The GIANTS’ AFLW pre-season got underway on Monday afternoon with the playing squad taking part in a training session at the WestConnex Centre.
Under the watchful eye of new Head Coach Alan McConnell the GIANTS completed a 2km time trail, skills session and gym session as preparations for the 2018 NAB AFLW competition clicked into gear.
Midfielder Phoebe Monahan, the GIANTS’ fourth pick in last month’s NAB AFLW Draft, made a solid first impression, finishing first in the 2km time trial pipping last year’s fastest finisher Nicola Barr.
New recruits Melissa Freckleton and Maddie Boyd finished equal third while inaugural GIANT Rebecca Beeson finished closely behind, rounding out the top five.
McConnell said he was pleased by the training standard that the group brought with them to day one.
“It’s quite overwhelming really the energy that they bring and the excitement that they have, but we’ll see what they’re like in February or March,” he said with a laugh.
“I was pleased with the intensity of the skills session, we’re not going all out at this stage in terms of length of kick and speed but when they were around the ball they had great intensity and energy.
“I’m okay with mistakes if that’s the intensity we’re training at, so I thought we had the exact start that I’d wished for.”
While McConnell wasn’t directly involved in the GIANTS’ inaugural AFLW preseason campaign, he said there have been many lessons learned from last year.
“We got to Christmas last year and had about six or seven girls left on the track, which wasn’t ideal,” he said.
“We’ve got a few that have missed tonight so the intention is to add to the group, not subtract from it as a result of what we are doing.
“It’s a big challenge for us when your preseason is eight weeks long is how far can you go and how quickly can you get there on the back of the fact that a lot of them have been playing football continuously for the past 12 months.”
The GIANTS’ start their 2018 NAB AFLW season against Melbourne at Casey Fields on Saturday, February 3 before playing their first home game at Drummoyne Oval when they play Carlton on Friday, February 9.
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