AFTER a nightmare finish to Geelong's qualifying final, Georgie Prespakis took it upon herself to remind teammate Chloe Scheer just how good she is.
Normally a dead-eye in front of goal, Scheer's shot from 15m out, directly in front, skewed off the side of the boot, handing Melbourne a four-point win after an AFLW record 28-point comeback.
"I feel like naturally she'll be a bit flat and feeling the feels of it. We were quick to wrap our arms around her," Prespakis told reporters during the week.
"I actually sent her a video throughout the week of the [shot] where she absolutely put it through from 45, and just trying to show her the absolute beast she is. No doubt, she'll come out this Saturday, kick a bag and have a lot to say.
"Finals is very different footy, the pressure goes through the roof and the game has momentum swings. At times, you can then try to overreach and try to do too much. In that sense, we were probably collapsing in on the contest, and Melbourne were holding shape, and kickstarting some handball chains.
"We need to be more disciplined with those things, and trusting we'll get it from inside to out, and our run-and-carry and game style will stack up once we get it on the outside."
Prespakis is in career-best touch, averaging 30.8 disposals a game, and revealed for the first time that her stellar season has come despite a pre-season injury.
"It's my sixth season, and I feel like I'm getting in the groove now with my body. I had a quad tear in pre-season, maybe a month or six weeks prior to the Aus (v Ireland) game. You want an ideal build in, but that's just footy, and you'll have things that come your way, but that's on me to keep developing my body and hitting the gym," she said.
"I'm always looking to get better at the football side of things, and as you get a bit older, your running patterns start to get a little bit better, and you understand whether you can get to certain contests, and you're not caught in between.
"I've been really fortunate with the new staff we've had come in this year – Mick (Stinear) and Ryan Pendlebury, he's been massive for my improvement this year, and finding different ways for me to improve both on and off the field. Even as a collective, I feel like the team improving has really benefited me.
"I'm super grateful for our coaching staff and our playing group, I'm so lucky to play alongside 'Neens', 'Bowie' and 'AMac' (Nina Morrison, Mikayla Bowen and Amy McDonald) particularly, and we have really great battles at training, we constantly push each other to get better, and I think that's what has ultimately benefited me."
With time has come maturity, and a realisation that she isn't single-handedly responsible for the form of the entire team, and can actually reach out to others if things aren't going to plan.
"From a mindset perspective, I'm always looking to grow and learn more about myself. I sat down with Mick early in the season about what I can do to get better this year, and ultimately it came back to being the best teammate I can be, and helping those around me. I think I get a lot more out of helping those around me, and that helps me feel more present," Prespakis said.
"I think the biggest thing for me – because I have such high standards for myself – is trying to stay present with the team, and when things are going against me, not let that derail my whole game. It's getting around my teammates and enjoying it, taking some of the pressure off.
"I try to have a bit of a reset. I've been leaning on 'Lingy' (Aishling Moloney) recently to try and bring me back to the game, if she feels I'm wandering off. She's a really good person to bring me back to the present. It doesn't always work, and it's a work in progress, but it's little things like that you can build on."
