Hawthorn AFLW Senior Coach Bec Goddard has heaped praise on Captain Tilly Lucas-Rodd following her match-winning performance against Port Adelaide on Saturday night.

The Hawks beat the Power by 13 points in a thriller, with Lucas-Rodd kicking the sealer in her 50th AFLW game. The hard-working midfielder finished with a game-high 19 disposals and nine tackles.

Goddard said it was a fitting finish to seal Hawthorn’s third straight AFLW win.

“You could not have scripted that any better for Tilly to kick the last goal,” Goddard said.

“She’s an amazing person and an amazing leader. We are so lucky to have her as the captain of our football club.

“She played terrifically tonight, she expects more of herself than she does of other people and she did that tonight, she led by example.”

Goddard also spoke glowingly of her young list, who continue to show positive glimpses each round.

“What we wanted to see is progress each week,” Goddard said.

“We’ve had 18 players make their AFLW debut this year so to see progress in them and get away with a few wins in a row is really exciting for them.”

When speaking about where the game was won and lost, Goddard identified one key area.

“At the contest, the contested ball- the team that did that the best would win the game,” Goddard said.

“We’re a really good tackling side and we know that Port Adelaide is a very good tackling side. We just had the legs to run it out.”

The Hawks coach was also able to provide an update on utility Tegan Cunningham, who was a late withdrawal for Saturday night’s game.

“Tegan seems to have hurt her foot in the warm-up. We’ll get the doctor to assess her during the week,” Goddard said.

The Hawks will head on a road trip for the first time this AFLW season when they take on GWS at Henson Park on Sunday. The match also marks another significant milestone for the team, as it will be the first time the Hawks will play in AFLW Pride Round.