Sydney Swans AFLW senior coach Colin O'Riordan spoke to members of the media Friday morning ahead of the team's Round 7 fixture against the Brisbane Lions at Henson Park on Sunday afternoon.
See the key talking points below as O'Riordan speaks about the side's start to the season, facing the Brisbane Lions this week, dealing with injury and his love for coaching and the game.
On the best start to an AFLW season in club history
“It's nice to be in the position we're in, but in saying that, and it sounds like a cliche, I think for us it's always sticking to the process, making sure that we take it week by week and we don't look too far ahead. The risk is that we do start to look too far ahead, if you take your eye off the ball initially, and as you're aware in AFL, if you take your eye off the ball for even a split second, I think you can get an uppercut pretty quick.”
On persevering during the ongoing injuries
“There's no secret to tell us, we've been tested this year, but our approach has been the same from day one. We've a next one up attitude and like I keep saying we believe our system works and we want the next person in to step up to the plate.
“Credit to the girls and how they've gone about it. We've been tested with our depth a bit this year with obviously some substantial injuries with three ACLs and obviously soft-tissue injuries, but it hasn't really derailed them and if anything it's made them a lot closer.”
On Amelia Martin possible return
“It's a discussion we like to have post-training. Meels (Amelia) has been really unlucky with injury this year. She's had a few soft tissue injuries and then a bad one near the end of pre-season that kept her out for the past eight to ten weeks. I think that's one that we just assess post-training today.”
On Sofia Hurley projected timeline
“She's actually seen the surgeon as we speak so we'll have more clarity after that but probably post-training today, we'll know a lot more about where she sits.”
On Lucy McEvoy playing her 75th Game
“Obviously, Chloe and Jas playing 75 last week and then we get to celebrate another champion of our footy club, this weekend, in Lucy. I think we just had a team meeting and we spoke a lot about Lucy in the meeting and she epitomises everything, what it means to be a captain in this footy club. The way she goes about it on a daily basis, her demeanour, how she leads from the front. She's an actions-based leader.
“She's really impressive and I personally love coaching her. Great human being who has the highest of integrity and her morals sit in the right place. I'm really looking forward to what she can put out this week and hopefully the team rally around her and get behind her for 75.”
On preparing for Brisbane
“Every week's an opportunity but I think your last point was really important. They've lost four games and three of them were to Adelaide, North Melbourne and Melbourne so I'm not sure they've had the easiest draw in the first six games. Obviously they lost to West Coast as well over in the west but I think it's not really reflective of how they're playing.
“They're a really high contest pressure team and we've planned for them accordingly but we're not taking any team for granted. We just did a preview on their team just now and they have a lot of good players so we're not underestimating any team and certainly not Brisbane Lions.”
On the cohesion of the playing group
“The way they've handled the adversity in the last couple of weeks and then injury adversity and their whole demeanour around everything, as a connected group as I've seen, that's what for me has been the most impressive. They look after each other well, they feel really connected and it's hard to summarise that in a footy lens but at the same time, it's a reflection, you're seeing it on the field, how connected they are and how close the group is.”
On Ally Morphett and Lexi Hamilton Re-signing
“Ally and Lexi, two superstars in the club's eyes and in my eyes and their teammates' eyes, which is the most important.
“Ally obviously, as we're talking on the field, her first couple of weeks this year before she got suspended was amazing. She pulled top in the coaches' votes for the first three rounds and I think she's really matured both on-field and off-field and credit to her, she's done a lot of work on her game, on her craft.
“Then for Lexi, to be swung back after being a forward for most of her career, I think shows the level of trust we have in her but also how much of a role-player Lexi is and whatever you ask of her, it's, yeah, I can do it, no dramas.
“Two people who are really excited that will be hanging around the club for, obviously, Lexi until the end of 2027 she's signed on for Ally until the end of 2030. Onwards for both of them.”
On his first year as head coach
“I'm loving the job. I knew I'd love it. I love coaching. I love developing people. I'm loving it a lot more than I ever thought I would love coaching; to be honest and I've loved coaching a lot. I'm on record saying that I always thought I'd prefer coaching to playing for whatever reason and probably as a kid, that's a weird thing to say. But I think what's enabling me to love this job is, and I might be the figurehead and I might be the head coach, but it's the group we have and I genuinely mean that.”
The Sydney Swans host the Brisbane Lions at Henson Park this Sunday. Get tickets here.
