Damien Hardwick among Tigers to check in with struggling skipper Katie Brennan
It has been a tough week for Richmond skipper Katie Brennan but the Tigers are wrapping their arms around her. Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick was among those to check in.
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Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick reached out to Katie Brennan last week as the Tigers wrapped their arms around their struggling AFLW captain.
Hardwick called Brennan after the postergirl’s underwhelming start to the season was dissected on the back of her plunging down Champion Data’s player rankings.
Brennan, 27, kicked one goal from 14 disposals on Sunday as premiership fancy North Melbourne smashed the Tigers by 50 points.
“It certainly was a difficult week (for Brennan), but we wrap our arms around Katie,” coach Tom Hunter said.
“That’s just internally in terms of the girls and the players and the staff, but also the wider footy club.
“Dimma touches base with her, Livo (football performance boss Tim Livingstone) touches base with her. We really want to make sure she feels really well supported and I thought she played her role today.”
Former Western Bulldogs co-captain Ellie Blackburn said Brennan had slipped and urged the Tigers to return her to attack.
“Richmond probably haven’t got the most out of her as what they would’ve liked to,” Blackburn said.
The Tigers have reprogrammed Brennan into a midfielder but Blackburn said she’s “the best hit-up forward in the competition”.
Tiger teammate Phoebe Monahan said: “We love Katie. She’s a great leader for the club on and off the field and we’ll support her through thick and thin.”
Roos coach Scott Gowan was “super worried” that Brennan would bounce back.
“We mentioned it before the game,” Gowan said.
“From the perspective of making sure she’s manned up, not letting her get running chains of footy, if she got a possession not let her double-up and get the hands back, that sort of thing.
“From a football lover I hope she just remembers she is a superstar, and it will turn for her at some stage.”
The Tigers are 0-3 but football manager Neil Balme and Livingstone, who sat in the coach’s box on Sunday, reminded Hunter that Hardwick took until Round 10 to get his first victory back in 2010.
“Livo’s looking at it and going, ‘Yep, this is what we were doing at that time, this is what you’re doing’ and noting similarities,” he said.
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“We’d like to get a win this season, because Round 10 for us might be next year. We’ll continue to encourage the girls.”
Gowan was happy with the current eight-round season – even though three losses means missing finals – but called on the AFL to shift the season out of summer when it expands.
“It would be ideal to marry the VFLW up with AFLW, so players that aren’t selected get an opportunity to play (VFLW) and show their worth,” he said.
“Ideally, if we could go a little bit later just to get the heat (down).”
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