BRISBANE is through to yet another AFL Women’s Preliminary Final after downing Hawthorn by a mere goal in yesterday’s Qualifying Final.

After such a close result, Lions coach Craig Starcevich admitted post match he was feeling a “bit of relief, like there is after most games.”

“But credit to Hawthorn and the way Daniel’s prepared them,” Starcevich said, also praising his former assistant coach Daniel Webster.  

“They’re a serious team now, so that was hard work. Really pleased with our resolve and application after halftime. We were 11 points down or whatever it was, so there was no real panic in there, there was a real desire to flip things around and fix it up and they got to work, which is really good.

“So happy from that point of view. It’s something that fortunately our team’s got a bit of a reputation for fighting to the end, so that sort of came out in spades today, which is great.”

Starcevich also thought there was “a little bit” of a sense of disconnection in the first half.

“I think when the opposition are pressuring you, the natural tendency is for all your forwards to get up and help out and that’s fine, but once they get up, there’s nothing left when you go forward” Starcevich noted.

“So that was a bit of a problem for us, just structurally, just resetting, getting some sort of decent one vs ones in your front half and being able to compete. They were just picking stuff off and sending it back again.”

One player that drew praise from Starcevich post match was Cathy Svarc, who was praised for her ability to change the game.

“She can help you in the middle with her explosion out of stoppage, but she can also be, just in recent times actually, she’s become a really damaging high half forward,” Starcevich said.

“So she’s got great overhead hands, she’s always got that speed and explosiveness, so she can be a real asset for you.

“When you need that type of player in that situation. It wasn’t really a day too much for people taking big, overhead marks in your front half. So Dax and Tay sort of had their battles down there. And that’s where Eli Hampson and Cath stepped up, which was great.”

One player who also impressed in the win was Svarc’s sister Ruby.

“Ruby likes responsibility, and likes to be the organiser in that part of the ground, which is fantastic,” Starcevich said.

“She’s a pretty intelligent person and she likes the responsibility of setting people up where she wants them. She’s also gifted athletically as well, like Cath. So she brings a lot to the table in that part of the ground with her pressure, but also she’d be a handful for the opposition with her leg speed.

“So that part of it is always really pleasing from Rubes, but I think she loves it. When you give her that confidence and responsibility, she responds.”