The build-up to this Saturday’s match against the Western Bulldogs pretty much started the moment we arrived back for pre-season training, and our eyes have been fixed firmly on this date for a long time.
And it’s probably fair to say that we are starting the season off with a bit more momentum than we have in recent years.
Winning our last three games of 2012 really gave the boys a lot of confidence over summer, and we were able to continue that form throughout the pre-season competition to claim the NAB Cup.
The trophy might have been a nice little reward for all our hard work, but it will count for nothing if we can’t produce the same sort of result this weekend.
Having played and won our last couple of matches at Etihad Stadium, the venue should be nice and familiar to all the boys.
Plus our Melbourne-based fans can get pretty vocal at times and help us feel right at home down there.
Unfortunately we don’t get to play a lot of games in Melbourne this year, so hopefully they come out in force this Saturday and we can put on a good show for them.
It’s also been great to get the backline back together, with big Dan Merrett set to stay at full-back this season rather than pinch-hitting up forward.
Our close-knit defensive group has been pretty settled over the pre-season, with old heads like myself, ‘Rog’, Matt Maguire and Jed Adcock being joined by a few newer faces.
Mitch Golby isn’t really a new face, but it’s great to have him back from that foot injury, while Sam Docherty, Elliot Yeo and Justin Clarke have also spent a fair bit of time down there so far this year.
I was personally rapt to see Clarkey get elevated to the senior list recently. He’s come a really long way in just 12 months, and he looks like having a long career ahead of him.
Maybe I’m biased, but I reckon you can never have too many big key defenders up your sleeve!
