Squad is fired up for debut

OLIVIA Purcell says the hurt of this year’s VFLW grand final defeat will drive the Cats to succeed in next year’s AFLW competition.

The premiership Geelong Falcon, who claimed the TAC Cup club’s best-and-fairest, was selected with pick 14 in Tuesday’s AFLW draft by the Cats.

Purcell, who has proved her worth at open-age football, said the VFLW grand final loss would spur the players on to greater heights next year.

“It was pretty tough considering we had a really good finals series and I don’t think it was the game we wanted to put on display for everyone, but I think next year we’ll definitely be trying to hunt for an AFL premiership,” she said.

“I’m very competitive so I don’t like losing at all, so it always stings a bit when you get a loss, but you bounce back quicker for the next chance.

“I think everyone will be trying to strive to win as many games as we can and I think that’s what we all play for. It’s a competitive game and I think everyone wants to win a premiership at the end of the day.”

Seventeen of the 23 players in the VFLW grand final team are on the Cats’ AFLW list — a squad that will be bolstered by the likes of Mel Hickey, Erin Hoare, Renee Garing, Phoebe McWilliams and star draftees Rebecca Webster, Georgia Clarke and Denby Taylor.

Purcell said she was rapt with the squad Geelong had compiled, including the three VFLW-listed players who got a chance late in the draft in Maighan Fogas, Elise Coventry and Maddy Keryk.

“They’re a bunch of legends so I just can’t wait. It’s kind of like a little Vic Country crew, so all the country girls, it’s fun,” she said.

“I’m really rapt for them (the VFL girls) to get picked up. They really deserve it, they had a great season at VFL, so I’m sure they’ll be pretty excited to get stuck into next year as well.”

Purcell said she had her sights set on playing in Round 1. “Definitely — I want to do well at pre-season and just play as many games as I can,” she said.