CARLTON has kick-started its AFL Women’s season with a win over arch-rival Collingwood at Ikon Park with coach Matthew Buck declaring it a “really mature performance”. In front of an energetic crowd of more than 8000 people, the Blues conceded the first two goals of the match before slamming home six of the last seven for a 6.9 (45) to 3.3 (21) victory.

“We’ve been chasing over now going into our third season so to go down early but no one panicked, managed to regulate themselves and got back in the game with our contest and defence I thought,” Buck said. “I was really pleased with that.”

While the Magpies at times bombed forward with hope in their heart more than anything, the Blues had some method in the way they transitioned the ball, and Buck said the speed added to the offensive movement was a key focus.

“We’ve always spoke contest and defence and they were always going to be the first thing,” he said. “If you chase five rabbits you catch none, so we get those areas right and then we’ve started to add our offensive layer this time.

“We saw glimpses of them which were great, but we’ll need to see more of those going into the future. Never a happy coach, but there’s some great stuff that we really enjoyed, but we’ll continue to that.”

Despite conceding the first two goals, Buck said the coaching staff, like the players, were not too worried and backed the group to swing the momentum in favour of the home side.

“It was always going to be a little bit scrappy, first game, long time off all that kind of stuff,” he said. “We were okay from a coaching lense and could clearly see that the players were still okay and that the comms through the bench that they knew where we got wrong. “Then to fight back from there and only let one goal through after that point for the entire game probably speaks to the defensive effort from the group.”

After sitting out last season with a knee injury, Erone Fitzpatrick booted two goals – the only multiple goalkicker in the match – from 13 disposals, while laying six tackles. Buck said the Irishwoman had learnt plenty from the coaches bench last season and she is now fitter and stronger than ever before. She was one of Carlton’s best, with vice-captain Mimi Hill (32 disposals, three marks, six tackles, six clearances and six inside 50s) comfortably best on ground.

“Mimi’s had a fantastic preseason and I think when we see great players in the competition, you’ll find a great preseason behind her,” Buck said. “Really happy with Mimi and her performance tonight. I thought she started the game really strongly and had a big first half, executed well and got our team going.”

Equally pleased with some of the moments from teenage debutants Sophie McKay and Poppy Scholz, Buck said the group would look to build on its first up before and prepare for a massive clash with Hawthorn at Kinetic Stadium in Round 2.

“Like I said before, young group, nine under 22,” he said. “You’re going to see ebbs and flows in our performance, that’s just natural of all teams that are young. “My challenge is to try and make sure we don’t see too much of that.

“So to go to Frankston and then Brisbane after that, two really challenging games. “But at the same time, what a great challenge to go and get after them. We’ll be excited with what we did tonight, take the good bits, improve the bits we need to improve on and go from there.”