Although frustrated her side doesn't have the wins to show for their efforts, Lauren Arnell says improvement, fitness and support sits at the top of the priority list this offseason. Image: AFL Photos.

LAUREN ARNELL can confidently take one note out of Port Adelaide's first season of AFLW: Her players lap up hard work.

And they should expect more of it as the Port Adelaide senior coach prepares to take the club's newest football program to a higher level in AFLW Season 8.

"We don't want to be just a good footy side; we want to be far better than that," Arnell said at the end of her side’s inaugural campaign at Alberton on Sunday afternoon. "We just have to get to work during this off-season."

Port Adelaide closed its first W season with a 27-point loss to Essendon to rank 17th of 18 with a 1-1-8 win-draw-loss record - and carrying much ambition into the new campaign in 2023.

"We are frustrated," added Arnell. "We know we are a pretty good footy side - we just have not shown the wins for that.

"We will go into a heavy review across the next fortnight, reviewing everything we do. 

Match report: Power outclassed by free-flowing Bombers

"One thing I can assure Port Adelaide people is we will leave no stone unturned to be better. We are confident that in assessing this expansion team in Season 7 of AFLW we will look at every element of the campaign; it is not just about wins and losses (at the beginning). We are really confident of our football program; we feel so confident that we do this better than any other club for a whole program. What we offer the playing group, the level of support from the top of the club right down, having the best people in the competition in our match-day staff ... now we have more time to take all of this into more wins."

The tale from Sunday's match at home mirrors much of the season - little reward (just one goal on Sunday) for so much hard work.

"At the highest level," said Arnell, "reward comes as wins. What we are really clear on is we are on a path to far greater (results) than we have put out this season. We feel quite bullish about what is ahead of us ... and we also understand there is a hell of a lot of hard work to get done to be better, not just next year but in future years.

"We want to be protecting Alberton (where Port Adelaide had its only win this season) to a higher level.

"The fitness element is an obvious one to put work into right now."

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Lauren Arnell post-game press conference - 20 Oct 2022 | PTV

Watch Port Adelaide's press conference after round ten's match against Essendon.

Port Adelaide's entry to W - as one of four new teams - was advanced from January 2023 to late August 2022 with inevitable cost in the pre-season. There was extremely limited time to prepare a 30-player group coming from differing phases of football, not just different points on the Australian map.

"Fitness is really obvious," Arnell said. "Across our group we had those who played W in 2021-22 and most of them played finals. They finished playing in April and we saw them in June. Our draftees had a seven-week pre-season after playing school footy, State league footy and winning a national under-18 championship for South Australia.

"They were spun into a pretty quick turnaround with a seven-week pre-season. There are some really obvious areas that, with time over summer and across the autumn, we will get a big chunk of SANFL games into our players. I am a big believer that the more high-level footy you play, the better you get. We have already put a lot of steps in place to make that happen. 

"I am quite bullish in saying we do this better than any club. We have gathered a fair bit of experience from across the competition, so I don't say that lightly. We will put every ounce of support around our group to get better."

Port Adelaide's first major building block set as granite in the changerooms at Alberton is with the players' culture.

"Our culture is really good; a team with 10 games has real culture in our inner sanctum," Arnell said. "And that extends the people who follow us - look at Alberton (on Sunday) and the support we are getting with two minutes to play and the scoreboard saying we cannot win." 

Lauren Arnell enters the AFLW offseason with determination to support the group to continue to improve. Image: AFL Photos.

Port Adelaide's finish to the 10-game home-and-away season again highlighted the need for better structure and better ball-movement patterns to an attack that is not starved of opportunities.

"Credit to Essendon's pressure," Arnell said. "They forced our players into little handballs that caused turnover which is not the trademark of our group. Credit to Essendon, the better team (on Sunday). We missed opportunities to score - and we did have opportunities to score (that did not translate to a goal until Cheyenne Hammond's shot during the last term)."

Port Adelaide captain Erin Phillips will return to Alberton next season after a much-deserved break.

"I just don't think anyone can appreciate what Erin puts into this program, on and off field," Arnell said. "And into this football club. Even if I try to describe it, it would not be fair to her. Erin has been enormous. She has been a great support for me and her team-mates. She has endlessly given - over and above. She comes home after winning an AFLW premiership ... it is bananas. She needs a break; everyone needs a break - it has been pretty full on.

"Erin has had a pretty good season."

Lauren Arnell has commended her captain's work, dedication and support both on and off the field. Image: AFL Photos.

Arnell has faced her own challenges in deciding the direction of the first campaign.

"You look at what you can control," Arnell said. "One of the more frustrating games was our first here at Alberton against the Western Bulldogs in round two. That was not a good start to our home games. We were really conservative with the footy - and that style is not us.

"Each week, you look at what you can get better at. The brand of football we have produced is there. From the first game in Perth against West Coast we were showing our tackling. All the controllables you control - week to week we have addressed those. Then, how do you build a bank of fitness to chase teams that are six pre-seasons ahead of you? That is something you cannot control. You do your best.

"I have made some pretty stubborn decisions to teach the game style - and at times that has been ahead of our fitness level. I am proud of how our players have applied themselves. We have put down a strong game plan for next season once we are fitter."

Vice-captain Ange Foley completed her first season at Port Adelaide with her 50th AFLW game - and adding to the team culture as a strong leader.

Although unable to claim the win in her 50th game, vice-captain Ange Foley's performance and on and off-field leadership has stood out. Image: AFL Photos.

"Ange has, like Erin, poured all of herself into this football club," Arnell said. "It is no mean feat. She has left a club where she had significant success. The way Ange has poured herself into the program and given everything that she possibly can speaks volumes. We would have liked to have won for her today.

"A lot of people forget the resilience Ange has shown to come back from an ACL knee injury in an AFLW grand final to play 10 high-level games this season. She has been excellent and right at the front wanting to make us better."

Arnell left Alberton on Sunday with admiration of the Port Adelaide community that has supported her "Inaugurals".

"It has been an enormous year," Arnell said. "We went through a quick turnaround when no-one knew when Season 7 was going to happen. If there is a message, it is thank you to our Port Adelaide community. And the key people at our footy club - so now, let's keep getting better."