Carlton coach Daniel Harford admits his AFLW team had to learn how to win

Carlton had to learn how to win again. It took over a year to do, but once they did — under coach Daniel Harford — the Blues find themselves in finals contention less than 12 months after claiming the AFLW wooden spoon.

Carlton players celebrate their win over Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

Carlton had to learn how to win again.

It took over a year to do, but once it did — under coach Daniel Harford — the Blues find themselves in finals contention less than 12 months after claiming the AFLW wooden spoon.

Sunday’s 16-point defeat of Brisbane propelled Carlton to the top of Conference B and in the box seat to play in the competition’s first preliminary final weekend.

MATCH REPORT: SPEED KILLS AS BLUES RUN RIOT

KEY GAMES: AFLW NEEDS MORE FOOTY AT MARVEL

The team’s Round 3 win over Greater Western Sydney was its first in 372 days, and Harford said a mindset shift was a vital component to ensuring the club ever recovered from the drought.

“The players were quite anxious about that from within, and we spoke about that openly,” the coach said.

“We needed to deal with that mindset, because if that is the one that lasts through the season, you can’t progress.

Daniel Harford says the Blues had to look forward, not back. Picture: Getty Images

“So we needed a positive outcome to break that cycle, and it was well publicised that it was over a year since we’d won a game.

“You need a positive outcome to break the cycle so you can start to reset your goals and refocus on what you can do, as opposed to worrying about what you’ve done.”

Harford said the team — which finished at the bottom of the AFLW ladder in 2018 with just two wins — had to “worry about what’s in front, not what’s behind”.

“If the behind is really bad and it’s negative, sometimes it’s hard to let go of that,” he explained.

He said that while the team shook the monkey from its back in Round 3 of this year and then lost the following week, it had instilled a belief in what the team would be able to achieve — perhaps even in coming weeks.

“We grew really strongly … to the point that we know we can achieve things,” he said.

Blues players celebrate after defeating Brisbane. Picture: Getty Images

“Now what that is in the end of the day, we don’t know. But are we better? Yeah, absolutely. And that’s a positive.”

The Blues face the Western Bulldogs on Sunday in the AFLW Pride Game to cement their finals berth, with rookie Chloe Dalton — an Olympic gold medallist in Rugby 7s — determined to sustain a level mentality despite the opportunity.

“Looking back, even in week one, I remember Harf sitting down and saying ‘it’s no different to any other game … week one is just as important as the last round of the season’,” she said.

“I know that’s something that — particularly being quite new to the game — I find it really calming, the fact that every single week it’s the same amount of pressure and I think that really helps us as a group.”

Originally published as Carlton coach Daniel Harford admits his AFLW team had to learn how to win