SWFL women’s: Bunbury coach Stephen Bilcich says lift in work rate was key to his side’s grand final win

Bunbury coach Stephen Bilcich says he had full faith his side would be able to outlast Busselton in the second half of the South West Football League women’s grand final, but had delivered them a half-time message centred on lifting their work rate. The reigning premier Bulldogs were the league’s dominant side in the back half of the year and capped off their strong season with a 27-point grand final win over Busselton at Hands Oval on Sunday. But they did not have things entirely their own way in the season decider, with the Magpies hitting the front at the start of the third term before the Bulldogs peeled off three consecutive goals in the latter stages of the quarter to all but seal the premiership. Bilcich said he spent the main break telling his team their achievements in the season to date would count for nothing in the second half of the game. “I just reminded the girls that nothing’s given, you have to work for it. If you expect Busselton to just rock up and give it to you, think again,” he said. “You’ve got to earn everything you get. They just had to get their heads down. “We didn’t get that far away from them in the third (quarter), even though it was a comfortable margin. “I was never really comfortable until the end of the last quarter, I suppose. You never know, Busselton’s a very good side with experienced girls and they just kept coming.” Bilcich — who has now coached two premierships in his two years in charge of the Bulldogs — said “relief” was his overriding emotion on the final siren. “(We were) under pressure, we were the favourites,” he said. “I was happy for the girls. The work they put in - they got their just reward.” Star Poppy Stockwell, who has genuine prospects of being taken in the AFLW draft at the end of the year, produced another brilliant performance in what could be her last game for the club, winning the Tronox Medal for the best player afield with a four-goal haul. Bilcich was full of praise for the 20-year-old, a former WA State cricketer who has returned to football this year, but said the entire team had brought their best for the grand final. “She finished off the good work the girls did upfield, our defence was very good on the weekend,” he said. “She’s a star, absolute star.” Bilcich said he was hopeful most of the squad would stay together next season as the Bulldogs look to pull off a premiership three-peat.