MOST people might not describe a 69-point loss in their debut game as awesome.
While there’s no doubt father-daughter selection Meg Robertson was disappointed in the team’s loss, she was still grateful to get her opportunity at the highest level.
“It was such an awesome experience,” Robertson said.
“It was a tough game to come into, but honestly, I think it was so good coming in that sort of pace straight off the bat and knowing what to expect from now on.
“'Baptism of Fire’ I think is what they’ve been calling it – could be a bit of a blessing in disguise.”
Taken with pick 31 in the 2023 NAB AFLW Draft, the former Dandenong Stingray relished the opportunity to follow in her father Ben’s footsteps at Carlton Football Club, describing the lead-up to last Wednesday night as “the longest day of her life”, but also feeling like a kid on Christmas day.
“I cried in the car on the way in – I just cry happy tears in the car all the time. I even cried after Brisbane won the Grand Final,” she said.
“I just get so happy for people, like this is what they’ve worked towards for their whole lives, and they’ve achieved that. So I had a moment like that for myself on the way to the game on Wednesday.
“Running through the banner I was like, “oh my God”. I nearly cried again but I was like ‘oh no, I can’t break down in public’.”
While Robertson was able to back up her debut performance with a second match last Sunday against Port Adelaide, she also had the opportunity to spend more time in the midfield in the absence of co-vice captain Abbie McKay.
“I definitely felt a lot more at ease,” she said.
“I guess that could be an experience thing or the opposition we were playing, but I definitely felt a lot more comfortable the second time around. Hopefully will continue to go in that direction.”
The 19-year-old credits her feeling of calm on the field to having player-coach Jess Dal Pos by her side.
“Especially on the field, I think having ‘Dal’ there in that role is so calming and reassuring giving you feedback, and it makes you want to do it again,” she said.
“She’s always the first one to come up and give me a high five and tell me like, ‘such great stoppage work’ or ‘well done, great kick’.”
Dal Pos stepped into her new role as player coach in the pre-season following from serving as co-vice captain in the previous two seasons.
While she says it hasn’t changed the way she views the game, she does admit it has changed the way she delivers feedback to her teammates.
“I understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of feedback from a coach, so it has changed the timing and the way I give feedback to a player,” Dal Pos said.
“My job right now is to pass on knowledge and develop, so coming in and smashing people is not how you get there – not that that’s what I do when I coach.
“I’ve had a few responses from people where they’ve just sort of flourished a little bit with that pat on the back, so I think that I need to put more of that in the way I approach coaching.
“People like feedback and people like to be told that they’re seen and heard and valued.”
