Adelaide midfielder Ebony Marinoff says there was a sense of “relief” among the group following Sunday’s thrilling three-point win over North Melbourne at Norwood Oval.
After trailing for the majority of the day, the Crows hit the front with just 90 seconds remaining courtesy of a clutch finish by Irishwoman Niamh Kelly.
The victory also locked Adelaide in for a top-two finish, and a home Qualifying Final in a fortnight’s time.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Marinoff said it was pleasing to overcome the challenge a talented Kangaroos team presented.
“It (the feeling after the game) was probably a relief to be honest,” Marinoff said.
“To be able to grit that when we probably weren’t at our best was a great confidence booster for us, and to have Niamh (Kelly) stand up in such a clutch situation was awesome.
“North Melbourne are the best defensive team in the competition, and they showed that by keeping us to our lowest inside 50 count of the season.
“It was such a big challenge for us to overcome, so to get it done, with our home crowd behind us, it’s a great feeling and locks us in for the top two which makes it even better.”
The match also saw Marinoff notch a milestone, becoming the first player in AFLW history (alongside Hawthorn’s Emily Bates and Brisbane’s Ally Anderson) to reach 75 games.
She celebrated the occasion with a typically prolific performance, recording 29 disposals, nine tackles and seven marks in the victory.
“It’s a lot of footy, hopefully the next 75 doesn’t take me another eight years,” Marinoff said.
“I feel so grateful to have played for such a great Club and had a lot of success but I’m certainly not satisfied and am always striving for more.
“This year has been really enjoyable for me, throughout the pre-season I was able to fully commit to improving my fitness, and I came into the season feeling as good as I ever had.
“So to be playing some consistent footy, and playing my role for the team, it is pleasing and I can’t wait for the challenges that lay ahead in the next month.”
Adelaide will travel to Perth this weekend to complete the Home and Away fixture against West Coast, before it embarks on its sixth finals campaign in eight seasons.
Marinoff said she could not wait for the challenges that lie ahead, and emphasised the importance of this weekend’s clash against the Eagles.
“The fact we get to start our finals series in front of our home crowd, who were a huge factor in getting us over the line yesterday, will be a massive bonus for us and we can’t wait to get into the finals,” Marinoff said.
“But it is also super important that we finish the home and away season strongly this weekend against West Coast. It's going to be a different sort of challenge with the forecast at 36 degrees, but one we are excited to undertake.
“So hopefully we can take some great confidence out of this match into that first final and really build some momentum into what is the most exciting part of the season.”
