JUDE Bolton talks to sydneyswans.com.au about the key moments in season 2010, his 'world record' 26 contested possessions, and his plans for the break...

What were the significant events this season?
It was good to see the young guys step into the Club and have an influence early on. That was the real test before the start of the year, not knowing exactly the depth of our list or how we were going to go. So it was good to see guys starting to make a fist of their career.

In the latter part of the year, after such a disappointing effort against Melbourne, to play the way we did the following couple of weeks and to really find some form as a team and see our confidence really build, was great.

Is there something you take from how you turned that around, that as a group you can use in the future?
We just have to make sure we drive our behaviours constantly and make sure we watch over the way we are training and our efforts on the training track. If we are really diligent in that sense, the results will look after themselves.

Against Essendon you had a ‘world record’ 26 contested possessions…what personally was your best game this year?
That was one where I felt like I got after the footy and really attacked it and we got the result. That is all I care about, is making sure we get a win and it was good that day. We had been under the pump a little bit and we felt like a lot of us dug in and had a good win in the wet.

You mentioned some of your new team-mates, but who was the real standout for you this year?
I liked a lot of different players. To see the way that Shane Mumford has come in to the Club, he has been really impressive. The efforts of Benny McGlynn and Joey Kennedy were fantastic, super.

And some of the younger guys - to see Jets kick his goal and light it up, and Hannas had a standout year and won the Rising Star.

There were a few good moments at the SCG and ANZ Stadium, with big crowds lifting you…
Definitely. There’s an onus on us to keep our form going so people can get along and enjoy the footy. Everyone was really pleased to see the young guys step in. There was real excitement around the Club and we could sense that in the fans and it was great to see big crowds.

You are here for at least another year. Can you still keep improving?
I hope I can, that’s the aim. I know a bit more about the game each year and you learn a bit more about yourself. And there are better ways of analysing the game so certainly the way we analyse games personally and as a collective keeps changing and improving, and it will be different under John Longmire, so I’m looking forward to new challenges.

What are you doing during the break?
I’m off over to LA and Las Vegas with a number of the boys. Got the leave pass from the wife and then I’ll be taking the wife over to Fiji, so that’s my break.

And I’ll get down to Melbourne to see the family and play a bit of golf with my Dad and brothers. It is more the mental break for me, and I have to keep the body going. If I stop, it stops completely.

Jude Bolton in action during season 2010: