Geelong will embrace the challenge before it this Saturday as it looks to earn its way into the VFLW finals, according to star midfielder Charlotte Simpson.
Last weekend, the Cats' loss to Collingwood placed them in a shaky position as they enter the final week of the season. Simpson said that more pressure will be needed this Saturday to finish in front of the Williamstown Seagulls and gain a spot in the finals.
“Definitely in a few of our games we’ve waited until the second half or even the last quarter to kind of get going, and in some of those games we’ve been lucky enough to get in front by a point or two, but I think this week it’s important for us to really start from the start and play a consistent four quarters,” Simpson said.
“I think just if we keep playing the way we want to play we could be a really strong team, because the fixture is so close its anyone’s game at the end of the day.
“We’re definitely capable of winning this Saturday and going deep in finals but we just need to stick to what we’ve already been learning."
Simpson, who joined Geelong’s VFLW list at the start of this year, has made a positive impact in her role carrying her form across the season with a consistent approach on the ground.
The 19-year-old has had the opportunity to play alongside experienced AFLW players in the likes of Chloe Scheer and Renee Garing, gaining rewarding skills which she aspires to take on across her football career.
“You’ve got girls in there like Chloe Scheer who hunt a contested footy, which is pretty similar to what I do,” Simpson said.
“I’ve been able to be that outside player and kind of trust that she’s going to win that to learn a bit of a different role, so I think that’s helped me to adapt to situations where I don’t always have to be the one going to get the ball. Instead, I can hold out."
Simpson’s highlight of the season was getting selected to play in the All-stars game at Marvel Stadium earlier this month, where she was named one of the best on field.
“I was very nervous going into it, but also very honoured to have been chosen, because there’s only 22 or so girls that are chosen for that team. So it was a big honour to have been recognised for the footy that I’ve been playing,” she said.
“We only met the girls that we were playing with that day. It was obviously hard to play in a team with a bunch of girls you don’t know, but it was a very exciting experience getting to play on Marvel, and being a curtain raiser for an AFL game.
“(I'm) just trying to keep playing consistently to try and get into teams like that, and then hopefully pursue that and then getting onto an AFLW list."
Geelong will take on the Williamstown Seagulls at DSV Stadium this Saturday, with first bounce at 10am.
