There was a six-member Bomber panel on hand at Ballina’s Ramada Hotel to answer the many questions locals had on conditioning, coaching and anything else to do with playing AFL.
Senior coach Matthew Knights led the six-man panel and used the forum to voice his concerns over the limited interchange rule set to be trialled in the NAB Cup.
“You would hate to think the game became less of a spectacle in the last five or six minutes of a half because the players are under fatigue,’’ he said.
“But I’m sure due diligence will be taken before [the rule] comes into the AFL.”
Knights was joined on stage by assistant Gary O’Donnell, manager David Calthorpe, conditioner Joel Hocking and senior players David Hille and Mal Michael.
The audience was a mix of budding teenage players, parents, and coaches from the Northern Rivers district, each keen to pick the brains of the AFL’s elite.
Calthorpe spoke of the trappings of being a talented junior.
“The biggest trap for 16-year-olds who have made rep sides is to think it’s a natural progression to get drafted and into an AFL side,” he said.
“There’s a lot of things that have to go your way and you have to listen to your coach.”
Each Bomber was very forthcoming with advice, although big defender Michael may have strayed from his path to a distinguished AFL career.
“[When I was younger] I had to choose – either move to Melbourne for footy or move to Milan for modelling ... I always thought I could come back to modelling!”
Essendon will conduct school visits through Ballina and Byron Bay on Tuesday before moving its camp to the Gold Coast.
