AT THE halfway mark of the AFL Women’s season, some teams are hitting their straps, as others fall behind, while the usual suspects and humming along nicely. Here’s what the 18 AFLW coaches had to say after their respective matches.

Collingwood 3.12 (30) def. by Hawthorn 5.9 (39)

Collingwood coach Sam Wright:

“We didn’t feel like any part of our system was running hot for that first half, it felt like our fundamentals especially the basics in the game which allow you to play your system, uncharacteristically just weren’t there today so struggled to get it going. We were held up by a pretty solid defensive system but just didn’t allow us to either impact the scoreboard, didn’t protect us in defence, didn’t allow us to move the ball in offence.”

Hawthorn coach Daniel Webster:

“Fantastic for us to get the win, they’re playing some really good footy at the moment, they’ve got a lot of strong bodies in their side, got a lot of high quality talent and it was hard fought and they came hard at the end and we were able to hold on which I think was really good for us.”

Port Adelaide 6.4 (40) def. by Geelong 6.9 (45)

Port Adelaide coach Lauren Arnell:

“Another really strong feeling of disappointment. I think the way we showed up early in the game and that whole first quarter isn’t what we work towards, so I think coming back from that despite the scoreboard not being too high at quarter time, I think it was only 10 points, I think we just gave them too much of a look early and weren’t able to show in the contest well enough which is real inconsistency.”

Geelong coach Dan Lowther:

“The win was the most pleasing aspect. The win clearly, but it was a really tough game from start to finish, and we knew it was going to be a really tough four-quarter game. To Port’s credit. it was a see-sawing affair, but the last three or four minutes for the girls had to really dig deep and play some late in game scenarios and see that last three minutes out to see out the score in our favour was as a coach a really proud moment and shows really great growth and maturity in the group so all those things combined was super.”

North Melbourne 12.7 (79) def. Carlton 4.2 (26)

North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker:

“We had a little bit of unfortunate week with a couple of players, Gatty her ankle was worse than she first thought and she had to have surgery and then Nicole Bresnehan doing her knee at training. It had been a little bit of an emotional week. Thought the players would be able to get themselves up, but I just wasn’t fully all over it but they did a terrific job, they really did. Right from the word go we got the game looking like a North Melbourne game and then they performed really well right throughout.”

Carlton coach Matthew Buck:

“Obviously they’re a really mature, high-performing side and have been for over 12 months now. They, in every phase of the game, probably outplayed us today and absolute credit to them, they play an unbelievable system which tests where you’re at as a football side. We’ll take some little lessons out of each phase I think, in particularly around the contest I think they really owned us there which gave them field position on the back of that, and then you’ve got to come through them all, and that tested us today.”

Fremantle 9.2 (56) def. Essendon 1.2 (8)

Fremantle coach Lisa Webb:

“Definitely much better, obviously our hunt and willingness to get to every contest was impressive by the girls,. They’re fierce as I said, they’ve been growing and getting better in every facet that we’ve wanted to, but we’ve still got a long way to go so we’ll enjoy this and then get on the road for Carlton.”

Essendon coach Nat Wood:

“That was a really tough game, it’s been three poor performances from us. Spoke to the group, we’re particularly starting on the back foot, letting teams get a lot of ascendancy. I thought there were some times from a predictability point of view that we were able to get right from a stoppage structure, but Fremantle were on the front foot, they were attacking the air and the ground a lot more assertively and a lot cleaner than we were.

“We weren’t able to bridge any gap, and also not able to generate scoreboard momentum at any time so that’s one thing to lose a game, but it’s probably another thing for us two weeks in a row with our ball movement, we haven’t been able to hit the scoreboard and be able to be in the game.”

