RETURNING for a second straight year, Rookie Me Central has delved into each of the 18 press conferences to hear from the coaches in the AFL Women’s and take a snippet of what they took from their respective matches.

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Hawthorn 6.5 (41) def. by Melbourne 9.6 (60)

Melbourne coach Tom Wilson:

“Probably moments I’d say is the best way to describe it. I thought we started the game really, really strongly and then clearly Hawthorn were able to get assertiveness through the middle part of the game and then our ability to finish off was pretty strong, but enough to like, but lessons learnt as well.”

Hawthorn coach Daniel Webster:

“Terrible first quarter, great second quarter, great third quarter, terrible last quarter. A good half of football. (In Q4) We lost contested possession by 11, we lost disposal, we couldn’t get our hands on the ball. I think in the first couple of minutes we barely touched it. Their good players got to work, (Olivia) Purcell, Kate Hore, (Tyla) Hanks, I thught Purcell was enormous in the middle. A few of our players had some moments they’d want to have back and that’s the standard. As I said their best players stepped up, they were really good in the last quarter like they were in the first quarter. It’s a good learning for us around what the standard is, so I’m not happy with it, because we don’t want to be on the losing end of those games, so take the positive out of the good stuff in the second and third, get to work on the other stuff.”

North Melbourne 15.10 (100) def. Geelong 3.9 (27)

North Melbourne coach Darren Crocker: (on how they flipped the switch in Q2)

“Very briefly just spoke to the players and I feel like that is going to be what will happen in games. Especially in Round 1, everyone gets themselves up for Round 1. All the players want to be selected in Round 2, the team could change in Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, but everyone puts such an emphasis on playing Round 1, they get themselves up for it, it’s very exciting especially in W I find, it’s such a long layoff period between one season to the next. We knew that Geelong were going to come out hard, they were going to bring the pressure, people might think there’s a bit of a blueprint with how to beat us with controlling the footy which we were a bit sloppy early with, we allowed them to take a lot of uncontested marks, but once we addressed that at quarter time, I thought the girls were fantastic.”

Geelong coach Mick Stinear:

“It was a beating by the best team in the comp still, I was hoping they would have gone backwards in the preseason, but I was bit a optimistic. I was pleased with the way we started and I think for the majority of the game, our contested work and clearance work was thereabouts, we were just made to pay for our mistakes. I think the environment they created particularly from halfway through that second quarter, we didn’t get reward for effort early in the second and they started to get some quick goals and that probably disheartened us a little bit and then we never really got flow going in our offence. We were a little bit jumpy with our hands in tight and they were making us pay. If we fell over, we missed a kick, missed a mark, they’re a very good turnover team and I think it was 12.7 that they scored from our mistakes.

“That’s credit to them for the environment they created but we feel like there were a lot of things within our control that we can improve in. Doesn’t feel like that we were flat out beaten by a better team and there’s not chance we’ll ever improve, it feels like we matched it with them for a small period of time, but then we’ve got to be a lot better fundamentally and then we’ve got to apply ourselves on offence if you’re going to challenge a team like North.

“You can’t just kick and hope, and just shut down and get ready to defend. You’ve got to actually put energy in your offence, like credit to Claire Mahony I think she had four contested intercept marks, but too often their backs were showing the initiative and there was a lack of connection with our offence going into our forwards. They were far too good, but I loved the attitude of our group, the way they applied themselves, their mindset throughout the game, but we need to work on our forward half connection and our fundamentals under pressure from the best in the comp.”

Richmond 6.10 (46) def. Collingwood 4.4 (28)

Richmond coach Jarrad Donders:

“It was an awesome result for the club. Obviously been through a fair bit of change, to get our first win was really cool. It’s only the first one that we’re after, that’s a really exciting piece. For me a lot of change coming in, put my little spin and philosophies on what I think works and it was pleasing to see the girls get the result tonight with some great milestones and some debuts as well.”

Collingwood coach Sam Wright:

“It was a difficult game. I think for us just struggled with the territory, the ability to get the ball forward and maintain that. We tried a few different things throughout the game but wasn’t till the last quarter we managed to get some of that territory back, but an interesting night.”

Gold Coast 1.8 (14) def. by Western Bulldogs 6.4 (40)

Western Bulldogs coach Tam Hyett:

“They were look even from their practice games they’ve definitely had a shift and they got a lot of talent so we were pretty wary what they could bring, but I was really proud of how players started, so that set us up for the rest of the game.”

