There she was sitting on the interchange bench for the St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW side during the recent grand final against the Sydney Roosters wondering if she would get any time on the field.

Then centre Paige McGregor was forced off with a hand injury and Keele, being the only outside back on the bench, came onto the field for the final 16 minutes of the match which was played in Redcliffe.

"I was warmed up and ready to go. It's a tough part of the game, the last 16 minutes, and I tried to play with as much energy as I could," she said.

Sadly the Dragons lost 16-4 to the Roosters.

"Yes it was a pretty heartbreaking loss," Keele said.

However, you sense the Dragons are building something special with its NRLW squad which starts off the field.

The Milton Ulladulla Rugby League Club junior talks about the culture that is being built amongst the playing group and coaching staff.

"We are very much united as an entire group - we are all close and there are no little clicks," she said.

"We are all genuine people and we are all there for the same reason."

She hopes the majority of the squad returns for the next NRLW season.

Keele also hopes to be back with the Big Red V but nothing is definite yet

"My heart is with the Dragons - they are a really great club," she said.

The soon-to-be 20-year-old has had an amazing debut in NRLW.

"I wouldn't have believed you if you told me this was going to be my path," she said.

"I never saw this [playing a grand final in her debut year] as being so soon in my future.

"The whole grand final week is still sinking in. It's been a bit of a crazy time."

Keele was told that she was in the grand final squad on the Thursday prior to the grand final.

It has been a season of firsts for the young Dragon's player.

This was her first NRLW season, her first NRLW grand final and she even got to play in the back-row for the first time this year.

She found herself in the back-row against the Brisbane Broncos earlier in the season.

"I had never played in the back-row before and surprisingly I really enjoyed it," she said.

Keele will now be playing for the Wests Tigers in the Harvey Norman Women's Premiership as the Dragons don't have a team in this competition.

She said the Harvey Norman Women's Premiership was like the "feeder" competition for the NRLW.

"I want to get my game time with the Tigers and develop my game," she said.

"There are many areas I want to work on."

She, like the other Dragons, hopes the saying "to win a grand final you have to lose one first" come true.