Round 2 NAB AFLW Rising Star nominee Daisy D’Arcy said she didn’t believe her teammates when they broke the news of her nomination to her but is humbled to have been recognised.
The 19-year-old was phenomenal across half-back in the SUNS big win over West Coast at Metricon Stadium, earning a long-awaited nomination in her third AFLW season.
Teammate Lauren Bella was the player to break the news to her before training on Monday evening.
“I had no idea. Lauren asked me a couple of silly questions and then they told me. I didn’t believe them at first, but it was really humbling to have everybody there as I found out,” D’Arcy said.
“I’ve been working pretty hard since I got here, but at the end of the day I couldn’t be the player or person I am without my teammates, without them pushing me to be better at every training.
The two-time Players’ Player of the Year has made a strong start to Season Seven, crediting the work and time the SUNS coaching staff have put into her football development during the off-season.
“I’ve definitely been focusing on how to become a better footballer and working hard with the coaches on that. The focus has been on how I become a better defender while also being able to attack further up the field,” she added.
The SUNS will hang their hats on Sunday’s 33-point win over the Eagles as a guide of the brand of football they’re capable of with attention now turning to re-creating that performance against the red-hot Lions in what is sure to be a traditionally fiery QClash this Saturday the Gabba.
“It was a great win. The whole team was up and about for the whole game, and it was just unreal. We spoke during the week that that’s the brand of football we want to play, and we played it to a tee,” D’Arcy said.
‘There are things to work on, but it’s good to see just how good our brand of footy is and it’s very exciting for the rest of the year.
“We’ve set the standard and we can only go up from here.
“It’s always a great match against the Lions. We just have to go out there with the same confidence that we had on the weekend, trust the process and how well we’ve prepared in the off-season and see how we end up.”
