BRENDON Goddard's slight injury niggles over the pre-season don't concern Essendon coach Mark Thompson, who expects the club's reigning best and fairest winner to continue his 2013 form.

 

Goddard suffered a calf strain during the club's high-altitude trip to Colorado last year before a hamstring complaint in recent weeks caused him to lighten his training load.

 

However, Thompson said the 28-year-old was still primed for another strong season.

 

"He'll play a similar role. The setbacks he's had are very, very minor. He's still doing a lot of running," he said on Wednesday.

 

"To me, once a person gets to a base fitness and you know the player can play then it's not necessary to do all the work. We expect him to have a good year, be a good leader, and be a part of a good team."

 

Aside from some small injury issues, Tom Bellchambers' ankle surgery has been the major disruption to an otherwise steady pre-season for the club, which has Thompson enthused.

 

"We just want to play the best footy we can play. If we transfer the training form into the games and we do it week after week … their training form has been sensational so I could say that we've improved from last year," Thompson said.

 

Thompson said the club had not deliberately scheduled its 'Don the Sash' membership launch to mark a year since the Bombers self-reported their supplements issues to the AFL.

 

"I think we need to send a message but it's not about an anniversary or anything. We were going to do it Monday and it worked out that we couldn't all make it so it's today," he said.

"There's no significance, it's about looking forward to 2014, and communicating with our members that our boys are serious about their footy.

 

"They have a fantastic attitude, they're enjoying it, they're learning, and we are really wanting to go out and play the best footy we can this year."

 

Since taking on the senior coaching role Thompson said he has spoken with banned coach James Hird, but not extensively.

 

"We have spoken but not that often," Thompson said.

 

"We don't want to cause any problems there at all so he knows that I'll take care of his team."