It had been a difficult past week to say the least for the GWS Giants. For some, the toughest of their professional careers.
Some home truths were in order, facing the reality of a record 96-point AFLW defeat to the Adelaide Crows. Plus the heat that came after.
Nicola Barr, one of the Giants’ leaders, has revealed some fascinating details around what the group did, internally, to correct the course. It worked; bouncing back to beat Carlton last Saturday 4.5 (20) to 1.6 (12).
“It was probably, from a personal point of view, the lowest week I’ve had in the AFLW,” Barr revealed on The Only Sports Show.
“We had a really challenging week last week and I really can’t express that enough.”
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Needing to change their mentality and structure going into the clash with Carlton, the Giants group underwent an intriguing honesty session to steer them back onto the right path.
Barr shared that the team needed a reality check internally to be able to put the past match behind them.
“We had almost a midseason review and split up into small groups and went back to our values and our behaviours,” Barr said.
“We gave ourselves a rating in small groups on those values and behaviours and what we think we are doing well and what we think we can work on.”
It’s the kind of detail that’s not normally available for fans.
She explained that these sessions honed in on training standards; more ‘intention’ in the way they approached training and conversations about their progress.
The team was challenged from top to bottom, pressed on how they would respond and making assurances that competing is a non-negotiable.
“When I say we were all challenged, that’s from our captain down to our newest player and it was all about checking why we are here,” Barr said.
“Successful teams set a really great vision but it’s not just the leaders that need to lead that vision, it is the followers.
“It’s about every single person on the team being on the same page to get towards the outcome we’re looking for.
“We (the playing group) don’t just want to be on an AFLW list, we want to be in a successful AFLW side.”
Barr expressed that the victory over Carlton was a great result of the work that they had done, without getting carried away.
“It is not a win that I’m going to go yahooing and celebrate around the streets about but I think for us it was such a great result to come back with.”
Nicola Barr labels Steve Price’s ignorant and uneducated AFLW criticism as ‘shattering and infuriating’
Nicola Barr exclusively revealed on Tuesday’s The Only Sports Show podcast that the most disappointing aspect of her side’s historic defeat was media commentator Steve Price’s uncalled for and divisive criticism of AFLW.
“It’s shattering and disappointing and infuriating to read articles like that,” Barr told Phil Prior and Jo Healy.
Price made some unwarranted and uneducated comments, claiming the AFLW was undeserving of the attention and funding it currently receives.
Female athletes were once again forced to carry the burden of defending their efforts, all while juggling their professional responsibilities along with day jobs.
“I know that the competition is quite uneven at the moment, but the only way for us to get better, to grow as footballers and learn to put on a really good performance is to invest in the game,” Barr stated.
“There are so many young girls playing AFL now that weren’t before and that’s because they can see that there is a pathway for them.
“Those young girls may be ten right now but in ten years time they will be 20 and they might be playing (in the AFLW).”
Personally for Barr it has been a hard week mentally, forcing her to stay clear of any social media.
“Given the loss we had just had against the Crows the week before I had just stayed off it (social media),” Barr said.
“There was no point in me reading something so negative when I’ve got to focus on how I come back against Carlton.”
The Giants will look to go back to back when they travel down to Melbourne this weekend to take on the fourth placed Magpies at Victoria Park on Sunday.
