In the final instalment of 'Writing History', Monique Conti wraps up the Tigers' inaugural AFLW season...

Our first ever AFLW season has come to an end, and what a ride it’s been.

I’m so proud of our girls who made history this year.

It was disappointing to have such an abrupt end to our season, but it is what it is, and we know that what’s going on in the world at the moment is much bigger than footy. We hope everyone is staying safe in these challenging times

It was a year of so many firsts and there was so much to celebrate. We had debutants, we had milestones, history-making moments and we went through it all together as sisters. 

While there were some challenges along the way, there were so many highlights. I’ll never forget the atmosphere of Round 1 and the roar of the Tiger Army as we ran through the banner. It was such a historic moment for Richmond and for women’s football and it was incredible to be a part of.

Another highlight for me was our Round 4 game against Geelong. While we didn’t get the win, we looked so connected as a group on the field. Things flowed really well for us and we felt like we were at our best for longer patches in that game than we were all season. I think it was a taste of what’s to come.

Although we didn’t achieve as much success and we would have liked, the reality is, we had 20 players on our list who had never played a game of AFLW, so it was a big developmental year for us. It was a huge learning experience and we can only go up from here. We’ve laid a fantastic foundation for the years to come. 

The culture here at Tigerland really is second to none. When you walk into the Club, you just feel like a family. We are all so proud to be a part of the Richmond Women's program and to get to run out onto the field in the Yellow and Black.

We’re so lucky to have the support of all our staff here at Richmond, our loved ones, and of course, the Tiger Army. We always feel the Tiger Army’s support, whether it’s at a game, on social media, or just down the street in Richmond. They love footy, whether it’s men’s footy or women’s footy, and I think that’s really important. They’re the absolute best in the business.

We’ll be back bigger and better. We’re building something really special and I can’t wait to see what this group is capable of in 2021.