DonMania#5
Norm Smith Medallist
Fit Bombers ready to take on Crowsjavascript:history.go(-1);
A FIGHTING-FIT Essendon is relishing the tough round-one assignment of taking on Adelaide on the Crows' home turf, says coach Kevin Sheedy.
After missing all but three games of 2006 with a hamstring injury, skipper Matthew Lloyd will be back for the AAMI Stadium match on Sunday week.
Experienced midfielder Jason Johnson (toe) and veteran Scott Camporeale (ankle), who both had injury-interrupted seasons last year, are also likely to play.
Sheedy said his side was happy to take on the Crows early in the season.
"We have been training really hard and the players realise it is a top game to start off the season and get one of the away games out of the road straight away," he said.
"The past two years we have travelled over to Adelaide with some injuries and we have ended up getting our backsides smacked.
"But this year it is them with the injuries so we will go over there with a plan of how we want to play, which is the way we have played over summer."
Sheedy said the early loss of Lloyd last season had a huge impact and to have him back in the line-up to face the Crows was a massive boost.
"It's quite amazing when you lose a good player (like Matthew Lloyd) that you just don't realise how great a player they are until they're not there any more and you're trying to work out how to get goals," Sheedy said.
"Probably the impact of losing a good, experienced player for half a year or more and a couple of good talented young players like (Jason) Laycock and (Jason) Winderlich and throw in a Camporeale, it just threw us out a lot."
He said supporters shouldn't expect miracles, with the club, which finished second-last last year, targeting the mid-season to hit its straps.
But after a positive pre-season, Sheedy said the Bombers were buoyant.
"We've played a pretty good style of footy over the last five or six weeks.
"We've put a lot of work in place to get this right and have a good season this year because we've had two ordinary years and we want to get back into being an excellent footy team again."
A FIGHTING-FIT Essendon is relishing the tough round-one assignment of taking on Adelaide on the Crows' home turf, says coach Kevin Sheedy.
After missing all but three games of 2006 with a hamstring injury, skipper Matthew Lloyd will be back for the AAMI Stadium match on Sunday week.
Experienced midfielder Jason Johnson (toe) and veteran Scott Camporeale (ankle), who both had injury-interrupted seasons last year, are also likely to play.
Sheedy said his side was happy to take on the Crows early in the season.
"We have been training really hard and the players realise it is a top game to start off the season and get one of the away games out of the road straight away," he said.
"The past two years we have travelled over to Adelaide with some injuries and we have ended up getting our backsides smacked.
"But this year it is them with the injuries so we will go over there with a plan of how we want to play, which is the way we have played over summer."
Sheedy said the early loss of Lloyd last season had a huge impact and to have him back in the line-up to face the Crows was a massive boost.
"It's quite amazing when you lose a good player (like Matthew Lloyd) that you just don't realise how great a player they are until they're not there any more and you're trying to work out how to get goals," Sheedy said.
"Probably the impact of losing a good, experienced player for half a year or more and a couple of good talented young players like (Jason) Laycock and (Jason) Winderlich and throw in a Camporeale, it just threw us out a lot."
He said supporters shouldn't expect miracles, with the club, which finished second-last last year, targeting the mid-season to hit its straps.
But after a positive pre-season, Sheedy said the Bombers were buoyant.
"We've played a pretty good style of footy over the last five or six weeks.
"We've put a lot of work in place to get this right and have a good season this year because we've had two ordinary years and we want to get back into being an excellent footy team again."
