BREAKING through for their first win of the 2024 season, Collingwood has bested the Gold Coast Suns who continue to remain winless in the AFL Women’s competition.

Grinding out a three-point win, the injury-ravaged Collingwood team has avoided equalling its worst start to a season with the victory.

The low-scoring affair was decided after the Suns gave up three 50m penalties throughout the game, with one coming late in the match. Up by two points at three quarter time, Imogen Barnett kicked the sole goal in the final period for the result.

Speaking post-match, Collingwood head coach Sam Wright described what the win meant to his players given their rough start to the season.

“It’s just really good reward for effort for the playing group, the program, the coaching staff [and] everybody involved,” Wright said.

“I think it’s funny in footy, it gets to the last 40 seconds of a game and you’re still not sure [but] it starts to tick down. [Then] you take a mark and just that moment before you win is the best moment in footy.

“I think it was really good the celebration [and] up in the box you could see the momentum that the players have built from that so [I’m] just really proud.”

Notching up the first win of his senior coaching career, Wright has had a baptism of fire at Collingwood. The injures, both the sheer number and those to key personnel have affected the way that his side wishes to play.

Wright explained how he’s hoped his side will play, choosing to focus on “moments”.

“I think what we’ve really been focusing on is how important moments are in footy,” he said.

“We’re still a young side with a lot of injuries at the moment so [it’s great] for the players who are out there to execute those moments under pressure.

“Even in the last minute, the ability to possess the ball and the ability from the young player in Lucy Cronin to take time off the clock 55 metres out from goal, I thought was really smart.

“It is reward in terms of how they bought into the education as well so [I’m] really proud.”

In Brittany Bonnici‘s return from a calf injury she was at her best, being a key factor in their win. She had 28 disposals, three marks, nine tackles and eight clearances, as well as a game-high 452 metres gained.

“I think she had 27 disposals, but it’s more than that it’s just having a leader back there who just absolutely competes,” Wright continued.

“She just really competes and what she’s added to her game is her ability on the outside and the ability to run. Hopefully everybody’s starting to see her as more than just an inside mid, she’s a player that gets on the inside and the outside.

“She just leads the way and was a part of that moment where we just tried to possess the footy, which was awesome.”

Despite the loss, Gold Coast coach Cameron Joyce was buoyed by the display. Having been extremely disappointed in his side’s loss to Geelong on Saturday, Joyce was more pleased by Friday’s showing.

“Today I think we defended really well [and] I thought our contest was good today,” Joyce explained.

“We wanted to get back to our DNA and to be brutally honest, I thought we actually did that but obviously those things let us down in the game and they cost us in the end in a low-scoring sort of swirly, windy day.”

When pressed further about that final quarter, Joyce was measured in his response.

“I mean we were in front at three quarter time, so it was really positive,” he said.

“We understood that there was a bit of a breeze going Collingwood’s end so we knew it was going to be pretty tight in the last quarter and we needed to hold up.

“The reality was that we were not able to do that, so we’ve got some work to do leading into Wednesday and obviously the recovery is going to be the most important now.”

The Suns have been the most disappointing team this season, winless after five rounds, when compared to 2023 where they made finals. Joyce is certain that they will play their best football when they come back to what they do best as a group.

“I think it’s about coming back to who we are, and what we do best, and you can worry about the outside stuff and sure we’re not immune to that, because people read things and obviously you see the ladder and that sort of stuff so we’re pretty steadfast in terms of where we’re going,” he said.