{"id":139911,"date":"2023-08-28T14:43:03","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T04:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=139911"},"modified":"2023-08-28T14:43:07","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T04:43:07","slug":"buoyant-bohanna-excited-about-what-might-be-in-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2023\/08\/28\/buoyant-bohanna-excited-about-what-might-be-in-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Buoyant Bohanna excited about what might be in 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SPURRED on by the frustration of how Season 7 ended, Gold Coast captain Tara Bohanna<\/a> is excited by the potential the new AFL Women\u2019s season brings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bohanna noted that Season 7 – where the Suns just missed out on finals was rough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I don\u2019t think we were going to make it anyway but even just that Round 10 loss, just finishing off the season strong would have been nice,” she said. “But it\u2019s means for this season our aim is absolutely finals and finishing in the top eight, that\u2019s the only way up I suppose. Finishing ninth means the only way up is eighth so hopefully we can do that. I feel like we\u2019ve got the right group to be able to do that, so we\u2019ll see how we go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bohanna said that contested ball was where the Suns need to target in order to make that last jump and into finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo I think we\u2019ve really worked on our contested ball this year, winning the actual contest,” she said. “I think the next step for us now is getting it into the forward line and making sure it\u2019s good entries and that we compete hard at every contest. Probably just more the skill execution from when we have the ball and making sure we\u2019re hitting those targets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving on to the season that is to come, and Bohanna is feeling like things are more natural for her now after a whirlwind few years in the AFLW system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think I feel a lot more comfortable,” she said. “It\u2019s still weird coming to days like this where it\u2019s \u2018oh I am actually a captain\u2019. It\u2019s strange, especially because of how it all has happened, but as I said I feel blessed to be able to do it, and I feel like I am definitely becoming more comfortable every season, We belong here and I belong actually playing AFLW so really excited for the year ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also confirmed preseason had gone well at the Suns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a bit of a longer preseason this time, so it meant we could get right into it rather than having a quick offseason like we did last time,” she said. “So I feel like we\u2019re pretty prepared, I feel like we\u2019re ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She spoke glowingly of the new faces at the Suns \u2013 of which there are eight \u2013 and what they may add to the team this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cObviously we\u2019ve got Jordan Membrey<\/a> from Collingwood and Maddy Branc<\/a> from Richmond, and we\u2019ve got three Irish girls as well,” she said. “We\u2019ve had Meara Girvan<\/a> come from South Australia, a few draftees like Darcie Davies<\/a>, so it\u2019s just really exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Irish girls probably bring an element of difference, Niamh McLaughlin<\/a> even played on Courtney Hodder on the weekend and did a really good job and that was only her second game of football so she can do that and her speed off the ball is pretty insane, so really exciting to see. We\u2019ve got Ella Maurer<\/a> who\u2019s come from North as well and she\u2019s another extra into the midfield that will help compete there and make it a challenge for the Charlies [and others] who are in there pretty consistently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo it\u2019ll be really good to see how everyone goes, but I think we\u2019ve got a great group of girls who have brought really good things for our culture as well, not just footy skills, but actually their own actual personalities. They\u2019re just ripper people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gold Coast gets its campaign underway on Saturday when they take on Carlton in Melbourne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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