Fremantle AFLW senior coach Trent Cooper has addressed the uncertainty surrounding his team’s season as the Covid-19 crisis threatens to put a halt to sport nationwide.

Freo are sitting 6-0 at the top of Conference B and, according to speculation, could potentially play a Grand Final sometime this weekend against Conference A leaders North Melbourne.

Cooper said the coaching group was preparing for up to three opponents.

Regular fixturing has Fremantle playing Melbourne on Sunday at Fremantle Oval in round seven, while a two-week finals series, if it was announced, would see GWS head west for a preliminary final.

One advantage for Fremantle, according to Cooper, was that the team at least knew which state they would play if the season continued.

“We’re just preparing for a game this weekend,” Cooper said.

“Whether it’s Melbourne as a part of the normal fixtures, or GWS as a part of a two-week finals series or a one-week finals series and it’s North Melbourne.

“We presume that probably, if we play a game, it will be on Sunday.

“In some ways, we’ve got an advantage as we know what we’re preparing for, even if we don’t know exactly who the opposition are.

“For the opposition, they don’t know what state they’ll be playing in, things like that.”

With Fremantle unable to prepare for an opposition, Cooper has turned the focus inward.



“The girls had a day off after travel and they turned up at the club as normal yesterday,” Cooper said.

“We spoke about how we’re going to prepare to play our best possible game on Sunday.

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“Everyone is going to be in a similar situation, that uncertainty, and it’s those that handle it best will perform the best.”

Cooper said he would be leaning on the leadership group to navigate the situation and praised the group for their resilience.

“There’s going to be so many different players who are feeling different emotions,” Cooper said.

“Some players can put that aside and perform well and others need to be counselled through that.

“The coaching staff will do their best but I think it’s really powerful when it comes from the players. Kara, Kiara Bowers, Ebony Antonio, Gabby O’Sullivan and Hayley Miller have been so good through this.

“They’ve been really level-headed themselves and they’ve been helping others who are going through tough times dealing with it.”