Q. Is that one of the all-round games you have seen Alessio play?
A. I think Alessio was probably our best player. We put him straight back in the side - he didn't play any VFL games - we were hanging in there, trying to get him fit through AFL footy. It was pleasing to see his performance after six weeks of getting match fitness up and his touch up - I think we got a reward out of it in the end. Probably the first couple of games he played, he was lucky to be in the side,” Sheedy said. Click below to find out what else Sheeds had to say about the win against the Swans.
Q. It must be pleasing, because he cops a lot of criticism and tonight in such a big game, he has played one of the best games of his career.
A. We thought him and Mark McVeigh stood up for us. McVeigh is a kid that would probably like to play well in Sydney. He is a boy from Gosford and his family would have been here tonight. We felt that in his game he stood up and did things that a young in-experienced player that hasn't played 50-games - when some of our mid-fielders were shut down, we were looking for Mark McVeigh to give us a lift and he did. It was a great credit to him.
Q. That is three in a row now without Hird and Lloyd - is that a good thing for the whole side?
A. We have to develop players in the team - I like to keep playing as many young blokes in the side and give them the experience. So we will keep doing that for most of the year until the other players get back - it is pretty handy to have six wins though.
Q. Paul Salmon is doing alright for an old bloke....
A. It depends what you call old. Maybe there are other players out there that are 35-years of age that could still be playing AFL football. We had Kieran Perkins talk to us last night and it was really pleasing to hear, that most of the team looked at him and thought he is 28-years of age and not swimming. That was the major thing that stood out in our mind - why do Olympic games athletes and people in other sports at times drop off at 28, 29, when they can still be superstars. I know Salmon is a different case because he is a ruckman - but there is not many ruckman out there at the moment. We have a lot of work to do in our team at the moment.
Q. Does it make it more satisfying to get through a game like that when Jason Johnson - who has been so good for you - was held?
A. No doubt about that. I personally think the Swans did a very good blanketing job. Their gang tackling was terrific and I think they pressurised every kind of disposal in the mid-field and I think that we will have to work at that. Big games are very good for us because it was really like finals pressure out there, even though the names weren't great. I think from that point of view, it was a very important game for us to get these sort of hard-hitting, tense, body on body, crunch and there was no clean positions really that often from a pack.
Q. Have you spoken to Dean Rioli about the incident in the third quarter - how costly do you think that was?
To read the remainder of the Kevin Sheedy interview go to the Engine Room.
