IT'S CRUNCH time for Greater Western Sydney.

Entering its third AFLW season under coach Cam Bernasconi, and its third focused on an exciting, attacking style of play, it is critical the side sees tangible results this year.

Within the four walls, there is a healthy understanding that the coming season is a crucial one. That every result will be met with plenty of scrutiny. But there is also a hum of enthusiasm around what the year might offer.

"First year coming in was nearly like a free hit," Bernasconi told AFL.com.au.

"It was a quick turnaround, two seasons in one, trying to create a culture that adds some enjoyment back to the program, and a new gameplan… and then the second year I reckon we probably put a bit too much pressure on ourselves.

"Because we thought that with the natural growth, we should climb from there… and we forgot about the process."

The process that will lead to wins, which will in turn lead to a rise up the ladder. It really is as simple as that. Sticking to the process requires everyone to buy in and engage.

"The best sides don't rely on one or two players. You're always going to have really strong talent on your list, but you need every single player on your list to buy into where you're going," Bernasconi said.

"It's the standards of training, making themselves better, others better, and then the culture around them. Making a program where you want to come in and enjoy each other's company."

It is clear, sitting amongst the playing group, that they love being not just with one another, but at the club.

Ask any player how they're feeling, and the first comment is delight about the players who have arrived over the offseason. Irish rookie Eilish O'Dowd has everyone whispering in excitement, but with a sense of restraint, trying not to heap too much pressure on someone so new to the game.

Brisbane premiership player Mikayla Pauga is one of the most vocal leaders in the group, despite being just 21 years old and fresh to the club. And draftee Kaitlyn Srhoj offers the energy of a Labrador puppy – in the best way possible.

After a head clash in a training drill early in the day, Srhoj is helped from the field bleeding from the eyebrow and requiring stitches, but laughing through it all.

Later that afternoon she could be overheard asking a teammate "do I look like I play footy?" in reference to the wound.

She and reigning AFLW Rising Star Zarlie Goldsworthy have been hyper competitive with one another across the course of the preseason, with their varying personalities adding to the spectacle.

And they encapsulate a program-wide focus. Competitive is the club's buzzword, written across presentation slides and whiteboards, and the feeling permeates all players and coaches.

A series of challenges have been a theme of the Giants' preseason, with the players split into smaller teams and competing for points. Some challenges are related to specific training drills, others are quizzes, and the final one, that was to decide the victorious team, was a relay swim.

Of course, the coaching group was also up for the fight, throwing out plenty of verbal barbs on the walk from the club's facilities across to the aquatic centre.

Strong swimmers – the likes of Nicola Barr and Alyce Parker, among others – were given handicaps in an attempt to even the playing field, but that didn't help Bernasconi who admitted to being "cooked" after the race.

"I haven't swum in a pool since I was probably in year six and I was exhausted," he laughed.

"The swim got me."

But the coaches' inclusion in the swim, and other challenges across the preseason, is illustrative of the 'all in' mindset. It's not only the players who are responsible for righting the ship, but the whole club.

Bernasconi essentially acts as a big brother figure, someone who is willing to joke around and have fun, but also commands respect in times of focus.

"I actually went and played a game of footy earlier this year," he said.

"Obviously I'm competitive and wanted to play, but I think it also helps you coach it. You put yourself back in (the players') shoes and start to realise how hard the game is sometimes."

The journey has also been about finding the balance between patience and pushing for a result. Wait too long, and the opportunity passes you by. Push too hard, and things fall apart.

"We've cleaned out a lot of the list to bring in more young talent, and I think if you look at our average age… we're actually not going to probably peak for a few seasons. So, it's that balance of letting the girls know that we've got to improve and progress, but also the crunch time isn't that you get totally consumed by results yet," Bernasconi said.

"It's a really interesting one as a coaching program because you don't want to be too patient or you'll fall behind, but also understanding that linear progression of where we're going, that it will take a bit of time and it's not going to happen overnight."

So, what will be a signal of improvement for the Giants this year? What will be a sign that they truly are on the right track?

The most obvious answer is wins. Winning more games than they lose – something they have done just once in eight seasons to date. But getting more specific, it's a consistent ability to score, and a focus on team defence.

"Can we score regularly? Because we had some games (last year) where we'd score well, or we don't score," Bernasconi said.

"Can we stop being the team that gets ripped open on turnover? So, a KPI on making sure we can be in the top eight for scores on turnover."

Training and education has been crafted to address these two specific goals. Bernasconi, acknowledging the youth on his list, opts to physically demonstrate theories with the group, rather than expecting players to maintain focus staring at a screen.

The whole group is moved into 'the cage', a small indoor field next to the gym, and players are sent to their positions and asked to adjust themselves based on certain scenarios.

More experienced players sit to the side to allow younger teammates a chance to learn, and the floor is open for any questions, no matter how small.

Another key area of education is mindset, particularly managing emotions in the days after games, win or loss. This is something Bernasconi is particularly concerned with after the side's first half of last season included matches against three of the eventual top four.

"When you've got a young group and you haven't got a few early wins, that was a learning from last year," Bernasconi said.

He admits to the group that, win or lose, he won't attempt to work on vision from any game in the 24 hours following the siren because of the emotion still present.

Encouraging players to develop similar strategies that work for them to maintain an even emotional keel post-match is just as important to Bernasconi as gamestyle education.

And now, armed with the on-field talent and a focus on consistency, the Giants are ready to attack the 2024 season head-on.

"It's execution time," Bernasconi said.

"It's time to take steps forward for sure."