GWS Giants star Phoebe McWilliams loving life after settling back in Sydney

AFTER a “challenging” first season in Sydney, emerging GWS forward Phoebe McWilliams is back — and thriving. The Giants star tells ELIZA SEWELL what has made a difference for her, and her team.

GWS Giant Phoebe McWilliams is an Elwood local.

So when she moved north ahead of the first AFLW season, lodging with four other players in a house near Bankstown, in western Sydney, it was a bit of a shock.

“It was challenging,” McWilliams said.

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“Not only moving to a different state, but also playing in a new competition.

“Leaving family, leaving friends, I got quite homesick.”

So this season when the 32-year-old freelance journalist moved back to NSW in November ahead of the pre-season, she found her own pad in Cronulla.

Phoebe McWilliams and Giants teammate Rebecca Privitelli celebrate a goal against Melbourne in the opening round. Pic: Getty Images

She has the beach and good coffee nearby, some chooks and cats and she doesn’t find the 45-minute drive to training inhibiting.

“I sort of mirrored what I do at home, up here,” she said.

“I’m just a lot happier outside of footy. I’ve just got so much more energy to take to footy rather than being homesick and a bit drained.”

And her football is certainly flourishing.

McWilliams kicked three goals in Round 1, putting her at the top of the goalkicking table alongside another power forward, Western Bulldogs captain Katie Brennan.

The input of a running coach she hired at her own cost in the off season has made a big difference to the 178cm forward’s mobility.

“I saw a lot of my friends, like Jassy Garner, put in that work and I saw the reward,” she said.

McWilliams starred with three goals against the Dees. Pic: Getty Images

“When I got home I thought I really need to work on my fitness, so I employed a running coach, which is probably the smartest thing I ever did.

“He just went through my technique with me and I knocked a minute and a half off my 2k time trial when I came back up to Sydney.”

McWilliams has been a stalwart at the St Kilda Sharks and was snapped up by GWS as one of three Victorian priority picks before the inaugural round of player drafts.

The Giants finished bottom last year — McWilliams kicked seven goals — winning just a single game.

But after a close loss to flag favourite Melbourne last Saturday, the Giants look a different side.

McWilliams puts the transformation down to new coach Alan McConnell, who replaced ex-Swans player Tim Schmidt.

McConnell has 30 years experience in football including playing (37 games for Footscray), coaching (he was the last coach of Fitzroy before it merged with Brisbane and he also led the AFL Academy’s high performance program) and administration (he’s also director of coaching at GWS) and McWilliams said it had proved invaluable.

“The majority of it is down to the coach,” she said.

“He’s created this sense of calm with his leadership. It’s just given everyone a whole heap of confidence, knowing that we’ve got someone in charge that is really comfortable and in control.

“He’s the most unique coach I’ve ever had. In terms of game plan, I think he’s just kept it really simple with us. He didn’t over complicate it.”