A debut at the game’s highest level is normally a time of celebration for any aspiring footballer.
But for a determined Alicia Janz, her debut on Saturday against Collingwood at Rushton Park was too important to spend caught up in the moment.
Janz impressed with 10 hit-outs and five tackles in Fremantle’s one point loss, but was left wondering what more she could have done.
“There was excitement because obviously it’s my first game,” Janz said.
“But with the loss it’s more disappointing than exciting.
“I find I’m thinking more about next week and what we have to do at training to make sure that next time, we’re doing everything we can to get the win.”
A former elite netballer and West Coast Fever player, Janz joined Fremantle knowing what was required to perform at the top level.
“Coming into the team I felt I’d already had that background,” Janz said.
“It helped me feel like I was ready for it or prepared for it.
“My big thing was not getting too excited, and not let my first game get in the way of actually playing.
“I was just trying to stay focused to make sure I could get the job done.”
Despite the narrow loss, Janz feels the team is continuing to show signs of improvement.
“Last week we had a strong review from the coaching staff, and this week we did perform to expectations,” Janz said.
“But I think we need to push more and expect more from each other.
“We know that we’ve taken a step, and now we need to keep pushing and not be comfortable with where we’re at right now.”
Fremantle’s next game is this Friday against Carlton, starting at 3:05pm at Domain Stadium.
