VFLW stars draft ready
GEELONG VFLW coach Paul Hood says under-18 stars Nina Morrison and Olivia Purcell have done enough to suggest they will have long and successful AFLW careers.
While Hood would not be drawn on whether the premiership-winning Geelong Falcons will be wearing blueand-white hoops in the AFLW next season, Hood said their performances in VFLW finals made them no-brainer selections at next month’s draft.
“The performances of Nina and Olivia for this team were really, really solid,” Hood said.
“They’ve had great finals series, each of them, and have done really well, so wherever they end up in the draft, I’m sure the team that gets them will be really, really pleased that they’ll be in their jumper.”
Hood said he would love to start training as soon as tomorrow in preparation for the Cats’ AFLW introduction — with Round 1 just over four months away — but said his players deserved a break before their inaugural season at the elite level.
“I just want the next game to start now. I just want to go to training again on Tuesday night and crack in,” he said.
“We understand we need a rest, that’s fine, but I’ll be counting down the days until we get down to work again.”
The Cats showed against Hawthorn, the VFLW’s benchmark side, that they were more than competitive, with the marks statistic of 59-24 the most lopsided in yesterday’s game.
But the Cats will field an even stronger team at the start of next season, with Erin Hoare, Aasta O’Connor, Melissa Hickey, Renee Garing and Hawthorn VFLW’s Phoebe McWilliams among the likely starters come Round 1.
“I think the nature of AFLW, with the season being so short, anything can happen,” Hood said. “If you get your best line-up fit and competing well, it doesn’t take a lot to get you on a roll and that can take you a long way.
“We’re really excited about the chance to put our hand up and compete in that competition.
“The Hawthorn team that ran out today, they were the very best opposition we could find at the moment and we acquitted ourselves very well. We’re not far away.”