OLIVIA Purcell admits it’s hard not to go through the various scenarios that could see Geelong feature in the AFL Women’s finals in its first season in the competition.
The Cats sit atop Conference B, one game clear of Brisbane and Carlton, with two rounds remaining.
With the Blues to host the Lions this week, a win over Conference A finals hopefuls Fremantle would be enough for Geelong to ensure a preliminary final berth and have the Cats in the box seat to host the second-placed finisher from Conference A.
“I have been looking at the ladder a bit,” Purcell, who earned a Rising Star nomination for her Round 5 performance, said.
“Especially after winning against Brisbane, I was getting a bit excited.
“But, we’ve still got two more games to play, so we’ve still got to put in the hard yards for those ones.
“It is hard not to look ahead. You have a think about it, but then you try to stay in the present.”
A standout at underage level with the Geelong Falcons where she earned All-Australian selection and was named best-and-fairest in a premiership year, Purcell hasn’t put a foot wrong since joining the Cats.
She impressed as Geelong reached last year’s VFL Grand Final, putting her in good stead for her first AFLW season after being drafted with pick No.14.
The 19-year-old was outstanding against the Lions at Moreton Bay on Saturday, collecting 20 possessions, laying 10 tackles and kicking a goal.
“I think I’ve adjusted pretty well, and I think, to be honest, all the young girls in our team have adjusted really well,” Purcell said.
“It helps having the older girls around us to support us, and they’ve been really good with us.
“We’ve got a lot of role models in our group, not only the leadership group but older girls.
“I work a lot with the mids, so Rocky, who I’ve played with in the VFL, has been pretty good.
“And all the other girls have been good.”
Twitter: @tom_king79
