Phoebe McWilliams says the high standard in AFL Womens shouldn’t surprise viewers

PHOEBE McWilliams was shocked at the overwhelming response to the AFLW’s opening weekend but not because of the huge response.

Phoebe McWilliams (left) with Jessica Dal Pos and Louise Stephenson were poached by GWS from Victoria. Picture: Adam Taylor

GWS Giants player Phoebe McWilliams was shocked at the overwhelming response to the AFLW during Round 1 last week, but not because of the huge response.

McWilliams, a priority pick from the St Kilda Sharks, has been playing Aussie Rules for a decade and said people shouldn’t be surprised women can play footy, as the long-running state leagues mean there were plenty of players ready to step to the national competition.

“It’s almost as if people would think we’re playing for the first time but I’ve been playing for 10 years,” McWilliams said.

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“It’s so interesting to see with all the marketing and publicity and aligning the game with the AFL code that it has created all this interest.

“I thought last weekend, ‘I can’t believe all these people are just discovering women’s footy for the first time because we’ve been doing it for so long’, though not at this level.

“But people are being able to find a team they can relate to, like having the Adelaide Crows, everyone was on the bandwagon over in Adelaide.”

Phoebe McWilliams in action for St Kilda Sharks. Picture: Hamish Blair

The Giants’ Round 1 match with the Crows didn’t return the result they wanted, going down 7.6 (48) to 1.6 (12).

McWilliams had something to be excited about, kicking the club’s first goal and the only one for the match.

“I didn’t think of [being the first] when I was going in for my shot on-goal but as soon as it happened, when I got off the field my phone was going nuts! I was like, ‘I just kicked a goal really’,” she said.

She said the intensity of their season opener surprised the team, but they will learn from that when they face Carlton — which includes her St Kilda teammates Brianna Davey and Tilly Lucas-Rodd — on Saturday at Ikon Park.

“It was pretty intense. I’ve never played in front of a crowd that large and the noise that came from them was a little bit overwhelming at the start but it settled down and we got used to it.

“There were quite a few skill areas [to be improved] and some were from myself and they were mainly due to nerves and being out on the big stage.

“I think that will calm down a bit this week when we play Carlton because we would have done it before.”

Originally published as Phoebe McWilliams says the high standard in AFL Womens shouldn’t surprise viewers