Taking her game to another level in 2023 hasn’t been by chance for young SUNS defender Daisy D’Arcy.

The 20-year-old has been a mainstay in the SUNS defence for a number of years now, during which time she’s also earned two Players’ Player of the Year gongs, but a big pre-season has had the versatile defender firing during the season’s opening rounds.

“Pre-season was completely different for me. I pushed myself harder than I have before, I had the girls around me to help me get fitter, but getting into the education a bit more and learning from each other, that’s the biggest one for me,” D’Arcy said.

“Just looking at how hard everyone is working, trying to take tips from them and keep moving forward.

“There’s still plenty to learn.”

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AFLW RD4 | D'Arcy "remarkable trust" amongst group

Star defender D'Arcy fronts the media ahead of our Round 4 clash with the Doggies.

That hard work has paid dividends for the SUNS to date in 2023 with a ‘complete four-quarter performance’ in a Round 2 demolition of West Coast followed up by a historic win against AFLW foundation club Collingwood in Round 3.

The win was the SUNS’ first against Victorian opposition in Victoria and has Cameron Joyce’s side steaming with confidence ahead of Sunday evening’s return to Heritage Bank Stadium to face the Western Bulldogs.

“We want to compete with the best. Playing Collingwood for the first time, and them having been a great team in the competition every year, it was great for our confidence,” D’Arcy continued.

“We went into it knowing they would be a highly-contested team, we train contested footy all the time so we backed ourselves in.

“It’s important that we now put our focus on the Bulldogs and getting the job done there.”

It’s set to be a blockbuster afternoon at Heritage Bank Stadium on Sunday with SUNS fans invited into the stadium to watch the SUNS VFL side go toe-to-toe with Werribee in its inaugural Grand Final on the big screen in the Fifth Quarter Bar.

Gate 3 will open from 2:30pm for a 3:10pm first bounce at IKON Park, entry is free and patrons are able to stay and watch the AFLW Round 4 home match against the Western Bulldogs at Heritage Bank Stadium from 5:05pm.

Patrons entering after 4:15pm must have a match-access AFLW membership or paid ticket - $10 for adults and free for kids.