Senior coach John Longmire appeared in his weekly press conference on Monday, August 12 to provide an update on the team ahead of Round 23. Speaking to the media he discussed Essendon, home ground advantage and shared insight into the injury list.
On the Round 22 win
“The players feel terrific about it. They were able to finish off those last 10 or 15 minutes of the game so strongly with our run, our contest and being able to think clearly at important moments. All of those things really stood out and it was terrific that we finished the game so strongly.”
On energy levels at this stage in the season
“Well, it's just a natural thing that I'd say most clubs at different times of the year go through. It's just a matter of providing a really strong platform to the club and the players that they can finish the game strongly. Their running was outstanding in the last quarter and their ability to be able to compete in the big 50-50 contests was a real highlight.”
On home ground advantage
“It was an extraordinary admission from a coach of a team that has the biggest home ground advantage in the AFL. This year they played 14 games at the MCG, they played 3 at Marvel Stadium, that's 17 games essentially in front of their home crowd. They play finals and obviously the Grand Final on their home deck.
“I wonder what Chris Fagan thought of those comments? That was my initial thought.”
On Essendon
“You saw them over the weekend, they're fantastic contests. We'll be looking forward to a red hot one against the Bombers this week. They didn't kick as accurately as what they would have hoped in the last quarter, which may have had a bit of an impact. They're a very good team, they're a much-improved team. We're looking forward to that contest, getting to Melbourne this week and having another crack at it.”
On the injury list
“Lewis Melican is a chance. He's able to train and he could possibly be available. We think that all things are pointing towards him being available. Tom is probably a couple of weeks along with Justin McInerney.”
On momentum and final ladder position
“I think it's important not to live in the what-ifs. You need to live in the moment and I thought that's what we did really well on the weekend. It was 27 points down halfway through the last quarter and we maintained our ability to be able to live in the moment.”
On the crowd at the SCG
“It was awesome. The sound and probably rivalled almost the preliminary final we had up here a couple of years ago. The whole place was rocking and it's terrific that our supporters hopefully have had some great experiences at the SCG this year.
“The [members and fans] been enormous this year for us and we get to Melbourne this week. Hopefully our South Melbourne friends and followers come along to the game as well. We're fortunate to be able to play in front of a home crowd.”
On Brodie Grundy
“No, he feels good. We manage him during the week and so that's important. We take the load off him during the week as we do a number of our players. They're all on the individual programs during the week. He’s feeling fresh on match day and we rely upon his ability to be able to understand his body.
“We've still got some options we can use during the course of the game. Obviously, Hayden gives him a hand at times, and we've still got Joel that can do that as well.”
On Callum Mills’ form
“It’s to be expected. No matter how good a player you are, it's a tough game to play. He's still got an enormous presence in our team without necessarily having to do it through kicks, marks and handballs. He's still a vital member of our team and the way he leads the team is so critical. He sees the game so well. He gets stuff done.”
On the team’s defence
“We've been a bit up and down, but I think what the last quarter showed was some great efforts to be able to withstand the genuine heat in the contest and be able to win the ball and then get it back going our way. There were a number of examples of that. Our two-way play, our run to get down and support and help our defenders was of a really high end… Our players get confidence out of that."
On a challenging few weeks
“You can't predict what challenges you're coming up with as an AFL coach. Last week was a bit of a different challenge. It doesn't mean it was any more significant or insignificant compared to other challenges that we've faced over the many years.
“I thought our ability for our players to come back out though and start the game the way we did the first 10-15 minutes was really strong. But also finishing the game the way we did was a real credit to our playing group.”
