Great effort from the girls tonight?
Yes – absolutely. Couldn’t fault their effort, they really came to play and put up a really good contest. So did Adelaide and they walk away with the win.
They never gave up did they?
That’s what we asked. Certainly in this competition every game you’ve got to bring that effort in such a short season. That’s what we demand from the girls and what I am proud of is the continuous improvement of this group and a four-quarter effort from the entire team.
Do you feel that the disappointment from missing the Grand Final will drive the girls?
I think it will. They are driven to be the best footballers they can be, they love the environment of the footy club and thrive on the learning’s from every single game they get – win or loss. We will move forward this week and prepare well. But I am really proud of the effort that everybody brought.
Where do you think the game was decided tonight?
Erin (Phillips) is a quality player and quality opposition. She reads the ball really well, kicked three goals and had an impact on the game. I thought Chelsea Randall at times was good picking up the footy. But I thought both teams competed really well, it was a great contest.
Who were some of your best tonight?
It was a shared load today. I thought everybody played their role, we got to see a few changes with Haylee Miller playing off the half-back line and Ebony Antonio going forward for a bit. We will continue to look at what works for us.
What do you tell the girls after tonight?
Walk off proud and hold your heads up high. We as a coaching group and a footy club will be proud of that effort. That’s the expectation week in and week out. That drive, intensity, pressure and passion to play - they brought that tonight. They are unlucky to not get that reward for effort but they certainly brought that effort.
Did they enjoy the experience of coming to Darwin?
Yes we always do, we have been up here a couple of times. The joy of putting on a show like that to the local community and being up in Darwin is important to us and growing this game.
