Below is an exclusive excerpt from the article from the March edition of ALPHA which is on sale now.
After several seasons working their way through a young roster and less than best performances, McVeigh confirms only positives came from their do-or-die win against reigning premiers Hawthorn in the final round before being spanked by nearly 100 points in the elimination final in Adelaide.
“Adelaide were clearly a better side than us. It was a long trip home, but we took a fair bit away in terms of what we need to do,” he said.
For McVeigh and his teammates, “defence” has been the buzzword of the off-season.
“The main thing we’ve concentrated on is our defence all over the ground, not just in the backline, but in the midfield and forward line. You can’t always stop goals but you can minimise them,” he says.
McVeigh isn’t worried worry about Essendon’s attack either, with new recruit Mark Williams, a Hawthorn premiership player and noted goal-kicker to fill the breach left by Matthew Lloyd’s departure after 15 seasons and 926 goals. Jay Neagle is expected to step up to the forward role, while McVeigh expects big forward Scott Gumbleton to finally fulfil the potential expected from a former No.2 draft pick.
“We’ve also got a plethora of small forwards who can provide an avenue to goal,” he says.
Season 2010 will be Essendon’s third in the post-Kevin Sheedy era, and while McVeigh says the ghosts of the great man will never be absent (nor, he points out, should they be), he believes coach Matthew Knights has set a new tone the entire squad has responded to.
For a full version of the article, pick up a copy of ALPHA’S March Issue – on sale at newsagents and supermarkets around the country now.
