Woods attended Mount Lilydale Mercy College in Melbourne. Originally a basketballer, she first played football in 2016 for Mount Evelyn in the Eastern Region Women's League after playing several matches at her school.[1] In 2017, Woods played for the Eastern Ranges in the first season of the TAC Cup Girls, and was named in the league's team of the year.[2] She also represented Vic Metro at the AFL Women's Under 18 Championships. Woods was named in the AFLW Academy, one of 29 seventeen-year-old prospects. As part of the squad she could train with AFL clubs and attend development camps.[3]
In early 2018, Woods was cited alongside Eastern Ranges teammate Georgia Macpherson as the club's likely inaugural draftees.[2] She co-captained the Ranges for the 2018 season[1] and was again named in the competition's team of the year.[4] In June, Woods played seven matches for Hawthorn in the VFL Women's, including their premiership victory over Geelong. She was still in secondary school at the time, completing Year 12.[1] Woods again attended the AFL Women's Under 18 Championships but was limited by a heavy cold.[1] Ahead of the 2018 AFLW national draft, she attended the draft combine, completing the 20-metre (66 ft) sprint in a record time of 3.129 seconds. Woods also placed second in the endurance yo-yo test, third in the agility test and the 2-kilometre (1.2 mi) time trial, and fifth in the standing vertical jump.[5]
