IF SOMEONE had told us at the start of the year that we’d be undefeated and at the top of the table after nine rounds, I would have never believed them.
In the last couple of weeks we have had to deal with a few injuries and suspensions and we haven’t been able to get all of our team on the park at the same time. But the positive is that we’re getting some games into young guys like Travis Tuck, Jarryd Morton and Josh Kennedy, which all makes for experience further down the track.
We were pleased to get a win over Melbourne on the weekend but by no means are we satisfied with the way we’re playing at the moment, we still have areas of our game we can improve on.
Our ball movement on the weekend was poor. Melbourne had a lot to play for with the retirement of David Neitz and we were forced not to be at the top of our game by the way Melbourne played. From our point of view, we didn’t play anywhere near our potential.
Collingwood beating Geelong and Adelaide being beaten by West Coast served as a very good reminder that you need to be switched on from the start of the match. We didn’t play anywhere near what we expected in that first quarter.
Even when we’re behind, at no stage this year have I thought that we’re out of the game. That’s where we've improved in a big way. In previous years, if we were down by 20 or 30 points, we would not have found a way to win.
We were really pleased with the performance of our debutants. Josh Kennedy was named in the side last week and from what I've heard he was pacing very nervously from the day he got told until the match started. He’s been brought up in the Kennedy household, so you wouldn’t think he’d have many nerves. But come your first game, you never know how you're going to react. The great thing for him is that he really contributed on the day and it’s a great achievement for the Kennedy family and also for the Hawthorn Football Club.
Jarryd Morton found out a day before he was playing and was very excited. He’s a guy that’s done a lot of work to get his spot and I thought he did really well. He made a couple of mistakes like all first gamers do, but the pleasing thing is that he found the ball 20-odd times and looked composed when he got it. I think he’s going to be a really good player for us as well.
As for the Bulldogs this week, they’re playing an outstanding brand of football. They’re quick and their kicking efficiency is unbelievable. They push numbers back at the defensive end and then run it forward as hard as they can. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.
The people of Tasmania have a beauty on their hands this week and hopefully they’ll come out to support us.
