Q. There is a lot of new faces around the club with the changes that happened to the playing list at the end of last season - you must feel like a veteran around the place?
A. This is my 12th pre-season so I definitely have a few years up on most of the guys. I enjoy working with the young blokes because it keeps you fresh and training harder.
Q. What young players have you been impressed with?
A. Jobe Watson has been good so far. He not only looks like his father Tim he also plays like him. Jason Laycock has also been a bit of a surprise packet. He has played in every practice match and done really well. I think he will play senior footy this year at some stage.
Q. You played in the 1993 premiership with Tim Watson and now are playing with his son Jobe...
A. It is a little bit strange - I was Jobe's age when I played with Tim and now I am closer to Tim's age in 1993 (well not quite!) playing with Jobe.
Q. It must have been disappointing to go out in the first week of the Wizard Cup?
A. Yes, and losing by 10-goals was not the performance we were after. We are now focussing on our Round 1 match against Brisbane at the Gabba. They are the reigning premiers, so it will definitely be a tough match.
Q. How have you been going over the preseason?
A. We have been training very hard and getting the miles into the legs. Our fitness guru John Quinn has made things a little bit different this pre-season, which has kept us all fresh. We have been doing all our skill sessions at La Trobe University, Bundoora. This surface out there is fantastic, but it will be good to return to Windy Hill in the next few weeks.
Q. You played a full match for the Bendigo Bombers in the curtain raiser game last Saturday - how did you go?
A. It was good to get a solid hit-out and play four full quarters. It is only three weeks until the start of the season, so I want to get as much match conditioning as possible.
Q. The past two seasons you have suffered two long-term injuries – how is the body at the moment?
A. I don’t think I could be in better shape. I have got through the entire pre-season without any niggles and the body feels fantastic. I am looking forward to getting out there when the season kicks off in a couple of weeks.
