Hear from senior coach Scott Gowans ahead of Sydney's Round 3 AFLW clash with Geelong on Saturday.
On the win over the Gold Coast
"Yeah, it is, it sort of solidifies the Round 1 win. A lot of things that we started in Round 1 we were able to see on a bigger ground in Round 2, which is good. Then we go to Geelong, which is a big ground in, but an opposition that are really experienced and played deep into finals last year."
On what impressed him from a team perspective
"Well, I think it's definitely those players, but Chloe doesn't kick seven (goals) and Laura doesn't get 38 (disposals) if the others don't play their role. That's the impressive thing is that as a group we've all connected, everyone's prepared to play their role. That allows the players that shine, I suppose, so far, their moment in the sun. The pleasing thing was when you watch the vision from behind the goals, you do see the players that have performed quite well in the first two rounds also play their role for others. So, yeah, signs are all good at the moment."
On Chloe Molloy
"The opposition, it asks the question of the opposition, so they can double team her, they can drop one back in front of her, but she's quite comfortable with that. She's done that since she was an 18-year-old and that will leave us a spare up the ground. So we're planning on using that spare to attack as well and we've got a few ideas of how to create that spare ourself if opposition do that. So, yeah, it's over to the rest of the competition to try and stop it now."
On Geelong
"They've played Adelaide and North and they're two good sides, so it's hard to get a gauge on exactly where they sit. They've also been really unlucky, so they've controlled a lot of both games with time in four and a half and had opportunities but just can't convert the scores. So hopefully they don't do it again this week, as in score, but it just says that they're very dangerous. If they convert some of those entries into scores then they'll be a formidable force and I expect Geelong to rebound and be one of those sides that's competing for finals. So it's an important game for us because we see ourselves in that space as well, so you'd like to get one on the opposition."
On Brenna Tarrant's 50-game milestone
"She's been the backbone of our defence, and that's a pleasing thing also that she's sharing the load this year. Obviously, there's others in the backline that are helping her out, but boy, BT, she's a funny sort of player. She loves the key moments, so in key moments she'll intercept and an All-Australian last year. She just plays the game with great passion and prepares well. She's got herself really strong this year, which is pleasing. The thing with her i,s you just know that if she gets in a one-on-one, she's going to body the player out and take the intercept. If she doesn't take it, she brings it to ground. Really pleasingly, she's been with us from the start. She's a mainstay of our backline and we're looking forward to what she brings in the next 50."
On the backline
"Yeah, definitely, and Zippy Fish as well, down there as well. It's pleasing, Lulu will come off the wing and she'll play a little bit of half-back as well. She provides the run. Zippy, obviously, is running carry with the footy in hand. Then Ash is just a defender that just defends. Off the back of Ash's efforts, Lula and Zippy are able to get their game going. Lara Hausegger has come up a level as well, so she's a player that can also give you some rebound. That's probably where our game improvements come from, as our rebound off half-back has gone up another level."
On coaching his 50th AFLW game
"Well, I suppose I'm very grateful that I'm here at Sydney Swans. It's the fourth club, but each club's been really good to me, Carlton, North Melbourne and Collingwood. I suppose you learn different things as you go along. I'm only halfway there to Craig Starcevich, so I've got a long way to go. It's a little milestone I didn't know about, so chuffed, I suppose."
On how he's seen the league develop in that time
Well, the difference for me is that the players that are coming into the league now are sophisticated. In the past, you've really had to teach them game plan, footy IQ and skills. Whereas now you're getting a developed footballer that just wants to play into your system, so it's allowing you to spend more time on team defence and the intricacies of contests and stoppage craft and all those things. That's probably been the big growth, even from an S&C point of view, they've done gym in the past, they've got a programme, they know how to lift. So the pathways are setting players up much better than they ever have, so it's really pleasing."