Gold Coast coach Rhyce Shaw:

“It was probably we got jumped in that first quarter, it’s been a bit of a trend in a couple of games so far. The team that’s jumped them, the opposition’s probably held on a little bit. It’s pretty hard in these conditions to make up that ground so we probably let ourselves down in that first quarter. I thought our endeavour, our commitment to stay in the contest was a massive positive for us. It was a big difference and it’s something that we’ve really spoken about as a group that we don’t want to be that team that just rolls over even a start like that can really hurt a young side, but not tonight, we ended up winning two of the last three quarters and I know it was low scoring, but we showed fight and that’s what we’re really asking of them.”

Essendon 6.1 (37) def. by Brisbane 12.13 (85)

Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich:

“[We] started the game really positively with all of brand in place and our pressure around the ball and our quick ball movement was impressive, and we were able to score. You get a little bit of validation for all your hard work when the scoreboard’s rattling over and you put a bit of pressure on the opposition and dampen their spirits a little bit early in the game so that helps. But the whole idea of getting away from home and having a trip on the road in Round 1 is something we haven’t done in five seasons, it’s actually worked out pretty well for us.”

Essendon coach Natalie Wood:

“Obviously not the start we would much liked to be closer in the game all day but I guess we’ve started to break it down a little bit, and a couple of things that stand out is one we were down by 48 at half-time and we lost by 48, so in the second half we were able to come back to a few of things of what we were trying to do. The game had obviously got away from us, but we were able to balance out the contest, still generate attack, able to hit the scoreboard which is good growth from in us last year where we were down and out in games and we weren’t able to generate score, so looking for the wins within today, that’s definitely one of them.

“The other thing for the group is the game got away from us early, but then in parts of the second, but particularly the third and parts of the fourth as well, the group really adapted and came back to what we’re trying to do, and I think there were moments where we really lifted our pressure around the ball, really lifted what we were trying to do aggressively, and attack and defend. Just scanning over the names, 11 players out there today are only in their third year with us, so to have that growth in the group in terms of that mental adaption in-game, I’m pretty happy with that.”

Adelaide 7.11 (53) def. by Sydney 9.7 (61)

Sydney coach Colin O’Riordan:

“I think it was our ability to handle the moments, especially in the last quarter. The team, we spoke about it at three quarter time about how we were going to have moments in this last quarter, we had a couple of practice games where we finished the games really well so we were really confident as a group that we could finish out the game. Just our ability to stay in the hunt, stay in the fight, keep showing up was just really impressive and credit to the group of girls, absolutely outstanding fight. It was mainly just the grit, the desire to get the job done in the end.”

Adelaide coach Ryan Davis:

“It was a disappointing loss in the end, but I think Sydney’s pressure certainly in that last quarter, they really ramped it up in terms of their contest and their outnumber. They were harder for longer in the end.”

Fremantle 2.8 (20) def. by Port Adelaide 6.9 (45)

Port Adelaide coach Glenn Strachan:

“So proud of the whole group, it’s been a fantastic trip for Round 1. Couldn’t have asked much more of them to be honest, it felt like we came ready to play just like we knew Freo would. I thought it was a super competitive hitout. It’s funny that we played them not that long ago, and both games have just been great hitouts and really good games of footy. It’s nice to come away with this one.”

Fremantle coach Lisa Webb:

“Bitterly disappointing. Contest, stoppage, we certainly came in with great intent, but even early on in the first quarter, kicking the first four behinds, not stepping into that opportunity like we would have hoped. They were really impressive today, I thought their pressure was really good, and full credit to them, I think they’ve done a great job, but disappointed for us. I thought we prepared really well, obviously our first game here at Coburn but we didn’t get the points.”

GWS Giants 8.6 (42) def. West Coast 6.6 (42)

GWS Giants coach Cam Bernasconi:

“It’s an awesome win, and especially for this group. We’ve done it pretty tough in the past, so these wins we certainly doin’t take for granted, and the way we did it, really proud with just how mature we were with the momentum swings, and also doing it at ENGIE with the double-header. All the guys stayed around so the vibe in the rooms was unbelievable. We want to be one club, and you could certainly feel that tonight.”

West Coast coach Daisy Pearce:

“Credit to the Giants, they were fierce around the contest and made it a real challenge and they worked really hard offensively, and they just got us. I thought their quality of passages and entries were probably the difference, the way they were able to link up and score and that’s a credit to them. Then on the flipside they made it difficult for us with their pressure. All credit to them, but I was proud of the way we competed. Even in that last quarter for our team to keep coming and find a way to kick three in that last quarter, the way they. went about it is the team we want to be, and proud of some of the young ones like Riggs (Charlotte Riggs) in the ruck for her first game as our number one ruck was really good. I thought a few players came in and really played their roles, Zoe Wakfer down back with the big task was outstanding. We’ll be disappointed and the girls are, but plenty to work with I think.”