""A fair few people are not sure of where Essendon is going to finish, probably a few have written them off. But I think there is a good mix of players there to do well this year, we might surprise a few people…. I’m sure Essendon supporters are smarter than that and have confidence in the list and a team coached by Kevin Sheedy is a chance in league footy,"" O'Donnell said.
The reason behind O’Donnell’s faith in the ability of the side is the blend of youth and experience at the club.
""We’ve got a number of guys who are only in their infancy in playing league footy, and a couple who have had a few of years under their belt. There is still a lot of learning to do, but get a few of the champion players in the side who are still going to have some good output, hopefully that can get the right mix there and have some good results on the field,"" he said.
And it’s the young players at the club who have really made an impression on the former Bomber captain.
""Kepler Bradley works his heart out and at the end of a session he’s spent, I really like that in a player. Stanton, we had a bit of match practice the other day and the ball just kept following him and Ricky Dyson is an impressive kid.
""Obviously young guys they have deficiencies in certain areas but hopefully you work with them and they improve but are still able to have a really good output mixing with the champion players we have got.""
So has anything changed in the past eight years at Windy Hill?
""Its changed but it has stayed the same. You’ve got the same old faces. The people who play and coach they pass through the club and they are custodians for only a certain time, but all the helpers and the honourary people who put a hell of a lot of work in and really love the club and want to see it be a success are still here.""
""The facilities have changed, we compare pretty well to all the other teams, the coaching staff has changed, you’ve got a lot of ex-Essendon guys on the football coaching staff but most of them have been elsewhere and come back. I’ve been able to meet John Quinn for the first time and he’s been quite impressive and I think the club is in good hands.""
After spending five seasons with the Brisbane Lions as the assistant coach to Leigh Matthews and winning three premierships, what did Gary O’Donnell learn?
""What was consolidated to me was if you have a good group of people that are all pulling in the one direction and clearly know what each others role is, trust that everyone is going to do theirs and respect everyone else’s role and do theirs to the best of their ability, you’ve got a very good chance of being successful.""
And a comparison between the two master coaches, with eight premierships between them?
""I think probably I am the only one to work with both, both different people with different philosophies in various areas, but a lot of the things they think about are the same. They are both successful guys with a fierce desire to succeed, they got a little bit of mongrel in them both of them as well, and I think that helps, but both very sure of where they are going and what they want to achieve.""
