As Richmond embarks on its inaugural AFLW season, the players will be taking Tiger fans on the journey with them as they share their experiences. Today, ruck/utility Gabby Seymour reflects on the Tigers' final pre-season hit-out...

Ten days to go!  

Our pre-season is now officially ticked off. I was so proud of our practice match performance on Sunday, it was really promising to round out our pre-season campaign in style with a win over the Eagles. It was a huge improvement from the week prior and the experience prepared us well for Round 1.

The clash was a valuable opportunity to test ourselves against another expansion side, a team that is in exactly the same position as us. The Eagles brought plenty of talent but I felt like we showcased a really special connection between our team that outshone our opponent, and that was something that continued to develop from the week before.

While each hit-out has helped build on our connection, I think what we do off the field has also played a big part in our strong team morale. We spend so much time together and we genuinely enjoy each other’s company.

All in all, I think the final hit-out gave us a good indication of where the team is at and a confidence boost for Round 1. To have been able to get a win against another AFLW side, that’s a positive, no matter what time of the year it happens.

It was so exciting to see a couple of our girls come off the rehab list on Sunday and get involved. After not playing since the conclusion of the 2019 AFLW season, I loved seeing Christina Bernardi back out there, she absolutely smashed it. And of course, having Lauren Tesoriero back in action was awesome. She had an impact for the moment she took to the field, with the first centre clearance and two handballs in her opening minute!

Phoebe Monahan led the backline admirably. It was also great to see some of our draftees rise to the occasion, particularly Sarah Sansonetti, who really showed what she is capable of. It’s fantastic to see the development of those younger girls as we look towards Round 1. I don’t envy the selectors! 

As a new addition to the backline, I feel like I’ve learnt important lessons in each hit-out, and that’s what practice matches are for! I’m loving being a part of our 'back pack', we have an awesome group of defenders. Something we really emphasise is celebrating the little wins, because there’s not too many goals down in the backline! So, we make sure to celebrate someone laying an awesome tackle or a spoil. I feel we are all really happy for one another to succeed, which is a wonderful quality to have.

I’m continuing to enjoy my time in the ruck as well.

It’s crazy to look back to this time last year when I was just learning to kick a football. It’s certainly been a whirlwind 12 months year but I’m loving every moment.

There’s obviously a big increase from VFLW to AFLW in terms of the skill quality and the speed of the game. But all our coaches are super encouraging and there are plenty of others who are also new to the level, so I don’t feel like I’m on my own by any stretch. I’m also lucky to have such a supportive group of girls around me to help guide me though.

It will be good to get another couple of training sessions under our belt over the next week and a half. We’ll tidy up some little things from the practice game and continue to make sure we’re as prepared as we can be to give it a real crack next Friday.

It’s all starting to feel pretty real, I’m so excited for the season to start. While the practice matches came around pretty quickly, at the same time, I do feel like we’re ready for Round 1. It’s a good position to be in. Our first AFLW game and we’re playing in the season opener, you can’t ask for more than that!

Visit our game day hub for all information on the season opener against Carlton at Ikon Park on Friday, Feburary 7.