Speaking during a low-key beach training session today, Knights described this season as a""new era"" and a ""new dawn"" at theEssendon Football Club.
""I think it is the great unknown for all of us: players, members, supporters, coaches. We understand that a young team won't be intimidated, they are going to go and play hard, play aggressive and take the game on,"" Knights said.
""What flows from that I don't think anyone's sure so, come Monday, we will wait and see what happens.""
Despite being just four days away from his AFL coaching debut Knights says he is keeping the nerves in check.
""I am very excited before the first game and really pleased to be injecting some young players into the line-up. All the players are excited about their first game either forEssendonor Bendigo and that's a great position to be in and I feel calm as a coach,"" he said.
""I am reasonably calm at the best of times, or the worst of times, and I think that will rub off on the players. I know there are four points on the end ofthis game but it won't change how I go about my coaching.""
The coach says that, although no players will make their debut, Essendon will feature a different looking team that includes a number of players he coached at Bendigo last year including Sam Lonergan, Ricky Dyson and Bachar Houli.
""I am really looking forward to putting them out there and getting them to show what they can do,"" he said.
""I think it will be a different line-up in that there will be up to eight players who didn't consistently play much last year due to injury or form so we will look a bit different and the way we set-up will be different and we will attack the game a bit differently.
""But, in saying that, the reality is our senior players are still going to be the rock for this team because we understand they will be the ones who will be more consistent.
""Matthew Lloyd is a definite starter. His training over the past three weeks has been first class and the great thing about Matthew is that he is going to a new frontier as a Captain. He has a lot of younger players in the team with him and he is going to enjoy that challenge.""
Although Andrew Welsh has been ruled out this week, a major positive for the new coach is that injury did not play a major issue in selecting the Round1 team.
""We had 39 on the training list the other day, so five who couldn't train, so it's virtually a full squad to pick from but, in saying that, there are also a number of guys who aren't ready to play AFL just yet,"" Knights said.
""Its been pleasing with young Lonergan, Houli, Courtenay Dempsey and Jay Nash having good pre-seasons as it creates more of a selection dilemma which has been good.
""There club is really vibrant and bubby at the moment so as a coach I feel calm about having a great club behind me and a good footy department united in the one direction.""
While Monday will be a day of excitement as the club heads into the unknown one thing is certain - the team will keep playing attacking football.
""You really need to play football with a game style that suits your list or else you are going to make it difficult for your players to adapt to so we have embraced a fast break, fast style of game,"" he said.
""But we understand there will be times in the game where you have to slow the ball down and be more controlled so it's horses for courses and we are ready to go.""
