THOUGH expansion side Port Adelaide could not come away with the four points on the weekend, AFLW coach Lauren Arnell was proud of the way the Power have improved over the course of the first three rounds. In sharing the points with inaugural side Carlton in a thriller at Ikon Park, Arnell said her team would “keep plugging away” and take a lot of learnings from the draw.

“It is a frustrating result,” Arnell said. “However, we keep taking so much from every game we play. “The growth and improvement – every single Port Adelaide person will see that today. “Our group can see improvement themselves. We are generating more and more belief in what we can do and what we are capable of. “There is massive growth in that. “So, there is a little bit of pride there, and there also is frustration of creating another opportunity to win a game. It is not quite there.

“But we will stick together and keep working towards that first win. “I’ll keep showing my girls what we are good at. It is such a short time to be together as a new team. “We just keep growing that belief each week. “That second quarter showed what we are capable of. We have to put that together for four quarters.”

Top Port Adelaide draft pick Hannah Ewings picked up a team-high 21 disposals, five clearances and a massive 434 metres gained in the draw, as well as laying four tackles, and having three inside 50s and four intercepts at Ikon Park. Her performance earned the 18-year-old North Adelaide dual premiership player the Rising Star nomination for Round 3.

“Hannah’s weapons are rare of an 18-year-old kid,” Arnell said. “She is so strong. “She has clean hands. “She is smart with the footy and we saw some of that today. Hannah is so driven that she keeps getting better.”

After watching her former Carlton teammate Darcy Vescio win the Round 2 game against Essendon off their own boot with three goals in a low-scoring contest, Arnell said she would not take any chances, sending tagger Ebony O’Dea to the Carlton star. It limited Vescio to just to disposals and forced opposition coach Daniel Harford to move them up the ground.

“Ebs had a role on Darcy – and to see Eb stick to the task and play her role for the team was just fantastic,” Arnell said. “I am really proud of Ebs today.”

In the absence of key forward Gemma Houghton who missed the game through injury, the likes of Jade De Melo stepped up to slot two goals from seven disposals and two marks, while captain Erin Phillips played as that transition talent, using her skills to dispose of the ball inside 50 three times from 13 disposals.

“We changed a little bit this week with Erin having a lot more time forward, which had an impact on the leadership of the young group down there; it was fantastic,” Arnell said.

“Jade’s athletic weapons allow her to play on a wing; she has played on the wing the first two weeks,” Arnell said of De Melo. “She creates opportunities for herself as a smart footballer. She does not quite know how good she can be. She got a little bit of a her reward today.”

The Port Adelaide coach also praised the work of her side’s two debutants Jade Halfpenny and Yasmin Duursma who contributed strongly to the cause.

“Both are learning so much,” Arnell said. “We threw Halfpenny forward and asked her to make a contest. She did that really well. “Yazzy Duursma showed her ability to run and win the footy. She is a pretty smart kid for someone who has not played a lot of footy as well. Another couple of steps forward.”

Arnell summised that despite drawing after leading by 13 points at half-time, that her side will get the “ultimate reward soon enough”. That could well come back at Alberton Oval on Saturday, September 17 when the Power host Sydney who sit 17th and like the Power, the Swans are searching for their first win in club history.