GWS’s AFL Women’s team is critical to club’s overall growth, coach Alan McConnell says

GWS AFLW coach Alan McConnell knows his team is having a huge impact both on and off the field for footy in western Sydney but he wants his players to understand that every moment matters in such a short season.

The time is now … but tomorrow is looking pretty damn good if you have Alan McConnell’s vision.

As the Giants prepare for their first home game of the AFLW season against North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos at Drummoyne Oval on Friday night, the coach is focused on growth. Growth in performance, growth in product and growth in participation.

He believes the club is in a position to achieve all on fronts. McConnell’s mantra is men need to perform to belong and women need to belong to perform.

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“I’m pretty passionate about it,” he tells The Daily Telegraph. “I’m very engaged in wanting the girls wanting to put on a good show and feel good about themselves and show people what they’ve got.

“I genuinely believe that both our netball and women’s football programs are integral to growing our club, particularly in this landscape in western Sydney. Perhaps that’s true more for our club than any other club.

GWS forward Cora Staunton celebrates a goal. Picture: Getty

“Does a women’s team give Collingwood an extra 5,000 members, probably not, but it has the potential to give us 5,000 more quite quickly.

“A third of the participants in AFL across the country are female — inconceivable five years ago, apart from those girls playing at the time. So it’s really quite extraordinary.”

With the regular season just seven games long the coach drums home the fact that every moment matters.

“If you look at last season, the difference between the team with most wins and seventh place was one game. So you can’t afford to muck too much up. You have a bad quarter at your peril. Everything is very condensed, which heightens everyone’s emotions and there’s a lot riding on every decision you make … or don’t make.”

Originally published as GWS’s AFL Women’s team is critical to club’s overall growth, coach Alan McConnell says