Richmond AFLW coach Ryan Ferguson says his side will learn a lot from their outing against a high-quality opposition in Fremantle.
After an initial arm-wrestle on Saturday at the Swinburne Centre, it was the final quarter that separated the two sides, as the Dockers piled on five goals in the final quarter to run away with a 30-point win.
"It was a hard one to get your head around because it was a hell of a game for three quarters," Ferguson said post-match.
"(But) they definitely were able to puncture through us and get a run on in the last quarter.
"We were structurally put to the test when Harriet (Cordner) went down, and we had a couple of others underdone from AFL Health and Safety Protocols throughout the week that needed lots of rotations.
"So, it was a huge effort from our players."
Importantly, Ferguson said he was pleased with the Tigers' drive to dig deep until the final siren had sounded.
"They really fought it out and in the end, a really good team got their teeth stuck into us for a patch of time where we just couldn't hold them up for any longer," he said.
"We take a lot out of being able to head to head with them for a long patch of time...I know we didn't want to concede those (fourth-quarter) goals, but to still fight and scrap a goal late and stick to task and not pack it in...you always want the win, but they did a hell of an effort."
Showcased by their ability to score against classy oppositions in recent weeks, Ferguson said the Tigers were starting to find the right balance with their ball movement.
"We're really happy that we've got a brand where we feel if we get the mix right, we can score, and we can score against good teams," he said.
"The ability to put the score on the board is great, we just want to concede a few less."
Cordner did not take further part in the game after injuring her knee in the second quarter, with scans having since confirmed the key defender and vice-captain has ruptured her ACL.
"It's tough for all of (the team) right now," Ferguson said.
"They're a really well-connected group and to lose Harriet in that way...(but) they're still so resilient.
"This group is full of character, and we've got some big challenges ahead of us, it's not going to be easy, but we're building something they can all see."
