{"id":114676,"date":"2022-08-19T18:50:17","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T08:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=114676"},"modified":"2022-11-08T13:38:03","modified_gmt":"2022-11-08T03:38:03","slug":"coach-gowans-in-a-familiar-yet-unfamiliar-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2022\/08\/19\/coach-gowans-in-a-familiar-yet-unfamiliar-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Coach Gowans in a familiar yet unfamiliar position"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

IF anyone is well trained in how to put together an AFL Women’s list, it is inaugural Sydney<\/a> coach Scott Gowans<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the second time Gowans has helped put together an inaugural list, after he was the inaugural coach of North Melbourne back in 2019. He described the process this time around as \u201cvery different\u201d to the first time around when he did it with the Kangaroos, and this was due to a variety of reasons, from resources available to the nature of the talent available in the market and many other reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another difference between the two list builds was the strategy around how the list was created. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At North the strategy was top down, trying to get the best talent from around the country as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Sydney the list build was from the bottom up, and because of the speed with which decisions needed to be made the players the Swans were able to attract were more likely to be ones seeking more of an opportunity. Gowans said that a solid foundation to the list was key so that if they did land a big finish it was \u201ca nice bonus\u201d. However, he did admit that because of the short timeframe they had to create the list, they did not land all the big fish they wanted because they were unable to afford those players the time to go away and truly consider the offer and get their life and affairs in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A couple of top end talents they were able to land, much to the initial surprise of some, were Victorian draftees Montana Ham<\/a> and Sofia Hurley<\/a>. Gowans explained how the Swans managed to convince the pair to come up to the Swans instead of nominating for the Victorian pool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a strategy that we took that we would particularly with those two, that we would target a couple of players that we thought might be able to assist us down the track,” Gowans said. “It was a mindset that we actually might not land them this year but introduce ourselves and get them comfortable so that if there was an opportunity down the track they may consider Sydney. “The strategy probably developed from that mindset in that we didn\u2019t go there and say we\u2019d love you come to Sydney and this is why, so it wasn\u2019t a sell it was more just an introduction type of discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the short turnaround between Seasons 6 and 7, Gowans said that it did not necessarily change anything in Sydney\u2019s timeline of getting ready to join the competition, it just sped things up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I got employed, I was employed on the basis … at that point preseason was starting in November and the season was starting in February and then two weeks into my employment we found out there was rumours about the season moving forward,” he said. “At that stage it was really only Kate Mahoney the EGM of AFLW and myself and that\u2019s it, and once we heard that we thought \u201cJeez, we need to get going with staff and players and we did that, and then ten weeks later we started preseason, so it was a little bit of a whirlwind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“From a football sense it didn\u2019t change because I was pretty much aware of the way I wanted to play and train, so I was able to shape the squad to suit that, which is very unique in football. “Normally when a coach comes into a club it\u2019s an existing club and you\u2019ve got to really see what you\u2019ve got before you can shape the game plan around your philosophies and things like that, but this was completely different, where I was able to say this is the way I want to do it, this is the way I want to play, what traits do we need, what do we need to look for, and then we just go bang. “It didn\u2019t really change anything, it almost just fast tracked everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gowans said that despite preseason having gone well for his time, there certainly had been some challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPreseason has been going well,” he said. “It\u2019s been a bit of a battle, I reckon because a lot of our players anyway haven\u2019t trained four times a week, so they\u2019re just adjusting to that I suppose, monotonous effort that it takes to train, recover, do it again. “We\u2019re finding probably over the last week and a bit that some of the players are getting a bit tired, but the good thing is we\u2019re not copping a lot of injuries, it\u2019s more just a matter of managing players rather than everyone in rehab.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even before the side\u2019s practice matches against GWS and Collingwood, Gowans was realistic about the goals for the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI reckon the goal is to know what our benchmark is, so that we can then build and develop for season two. It would be very simplistic and unfair I think if I sat here and said our goal is to make finals when I\u2019ve never seen this group play together, no one has and never seen this group play against competition that\u2019s of the top end, well it\u2019s the best competition in Australia. So you just can\u2019t predict it,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“From what I\u2019ve seen at training I think we\u2019re going to be ok, we\u2019re going to be competitive, but like all new sides the synergy and connection, 10 weeks ago these girls didn\u2019t know each other, so expect to come into a season against sides that have done six preseasons is you\u2019d be stupid to predict anything wouldn\u2019t you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It\u2019s foolish, so I think my goal is to find the benchmark as quickly as possible. “Hopefully that\u2019s after only three or four rounds, but if it takes 10, it does. “Once we know the benchmark we can start pulling apart and adding things into the game plan and all those things you do as a coach, and ultimately list management off the back of that as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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