Speaking at an AFL media conference in the lead-up to Friday night's NAB Cup clash against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, Welsh said the implementation of a new senior coach – after 27 years of Kevin Sheedy at the helm – had given the club a spark.
"Pre-season has been fantastic. When you change the boss in any job, everything is new and you've got to learn to adapt to that sort of stuff," Welsh said.
"Everyone's fresh and all of the players are fresh and it's a totally new approach around the club … training has been as hard as it has any other year, but 'Knighter' identified when he was coming for the job that we really needed to work on our skill execution and that's something we've pushed really hard.
"You can see the foundation and the building blocks are starting to come through the way the younger guys used the ball last week up in
On the field, Welsh said the absence of one of the club's greatest – Brownlow Medallist and five-time Crichton Medallist James Hird – had also given the change-rooms a vastly new feel.
"It's totally different. He's been such a huge guy around the club for so many years and since I've been at the club and everything he does is 100 per cent, whether it's off the training track or on the training track," Welsh said.
"You realise he's not there, but it's a great opportunity for guys like myself and Mark McVeigh, who have been there for a few years now to stand up and at times it was unfair [because] we'd leave it to 'Hirdy' and we'd just think he was going to deal with it and he'll be able to sort it out for us.
"Now we're making guys like myself step up and bring the younger guys up with us to that level to fill that void."
Welsh, who did not play in Essendon's victory over the Brisbane Lions at
"I find … you probably need three solid games and that's what 'Knighter' has worked with us," Welsh said.
"If we get three solid games in before the start of the season – that's a good base for us and we get enough match preparation and knowledge of our new structures and new teammates that we think we need going into the season."
Meanwhile, Welsh said skipper Matthew Lloyd, who is battling a hamstring problem, is "excited as ever to return" and will be back in a "couple of weeks" before the season proper.
