Port Adelaide AFLW senior coach Lauren Arnell says her team is as prepared as they possibly can be ahead of Sunday’s Round 1 clash with Fremantle at Alberton Oval. 

Speaking to the media at Alberton Oval, Arnell touched on what the side took away from the pre-season hit-outs, preparations for Round 1 against Fremantle, and Gemma Houghton’s milestone 75th game. 

Arnell on preparing for Fremantle 
“We’re as prepared as we possibly can be. You get more than enough lead into your Round 1 opponent (across the pre-season), so we're so excited that our first game is here at Alberton, and to be playing against Fremantle, who have always been a really good side, and a side we’re yet to beat, it is very exciting.” 

“I think you expect Kiara Bowers and Angelique Stannett to be as good as they've ever been. We've certainly seen them in form in their trial games. We’re looking forward to coming up against two very experienced players who have always been exceptional performers for Fremantle.” 

Arnell on the key takeaways from the pre-season hit outs 
“A big theme for us this year is around consistency, and how do we turn up when things are going really well for us, and also when things don't go so well for us. I think we had some nice reminders of that, particularly a week ago (in the pre-season game against Collingwood). We were really pleased with how we performed against the Crows two weeks ago. It's obviously a team, in the regular season, we're yet to beat, and the scoreboard was in our favour at the end of that game. Then, with different conditions and a different opposition style of game, we didn't see as much consistency against Collingwood as we would have liked. I also think there are some healthy and timely lessons out of that going into our season. We will largely lean into the fact that we've had a really strong pre-season, as you'd expect all teams to have had, and we’ve shown some strong form against oppo. We're excited for Fremantle now and for the four points on the table this week.” 

“I think it's (being consistent) got to be front of mind, and the biggest part of consistency is your processes. So, you can’t expect an outcome if you haven't worked towards all the processes day-to-day and week-to-week. That's a big part of my job this year – helping a really young group find a level of consistency. At any level of football, if you have a group as young as ours – I think we've got 22 out of 31 players who are 21 and under, and a couple of 22-year-olds – it's Julia Teakle’s birthday, she's 22 today – so we have to understand and be patient. Then there’s also a level of impatience in terms of how we apply our processes every day. It's going to be a nice test for us this year, particularly with another level of expectation externally after making a prelim last year. It’s good we performed well last year, and now it's a little test to not expect anything. You've got to work towards the outcomes that you're after.” 

Arnell on embracing expectation 
“We don’t really talk about it (external expectation). We worry about ourselves, and what we talk about internally is most important. It's up to everyone else externally to talk about what they think, and what they expect.” 

“I think the most important part of my role, and all of us internally at the football club, is that we focus on what's in front of us, and largely what we control is ourselves.” 

Arnell on the improved standard of AFLW 
“What I've found, certainly being involved day one in this league as a player – and I found it again this year as a coach – is the first day of pre-season gives you a really good handle on the standard. You get a really good idea from your draftees (form), and with the investment in the talent pathway now starting to pay off, you can see that. I think the best evidence is day one of pre-season from what I've seen over the last 10 seasons. I think the challenge of a short fixture is that some of the best footy that teams can play often comes later in the year, and you've seen that in the men's comp too.” 

Arnell on Indy Tahau’s return to AFLW 
“Indy has had more than enough time out of the game, and has worked really hard, particularly this year. She will be available for Round 1 selection, and she's been exceptional through this pre-season, particularly since she's been in full-contact training.” 

Arnell on Lauren Young’s first full-contact training 
“We're all so stoked for Lauren to be out there and completing full-contact training for the first time today. I know it's exciting for her, and it's a huge milestone in an ACL rehabilitation, but it’s also significant for our medical team, our staff, and the whole playing group. Onwards and upwards from here.” 

“I think it's around a month or so (for Young to be available for selection). Now that she's in full-contact training, you obviously need to go through some more progressions in the rehab. It's not just an instant click-your-fingers and be available, which we would all love, but we have to do it the right way.” 

Arnell on draftee Jas Sowden 
“All of our first-year players have been really good. I’m really pleased with how they’ve come into the footy club. Jas Sowden, a kid from Buchan, Victoria – not many people have been there. I used to live not too far from there, in Lakes Entrance, and it's a very, very long way from Adelaide. Jas has had an exceptional pre-season alongside her fellow draftees, and she'll certainly be in the mix this week for selection.” 

Arnell on Gemma Houghton’s milestone 75th game 
“It's so exciting that Gem is playing her 75th game here at Port Adelaide. She obviously supported the football club from afar, based in Perth as a younger person, and I think she's been an important player to the whole AFLW league. During her time at Fremantle, she was an absolute star of the competition and then had some significant challenges away from football. To back herself in and to move from Perth away from her family, and come here to Port Adelaide and start fresh and try something new with an expansion team in this competition – I think there's a fair legacy there for Gemma Houghton, and beyond her career, there'll be more for her. I'm very fortunate to be coaching her in her 75th game. She continues to be a very special person in our group. I love her maturity. She's very good at taking a joke, and so our players and our staff absolutely love Gem. She keeps such positive energy around the club, and while she still has some challenges away from footy, she has been a real mentor to a lot of our younger players.”