"Head down. Bum up"
Port Adelaide AFLW coach Lauren Arnell cannot wait to get back to action, starting in the review room at Alberton next week and leading to Saturday's promising home clash with fellow AFLW new team Sydney.
"Head down, bum up. We will get that ultimate reward soon enough," Arnell said after Port Adelaide had a 13-point lead at half-time become a draw with Carlton at Ikon Park in her side’s third AFLW match.
"I would never describe a draw as good," added Arnell, sharing the frustration of her players who again showed the work ethic that generates wins.
"Our application and effort was better. We will continue to get better. We can't wait for next week.
"We will keep plugging away. We will acknowledge our growth and we will take a lot of learning again this week."
The lessons are again positive reinforcement on how Port Adelaide builds its best football - such as the assertive work at contested football that created a four-goal momentum swing against Carlton in the second term. But there was no goalscoring in the other three terms - and no score in the last quarter when Carlton swung back the pendulum on contested football.
"It is a frustrating result," Arnell said. "However, we keep taking so much from every game we play.
"The growth and improvement - every single Port Adelaide person will see that today.
"Our group can see improvement themselves. We are generating more and more belief in what we can do - and what we are capable of. There is massive growth in that. So, there is a little bit of pride there - and there also is frustration of creating another opportunity to win a game. It is not quite there.
"But we will stick together and keep working towards that first win.
"I'll keep showing my girls what we are good at. It is such a short time to be together as a new team. We just keep growing that belief each week. That second quarter showed what we are capable of. We have to put that together for four quarters."
The big win for Port Adelaide from this draw is the emergence of the team's identity beyond captain Erin Phillips who had a team-first 13-possession game as a forward rather than as a midfielder this weekend.
Hannah Ewings delivered a team-high 21 possessions - and lived up to the promise that made her a stand-out draftee from the all-conquering South Australian junior representative teams.
"Hannah's weapons are rare of an 18-year-old kid," Arnell said. "She is so strong. She has clean hands. She is smart with the footy. And we saw some of that today. Hannah is so driven that she keeps getting better."
There were critical roles - and critical adjustments made to the team grid in the absence of go-to forward Gemma Houghton (ankle surgery).
In defence, Arnell assigned the manic Ebony O'Dea to Carlton's major scoring threat Darcy Vescio. After being held to just two disposals against O'Dea's shadow, Vescio was sent to the wing to find space.
"Ebs had a role on Darcy - and to see Eb stick to the task and play her role for the team was just fantastic," Arnell said. "I am really proud of Ebs today."
In attack, Arnell placed Phillips and had Fremantle recruit Jade De Melo emerge as a threat with two goals from four well-earned opportunities.
"We changed a little bit this week with Erin having a lot more time forward, which had an impact on the leadership of the young group down there; it was fantastic," Arnell said.
"Jade's athletic weapons allow her to play on a wing; she has played on the wing the first two weeks," Arnell said of De Melo. "She creates opportunities for herself as a smart footballer. She does not quite know how good she can be. She got a little bit of a her reward today."
Arnell paid tribute to basketball convert Olivia Levicki for her ruck work in a demanding duel with Carlton All-Australian Breann Moody, the team's leadership group and Gold Coast recruit Kate Surman.
"Olivia Levicki and Liz McGrath double-teaming Moody, probably the best ruck in the competition. Levicki’s third game of AFLW. So much growth there. I am proud of them. We still have work to do and we know we can get better.
"We saw massive, massive steps forward for all of our leadership group. Justine Mules was fantastic, Ange Foley on the wing allowed us to swing the ball our way - she was a key in that second quarter. We will keep plugging away.
"Even Kate Surman. It has not been easy for her to move from Gold Coast to Adelaide. She is seeing some reward for effort now."
Port Adelaide presented two new faces to AFLW - Jade Halfpenny and Yasmin Duursma, the first brother-sister combination at Port Adelaide with her brother Xavier well established at Alberton.
"Both are learning so much," Arnell said. "We threw Halfpenny forward and asked her to make a contest. She did that really well.
"Yazzy Duursma showed her ability to run and win the footy. She is a pretty smart kid for someone who has not played a lot of footy as well. Another couple of steps forward."
Port Adelaide's home clash with Sydney begins at 12.40pm on Saturday.
