Inside the locker room in Coffs Harbour on Saturday, Sydney Swans AFLW coach Colin O’Riordan gave a routine pre-game pep talk. He began by warning his team about getting complacent after winning their first two games of the season, instructed them to lookout for their teammates, but finished by telling them to play not just for this game, but for the bigger picture.
“There’s someone in the stand or there’s someone on TV looking at you, aspiring to be you,” he said. “Let’s give them something to f—ing aspire to later on today.”
The talk worked. The Swans AFLW team won their third consecutive game on Saturday, making them one of four undefeated teams this season, beating St. Kilda 38-15.
Their success follows what has been a troubling time for the club off the field.
On August 19, five Swans AFL players – James Jordon, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice and Nick Blakey – were stood down for breaching club standards for their actions earlier that week including drinking, staying out late and bringing women back to the team hotel. A separate police investigation into an alleged sexual assault is ongoing.
Back in Sydney for training on Tuesday, and in front of a slightly smaller crowd of reporters than the past few weeks, O’Riordan said he was proud of his team’s performance amid the increased attention.
“I’m loving this group. Their ability to show resilience in tough moments, whether it’s on-field or off-field, is something I’m incredibly proud of,” he said.
“And again, I’m a broken record for saying this, but I have immense pride for every single person, staff, and players in our program. I just think the way they conduct themselves on and off the field is incredible, and they’re incredible ambassadors for the club.”
But the women’s team’s culture, and O’Riordan’s insistence on playing for the next generation, predates Saturday’s talk, and any scandal.
“I think as a player, and I talk from experience, you don’t realise the impact you have on the next generation,” O’Riordan said. “Something I’ve really noticed since I’ve taken over the job is you see girls coming up to the likes of Chloe [Molloy] and Zippy [Fish], Mon Ham [Montana Ham], Ally Morphett, you saw it after the game. You see them wanting their autographs, and they know who they are, and they want to be these people.
“I think at times you get stuck in your head that you’re playing for you … or you’re playing for the coach. You’re actually not. You’re playing for the next generation of young female athletes who want to aspire to be something.
“Whether you like it or not, you are the role model, and that comes with a level of responsibility, and it’s just leaning into that a little bit to make them realise that you are actually pretty special, and what you’re doing is pretty cool.”
The Swans AFLW team will look to extend their streak when they play the Western Bulldogs in Melbourne on Saturday.
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