VANDA
28 Jan 2005, 22:55
Fri 28 January, 2005
Samantha Lane
Gary O'Donnell won't be surprised by people discounting Essendon in 2005. But the assistant coach admits that it wasn't until returning to Windy Hill recently after five years with Brisbane that he familiarised himself with the Bombers' underbelly of developing talent.
Now, having also reacquainted himself with Essendon headquarters, the returned favourite son is optimistic about what lays ahead for the club this year.
"A fair few people are not quite sure where Essendon are going to finish, probably a few have written them off, but I think there's a good mix of players there to do well this year and we might surprise a few people," O'Donnell, who spent five years under four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews at the Lions, said on Friday.
"People have probably written us off, but I'm sure Essendon supporters are smarter than that and have confidence in the list, and (trust) that a team coached by Kevin Sheedy is always a chance in league footy."
"There's quite a few like those guys that I didn't know much about until I got here. You don't really look at blokes that closely from an opposition perspective, you look at the team in general. But there are some impressive types, and some blokes that work really hard."
The major criticism of Essendon in recent times has been that it has been left to much to too few on the ground.
Skipper James Hird, multiple Coleman medal winner Matthew Lloyd, Dustin Fletcher, Jason Johnson and, more recently, Adam McPhee can be relied upon for consistent top-class performances. But the internal anticipation is that the 'kids' that coach Kevin Sheedy has referred to regularly - players such as Ricky Dyson, Brent Stanton, Jason Winderlich, Kepler Bradley and Ted Richards - close the gap between the Bombers' blue-ribbon and budding players.
"There's still a lot of learning to do. But with a few of the champion players in the side that are still going to have some good output, hopefully we can get the right mix there and we'll be able to have some good results on the field," O'Donnell said.
One player who has caught his eye is the tall and athletic Bradley, the No. 6 pick of the 2003 draft who played five senior games after debuting last year.
"He works his heart out. At the end of a session he's spent and I really like that in a player," O'Donnell said.
"Stanton, we had a bit of match practice the other day and the ball just kept following him and Ricky Dyson's an impressive kid."
With the Dons' pre-season hit-out against Sydney just a fortnight away, O'Donnell says the list is in sound physical shape. At a near-two hour training session in 32-degree heat in Melbourne on Friday, David Hille (foot) and Damian Cupido (hamstring) were the only regular senior players in the rehabilitation group.
Youngster Jobe Watson, whose training load is being carefully managed, was also excused from main session.
Dean Solomon (thumb), Jason Johnson (hip), Mark Johnson (shoulder) all had post-season operations but have been in full training and appear in good shape.
"Some of the testing we've been doing, about half the list in one particular test did personal bests. In that respect I think we're pretty well placed," O'Donnell said.
Sounds encouraging................but i guess everything does at this time of year!
Samantha Lane
Gary O'Donnell won't be surprised by people discounting Essendon in 2005. But the assistant coach admits that it wasn't until returning to Windy Hill recently after five years with Brisbane that he familiarised himself with the Bombers' underbelly of developing talent.
Now, having also reacquainted himself with Essendon headquarters, the returned favourite son is optimistic about what lays ahead for the club this year.
"A fair few people are not quite sure where Essendon are going to finish, probably a few have written them off, but I think there's a good mix of players there to do well this year and we might surprise a few people," O'Donnell, who spent five years under four-time premiership coach Leigh Matthews at the Lions, said on Friday.
"People have probably written us off, but I'm sure Essendon supporters are smarter than that and have confidence in the list, and (trust) that a team coached by Kevin Sheedy is always a chance in league footy."
"There's quite a few like those guys that I didn't know much about until I got here. You don't really look at blokes that closely from an opposition perspective, you look at the team in general. But there are some impressive types, and some blokes that work really hard."
The major criticism of Essendon in recent times has been that it has been left to much to too few on the ground.
Skipper James Hird, multiple Coleman medal winner Matthew Lloyd, Dustin Fletcher, Jason Johnson and, more recently, Adam McPhee can be relied upon for consistent top-class performances. But the internal anticipation is that the 'kids' that coach Kevin Sheedy has referred to regularly - players such as Ricky Dyson, Brent Stanton, Jason Winderlich, Kepler Bradley and Ted Richards - close the gap between the Bombers' blue-ribbon and budding players.
"There's still a lot of learning to do. But with a few of the champion players in the side that are still going to have some good output, hopefully we can get the right mix there and we'll be able to have some good results on the field," O'Donnell said.
One player who has caught his eye is the tall and athletic Bradley, the No. 6 pick of the 2003 draft who played five senior games after debuting last year.
"He works his heart out. At the end of a session he's spent and I really like that in a player," O'Donnell said.
"Stanton, we had a bit of match practice the other day and the ball just kept following him and Ricky Dyson's an impressive kid."
With the Dons' pre-season hit-out against Sydney just a fortnight away, O'Donnell says the list is in sound physical shape. At a near-two hour training session in 32-degree heat in Melbourne on Friday, David Hille (foot) and Damian Cupido (hamstring) were the only regular senior players in the rehabilitation group.
Youngster Jobe Watson, whose training load is being carefully managed, was also excused from main session.
Dean Solomon (thumb), Jason Johnson (hip), Mark Johnson (shoulder) all had post-season operations but have been in full training and appear in good shape.
"Some of the testing we've been doing, about half the list in one particular test did personal bests. In that respect I think we're pretty well placed," O'Donnell said.
Sounds encouraging................but i guess everything does at this time of year!