FOOTBALL will never get the better of Kevin Sheedy.

He will never get so tired of the "heckling and bull dust" that he throws it in before he has achieved what he set out to.

And he will never for one minute think he has all the answers because "no one person completely knows football".

It is that way because football will never be all consuming for Sheedy.

His feet have always been kept firmly on the ground by what goes on around him, whether it's the events of Kosovo, the fortunes of Shane Warne or Greg Norman of Aboriginal reconciliation - Sheedy is humbled by it.

For Sheedy, reality bites.

It is why he welcomes people from all walks of life to Windy Hill with open arms. It is why he has had an intellectually disabled person address the players. It takes the pressure off, it reminds people of the big picture.

"I have those people around the club because it is a big 'hello'," Sheedy said. "This is our earth, this is where we are and these things happen to all sorts of people. It is about understanding and coping with the pressures of what sport is all about."

"Think of those people who have never got off their butts to try anything in their lives. So don't damn a (Greg) Norman, an AFL coach or a jockey that keeps running second in Group One races. Things happen and you don't always win."

Sheedy has lost more games as a coach than most will witness in an entire career in an AFL coaches box. He doesn't accept losing but he accepts it is going to happen.

It comes with the territory but winning premierships isn't the only measure of success in football. For him it is about the contest, about striving to be the very best you can be.

"You wouldn't want to walk around the AFL saying how fantastic you feel about the number of AFL premierships you have won," Sheedy said.

"I have won three premierships as a coach, so that is six hours; I have played in another three as a player so there is another six hours - does that mean in 30 years of football I have had 12 hours of happiness?

"I think it should be explained by parents to the kids that it is about competing, trying to improve, find out how good you are, find out about overcoming injuries and illness and above all, never giving up."

Sheedy coached his 441st match against Sydney last weekend and the victory was number 277. His winning strike rate as a coach is second only to Tom Hafey of those coaches who have been at the helm for 300 games or more since World War 2.

He has seen some egos come and go and the changes in football have been a source of amusement.

"You have your megastars and your superstars … I can tell you I have coached a hell of a lot of superstars he says with a wry grin.

"No wonder Walt Disney never had any problems … you never saw Mickey Mouse going on strike, Pluto with a manager or Donald Duck complaining. How smart was that bloke?"

But through it all Sheedy has maintained a firm belief in his approach to coaching. Only occasionally have the doubts crept in and he says that self-belief is the key to surviving in a very tough business.

"I lost five of my first six matches - you are going to lose some games. But you have to go with what you believe in because that is you … mind you that has got me into some trouble," he said.

"You bring people in to assist you because that is what a coaching panel is all about and you live and die by what you bring in and what the panel generates.

"No one person knows football totally. It is a very demanding job - people just can't begin to imagine how demanding it is.

"I think the game just wears some coaches out and there have been times when I have been tired - tired of the heckling, arguing and the bull dust that goes on but I have my aims and goals and hopefully I can achieve them."

As has often been the case, there were rumours at the end of last season that Sheedy was on the way out. He hadn't done much wrong getting an injury depleted Essendon into the finals.

But after 18 seasons many thought the time was right for change. Sheedy had been through it all before and , as has happened in the past, he seemingly defied the odds to keep his job.

"There were rumblings at the end of 1987 and 1991 - that was a while ago now. Every time we miss the finals there are rumblings," Sheedy said.

"We lost Wanganeen, Hird and Long all at the one time as well as Bewick - they were all good players right at their peak and that hurt us. Can you imagine a side like Geelong losing Colbert, Hocking and Stoneham - three good ones out for three years."

Sheedy will remain in coaching no matter what happens at the end of this season. Whether that is at Essendon remains to be seen.

The side is sitting on top of the AFL ladder after 18 rounds with 14 wins to its credit. The Bombers look set to make an impact in September.

"Who knows what will happen at the end of the year? That is one of the exciting things about the future," he said.

"I have always tried to instill that into the two clubs I have been associated with. I like to get Essendon people and the Essendon footy club to get excited about the future. You recruit these young players and then you have the excitement of the coach putting them out on the ground.

"I think you have to be fairly courageous to take on the challenges of trying to win premierships because the game spits you out and at times you do say to yourself am I going down the right road."

The loss of captain James Hird has hurt the Bombers this season but Sheedy says that is now in the past. He says that even the sight of Hird in tears on the interchange bench had little effect on the players.

"It's like Colbert at Geelong. Every club is going to lose one - Adelaide has lost Rehn, Port Adelaide lost Primus. Virtually every club will lsoe one during the course of a season," Sheedy said.

Injuries are among the many hurdles each club and each coach will have to deal with during the season - Sheedy has been dealing with them for the past 19 years.

He will negotiate those hurdles both on and off the ground but not necessarily in that order.