Stinear on the initial takeaways

They were just making us pay.

If we fell over, if we missed a kick or missed a mark, they are a very good score from turnover team. I think it was 12.7 they scored from that source.

That is credit to them and the environment they created, I feel like there was a lot of things within that which were in our control and that we can improve on.

It doesn't feel like we were just flat out beaten by a better team and that there is no chance to ever improve.

It feels like we matched it with them for a small period of time, but then we have to get a lot better fundamentally and get more dangerous offensively. 

Stinear on finding better efficiency inside 50

We were hoping that we might get a little bit more flow in our ball movement.

Our forwards were getting ready to make some ground, then we felt the pressure and kick it short, then their backs were showing some initiative.

That happened a fair bit, so we were trying to find that balance during the game.

Then in the last quarter, it felt like we were playing our offence with a little bit more freedom, but we were still making errors. There is no better team to have learned from. 

00:46

Bombing Bryde swarmed after massive maiden launch

Bryde O'Rourke flushes a fantastic first AFLW goal from beyond 50 and she smiles brightly with her teammates

Stinear on where the Cats can improve

We have got a lot of very talented players, but is more about playing to what the game presents.

If you get space in front of you, you have to be able to take it. Every five or 10 metres that you can take, means that you are going to get a better entry.

If there is a nice shorter option presenting, having the belief and the trust to be able to hit that. Then that is going to give an advantage to the forwards as we progress the ball.

When you are feeling pressure, you tend to kick it quickly or you just kick it long and hope that someone is going to do something miraculous. 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 15: Mikayla Bowen of the Cats kicks the ball during the 2026 AFLW Round 01 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Geelong Cats at Marvel Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos)

Stinear on where Georgie Prespakis can improve

Not taking anything away from her, she has been brilliant around the contested areas for a number of years.

We don't want to take that away, but we want to see her run and carry, taking the game on and attacking the game.

I thought she defended well at good times today with her spoils and tackles, really applying herself right across the ground.

We were really pleased with the way she started, hopefully we will start to see more of that connection throughout the season.Â