Grand Final Memories on Repeat as Tigers Chases Back-to-BackFriday, February 10, 2023 - 8:43 AM

WAFLW Premiership coach Jack Schwarze has no concerns about complacency within his side heading into the 2023 season.

Claremont produced a stunning upset in last year’s decider at Revo Fitness Stadium, defeating the previously undefeated East Fremantle.

The result has turned the Tigers into the team to beat this season.

“The squad is connecting really well despite a large turnover from the premiership side.

They train well together and challenge each other to be better and it’s probably the closest I’ve seen this team and the best culture I’ve been a part of,” Schwarze said.

From a coaching perspective, Schwarze has no concerns about the motivation within the group.

“It’s a very hungry squad so there’s no complacency here.

We’re fired up and relishing the challenge of no longer being the underdog.

We have an internal philosophy around growth and constantly looking to improve which is driving everyone as much as the lure of going back-to-back,” he said.

Schwarze admits the Tigers have enjoyed re-living their Grand Final glory.

“More times than I can count in the few months after the Grand Final.

We held our pre-season camp on the weekend of the AFLW Grand Final and immediately after that put ours on again.

Since then, I’ve shifted my focus to what we need to do this season,” he said.

That includes finding chemistry with a squad that boasts many new faces.

“There’s no hiding the fact our “outs” list is longer than our “ins” with 6 players moving to the AFLW.

Players such as Ella Smith, Sasha Goranova, Mikayla Western, Emily Elkington, Madeleine Scanlon and Tessa Doumanis, as well as Brooke Hongell and Katherine Bennett moving back to West Perth.

Then there’s Mhicca Carter and Tayla Thorogood who’ve moved on from football.

But those holes have already been filled, mostly from within, whether its graduating Rogers Cup players to Reserves premiership players who’ve stepped up.

We’ve also welcomed Jayme Harken and Taylah Orzel to the club.”

A pre-season trip to Darwin has been used a launching pad for the upcoming season.

“We were invited by the NTFL to play their women’s representative team and jumped at the opportunity to face a side which had comfortably beaten two SANFLW sides in previous years.

The trip was about connection to each other, to land and sea, and to our gameplan and roles.

Using that as a measurement it was a successful trip,” Schwarze said.

Claremont hosts East Fremantle in a Grand Final re-match in Round 1 of the WAFLW season on Saturday March 11.