Star Richmond midfielder Monique Conti stood tall in the Club's 18-point Round 1 win over Collingwood, collecting 26 disposals, seven clearances and kicking a goal.
In a positive display across the board, Richmond nabbed its first win in their first game under new coach Jarrad Donders in front of an excited Tiger Army.
After the game, Conti spoke about the victory, the two debutants, veteran Katie Brennan and more.
On the output and game plan...
"It's always good to get a win, especially in Round 1. We go into the week a lot more confident. It's good to come out with the four points," Conti said.
"We had a good balance with getting speed on the ball, then controlling it in phases of the game. That's one thing that stood out. We locked the ball in our forward half quite a bit, which was another thing we wanted to do."
On improving ball use inside forward-50...
"Getting the ball in there is one thing, but it's now about getting the correct deliveries [inside-50] to get better connection with the forward line, knowing how deep we want to get the ball," Conti said.
"We've got to work on that connection and conversion, but we still got the win."
On debutants Baia Pugh and Olivia Wolmarans...
"They were unbelievable. Liv is a big, bold target. It's good to have her presence down there supporting Caitlin Greiser and having Gab Seymour roll through too," Conti said.
"Baia looks really sharp out there. She's great on the wing, drives her legs, is really fast and is good and clean at ground level too. They both fit in perfectly."
On Katie Brennan's 75th game and her impact on the game overall...
"We love Katie. Jarrad [Donders] touched on it plenty of times. She's a pioneer for AFLW in general. She's paved the way for people like myself," Conti said.
"She's an unreal person and the longest serving captain in the League. That speaks for itself. She's an incredible person, and to top it off with a goal in her 75th game makes it even more special."
On Charli Wicksteed's first goal and pre-season improvement...
"She's an incredibly dangerous player, she's been underrated for a few years and it's good to see her get some reward for effort," Conti said.
"I'm sure she's going to kick plenty of goals this season. She's so lively at ground level. She's agile from a hockey background. We're looking forward to seeing her go to another level throughout the season."
On taking momentum into Round 2 against the Bulldogs...
"We're definitely not complacent. We know we have to go up to another level, we weren't perfect. You can never be content," Conti said.
"We're going into this week focusing on the Doggies and refining our game. We're only just scratching the surface at the moment."
