Richmond defender Phoebe Monahan is thrilled to have been part of some yellow-and-black history but says now it’s time for the Tigers to get down to the serious business of winning AFLW games.
Monahan was one of Richmond’s best players in the club’s first-ever AFLW match, a season-opening 34-point loss to Carlton in front of more than 15,000 fans at Ikon Park.
With that landmark match consigned to the record books, Monahan says the focus has quickly turned to round two against Gold Coast.
“We’ll always remember it as a really big night and a special thing to be a part of,” she told AAP.
“Our intensity was there but we didn’t get to play our way much because we were chasing Carlton most of the night and that’s a credit to them.
“We’re actually in a good spot moving forward because everyone knows what the benchmark is now.
“We learned a lot from it but now we’re just setting our sights on the Suns.”
Monahan earned a spot in the AFLW team of the week after she had a team-high 14 possessions and laid eight tackles in her first appearance since crossing from Greater Western Sydney, where she had played 10 matches in two seasons.
The 26-year-old, who is a qualified carpenter and a sapper in the Australian army, jumped at the chance to return to her home state when the opportunity arose.
Her role with the army has also allowed her to get well-acquainted with the historic home of the Tigers at Punt Road Oval while it underwent renovations.
“The army has a partnership with Richmond and the builder here had a lot of work on,” Monahan explained.
“The job I’m currently posted to is more of an office job so they were happy for me to get out here one or two days a week to maintain my skills on the tools.
“We pulled out and replaced the spa, we built decking around all of the demountable (buildings) and there was lots of tearing down walls and moving around offices.
“I would finish doing that, head to the changerooms, have a change of uniform and get into training.
“(Both parties) were really accommodating and I’m really thankful for the opportunity.”
Richmond will face Gold Coast, who suffered a one-point loss to the Giants in round one, on Saturday evening at Metricon Stadium.
