In the week leading up to the 2003 season, Harvey kicked six goals in an intra-club practice match playing in the centre on Joe Misiti. In the opening round of the VFL season he kicked three goals and collected 28 possessions against Sandringham. Last weekend against Geelong - the reigning VFL premiers - Harvey kicked four goals and collected 25 possessions. They are compelling numbers.
Harvey has plenty of pace and is a football smart. It enables him to win the ball in dangerous places and he uses it exceptionally well both in the midfield and up forward. Harvey would seem the logical replacement for Joe Misiti - a goal-kicking mid-fielder.
Essendon assistant coach Robert Shaw said Harvey is very close to playing senior football. ""His form has been as good as anyone in the VFL competition throughout the practice matches and the opening rounds,"" Shaw said. ""We will look at him very closely when we sit down to select the side this week.""
""Kevin (Sheedy) has made it very clear to Shane what it is that he needs to work on and Shane has done that. He needed to make sure that he was a better balanced footballer than he was when he first arrived here and he has taken steps in the right direction.""
Shaw said Harvey had been forced to work hard to earn a recall. ""Some blokes get it easier than others - there is no doubt about that,"" Shaw said. ""But that is the very nature of coaching - with some blokes you have a gut feel and with others it is more of a planned progression. We want Shane Harvey to come into this team as a senior footballer and a long-term proposition - not an occassional pinch-hitter.""
