A COUPLE of teams finals dreams remained alive, while others became more fragile with a fortnight remaining in the AFLW season. Here’s what the 18 AFL Women’s coaches had to say following their respective Round 10 matches.

Port Adelaide 15.4 (94) def. Hawthorn 8.11 (59)

Port Adelaide coach Lauren Arnell:

“Really proud of our group, we’ve obviously had a bit of adversity this year between wins and losses, and injuries, and I think to come off Brisbane’s game last week where we were really pleased how we went about it, the scoreboard just didn’t tick our way, but to execute our gamestyle in that way against second on the ladder Hawthorn at the moment, and then to respond when Hawthorn had the game on their terms for five to 10 minute patch there in the third quarter, it shows a lot of learning in our season, and a lot of maturity in our very young group.”

Hawthorn coach Daniel Webster:

“I mean their efficiency in the front half, they kicked 15.4 in the end so I think their work around the contest, they were able to get the ball our too clean, there wasn’t enough pressure from us around the source and our defenders were a bit vulnerable I thought in that sense. I thought they were incredibly good, we had more scoring shots, we just didn’t finish our work Good for the supporters, high scoring I suppose.”

West Coast 7.8 (50) def. Geelong 2.7 (19)

West Coast coach Daisy Pearce:

“Just how committed they were in a contest from the beginning. I think that’s probably been the issue with our starts over the last couple of weeks, it’s just a little bit standoffish in the beginning and feeling out the game. I thought they addressed that tonight and were able to really step in and commit from the get-go. Whether that was to the ball because it was there to be won, or with their tackle pressure. I thought that was the real difference and gave us a lot of confidence going in at quarter time, not having a lead that we had to chase down, so that was really pleasing.”

Geelong coach Dan Lowther:

“Around our contest work, I thought the Eagles midfield were just on top around that phase of the game, their first phase work which they’ve done well all year. Their contested possessions have been good for them, and I thought they were fantastic in that phase of the game today, and then they got out with a bit of speed and really potent up front.

“Put our defence under pressure, too much early in the game so that part was hard to wrestle back with a bit of momentum. I thought our girls did in the third quarter got a bit of feel for the game, last quarter particularly, but I think our contest method around aerial balls and groundballs was probably a bit off today.”

Melbourne 9.11 (65) def. Sydney 3.3 (21)

Melbourne coach Mick Stinear:

“I think first quarter the speed they put on the ball probably got us on the hop a little bit, but I felt like we were pretty strong around the footy early, but just a bit slow on transition and on turnover, so after quarter time it felt like the team adjusted really well, and to keep them goalless whilst still being a threat forward of the footy and just the energy they brought for the whole game, but we played better for the last three quarters so really pleased with the quick response, and some good learnings which I think we took into today’s game out of last week.”

Sydney coach Scott Gowans:

“I think Melbourne lifted to a new level. Their pressure was amazing and then they were able to hunt and get the contested ball on their terms which then lead to their uncontested game flying and we just weren’t able to cope with that for large portions of the second term, and then what happens is then the idea of trying to get the game back on our terms, you’re wrestling with the moments in the game that you just have to win and we’re just not doing that at the moment against the better sides.

“I just spoke to them and said that’s what finals footy is, it’s about being contested, and then knowing its not going your way and then doing something about it and find an uncontested mark for example. We’re just not there quite yet.”

North Melbourne 10.11 (71) def. Adelaide 5.1 (31)

North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker:

“Putting the coach’s hat on to allow them to kick four straight in the last quarter was a little bit disappointing, but i can understand when you’ve probably got the game locked away at three quarter time and it was quite hot out there, and it did seem to be quite an up and back game. A little bit of fatigue sets in, a little bit of concentration. But to be able to set the game up so well in the first quarter, and then through the middle stages still control parts of the game, was really pleasing.”

Adelaide coach Matthew Clarke:

“For the majority of the day we were comprehensively outplayed, but the first quarter was where a significant amount of the damage was done. From there on I felt we fought, we stuck at the task of trying to stay in the game, but ultimately we were pretty well outclassed today.”

