Port Melbourne is bidding to add a new chapter to a storied history that dates back more than 140 years and 17 VFL/VFA premierships.
In just their third rebel VFLW campaign, the Borough will play off in the 2023 rebel VFLW Grand Final, where they will face league powerhouse Collingwood at ETU Stadium.
Speaking to State of Play: VFL/W Podcast ahead of Sunday’s premiership decider, Port Melbourne coach Sean Buncle said the club was confident of success if they bring their A-game.
“We think our best footy is better than anyone and when we bring that intensity and that effort and we get it to the outside it’s amazing what the girls can do,” Buncle said.
“We’ve got so much talent and versatility across the ground that we feel like in any scenario we can come up with the goods.
“It’s about looking forward and there’s no failure for us. It’s just a great opportunity. It’s just something to really enjoy and we’re confident coming into it that it’s going to be very much about us and what we can do and we’ll focus on that.”
Buncle said Port Melbourne would not alter from its running style of play, despite the loss to Collingwood in the qualifying final three weeks ago.
“It has always been about wanting to play an aspirational style of footy with where the competition is at and where we want to be,” Buncle said.
“We didn’t want to go out there and make it a real slogfest, we want to play a really great brand of footy because we believe that’s the future.
“We’ve got a game this weekend and we have a game plan for that but more than anything there is a brand and an identity that we want to have at Port and it is something our people are proud to be a part of.
“For us it’s probably more just worrying about what we need to be good at and if we can come with that mindset that we had last weekend we’re bullish about how that can get us over the line.”
Port Melbourne captain Claire Dyett said it would be a special moment to lead the Borough in their first VFLW Grand Final.
“It’s so special,” Dyett said.
“We had this belief that we could make it to the Grand Final and win it at the start of the year and we’ve really pushed that through the entire year.
“We’ve had some ups and downs throughout the year, as every team would, but we’ve always kept with that belief that we deserve to be here, we deserve to play in a Grand Final and hopefully hold up the cup at the end of the game.”
Dyett said the overwhelming support the team had received from its loyal fans had played a role in Port Melbourne’s run to the Grand Final.
“(The support has) been awesome. Against Carlton the other week was probably one of the biggest crowds our whole team has played in front of.
“Little things like Maggie’s (McKellar) rundown tackle in the goal square (against Essendon) and the crowd just gets around that. We get around our teammates and celebrate it. It’s been one of our big values throughout the year, but when you hear that from the crowd it really pumps you up.
“Having your family and your friends come out after the last two wins has been something special and we really value all that and all the support we do have.”
Buncle said Port Melbourne’s versatility would be a key to his team’s chances of success on Sunday.
“It’s something we’ve really built across the year and even what we saw on the weekend might not be how we start,” he said.
“We just have great confidence knowing that where we put people they will just play their role and there’s so much talent in our team across the entire field that we just back them in to play their role.
“We’ve had some huge impact from some players who might have only spent the past couple of weeks playing in those roles, and that’s just part of the development as well the way we set up the club.
“We want to help players with their aspirations and things like that as well so we’re always balancing that out with what the team needs on the day.”
2023 rebel VFLW Grand Final
Collingwood (1st) vs. Port Melbourne (2nd)
Sunday, July 30 at 12:10pm AEST
ETU Stadium
Entry to the 2023 rebel VFLW Grand Final is free. Spectators are advised dogs are not permitted into ETU Stadium.
The AFL is pleased to confirm the 2023 rebel VFLW Grand Final will be broadcast live on the Seven Network in Victoria, and nationally on 7plus, with a stream also available at AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App. Coverage will begin from 12:00pm.
