Q. What is Fletcher's fitness like - will he find it hard to slot back in?
A. I wouldn't think so. He has played over 180 games and he should be right.
Q. There was reports he lost 5kgs - he would not want to lose too much?
A. No, but skinny players can make it. Some guys are fat and some guys are skinny that is what they say in football. He would have lost about 3kgs. We are just glad in the end it wasn't glandular fever.
Q. So he has had blood tests?
A. Yes and he is clear to play.
Q. How is Hird going?
A. Good - he is out on the track tonight and he is pretty keen to play. He was pretty frustrated with the Grand Final last year, so he is keen to get out there.
Q. Where is Mercuri at?
A. He won't play.
Q. Is Hird ready to play without the helmet on?
A. I don't know - I am not sure how long the specialists asked him to wear it for. It doesn't matter if he wears it for the rest of the year or not - it is not going to matter.
Q. What do you do, if Hird is not quite right?
A. You don't play him, it is as simple as that. The health of the player is more important than the four points.
Q.It seemed to shake him up a fair bit?
A. Well it does when you get a whack in the jaw. Any whack in the jaw would shock anyone.
Q. Was the way he was feeling related to the knock?
A. No, he has had double vision before. It happened in the Grand Final last year. A lot of people didn't realise that is why Hird didn't play well - he got a knock in the head at that stage.
Q. He is a courageous player but he just seems to have a knack of being in the wrong places?
A. Well that happens. Have a look at Libba's head. He has been in the wrong place at the wrong time for about 260 games.
Q. Was there any warning, previous to James coming back, that he could expect his kind of thing?
A. No, not really. He got hit last year in the Grand Final and he wasn't well that day, but that is the only warning we have had. He had a bit of double vision then.
Q. What about Alessio?
A. He will probably play in the seconds, but we don't know yet.
Q. What will this game tell you about how you are travelling?
A. Well, we just have to go out and attack the game. There is no caution in the wind as far as we are concerned. The amazing thing is we probably have four players out of last year's Grand Final side and they probably have about two. It is not much difference.
Q. The team owes Brisbane a couple, not just the Grand Final but also earlier in the season - is that added incentive?
A. I think you just take into this game what you can and what you want to. This will be the first game - believe it or not - that we won't be favourites. We were favourites last week and also the week before against Geelong we were favourites. I don't think one person will pick Essendon this week - I am pretty sure of it.
Q. You could face that a bit on the run home - Adelaide over there and then Collingwood..
A. I would say that for sure. There are five matches to go and a chance to play in the finals - we have a fair bit to play for.
Q. Does the underdog tag, allow you to let the team play a bit more freely?
A. I think you have to at this stage of the season. From our point of view, our defence has been pretty good. We have had the least amount of points kicked against us. Our defensive side of our game has been one of the plus' of the season. Probably without a lot of forward line players in, we just lack a bit of goal power.
Q. Do you think the players have been a bit reactive over the last couple of weeks?
A. Yes, I think we should have been seven goals up at quarter time - but we didn't, so that is life. I think we didn't get the value out of the possessions early in the game we could have, which would have been terrific at the time. I think Richmond will do quite well over the next couple of weeks - they are better than what they are playing also.
Q. Will there be much goal kicking practice this week?
A.I think there will be a fair bit of goal kicking practice this week.
Q. It was a very uncharacteristic performance by Matthew Lloyd?
A. He has had a couple of matches like that before, but it would have been nice for him to kick those three or four. Very rarely would he kick and miss the whole point to point score line. It is very unusual for Lloyd but you do have those days and nights.
Q. How many more wins do you need to make the finals?
A. Five. If we win five, I know we will get there!
Q. What do you think is the minimum?
A. I would not have a clue, it depends on how the other teams fair and it all depends on the team you have out there and where you are playing your matches.
Q. How much harder is it to win the flag from the bottom of the top eight?
A. I think one team has only done it - Adelaide. It is a lot harder, there is no doubt but it is not impossible. We would have to really work hard and get everything going correctly. But the ability is there, we just have to make sure we pick the right kind of guys and get their confidence up and playing well. We will just it a really good shot this week.
Q. If you don't make the finals this year, will that have an impact on your decision to draft Wayne Carey?
A. We haven't even discussed it at board level yet. He is a good player and a hungry player - he wants success in the latter years of his career. We have had very good success with John Barnes and Paul Salmon has done very well for us.
Q.So, does the decision have anything to do with making the finals?
A. No the argument is - is he a very good player that can help Essendon win a premiership.
Q. Salmon said today, he is unlikely to play on next year - does that surprise you?A. I haven't discussed that with Paul, but it has been a pretty big effort to be playing football at 37-years of age. We have been very lucky that we have actually got him. Alessio has had Achilles problems and David Hille would have had the entire ruck placed upon him because Simon O'Keefe is just not ready to land in as the second ruckman in an AFL club. So, getting Salmon was pretty fortunate for us.
