Senior coach Scott Gowans spoke to the media on Thursday.
Sydney Swans senior coach Scott Gowans spoke to the media today ahead of Sydney’s Round 11 match against West Coast at Henson Park on Saturday. He spoke about the importance of getting a win to keep the team’s finals hopes alive and gave an update on co-captain Chloe Molloy’s availability for the match.
On the importance of the next two weeks
“Yeah, it’s critical and it’s what you train for, isn’t it? It’s moments like this and we’ve prepared and the team’s switched on and eager to get into it. As long as you can control your own destiny, that’s what you want and win two games, we’re in. That’s what we look at.”
On the similarity between this season and 2023
“It is, yeah, very similar. A few injuries, same sort of scenario really. Yeah, it’s really important and I think that we can fall back on that experience. We talked about it in the team meeting before. Just all the sessions that we’ve done since February and the voluntary part to what we’ve done at 98 Gym and just the working together and the connectiveness and you win together, you lose together and we’re going to give it a red hot crack this week and there’s nothing to sort of save, it’s all cards on the table and off we go.”
On how the team is better prepared for the challenge this year
“Well, I think that’s probably the big difference is just that football experience and big moments and two years ago it was momentum that got us there and we were riding that wave until the Adelaide game and then it all collapsed in that one under a lot of pressure from Adelaide. That was the goal from that game really was just to get some football experience so that when you get games like this, they’re the ones that carry you through and decisions in the heat of the battle, composure when needed and then just to play a role, I feel like we’ve got that. We’ve been building towards it. Obviously, we’ve been challenged against the better sides as well but that’s all part of the journey and part of the growth and West Coast are on a similar journey and they’re really well coached. They’ve got great structures and in form. They had a great win against Geelong last week and there’s no excuse for inexperience or anything like that and it’s just foot to the floor.”
On the takeaways from the loss to Melbourne
“Thought Melbourne’s pressure was elite, they’re a very good side. North Melbourne and Melbourne are in form and look really strong.I feel like the main difference in the side is probably just that experience. They’re probably two or three pre-seasons on average in the group ahead of us and that makes a difference in games like that. We threw the first punch at quarter time and credit to the girls, three quarter time, they were challenged just to get the game into a contest and they didn’t. There was one disposal difference in the last quarter so it’s really just the quarter two and three but the difference between the teams in the middle and up the top end of the ladder is exactly that. It’s four quarters of footy and something we struggled to do this year.When we get two or three quarters together, we usually can get enough scoreboard gap and then able to hold that but we’ve just got to learn to play four quarters.
On Chloe Molloy
“She’s still struggling a bit with her back. It’s not quite right and medical are looking at her now. It’s just one of those things. I’ve sort of got the policy, I think it’s hard because she’s such a good player and your coach had on you just want to play your good players and same as Sofia Hurley but it’s just not the right thing to do that if you get through, you want to have every player available to play finals and you’ve also got to trust your squad. We made the decision in the match committee that whatever the decision is, we’re going to just trust that if they’re not 100 per cent, the next person comes in and that’s just the way we want to do it.”
On Tasmania’s entry to the AFLW
“I think it’s important, the competition, that Tassie do get off to a good start. We’re all in it together I suppose. It’s shoes on the other foot for me now. With North Melbourne and now here I’ve been the beneficiary if you like of rules and list builds and I get it, I understand it but I think it’s through those experiences after the North Melbourne one we learnt that perhaps it needed adjusting to the next group of expansion clubs and it did and then vice versa and we came in there were a few things that the AFL realised that they needed to tidy up and so far in the talk that I’ve heard it sounds all fair and equitable in what they’re suggesting and what will be will be but clearly you’d love to hold all your players all the time but it’s no throwing the toys out of the cot. I think it’s just as long as it’s fair and equitable for everybody then it’s the main thing.”
On the importance of finishing on a high in front of a home crowd
“I think it’s tracking pretty well, and it’s going to be a beautiful day. Two teams that score highly so that should be very exciting and the experience at Henson is unique in the league and in sport in New South Wales with the hill and the food vans which we’ve talked about a fair bit but great coffee and a great experience, easy to get to from the train if you don’t want to drive and hopefully we get a few people here and cheer the girls on. They’re very eager so I think they’re going to give a good showing.”