The Essendon skipper has played a stack of time in the pre-season, and can’t wait for the real stuff to get under way, despite the Bombers having some injuries to contend with.
“There’s nothing like being picked for a round-one side, because you haven’t got anything, you’re not going off anything, there’s been no ups-and-downs in form, it’s just a fresh start for a new year,” he said on Thursday.
“Obviously we’d like to have a few other fit and healthy players that won’t be available, but personally, I’ve been able to play four or five pre-season games, so I’ve got them under the belt and I’m ready to go.”
The champion full-forward said he was rapt to get so much work in before round one after last year’s pre-season was shredded by yet another hamstring injury.
‘Last year, I got half a game in due to a hamstring, and I was trying to find touch in-season, and then lost confidence, so I just felt I was the type of player that needs four or five games to get my form and touch going.
“The first two games I was only playing 50 per cent game-time, so we just decided to play them all and then have this weekend off – which we all are – and be right to go the week after.”
The Bombers won eight games last year in finishing 12th, and Lloyd said finals were the aim this season.
“Eight wins last year – I’d be hoping we’re double figures. If there’s six games to go and we need to win three, that’d be a great result for us with a young group of players.”
Dream Team watch – Matthew Lloyd is rated a $356,000 forward in Toyota AFL Dream Team 2009.
