Richmond AFLW coach Tom Hunter says it’s onwards and upwards for the AFLW Tigers.
The Tigers were unable to record a win in a season that was cut short, but will take key learnings from their first year in the league.
“What this has given us is an opportunity to reflect on our program and to take the learnings of our first year and implement them into 2021,” Hunter said.
“I’ve got no doubt that we’ll bring that fight, that spirit and come back bigger and better and stronger in 2021.”
“It is disappointing to finish off the year the way it did… but we understand there’s a bigger picture at play here and the health of our players and for society as well, so we completely understand and respect the decision."
It was a huge season of development for the young group, and Hunter said it was rewarding to see the Tigers grow and improve “not only from game to game but from session to session.”
“We had nine girls we drafted from the NAB League, and we (were) the youngest, most inexperienced list,” Hunter said.
“So, all those opportunities where they played a game of AFLW or trained at the standard of AFLW, is going to put us in really good stead for the future.
“We’re really looking to knowing what that level is now and looking to use that over the pre-season.
“We’ve identified things where we can grow, but we also want to pump up the things we did really well. We had so many highlights over the course of the season.”
Among all the highlights, the historic season opener against Carlton was a night Hunter will never forget.
“That first game running out, we didn’t know what to expect," he said.
But to see the Tiger Army really supporting our girls, the cheer squad, the banner, it was something special and something I’ll hold onto and cherish for a long time. I know our players, and staff and everyone involved in the program will as well,” he said.
Hunter also singled out Richmond’s Round 4 match against Geelong, where the Tigers fell short by 22 points but showed plenty of promise as they recorded their highest ever AFLW score of 45 points.
“The way we played really looked like the game style that we wanted to play and whilst we were able to do that in different games, that was the game when we put it together for a little bit longer,” Hunter said.
“It just showed the capability and the scope we’ve got to grow and to be better in the future.”
Importantly, Hunter was proud of his side’s ability to embody Richmond’s trademark fighting spirit, no matter what the score was.
“When we put this list together, we wanted to instil the fight of the Richmond spirit in the girls,” he said.
“Across all the games, their effort and intent to put defensive pressure on, or to turn up to support each other, that’s what Richmond is and that’s what it looks like.
“So, we’re really proud of their efforts and their endeavours…and we’re going to use that as our motivation to continue to be better in the future.”
