"WHAT I take away from it is our group is pretty literal."
Kerryn Harrington believes the group's ability to adapt and take on the message of Senior Coach Daniel Harford was a key reason for the weekend's victory, but there's still work to be done with a young, emerging group.
Harrington was the standout performer for the Game Changers in the 14-point victory, recording 23 disposals at 100 per cent efficiency to lead the Blues to their first win of the season.
Looking to overturn the disappointing result from Round 1, Harrington said the message throughout the week was getting more speed and flow into their offensive game. Echoing Harford's post-match sentiments, it was something the Blues were too excessive with early in the game.
The captain said it was all part of the learning process for the playing group.
"We were shown a lot of vision of us being stagnant and not having a lot of movement [in Round 1]... it had been an overcorrection this week. We probably overused the handball, particularly through the middle half of the ground," she said.
"But with a young group, we're learning. We're learning every day that we go to training.
"We're going to take a lot out of the weekend, in trying to find that sweet spot and coming into Round 3 against the Doggies. It's going to be pretty important."
Here's more of what Harrington had to say coming out of the weekend's win.
Overcoming the disappointment of Round 1:
"It was pretty deflating. It was a pretty big build-up to Round 1 given it's been quite a long pre-season for us, and it was extended as well.
"We had a point to prove coming out against the Cats, and it was a pretty strange preparation having a change of venue and opponent on a Thursday night before a Saturday game. I was pretty proud of the way the group was able to roll with the punches and be able to produce the performance we did."
The need to be on your toes in the ever-changing climate:
"It's been about having the resilience and agility to be able to change, with whatever is thrown in front of us. The weekend is a pretty good example of that.
"The group has done a great job: if this happened to us two or three years ago, it really would've thrown us. The way the world is at the moment, you've got to be ready to adapt and do the best you possibly can."
The changes in the AFLW competition:
"From a football sense, the thing we worked on the most was not relying on long, down-the-line kicks and play the territory game that the AFLW game has fallen into in the last few years.
"We've seen the way that a lot of teams are playing, taking the short 45 kicks and own possession across the back half to then be able to slingshot forward. That was probably something that we saw come to fruition better over the weekend than what we were able to do in Round 1."
Breaking an AFLW record:
"If I could go at 100 per cent for the rest of my career, I'd be pretty happy!
"As a defender, and particularly as a key defender, my focus tends to not be too much on how I used the ball, but trying to stop my opponent. It's something that I'm pretty happy with, to not waste a possession coming out of the back half."
SEN's own Andy Maher, is he a hindrance or a help?
"Gee I get this question a lot! No, he's definitely very helpful.
"He's a bit of a Carlton nuffie, so the passion he's got and the enthusiasm he brings to the group is awesome. You'd be hard pressed to find an AFLW supporter bigger than himself."
