On possible changes for this week’s game…
“I guess it’d be reasonably difficult to make too many changes after Friday night’s performance. But once again in the SANFL there were some really strong performances again. Grigg, Wright, Shaw and Otten - these guys were all in really good touch, which is great for the footy club.”
Can the team continue its form from last Friday night’s win against the Tigers…?
“We’ve been enforcing that all year….that’s the level that we need to do to be a quality side in the AFL. We got a lesson the week before against Sydney on how to do it, and we were able to get somewhere near where we need to on Friday night. The challenge for the group, as we said after the game, it’s about consistency of those performances.
“It’s a week-to-week proposition for us. We know where we’re at in terms of the season. It was great to perform the way we did on Friday night, but that’s forgotten now. We have to focus on Essendon this week.”
On how the Club has handled a difficult few months…
“I am very proud of the playing group, the coaches and the staff at the footy club. Everyone’s been affected by what’s happened. But particularly the players, they have to perform on the weekend. The game’s tough enough as it is, let alone having those sort of things in your mind as well. I'm really proud of them, always have been, always will be.
“Footy clubs are a wonderful place to be in adversity. I’ve been involved for over 20 years and, not that I’ve been involved with something that’s happened like this year, but whenever there’s a problem with someone or something happens within the Club, footy clubs are a great place to be and it’s a great outlet for us. They’re elite athletes at the end of the day - they’ve got a job to do and they know what they need to do and they’re a driven group.”
On the ‘drive’ of the playing group…
“They’re still a youngish group in terms of age demographic, but they want to succeed and they want to play finals and hopefully one day win a premiership – that’s the ultimate for any team in the AFL. When you get to this level, they’re all driven, so that’s probably the easy bit. The hardest bit is making sure that we can keep developing and keep getting them the way that we want them to play.”
On whether he’s enjoyed the challenge of being Interim Senior Coach…
“I have, it’s always a challenge, I guess, being in the hot seat, but I’ve really enjoyed it. We’ve had a couple of wins along the way, that always helps, but I’ve had great support so that makes a difference.
“When you become Senior Coach, you’re more broad. You have to spread yourself across all 45 players. When you’re a line coach, you’re more involved with the guys in your area. There is a little bit of crossover at some stage. I definitely have built more stronger relationships with a lot more guys.
“I think it’s always a challenge trying to get around to all those guys and making sure they’re going well (and) giving them feedback on what they need to do to try and break into the side. That’s really important. I had a really good mentor in Phil to show me how to do it, so I’ve sort of carried on with those messages.
“I think once you take over…you get pulled in different directions and that’s part of it, I understand that and I’ve seen that first-hand with other Senior Coaches who I’ve worked with, but at the end of the day you’re here to coach and you’ve got to make sure you’re as well-prepared as well as we can be for the upcoming opponent.”
On the team’s inaccuracy against Richmond…
“A lot of guys missed a lot of shots. It’s an ongoing battle in the AFL and not just at this footy club. We can’t afford to be giving easy shots away and scoreboard pressure is the ultimate pressure in footy, that’s a really critical part of the game. We’ve practiced as much as what we have done previously. They understand how important it is and they’re not trying to miss. The pressure of the game is immense.”
Can it be fixed in a week…?
“Not in a week, no. I think it’s long term making sure their routine’s right, making sure their technique’s right and we keep chipping away at those sort of things and we keep training and putting them in pressure situations. At the end of the day, it’s easy just to kick around cones, but it’s a bit different when you’ve got someone coming at you. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Have you made a decision on your long-term coaching future…?
“It'll be the end of the year. As we keep saying, our sole focus is to make sure we keep winning and whatever happens after that we'll decide at the end of the year."
Is it a ‘good time’ to play Essendon…?
“The AFL is so even these days that anyone can beat anyone, so I’d be staggered if our group is going in with the mentality that ‘this is a great time to get a footy club’. It’s more about us, and that was like Friday night, it’s more about we want to do rather than what the opposition are going to bring. If we bring our attitude and our intensity that we did against Richmond then things should go our way. If we don’t – and you’ve seen that over the other weekends with other teams – if you don’t come with that attitude, you’re going to get burnt.”
