Blue skies ahead for Green

Sitting undefeated atop the Wrest Point TSLW ladder after nine rounds, Launceston look to be the team to beat in 2019 after being knocked out in last season’s preliminary final.

The Blues boast impressive talent across every line, with the likes of Daria Bannister, the Haines twins of Chloe and Libby and Ange Dickson again delivering standout campaigns.

A player who has been a constant presence in the TSLW in recent seasons is ruck Abbey Green, who looks to have taken her game to yet another level in 2019.

The two-time TSLW Team of the Year representative finished in the top 10 for the TSLW Best and Fairest Medal last season and has started 2019 in similar fashion.

But Green, 22, credits the vibe out of Windsor Park as the biggest contributor to her own success.

“The girls are at peak fitness. With every weekend we are noticing the girls coming back stronger each week instead of being injured,” she said.

“Just being out there with the girls and having fun with them has been great for my own form. We have a bond like no other and the culture out on the field is great.

“You look to the left and right and just want to play well for the team.”

Green has impressed with her high-flying marking ability and capacity to make an impact around the ground as a ruck.

Her form has seen her invited to test herself at the VFLW level with North Melbourne affiliate Melbourne University, where she played a game back in May.

Although hopeful of being able to run out as an AFLW player in future, Green has a strong focus on the now and is confident that whatever will be, will be.

“It was a good time with the VFLW girls. They showed a lot of skills over there that I can take back and bring back here to Tassie… hopefully I get to go back over there in July.

“Ideally I’m just playing for the fun of it at the moment and see where that takes me.”

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Green’s confidence to go for big marks – as evidenced in her side’s round one win over Glenorchy – comes from the support her team provides, with Green also keen to further develop the goalkicking side of her game moving forward.

“My advantage on the football field is probably being able to take those big high-flying marks.

“The girls are always telling me to get as high as I can and go for those big marks. The girls joke that I need to take a hanger or I will get fined at training.

“I’m not going to lie, I do love having a crack at goals, but I still have got to work on my goalkicking. If I can continue to focus on my skills and ability to kick those goals then that might be where I will play my best football.”

The Blues have been unstoppable so far in 2019, but a narrow win over Clarence a fortnight ago has helped Green and her side reassess where they are at and knuckle down on areas for improvement.

“Clarence brought a lot to the table and we have a lot to work on moving forward.

“We have had a good  start to the season and the girls are working well together. Hopefully we can continue the winning streak, but we will just need to continue training and working hard.

“We just take every week as it comes. We had a close game against Clarence and if we are not on our best game there is definitely the potential that they or any team could beat us on that day.

“After the close win over Clarence we are working on our skill execution and being patient with our kicking on the field, so we are working on trying to better our skills.”

Launceston’s depth has been highly impressive throughout the season, with the likes of Green, Brie Rattray, Lauren Stevenson, Brooke Thurlow and others bobbing up every week.

Green credits the influence of the team’s AFLW stars as a key reason behind the Blues’ continued development.

“The skills of Daria, Libby and Chloe out on the field are phenomenal. You can really tell that they are at that next level of being in the AFLW system.

“Having them on our side really shows on the field. You always look to them for strength or if you need someone to talk to.”

Green is also excited by what the future holds for young Blues midfielder and AFLW draft prospect Mia King.

“Mia King is phenomenal. I have never seen a player like her before. The way she can go on the field, put her head over the ball, take on three players and still get rid of the ball… I don’t know how she does it.

“She has got a big career ahead of her in football that’s for sure and is very exciting to watch.”

Launceston will take on the Tigers at Kingston’s Twin Ovals this weekend.