[2] At thirteen, Perkins was told she would no longer be able to play contact sports due to a spinal disc herniation, so she concentrated on netball for the next three years.
[5] In 2016, she kicked fifty-two goals and finished third in the leading goalkicker award, behind Moana Hope and Katie Brennan, and was named in the VWFL team of the year.
[6] In the eighteen months before being recruited, she lost 40 kilograms (88 lb) to fulfill her dream of playing AFL football, reducing her BMI from 45.1 to just 31.7.
[11] In her second match, she kicked two goals to help Adelaide defeat the Western Bulldogs at VU Whitten Oval by twenty-five points; her skills in the match led to Herald Sun journalist, Eliza Sewell, writing "she leads well and takes a strong grab...she uses her body well and a set-shot goal from forty-five metres impressed even the Bulldogs fans,"[12] Furthermore, Fox Sports Australia journalist, Sarah Olle, wrote "Perkins' leading patterns are terrific.
She’s quick off the mark, uses her size to great effect, has a monstrous kick and loves a celebration"[13] and the Australian edition of The Huffington Post said she is a player people need to know about and she is as strong as she is inspirational.