GWS Giants 6.4 (40) def. by Fremantle 6.11 (47)

GWS Giants coach Cam Bernasconi:

“Our ability to win contested ball is the one that is our handbrake, and it’s been our handbrake for a while. It’s something that I want to address by the end of the year, and I feel like a lot of contested ball is your method and fundamental, but a lot of its the hunt as well. I just thought we got out-hunted – especially in that last quarter – by Freo.”

Fremantle coach Lisa Webb:

“Obviously first half wasn’t the way we wanted it to look. Had a chat with the girls at half-time and we corrected a few things, and certainly signs in the right direction but we need to just keep improving.”

Carlton 5.6 (36) def. by St Kilda 7.7 (49)

Carlton coach Matthew Buck:

“It was a real armwrestle. St Kilda defended the game really strongly, especially in our forward 50 so they held up really well to their credit and then took their opportunities when they got them. It was a little bit of that game, if you couldn’t take those opportunities, it was a bit of a stranglehold or a bit of an armwrestle throughout the night.”

St Kilda coach Nick Dal Santo:

“I’m really proud of our group, we are trying to get a little bit better, week on week. We understand we’ve got a lot of work to do, but the work that they’ve done to get ready for tonight’s game was exceptional so I’m really pleased that they got to feel the reward of their performance tonight.”

Essendon 2.4 (16) def. by Brisbane 7.12 (54)

Essendon coach Nat Wood:

“Brisbane are a fantastic team. I think particularly the first quarter we were able to match them in some spurts in terms of ball going forward and some pressure. They worse us down as the game went on, but probably the thing that I was impressed with the group was at different times when Brisbane got momentum we were able to quell it a little bit before they went again, so happy with the group because probably previous games we’ve allowed teams to just have momentum for too long so particularly in the fourth quarter as well, seeing still the intent with some defensive tackles, some run down tackles. I thought the group really showed up today, but we’ve still got a lot of work to do with our football.”

Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich:

“I mean we’ve gone five weeks in a row now where we’re hovering around the six-seven goal margin per game so from that point of view you can’t be too disappointed. But tricky conditions today, I think the opposition only scored two points after quarter time so that’s good from our point of view. We could have slowed down in front half and had some better looks but wasn’t to be given the nature of the game and the conditions a little bit. All things considered, we were pretty happy with that given we had the late out with one of our better players.”

Collingwood 5.3 (33) def. by Richmond 7.4 (46)

Collingwood coach Sam Wright:

“It’s definitely around the contest for us. They just got on top in the contest the way they fought around the contest, they really challenged our defence so for us, that’s how the first half went. We felt like just our ability to minimise their impact around the contest but then gain ascendancy for us just wasn’t there.

“I thought we really responded after half-time, managed to get that back, but AFLW footy and where we are as a developing side, we need to do that from the start of the game. For us it comes back to every time we step back on a footy oval, whether its training or a game, there’s a certain level of expectation that we need to play at. We’re still building that out.”

Richmond coach Ryan Ferguson:

“I was quite pleased with the way game played out, and super impressed with Collingwood in that third quarter too. I thought first quarter we executed exactly what we wanted to and felt like the game was really on our terms and put some scoreboard pressure on. Happy at quarter time. Second quarter was a bit of an armwrestle and get one back, but still happy with how the game was playing out.

“I thought Collingwood really came out firing in the third quarter. They upped their work rate, their contest, they put us under all sorts of pressure. But it is pleasing in games you have to withstand that pressure, and it’s not going to be on your terms for the whole time, so I thought that was a good experience. It lived in our defensive half, but to hold up strong and then get the game back on our terms in the fourth and I thought we controlled the fourth really well.”

Gold Coast 0.6 (6) def. by Western Bulldogs 10.12 (72)

Gold Coast coach Rhyce Shaw:

“That one’s one we can’t accept. That’s not up to standard. We know that it’s not, we can’t sugar coat it. It’s not good enough.”

Western Bulldogs coach Tam Hyett:

“We challenged the girls and the two years I’ve been involved we haven’t won on the road being interstate, so that’s really exciting. It’s always a good challenge to get together and get on the road and to come away with the win was really nice.”