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McVeigh means business now
Second chance … Jarrad McVeigh is eager to atone this time around after missing out on last year's grand final squad.
September 25, 2006
THIS time there were no major - or even minor - celebrations. Perhaps the best way to describe the atmosphere in Sydney's changing-rooms after last Friday's preliminary final was, in the words of grand final rookie Jarrad McVeigh, "business-like".
The Swans might just have qualified for their second successive flag decider but, with that experience and that premiership behind the bulk of the group, the message on Friday night was clear: nothing has been won yet. next Saturday is what matters.
While his outward demeanour was that of the team player, inside it was a little different for McVeigh. Last year, he wasn't there - not on the MCG turf anyway. He had been a part of the team early in the season, playing 13 of the first 17 games, but injury had affected his form and his role in the team's historic premiership success was limited to that of cheer-squad member.
"The boys were fairly business-like [last Friday night] and all, saying there is one more to go," McVeigh revealed yesterday. "But deep down inside me, I was stoked at the chance of playing in a grand final. The whole week is going to be exciting.
"I'm just really looking forward to getting to Melbourne and being part of the whole week. Yeah, it was hard [last year], playing reserves and watching the guys [in seniors] winning the premiership, and I suppose it drives you more for this year. You don't want to miss out - you want to be a part of every moment the boys go through.
"Probably the hardest part was just when the siren went. I was sitting in the stand with my family and you're obviously very happy for the boys, but you just want to be out there and be a part of it.
"You wanted to be out there and deep down you're very disappointed that you weren't good enough to be out there. All the reserves and other players who were injured all went down and watched the game, and it was good to be a part of it all, but I was hoping for so much more than that at the start of the [last] season.
"I said to myself at the start of this year that if we were to be in the same position again, I wasn't going to be on the sidelines."
If Swans coach Paul Roos opts to stick with the team that defeated Fremantle last Friday - and he has indicated that will be the case - then 18 of the 22 who played last year will go around again on Saturday.
The new players for Sydney will be McVeigh, Stephen Doyle, Nick Malceski and Ted Richards. Of the four to miss out, just one is available - midfielder Paul Bevan - with Jason Ball and Paul Williams having retired and Jared Crouch out with a season-ending ankle injury.
If the Eagles go with the same line-up that defeated Adelaide on Saturday, there will be seven new faces: Michael Braun, Beau Waters, Quinten Lynch, Brett Jones, Jaymie Graham, Rowan Jones and Steven Armstrong.
When Sydney met West Coast in the qualifying final two weeks ago, McVeigh was exceptional as he tagged reigning Brownlow medalist Ben Cousins throughout the game. He has been used in tagging roles several times during the season by Roos, and it's a role he enjoys.
He said one of the things he learnt from playing on Cousins was how hard the Eagles star worked during a game. "He was just running up and down the field. He is very quick and goes in five- or ten-minute bursts. Then he'll come off for a bit, then go again. His work rate is unbelievable," McVeigh said.
"I thought I did a pretty good job a couple weeks ago for three quarters, then he got away from me a bit in the last quarter - so what I need to do is probably just step it up for the whole four quarters and be consistent and run with him."
Like Jarrad, his brother, Mark, is an AFL footballer, with Essendon. Back in 2000, Mark played the final home and away game of the season but didn't get a game in the finals as the Bombers went on to win the flag. The following year he was part of the team that made the grand final, but that time they fell to Brisbane. Was that a bad omen for the Swans and the younger McVeigh? "No," he said emphatically. "That won't be happening this year."
Second chance … Jarrad McVeigh is eager to atone this time around after missing out on last year's grand final squad.
September 25, 2006
THIS time there were no major - or even minor - celebrations. Perhaps the best way to describe the atmosphere in Sydney's changing-rooms after last Friday's preliminary final was, in the words of grand final rookie Jarrad McVeigh, "business-like".
The Swans might just have qualified for their second successive flag decider but, with that experience and that premiership behind the bulk of the group, the message on Friday night was clear: nothing has been won yet. next Saturday is what matters.
While his outward demeanour was that of the team player, inside it was a little different for McVeigh. Last year, he wasn't there - not on the MCG turf anyway. He had been a part of the team early in the season, playing 13 of the first 17 games, but injury had affected his form and his role in the team's historic premiership success was limited to that of cheer-squad member.
"The boys were fairly business-like [last Friday night] and all, saying there is one more to go," McVeigh revealed yesterday. "But deep down inside me, I was stoked at the chance of playing in a grand final. The whole week is going to be exciting.
"I'm just really looking forward to getting to Melbourne and being part of the whole week. Yeah, it was hard [last year], playing reserves and watching the guys [in seniors] winning the premiership, and I suppose it drives you more for this year. You don't want to miss out - you want to be a part of every moment the boys go through.
"Probably the hardest part was just when the siren went. I was sitting in the stand with my family and you're obviously very happy for the boys, but you just want to be out there and be a part of it.
"You wanted to be out there and deep down you're very disappointed that you weren't good enough to be out there. All the reserves and other players who were injured all went down and watched the game, and it was good to be a part of it all, but I was hoping for so much more than that at the start of the [last] season.
"I said to myself at the start of this year that if we were to be in the same position again, I wasn't going to be on the sidelines."
If Swans coach Paul Roos opts to stick with the team that defeated Fremantle last Friday - and he has indicated that will be the case - then 18 of the 22 who played last year will go around again on Saturday.
The new players for Sydney will be McVeigh, Stephen Doyle, Nick Malceski and Ted Richards. Of the four to miss out, just one is available - midfielder Paul Bevan - with Jason Ball and Paul Williams having retired and Jared Crouch out with a season-ending ankle injury.
If the Eagles go with the same line-up that defeated Adelaide on Saturday, there will be seven new faces: Michael Braun, Beau Waters, Quinten Lynch, Brett Jones, Jaymie Graham, Rowan Jones and Steven Armstrong.
When Sydney met West Coast in the qualifying final two weeks ago, McVeigh was exceptional as he tagged reigning Brownlow medalist Ben Cousins throughout the game. He has been used in tagging roles several times during the season by Roos, and it's a role he enjoys.
He said one of the things he learnt from playing on Cousins was how hard the Eagles star worked during a game. "He was just running up and down the field. He is very quick and goes in five- or ten-minute bursts. Then he'll come off for a bit, then go again. His work rate is unbelievable," McVeigh said.
"I thought I did a pretty good job a couple weeks ago for three quarters, then he got away from me a bit in the last quarter - so what I need to do is probably just step it up for the whole four quarters and be consistent and run with him."
Like Jarrad, his brother, Mark, is an AFL footballer, with Essendon. Back in 2000, Mark played the final home and away game of the season but didn't get a game in the finals as the Bombers went on to win the flag. The following year he was part of the team that made the grand final, but that time they fell to Brisbane. Was that a bad omen for the Swans and the younger McVeigh? "No," he said emphatically. "That won't be happening this year."
