PORT ADELAIDE coach Lauren Arnell says hearing her side mentioned by media as being in finals contention is a sign of the group’s growth and maturity.
Arnell’s team will host eighth placed St Kilda at Alberton on Friday night but it one of three other clubs just percentage behind the Saints with three games to play.
After winning three straight games for the first time since entering the AFLW, the Power is full of confidence, but Arnell says cannot afford to look beyond this week’s match.
Speaking on Thursday, Arnell also discussed being the second-best pressure team in the competition, returning to regular programming after the mid-season congested fixture and a milestone game for a fan favourite.
Lauren Arnell on the theme amongst the group at the moment:
“I think the theme at the moment is just look after our process. And that's been the message since seriously, day one of preseason. It's nice to see part of our processes coming together and resulting in some good outcomes, in wins, but we do feel the measure of our season this year has been about our progress as a team, and the wins and losses are starting to fall our way, but the progress and the growth we show as a team is most important, and we've still got a bit to go.
“I honestly think there's still growth in this team. I'm most pleased with the maturity we've been able to show, particularly when our backs are against the wall. We've had some slow starts, not necessarily last week against Collingwood, but particularly three or four games prior to that, we were quite slow off the blocks in that first quarter and in some games in the second quarter as well. So, to be able to show a level of resilience and ability to come back with the fitness that our group has found and worked hard for, that's probably the most pleasing sign in our group so far this year.”
Lauren Arnell on the confidence in the group after three wins in-a-row:
“I think the confidence in the group's been building since the first pre-season game, and again, just going back to process is the most important thing for us. We did speak to our group in the pre-season about measuring some of our growth with wins and losses this year. But again, it comes down to the growth we see, particularly in the KPIs, and how we come together as a team, and I think all of our supporters and our members will see big growth in that aspect across every game that we've played.”
Lauren Arnell on whether the club playing finals has been spoken about internally:
“I think it's nice to hear media asking about finals, because it means we do have some growth, and certainly not a privileged conversation we've been able to get ourselves into in our first two seasons. So to have the F word mentioned is, I think, just a sign of our growth at the moment, but we've got a lot of work to do.”
Lauren Arnell on what she has made of St Kilda this season so far:
“They've got some really talented players. I played a bit of foot with Jess Wardlaw in Brisbane, and she's still such a young forward, such an exciting player and forward in our competition. And you know, I'm looking forward to Amelie Borg matching up against her tomorrow night. I think that's a really exciting match up where, you know, Borgy did a really good job on her last year. And I think the two midfield battles are big too. So, I'm very excited for tomorrow night.”
Lauren Arnell on having an eight-day break between games after five games in 20 days:
“I think having a longer break now it's almost like you still don't know what day it is, because we were so used to just spinning from game into game and now that we're back into kind of the regularity of a normal week. I think you'd expect every team to have a level of soreness coming out of the congested fixture, and we certainly did, and so to be able to freshen up is probably the best part of that for us.”
Lauren Arnell on the side improving its pressure rating:
“The pressure factor is big for us. It's definitely a measure we take very seriously in our group and to be really honest, last year we reflected on our season, we were 17th in comp for pressure factor, and it was something we were really disappointed in and so now I believe we're second in the comp for pressure factor. Prior to going to second behind North Melbourne, we were first, so we're really pleased that we're top two in the comp for pressure factor and I think hearing other coaches and teams talk about the fact that we are a contest team and we do apply a lot of pressure is another sign of growth, because it's been something we've worked really hard on over the last 12 months.”
Lauren Arnell on the current standard of the AFLW competition, including when it should be fixtured:
“I think we've got an absolute responsibility to balance the need for wins, particularly as a team that came in only two and a half years ago. And something I've been so mindful of is when I was a player that my absolute favourite part of the game was the physicality and the scoring, and certainly as a fan, prior to that, that's been the case for me, and so to bring that for my group and for our people and our fans and our footy club, I'd like to think that that's front of mind for all senior coaches in our competition.
“I've said for a little while now, I'm pleased if we get an early fixture so we can plan for it. I'll leave it up to the powers that be which part of the calendar it sits in. I think we're pretty close to where it should be. If it, if it means that we end up slightly earlier in the year for round one then it means we can expand and play more games at an appropriate time of the year. I'd be pretty pleased with that.”
Lauren Arnell on defender Ebony O’Dea reaching her 50-game milestone this week:
“It's so nice for Ebs to play her 50th. (She’s a) heart and soul Port Adelaide player, and the way she goes about it, I think every Port Adelaide person would enjoy watching her play. What I love about Ebs is that she's absolutely team first. Something behind the scenes in our group is that the players have been asking for an environment which demands more of them, and hits them between the eyes a little bit more than perhaps what's been in the past. And many players can ask for that, and not all players deal with it as well as they would like. Ebs is someone who (says) tell me how it is and give it to me straight and is just so open to feedback. You can see that in the growth of her game, particularly this year, she's been exceptional in her defensive work, and I think her offence is far more reliable than what we've seen in the past. I’m so, so proud of her, and I know her teammates absolutely love her, because she's team first.”
