There will be no holding back in AFL women’s league, says Crows coach Bec Goddard

INAUGURAL Crows women’s coach Bec Goddard has vowed that her band of history-makers will play hard and fast.

Hard at it ... Adelaide co-captain Chelsea Randall Women's AFL — Adelaide Crows v Fremantle — Fremantle player Makur Chout and Crows player Chelsea Randall and Tayla Thorn.

INAUGURAL Crows women’s coach Bec Goddard has vowed that her band of history-makers will play hard.

“Whether we’ve won or lost the game we want the opposition to think that was hard,’’ Goddard said as her side prepared to play its first AFLW match against Greater Western Sydney at Thebarton Oval tomorrow.

“That doesn’t mean we want to go out and kill the opposition physically but it means that we are constantly at the contest, that we are prepared to do things that other teams aren’t.’’

Critics of women’s football have questioned just how physical the first AFLW season will be but Goddard says there will be no holding back.

Adelaide has used a “tackling and grappling’’ coach to teach its girls how to hurt the opposition and win the ball back off them.

“It’s one area in women’s football that we felt ... how we want to be remembered in our first season, that we are uncomfortable to play against,’’ Goddard said.

“To do that you’ve got to be able to be in the contest and be able to physically impose yourself on the game and do that legally, so that’s what we’ve gone about doing.’’

Goddard said the Crows had sowed the seeds for their aggressive approach in their trial match against flag favourite Fremantle in Darwin last month where they laid 56 tackles to 46 in the 22-point loss.

“The one thing you could take away from our game in Darwin is that we out-tackled Freo and were very happy with the way we physically imposed ourselves on the game,’’ she said.

“And I expect nothing but that and more this weekend.’’

Co-captains Chelsea Randall and Erin Phillips will set the tone with their physicality but Goddard said she expects toughness from every player.

“We’ve got the same standards that we expect across the board,’’ she said.

“We’ve got a trademark and their intent is to win the footy.’’

Brilliant and tough Randall, who notes football is “a contact sport’’, already has been given a “please explain’’ by the match review panel for a couple of tackles against the Dockers.

Speed is Adelaide’s other trademark, with Goddard saying “I’m a big fan of going with speed’’.

“We expect to be fast, we’ve got the intention to be fast, and you will see that this weekend,’’ she said.

The Crows will start warm favourites against the Giants, who are a $21 outsider for the first AFLW premiership.

Adelaide sits sixth on the line of flag betting at $8.

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Originally published as There will be no holding back in AFL women’s league, says Crows coach Bec Goddard