AFTER two near-misses for Melbourne’s AFLW team, coach Mick Stinear says his side is determined to take the next step in 2019.
The Demons finished third on the ladder in the first two AFLW seasons, but the group are desperate to make amends next year and win the club’s first premiership.
“We’ve got a core group of girls that have grabbed a hold of our team,” Stinear told Melbourne Media.
“They love being at the club, they want to see this group succeed and they’ve got a fierce determination.
“I think they’ll do very well.”
There was no finals series in the opening two years of the competition, with the top two sides playing off in the grand final.
But with the addition of two new teams, Geelong and North Melbourne, four sides will qualify for the finals next season, which could prove telling for the Demons.
“We’ll benefit from a finals system so we’re happy with that outcome,” Stinear said.
Melbourne has had inconsistencies in its performances over the first two years of the competition, providing areas for improvement in 2019.
“I think the first season we gradually built throughout the season and we finished really strongly,” Stinear said.
“Last year we were a bit up and down and that ultimately cost us a position in the top two.
“So in our third season we want to see a more consistent effort with the way we want to play and I definitely think we have the group to do that.”
The Demons have just begun their second week of pre-season training and Stinear says there has been significant growth from the players since the last AFLW match in March.
“It was good to be back on deck last week,” he said.
“We’ve had a few sessions now and the girls are raring to go.
“A lot of them have been working at their game over a period of time so it’s been a continual build to get to this point.
“But I think they’re happy to just be back at the club on a more permanent basis and everyone’s here together working towards a common goal.”
Melbourne’s first game of 2019 will be against Fremantle at Casey Fields on Sunday the 3rd of February.
