Hutchison in new Aussie Rules film

Anna Hutchison. Photo / TV3

Barely a week into filming a new Aussie Rules film, Go Girls star Anna Hutchison is fast becoming a convert to the strange game played by men in vests across the ditch.

Hutchison knew as much about as AFL as most of her fellow Kiwis. "Every time AFL came on, I didn't have that instant connect that a lot of Aussies have," she tells the Herald on Sunday.

"If there was league or rugby on, I'd be all for it."

Good thing then producer Glenn Archer is a veteran of the game which gives half of Australia footy frenzies.

Archer, a veteran of 311 professional Aussie Rules games, has been teaching Hutchison the finer points of the game.

Hutchison admits she has room for improvement. But Rose, her character in Blinder, is much the same.

The young woman she plays knows little about Aussie Rules until she becomes romantically involved with someone who plays the game.

Rose's footy star flame is Tom, a player caught up in scandal, who flees to the US before returning a decade later to clear his name.

Rose, aged 18 at the start of the story, features in both parts of the story and Hutchison says she enjoyed the challenge of playing a character who ages 10 years in the span of one film.

The Kiwi contingent fiming in Melbourne was bolstered by Lovely Bones star Rose McIver. Hutchison is delighted McIver played her sister. "I'm so, so lucky that she's the one. She's a terrific actress. To be in a little film with her is totally cool."

Hutchison will be in Melbourne at least until mid-April. She plans a quick visit to Texas' famed South by Southwest Festival to see The Cabin in the Woods, a horror film she worked on last year.

Work opportunities will determine when Hutchison returns home. "I think Go Girls is going quite well, which is exciting because I had such a ball filming that. So hopefully that goes again and I'll be brought back."