, he’s just with me enjoying what I do,” Burke said.

“Dad never talks about himself. He has a rule where if you want advice, you have to go to him. He won’t just freely give it.”

Nathan played 323 games for the Saints, snared three Trevor Barker Awards, 11 Victorian representative honours, four All-Australians, and most recently, was inducted as the ninth Legend of St Kilda.

The No. 3 guernsey also remains vacant following Emma Mackie's retirement at the end of the 2019 season. 

But despite her on-field prowess and rich football bloodline, Burke’s journey with the Sherrin is still only in its infancy.

The 18-year-old made the switch from soccer just three years ago after a glittering junior career.

Years of state and national representative honours began to pave a promising path with the round ball, but Burke needed a fresh challenge.

And as rumblings of an AFLW competition started to gain traction, so did Burke’s interest in being a part of it.

“We had a few girls in the team move across to footy, and we heard nothing but people raving about it,” Burke said.

“I ended up playing footy for school, and thought ‘OK, this is a lot more fun’.

“Dad signed me up for a local club team and that was when I joined the East Brighton Vampires.

Burke has trained with St Kilda and Collingwood as an AFLW Academy member and is currently part of the Sandringham Dragons’ leadership group.

But, like her father, her relaxed off-field demeanour bears no resemblance to her on-field intensity.

“When I train, I always train with being better in mind and trying to improve,” Burke said.

“If I’m going to go do sprints or if I’m kicking with a mate, I won’t ever do anything half-arsed.

While her ball-winning ability and uncompromising physicality is always well-evidenced by the stats sheet, it’s her defensive skillset that sets her apart.

“I’m always more on the back of the pack or playing with a more defensive mindset, which I think has definitely come from soccer,” Burke said.

“I see my role as being more if the other team gets it, I can shut it down quickly and get it out to those girls for the offensive.”

Burke will be eligible for the 2020 AFLW Draft as a father-daughter selection.