AFLW State of Origin 2017: Emma Swanson says players knowledge of each other will produce good footy

GIANTS marquee Emma Swanson is looking forward to running out for the Allies as fans can expect a high level contest when the best from the AFLW feature in this weekend’s Origin match.

Giants Emma Swanson during Women's AFL match GWS Giants v Melbourne at Blacktown. Picture. Phil Hillyard

FANS can expect a high level contest, similar to what they’ve seen in previous exhibition matches, when the best from the AFLW take to the field for this weekend’s Origin match.

Giants marquee Emma Swanson will run out for Allies alongside teammates Erin McKinnon and Renee Tomkins, and said the familiarity the players now have is certain to deliver another cracking match when they take on Victoria.

“Thanks to the two exhibition games that we’ve had in the last two years and the AFLW we know each other fairly well,” Swanson said.

“I don’t think looking at the list that there’s one girl where I’d say I don’t really know her. I either know how they play or know them personally.

Giants Emma Swanson during Giants v Melbourne at Blacktown. Pic: Phil Hillyard

“I think it will be a really close one. Looking at the list it’s pretty evenly spread. We’re lucky that Kate Brennan was born in Queensland, she’s on the Allies. It’s pretty exciting.”

With the first season of AFLW a runaway success in popularity and public interest, Swanson said it can only get better now the players have been exposed to the professionalism and know what to expect.

Swanson’s Giants finished the inaugural season with the wooden spoon but she said players are already working hard for 2018 in a committed bid to put more wins on the board.

“We’re (GWS) definitely not there to make up numbers,” she said.

Swanson tackles Nicola Barr during last year’s women’s All Star match. Pic: Michael Klein

“We were happy with how the season went but I definitely think that 2018 will be a bit different, we’ll be wanting to win on the board and probably won’t be just happy with close enough is good enough kind of efforts.”

The West Australian said she was surprised with how mentally taxing the first edition of AFLW was, but it has served to make her more prepared as they approach the pre-season.

“For me personally, the first year it was a real overwhelming feeling where we were just happy to go out and play some good footy and play together,” Swanson said.

GWS are out to win next season. Pic: Sarah Reed

“I just look at how prepared physically (we had to be) and we’d just never been through that amount of training or how mentally draining it is as well.

“We’d never experienced that before. I was exhausted by the time the season rolled around. I know this year, in this off season, I’ve tried to put in the hard yards and worked with a lot of the other girls so that when the season does roll around we can cope with the load and we’re not putting up with niggly injuries or we’re not mentally drained by round one.

“The professionalism will grow tenfold on what it was last year. The whirlwind of the first season is out of the way now and it’s almost like we’ve gotten over that little hurdle we can now get down to business and that’s definitely what it feels like at the Giants.”

Moana Hope has been called in to the Victoria side. Pic: Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Victoria v Allies AFLW Origin: Saturday September 2, Etihad Stadium.

Victoria

Sarah Perkins (Adelaide), Kaitlyn Ashmore (Brisbane), Lauren Arnell, Brianna Davey, Alison Donnie, Sarah Hosking, Nicola Stevens (Carlton), Steph Chiocci, Jasmine Garner, Jamiee Lambert, Sarah D’Arcy, Moana Hope (Collingwood), Kara Donnellan (Fremantle), Jess Dal Pos, Alicia Eva (GWS), Karen Paxman, Daisy Pearce, Melissa Hickey, Lily Mithen (Melbourne), Ellie Blackburn, Emma Kearney, Lauren Spark (Western Bulldogs).

Allies

Chelsea Randall, Ebony Marinoff, Courtney Cramey, Stevie-Lee Thompson (Adelaide), Sabrina Frederick-Traub, Emily Bates, Emma Zielke, Jess Wuetschner, Kate McCarthy, Leah Kaslar, Sam Virgo (Brisbane), Tayla Harris (Carlton), Emma King (Collingwood), Ebony Antonio,Kirby Bentley, Dana Hooker (Fremantle), Erin McKinnon, Emma Swanson, Renee Tomkins (GWS), Elise O’Dea, Bianca Jakobsson (Melbourne), Katie Brennan (Western Bulldogs).

Originally published as AFLW State of Origin 2017: Emma Swanson says players knowledge of each other will produce good footy