Sydney 6.6 (42) def. by GWS Giants 7.7 (49)

Sydney coach Scott Gowans:

“Credit to Giants, I thought their structure around the outside of the stoppage and their layers was excellent, we just couldn’t penetrate it. We’d win the clearance and I think we won our fair share of post-clearance ball, to pick it up and give the hands and we were under pressure straight away so we couldn’t get our kicking game going. We adjusted, then it worked and we were able to get through by throwing an extra number up there, but there was lots of little chess moves from both teams. I think it was just whatever side that got the break on the scoreboard was probably going to hang on.”

GWS Giants coach Cam Bernasconi:

“It’s up there, I’m probably not going to cry in this presser like I did last week. It was great, I think this year was about showing improvement and you obviously get that through win and loss but we haven’t won two in a row in a long time. To do it today in front of 7000 fans, probably a lot of Swans fans as well, it’s pretty special. There’s a great rivalry there, but our ability to go out and win two in a row in these circumstances is really special. I’m so proud of them.”

Melbourne 10.14 (74) def. West Coast 3.5 (23)

Melbourne coach Mick Stinear:

“We’re really pleased with the effort of the team. Last week we were disappointed not to play our way and be a bit more connected and efficient out there, and I thought this week we responded really well. It looked liked us for the majority of the game, just cleaner, more clinical, level of instruction and support, really good team effort.”

West Coast coach Daisy Pearce:

“Our start was pretty disappointing, we were up against a really experienced outfit and they gave us a lesson in that if you’re a little bit off with your contest work or a bit slow to react, you don’t get it back that time and they really punished us in the first half. To our player’s credit, our ability to reset and keep fighting despite the scoreboard being pretty disappointing is a sign of our growth and the team we want to be. I’ve seen Melbourne go through that like the good teams they learn how to fight, but i enjoyed that we were able to fight back after a disappointing half.”

Western Bulldogs 3.4 (22) def. by Brisbane 6.11 (47)

Western Bulldogs coach Tam Hyett:

“They’re a great side. They’ve been the league leaders since day dot, so disappointed that the outcome wasn’t there, there were areas where we were okay. Our ability to compete especially and turn the game into a bit more contested with the conditions definitely helped. I just said to the players that we’ve just got to continually go to work, and you work hard and that gives you good opportunities to win and the girls are still working hard so those opportunities will still present.”

Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich:

“Given the last month or so where it’s been up and down a little bit, today was pleasing from a confidence viewpoint and getting parts of our gamestyle going again was really good. Given windy day and a little bit wet at times, it was pleasing that we found a little bit of that back again.”

St Kilda 6.7 (43) def. Richmond 5.6 (36)

St Kilda coach Nick Dal Santo:

“I was proud of the game. Because I didn’t think it was a beautiful game. I’m not sure what it felt like watching it. It felt like a lot of it was hard work. Clearly there was a breeze we had in the last quarter, it was very slippery under foot given it rained in the first quarter. I thought it was just a great contest. I think clearance numbers and contested possession numbers might have been slightly in favour of the Tiges, but I thought overall it was just a great combative game of football and we were fortunate to come out on top.”

Richmond coach Ryan Ferguson:

“I thought we did a lot right across the whole game and we controlled much of the game but moments let us down. We released the pressure valve too many times either gave away goals or missed opportunities to have more chances at goal by giving away free kicks down each end of the ground. So moments cost us which enabled them to get momentum back in and I thought we could have actually created some separation but we released the pressure valve and invited them to come back in. Thought we fought out the game.”

Gold Coast 5.4 (34) def. by Adelaide 7.8 (50)

Gold Coast coach Rhyce Shaw:

“I think the word’s probably ‘frustrating’, not ‘disappointed’. We know that we’re capable, and we’ve got a really good group who are really committed to what we want to achieve and we did that so very well for three quarters, and then a quality side showed up in the last quarter and did a pretty good job and we just couldn’t maintain it for that last bit.”

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke:

“It was a very impressive last quarter and obviously we were in a bit of a hole. I thought the first five or six minutes of the game we played really, really well, but then probably for the best part of three quarters Gold Coast controlled the game. For the group to stay composed and then obviously find that energy and effort in the last quarter was really impressive.”