AFLW 2024: Reinvigorated Sabrina Frederick has high hopes for Collingwood

Collingwood AFLW players are “bullish” that a coaching overhaul can deliver a similar meteoric rise to the men’s team.

Collingwood star Sabrina Frederick says the rise of the Magpies men under Craig McRae has inspired belief in what the AFLW side can achieve with a new coach at the helm in 2024.

The Magpies ruck said the atmosphere at the rebuilding club was “bullish”, with former North Melbourne player Sam Wright preparing for his first game in charge against Sydney in Friday night’s season opener.

Frederick, who has re-emerged as one of the competition’s top talls, said the Pies disagreed with the notion that they would have to take “a step backwards” before they could return to contention.

Collingwood split from coach Steve Symonds at the end of 2023 after missing the finals for the first time in his five-year tenure.

“We’re bullish – our counterparts in the men’s program, when Craig McRae came (in 2022), they turned things around in a matter of months,” Frederick said.

“We don’t feel like we need to take a backwards step at all – we have the list, we’re capable, we’ve got the talent, it’s just about putting the right pieces together out there.”

Collingwood star Sabrina Frederick says the Magpies see no reason why they can’t bolt up the ladder under first-year coach Sam Wright. Picture: Matt King / Getty Images

Frederick, 27, said a shift to day training had left her feeling rejuvenated on the eve of the season, along with hearing from a fresh voice in Wright.

“I feel how I felt at the beginning of my career, which is really nice,” she said.

“The timing of this pre-season probably could not have been better for me, really – not many players can say that almost a decade into their career.

“I’m a morning person, I get my workouts done early in general, so the daytime training has really helped with my efficiency and consistency in training, that’s been a major difference for me.”

Wright, who at 34 is the second-youngest current AFLW senior coach (third-year Giants coach Cam Bernasconi is 32), felt like the perfect fit for the Pies’ next chapter, Frederick said.

“He’s out there training with us, which is awesome. Most of our coaches are because they’ve

all played recently, so that’s been really great for our environment,” she said.

“Sam spent a lot of time in the AFLW program over at North, so he knew exactly how to run a women’s program. Although there are similarities to the men, it is different, so it was huge for us with him having that experience right off the bat.”

After an impressive first season as a full-time ruck, Frederick (left) says she’s ready to go to another level in her ninth AFLW campaign. Picture: Michael Klein

Frederick was an inaugural Brisbane player before spending two years at Richmond in 2020-21 on her way to Collingwood.

In the early seasons, rival coaches had to plan carefully how to counter her aerial dominance as a key forward when contested marks were at a premium.

She admitted to some apprehension when asked to move into a full-time ruck role by Symonds, but realised how much the position played to her strengths after a stellar 2023 where she trailed only All-Australian ruck Ally Morphett for hit-outs.

Frederick will go head-to-head with the Swans young gun for the first time in the North Sydney Oval clash.

“Having that clarity around my role means I can really dig deep into it as well and bring my own spin to the ruck … I feel like this season I’m actually going in thinking about how I can bring my strengths to the table,” Frederick said.

“I did enjoy playing as a forward in the past, but I actually find that this position suits me better and I love the strategy and the challenge behind it.

“There aren’t many players who can say they’re almost a decade in and they’re in that position where they’ve been reinvigorated and challenged – it’s so rare, so I’m super grateful.”

Originally published as AFLW 2024: Reinvigorated Sabrina Frederick has high hopes for Collingwood