In the final part of our exclusive five-part interview series, Fremantle coach Mark Harvey reflects on 2007 and looks forward to 2008.
It was a tough start to the [2007] season and things began to go downhill quickly.You only need a couple of things to go wrong to start that downward trend. We lost that Port Adelaide game that we should have won in round one and then we lost a couple of players through significant injuries and suspension, so we were on the back foot from the start. You just need everything going for you.
Did Chris Connolly tell you of his resignation personally?
He told a group of us together and he held his composure well. I understood why he was making the decision and he had been though a lot. No coach likes to do it mid-season, but at least he was able to make the decision himself.
What were you weighing up when deciding to take over?
Whether it was right or not! With that hype about me, I was always mindful of the way you go about your business. In the end, someone had to do it and I just didn’t want it to look like I was jumping on the job before anyone else could. That's just not me.
Was the win in Adelaide in your first game as coach, memorable?
It was. I had only made the decision before the game and all of a sudden was in the coaches' box and making all the moves, but the players were fantastic and rallied. It was a great experience.
Was it a reasonable finish to the season?
It was okay. There were some tough games as we played a lot of the top sides in the last seven weeks, so it wasn’t easy.
Did it confirm to you that you wanted to coach on?
It confirmed to me that the message was getting through to the players.
Was it pleasing that the club felt you were the right man?
They showed a lot of faith in me and hopefully I can repay that in time. The club is a big club, there is a lot of responsibility with big clubs, and I fully appreciate that. Hopefully in return, I can give them something.
Is there anything you have looked to change [in 2008]?
Maybe the mindset of what to do under pressure for a lot of the guys. I could say game plan, but I won't to go into that any further.
Have you enjoyed your first pre-season in charge?
I have and I've learned a lot. I will still learn more in 12 months and two years’ time just from a planning aspect.
You have a lot of good senior players, but are you excited about some of the young guys coming through?
There is a young group coming through, which the club needs. There is Warnock, Drum, Mayne, Hinkley, Palmer and these sorts of guys. We were mindful to keep our early picks last year to start getting some quality younger players into our program.
Are you disappointed with the mini-Essendon talk and that people keep bringing up the average age of your list?
People that ask those questions were asking the same thing about Dean Solomon and Chris Tarrant 12 months ago. What they should do is sit back and analyse before they ask the questions.
New coaching staff coming in?
Most of them have been successful and another had to pinch and fight through a career to overcome things and is a coach-in-waiting. That's Chris Bond. That, combined with the demeanour in which they all played with, brings the right mix, hopefully.
What is your coaching philosophy?
You acquire a lot of information and opinion on things, but in the end, you have to decide what is right and wrong. In 12 months or two years, I'll tell you what has and what hasn’t worked.
With the pre-season over with, are you keen to get the season going?
I am, just because it has been a big six weeks with going to South Africa and playing a couple of Adelaide games. Let's now move on into the pressure and hype of playing for four points, where you're going to finish and the intrigue of the season.
Are you confident Peter Bell can play well while living in Geraldton?
Yes I am. It's one of those things where everyone is forming an opinion now, but they should just sit back and watch. Hopefully in time I can then ask those same people the same question.
How impressed have you been of Matthew Pavlich since you've been here?
He's one of the key drivers, but good leaders always need a core around them of other leaders. In the end, that's what I'm making so that all the pressure isn’t on Matthew, it's on all 10 or 12 in the leadership group. They've got to act and feel the responsibility of what Matthew is doing and support him in times of need. We've worked hard on that. Matthew is a quality person and is a guy that has a very smart outlook on football and that's what you find with a lot of the forwards. It has become very defensive in a lot of ways so they have to be able to think through situations and they become leaders through that alone before their personalities and what they do off the field comes into it. Matthew is the right choice for captain, no doubt.
Alongside him, is it fair to say Ryan Murphy, Adam Campbell or Kepler Bradley have to step up now?
It will be one of those guys or a ruckman that can play there at times. Those guys are all in the mix at the moment and they will get an opportunity. They have to make the most of that and we will see who does over time.
Are you confident that you have the depth and quality over the ground needed to be successful?
It's an interesting question because a month ago I would have said ‘yes’ before Hasleby did his knee and you just can't foresee what's going to happen. At the moment, we have some depth but that can quite quickly change.
