A small injury list has Matthew Knights feeling positive about the upcoming season.
 
Speaking on SEN today, he said the injury landscape can change quickly - as has happened at Adelaide with Andy Ottens - but that the Bombers were fit and healthy.
 
To listen to Matthew Knights on SEN on Tuesday, 8th December click here. 
 
""Injury can pop up quickly because we are pushing the players at this time of year particularly in those heavy load weeks,"" he said.
 
""This time last year we had about 12-14 in modified or in rehab but we are down to about five which is outstanding.
 
""That's always a good pointer for a coach when he looks across and doesn't see 12-14 guys doing static skills or static handballs so that's a positive.
 
""The other side is that a few of our bigger boys - David Hille, Jason Laycock and Jay Neagle - are the ones that are probably still in modified, even though Jason Laycock is only there for a short time, but it would be nice to get three or four of those bigger boys moving again.
 
""As a coach you can't lose sleep if a young man does a little bit of a quad or has some tightness in a hamstring and has to miss a week or 10 days because then you can non-weight bear and use your bikes, your swimming and do core work.
 
""I don't like them to miss but ..  you certainly don't lose sleep because you understand with a six day program they are really pushing their bodies very hard and you have to respect that.""
  
 
Knights said that a modern day pre-season has a far greater focus on game style and the Bombers have three training sessions almost entirely dedicated to game style and also hold another four or five learning sessions in the auditorium each week.
 
He said the club could play an ""attractive, extroverted football that challenges the opposition"" but said the team still needed to be better defensively and that is a focus at the moment. 
 
""It (pre-season) is a new beginning and the players possibly get new roles and they start the season maybe four or five kilos heavier than they were the year before so they can see themselves developing so it's great for them and I really relish this time of year,"" he said.
  
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The coach also joked that Adam McPhee didn't look flash in Fremantle gear before adding that the Round 2 clash against the Dockers at Etihad would be an intense game.