Sydney Swans senior coach Scott Gowans spoke to the media on Thursday, ahead of Sydney's Round 2 clash with Gold Coast.

On the win over Richmond in Round 1

"Yeah, it is a positive start, but it's just that, it's just a start. Good to get the four points, Richmond are a really good side, they're a contested side, so it was good to test that. But we're under no illusions that it's just step one of a very long campaign, even though technically it's only the 12 weeks of home and away. But yeah, we're off to a good start and there's lots to learn from the game and lots to take into this week."

On the importance of a good start to the season

"It's critical and we spoke about that. I think the main thing is that it's more the way you play as well so from a fixture, because the fixture's got its inequities, I suppose, we've got a fairly good fixture because we finished last year. So it's important to take advantage of that and put your foot down nice and early and then you can sort of build into the year. So from that perspective, it's great, because we know that we do have a couple of really hard patches within the fixture and then every game can go over the way, and it starts with the Gold Coast. I mean, the Gold Coast are a young, unpredictable side that showed glimpses last week, and if they get their game going, then that'll be trouble."

On the challenge of the Gold Coast

"That's where the game will be won and lost, and Charlie Rowbottom always gives us grief, so we'll put some time into Charlie and try to calm her. I think Claudia Whitford will come back into their side, which makes them more potent. So yeah, they're a really, really good side with clearance and contested ball and things like that. So in the final when we played them and last year at Henson, we tried to get them on the outside. Obviously, they've got a new coach, I'm sure he's a very smart man, so I'm sure he's got stuff for us as well. But yeah, the game's going to be won inside in the contest, so it's really important we at least equalise that."

On Zippy Fish

"Her perspective on life in general is just whatever is in front of her, she just does. So whether it's training – she's not too keen on the weather today, but she's just composed and doesn't really have the highs and the lows. I think that's going to stand her in really good stead when she gets a little bit more attention, but also in finals and big games. She's one of those players I think you'll be able to trust in big moments. Yeah, she's had a very impressive start."

On Chloe Molloy

"She's not managed at all this week. No, really good, she pulled up well.  I think credit to her on the body of work that she did to prepare her body. She did miss two goals though, so we did some work on that this week. But no, she's firing and super excited, and I think mentally she'd admit that she felt good that she could come back and have an impact, and I'm looking forward to her next level."

On not relying on one or two players

"Yeah, that's really important. People say all the time, you know, Chloe's the one, and Laura Gardiner when she gets 30-plus. But I just feel that we've got eight or nine players now that can really drag the team along, and that's really important. And then the rest of the team, our connection was the big thing that we tried, over the pre-season we made nine changes to the squad, it was always an unknown of how they would connect together, and we did a lot of work on it. So I felt last week ticked a box with us being able to see the connection work and the shape behind the ball and how we linked each other in, used the player in the best position, all those things. And yeah, you need your superstars, every team does, and Chloe is one of those. But I feel like we bat a lot deeper with the top-end talent this year."

On Amelia Martin

"We'll finalise it today, but she's super close (to a debut) and she's just got to get through training today and then we'll make a selection call on that this afternoon and finalise it. But Amelia's very exciting, different to Zippy in that Zippy's much more of the noticeable, flashy outside player, whereas Amelia just gets the job done. Beautiful hands and a great kick of goal. So I think she'll play a lot of football for us this year."

On the addition of new faces to the backline

"Yeah, they've added a lot and Brenna Tarrant was the logical one that get all the intercepts and we really relied on her. But it was similar to what we were talking about before, just spreading the load and Ash Van Loon, Lulu Pullar does that as well when she drops back off the wing. We can play Lulu back as well, which is really important. But Jas and that crew, they just make a difference to us and it's just really nice to know that you can attack the game as fast as you want, go through the corridor, do all the things that we're known for, handball, receives. But if the ball does bounce back the other way, it's just good having a number of plays that can shore up now rather than just relying on the one or two. The back line is very competitive for spots, so it's very hard to get a game in our back line, which is the first time we've had that and it's really nice."

On sharing Henson Park with the Giants

"I think Henson Park is a great venue and the sharing of the ground doesn't bother me one bit at all. There's a piece of us, yeah, we're competitive with the Giants, obviously, as you know. But I think the main thing is when the gloves are off and we're not playing each other in the lead-up week, it's really important that we, for New South Wales footy, do what's right for that in the growth of the game. And the second-tier competitions are really, really in a state where we just need to be able to make sure that the players that fall out of academy, that don't get on a list from the Giants and from ourselves, don't just go off and play VFLW in Victoria. So it's really important that we do that and I think that starts with a venue, with a home of footy. So it would be nice to have a venue where we'd share with the Giants, I suppose, from a second-tier perspective and if that ends up being the home ground, that's great. It's our home ground for finals, if we make finals so it's an important piece for us.
But I don't think we can separate the fact that we're all in it together in New South Wales and we have a duty of care, if you like, to New South Wales football, to grow that for the generations to come."