THEIR AFL Central West title defence might be on hold at the moment due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the Bathurst Giants women have already sent their rivals a warning.
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The Liz Kennedy coached outfit gave a hint of what could come this year when reaching the final of the Newtown Breakaways pre-season Women's AFLX Challenge.
Held last Sunday before the coronavirus forced the AFL to shut down all competitions nation-wide until May 31, Kennedy was unsure what to expect.
But the format of shortened, 10-player-a-side games on a modified rectangular pitch was one the Giants adjusted to quickly. They ended up finishing as runners-up to Western Magic in pool B.
"I was just blown away how well they played and to be honest, I had no idea what to expect. The girls were just sensational, amazing," Kennedy said.
"It was good just to have a good hit out and give some of the new girls a game, we had three girls who hadn't played before in Liz Golsby, Olivia Johnston and Sophie Gullifer.
"You wouldn't have known because they fitted in so well.
"We also had two girls come up from youth girls, Bridget Warne and Saige Davies. They were just great.
"When I first watched a game I thought 'Oh wow, the standard is pretty high', but my girls, they just went out and they certainly matched it with the other sides. They exceeded all my expectations."
READ MORE: Kennedys return to coach the Giants in 2020
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While going down by five points in their opening game, the Giants hit back to win their second match in impressive fashion - 6-4-41 to nil.
They went on to beat Southern Power 4-5-31 to 2-2-14 in the semi-final and while not quite able to match Magic in the decider, Kennedy was still delighted with the day.
"By the end the girls were just out on their feet. We played our grand final to get into it, our semi-final was the match of the day, the girls just played incredible footy," the coach said.
"I have been on record saying I don't agree with carnivals, but I do agree with this pre-season carnival, it was really good.
"You get to try the girls in different positions. You know you are going to get at least three games, so that's six halves of football to try people in different positions.
"We will absolutely be going back next year."
