That’s as complete as you’ve been all year, you must be really happy?
I thought it was a dominant performance and it was made even sweeter by the fact that it was their fourth game in 15 days. We got up early this morning, travelled on a plane for two hours. I thought off the back of the obstacles that were thrown at us, it was a real mature performance.
How did you approach the challenge the day itself, once you woke up, did you think we just have to get on with it?
It was handled a bit more throughout the week than just today. We asked our players to first and foremost prepare for it, understand and get organised. Then embrace it as a challenge, embrace the opportunity, and see what we are like under that type of distraction. I thought our players approached it with a real positive mindset all week, that was no different today and we got the reward for it.
We’ve seen glimpses of the way you have wanted to play all year, it felt like all of those things came together today. You used the footy connecting inside 50, three tall forwards all clicked. Would that be true?
I think so. As a coach you sort of sit here and they (North Melbourne) went end-to-end six times in the second half and we didn’t defend it quite as well as I would have liked at times. As far as our offense goes and our forward 50 connection goes, I thought our contest work and our pressure was really strong all day. A lot of things went right, and thought our forward line is starting to work really selflessly together and it’s about us kicking a score, rather than individuals kicking a score and I think we saw that today. They all ended up getting a lick of the ice-cream which is nice.
Jesse Hogan kicked four today, he hasn’t kicked a goal all season. He’s been working to get there, you must be happy for him to get the lick of the ice-cream.
Against Melbourne I thought he executed his role really well, defensive pressure set up some goals for his teammates so that was really positive. My comment to him during the week was to just stick at it, work both sides of the ball and the opportunities and the goals will come. And they did today for him, but I think they came for all our forwards today because they are working so well together.
It has obviously been hard for him, and to get the reward personally, what do you think it does for him?
Hopefully it gives him confidence that he can still play really well at that level, confidence that he’s building his game and layers to his game, and confidence that we can play three talls in our front half.
Having building for long, what does it mean for you and him from a coaching and player perspective, the element of seeing what he can do first-hand?
I’ve known what he can do to be honest. I think we saw glimpses of him at his best when he first came back. I think it was the game against Gold Coast where he took nine marks. He didn’t kick the goals but his forward craft was there and he still performed his role really well. So that probably reinforces what I believe in him to be honest.
Do you feel like you are really building towards next season? You probably don’t want the season to end like some teams that are lower on the ladder in terms of the way you are building towards the end of the season.
Our goal was to continue to improve throughout the year and to build our game, to build layers on top of our game. Our players have been meticulous with their work ethic and attention to detail. We are just so proud of the whole club today. The second hub has been so strenuous, we have played four games in 15 days. Two off travel, one we travelled the same day and our staff haven’t missed a beat. Some of them have had to step up into different roles and take up the slack in coaching and high performance, they have done it so well and it has set our players up to perform on the field. I couldn’t be any prouder of all our staff.
A couple of weeks ago we were here and there was a bit made of it, Michael Walters and what happened that night. He has bounced back pretty well, last week he had an impact and then again today he had a significant impact
I don’t know how to describe it, but I thought it was a really good moment in his career and he got on the front foot with it and understood where he was going wrong and rectified it. He’s getting the results on the back of that. He’s a leader of the footy club and I think the last two weeks you’ve seen not only his on-field performance lift but his leadership around the group has lifted. There is no wonder why our forward line is functioning better.
Another guy who has come into the side in the back half of the season, Blake Acres, he seems like he’s gone up to another level?
We saw it through the pre-season with Blake, he had a really good game in the pre-season on the back of a really strong pre-season at the club then he did his hammy. When he came back from his hamstring, he just didn’t look right so he got a calf injury on the back of that. Since he’s gone out of the team for four or five weeks, he’s worked really hard on his fitness, really hard on his running, really hard on his contest work and really hard on his role. In the three weeks since he’s been back in the team have been outstanding. He’s executing his role, but that role is really helping the team perform. Full credit to him.
Did you get through unscathed?
It looks like it, Brennan Cox may have jarred his AC joint, but he should be right.
On Cox, where is his contract situation at?
I’m not 100% sure, I know he is keen to stay at the club. He and Luke (Ryan) are tight and thick as thieves so they won’t want to separate. He is keen to stay at the club, where the negotiation actually sits I am not sure.
