GREATER Western Sydney coach Cam Bernasconi admits some of his seasoned players were angered by comments made by Sydney coach Scott Gowans ahead of last week's derby.
The Swans ultimately prevailed by five points courtesy of an inspired comeback for their first ever AFLW win.
Ahead of the clash at North Sydney Oval, Gowans said the Giants were the worst performing of the inaugural clubs and pointed to their constant coaching changes as a reason why his side can leapfrog them locally.
Gowans' comments were backed up by his team come the final siren, but they haven't yet been forgotten by their rivals from the other side of the city.
"I don't really buy into it but absolutely there are a few players who have been here for the last eight seasons that took offence to it," Bernasconi said.
"We're the inaugural club in New South Wales and it was pretty hard seven years ago to get AFLW off the ground and we had some challenges. It is what it is. If we play them again in the finals or next year, we'll let the footy do the talking," he added.
The Giants have spent the last two days reflecting on how they let the derby slip from such a winnable position of four goals up late in the third term.
Bernasconi is mindful of such an impactful loss weighing on his players.
'It's such a short season that you can't hang up on the emotion of losing for too long," he said.
"We just broke down a bit with our system late in the third quarter which opened the door for the Swans and having (Chloe) Molloy kick that goal late brought the crowd into it and momentum was then with the Swans."
"We just went away from the way we want to play and our system. I think the girls have real clarity on what to do now and when momentum starts to swing," he added.
The Giants face a tough task in their attempt to bounce back when they face premier Melbourne at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Sunday.
But they'll be buoyed by the 50-game milestone for inaugural Giant and 2016 No.1 draft pick, Nicola Barr.
"Nic's a great story, one of two inaugural players. She's so popular in the group. She's one of our best trainers. Her ability to evolve and become the best player she can be has been awesome. We'll celebrate Nic this weekend," the Giants coach said.
Despite the defeat to the Swans, there were plenty of positives from a game the Giants controlled for large periods, most notably Tarni Evans' performance in defence.
The long-kicking left-footer had 20 disposals and eight intercept possessions in a superb individual display.
"Tarni's had a fantastic pre-season and she's a 10 out of 10 character in the way that she's just fearless. She's a young leader and stood up in big moments for us. She was awesome down back," Bernasconi said.
The Giants are also set to continue dividing four-time club champion Alyce Parker's midfield minutes with spells in attack to maximise her influence on games in the wake of the new interchange cap.
"You can't spin players as much. We see it as an opportunity to add some forward craft to her game. She's one of the best one-on-one players in the competition, the evolution of her game now is to deliver front half as well," Bernasconi said.
"I'd back her in on any player one on one. If you're one out in forward 50 and kicking to Alyce Parker, that's a great look for our team. She's been really selfless and team first in the way she's gone about this."
