MELBOURNE will be fielding an unchanged side for a second consecutive week as it looks to challenge the undefeated North Melbourne on Sunday afternoon.
The Demons are coming off back-to-back victories and are looking to carry that momentum into their clash with the Kangaroos at Casey Fields.
Midfielder Cat Phillips is looking forward to getting back out onto the field in Round 4 as her side continues to enjoy playing together in 2019.
“You can tell when we’re out there having a good time together and really loving the group and caring for each other, that’s when we’re playing great footy,” Phillips told Melbourne Media.
“So that’s been a key focus the whole way through and I think the coaching staff and the off-field staff all put a lot of emphasis on that – helping us get to know each other and really caring about each other when we’re out there.”
The 27-year-old debuted for the Demons in Round 1 of 2017 but says she is enjoying her time at the club now more than ever.
“I’m loving this season,” Phillips said.
“I think the way the group is playing has been really good for including the whole team.
“We probably have a more even contribution on gameday from everyone which I’ve been loving.
“I’ve probably found my role in the team a little bit better and on a personal level I’m just having a great time running around out there.”
As the Demons prepare for this week’s crucial match-up, Phillips said the unchanged team is in a very good position.
“On the one hand it’s really great to keep the same girls in the group each week, but on the flip side of that we’ve got nine girls who haven’t been in the team each week that are pushing up,” she said.
“They’re performing really well each week as well, so I think that competitive environment is a really good thing for the girls that are in the team to know that you’ve got to keep performing well each week.”
The Kangaroos currently sit on the top of the table in Conference A with three wins from their three games, but Phillips isn’t too concerned about what the opposition are doing.
“We generally try to focus more on what we’re doing and playing to our game style,” she said.
“Obviously we’ve had a look at the things they’re good at and the areas we think they’re vulnerable, but on the whole the focus has been internal and looking at our strengths and what we can do to take advantage of them.”
With just four matches remaining in the AFLW season, this week’s home game is as important as ever, and Phillips is confident with the form her team is in.
“We’re really happy with the contested footy that we’ve been playing – it’s exactly what we want,” she said.
“We’re feeling confident that if we come out and keep playing that type of footy then we’re going to have fun and keep performing well.
“At the same time, we know there’s always room for improvement and we’re still continually looking to develop and focus on the areas we can get better.”
