AFLW Senior Assistant Coach & Female Academy Coach Baker Denneman provides insight into the week-to-week of our AFLW team thanks to Bird in Hand.

The inaugural season has seen a lot of firsts take place, and another occurred this week through some unforeseen circumstances. The coaches box had a slight reshuffle as I stepped into the Senior Coach role for the match with Head Coach Scott Gowans falling ill.

Despite Scott's absence, the way we approached the game against Fremantle and our message to the playing group was the same as it has been all year - take the game on, and play with no fear. From the outset, this was apparent with the group matching it with one of the best contested sides in the competition, and putting scoreboard pressure on early. It was a tight tussle through all areas of the ground, and up until half time the game was well in the balance before Fremantle gained the upper hand in the third quarter. To the girls credit, they found a way to continually bring the heat at the contest, and fight until the final siren.

There were some great performances, led by our young duo of Montana Ham and Sofia Hurley. Montana kicked her first goal and Sofia backed up her efforts against Essendon in Round 8 with another great performance, with 15 disposals and kicking a goal of her own to earn a Rising Star nomination this week. It's reward for Sofia's performances in her first year of senior football and she is set to be a big part of our team going forward. It was a highlight to announce her nomination to the group this week and celebrate the achievement as a group.

The atmosphere at Henson Park was fantastic with plenty of Swans fans filling the hill and making some noise at our last home game in Sydney. The crowds we have had this season in Sydney (and in Melbourne/Adelaide) have been sensational, from the first game at North Sydney Oval to the Sydney Derby crowd at the SCG and the two games at Henson Park, it has been a big highlight for the playing group to see so much support.

Looking back to the game itself, when you break the game down, the ability to win the contested possession count was a massive takeaway for our playing group, but Fremantle were able to control the ball on the outside and ultimately work harder for longer periods of time. In saying that, the playing group have taken a lot of positives out of the game and are looking forward to putting in a four quarter performance against a strong Geelong outfit. 

Geelong bring a well rounded side, and one that plays a very well-balanced game across the board. They enjoy being able to control the game through the use of uncontested possessions and ensuring they can get it in to their forward line with 1 on 1’s ahead of the ball. They’re a top eight side, who is vying for a top four position, so the opportunity to challenge ourselves against a team of this calibre is something our playing group is really looking forward to.

The group are excited to get down to GMHBA stadium and finish the season on a positive note on Saturday night. We hope to see as many of you as possible and appreciate the ongoing support in our first season.

Baker