Adelaide coach Bec Goddard is unafraid of bullying tactics as the Crows defend AFLW title

WHY physicality and bullying won’t worry the Crows in the AFLW.

Erin Phillips gets a kick away in the 2017 grand final. Picture: Michael Willson/Getty Images

PREMIERSHIP coach Bec Goddard has warned opposition teams the Crows will respond firmly to the expected attempts to rattle them with physicality and bullying as they begin their premiership defence in a grand final rematch against Brisbane at Norwood Oval.

Fremantle got a taste of how Adelaide is likely to be targeted this season as the reigning champion — by trying to put off its game — but Goddard is confident the players are prepared for the tactic.

“Our girls have actually been really focused on bringing that level of uncomfortableness to the game,” Goddard said. “That won’t change — you’ll see that in Crows football this year.

“We saw in Darwin in our practice match two weeks ago Fremantle did try to bring a bit of that bullying tactic to us and I think we’re really comfortable that we can actually just concentrate on the footy and do what we can to make them uncomfortable too.”

Goddard has also implored her players to forget about last season and look to improve in 2018.

It’s a way to deal with the expectation of another good year head-on.

“We’ve been really focused on looking forward, not looking back,” Goddard said. “We’ve had a real focus during the off-season on, ‘Why can’t we?’

“It's a bit of an open-ended question.

“Why can’t we do extras? Why can’t we run faster? We can’t we kick further? Why can’t ‘Perko’ (Sarah Perkins) kick another 10 goals.

“Why can’t Erin (Phillips) play even better than she did last year?

“We’ve all had our little goals that we’ve been working towards so we’re all better and I can’t wait to see how the girls do on Saturday night.”

Originally published as Adelaide coach Bec Goddard is unafraid of bullying tactics as the Crows defend AFLW title