ADAM Cerra joined Sportsday on Thursday night, nearly one week to the minute that he would be running out for his Navy Blue debut against Richmond.
Admitting that the traditional Thursday night clash with the Tigers was a fixture that he "circled in the schedule" when he committed to Carlton late last year, Cerra spoke on a number of topics which will shape the Blues' 2022.
This is what he had to say.
On the differences in pre-season:
"Pre-season is a pre-season at the end of the day. One of the big differences was it wasn’t as hot as WA!
"For me, the on-the-track stuff, I’m trying to get better every day, work hard and earn the respect of my teammates. I think a lot of new players feel this, but the time spent off the track and away from the Club in the pre-season is just as important. Trying to build relationships and connection with your teammates and get to know each other on a deeper level, that’s where I put more of my attention compared to what I’ve done in the past."
On the aspects of Carlton's game plan:
"It’s very flexible at the moment. We’re going to figure out what works best for us week by week. In doing so, we want to bring our strengths to the table and make sure we’re playing to what our team has to offer and the talent we have at hand.
"From our first two practice matches, what we’ve taken out of them is our contested ball work, stoppages and our set-up in front of and behind the ball has been strong for us so far. These things will put us in good stead, but I think we’ll find out more week to week when we see how we’re going and always continuing to evolve."
On ensuring the team brings some balance:
"The game is getting faster and faster, so we’ve got to keep up with it. We’ve got some dangerous forwards so we want to be as efficient as possible getting it in there and getting opportunities.
"When I first got here, I knew the talent was already here, but I think the ball movement and skillset comes natural to most of the team. That’s a real weapon of ours and a real strength.
"I’m hoping what we see this year is we’ve done a lot of work on our defensive unit and our team defence as a whole: an 18-man defence. Hopefully that’s what shines through this season. We’ve put a lot of work into it, and you’ve got to be strong on both sides of the ball. Hopefully we’re a well-rounded team."
On the teammates he's loving spending time with, and the 'pest' of the group:
"I’m loving spending time with Adam Saad and Matthew Kennedy at the moment. They’re characters around the Club who keep it fun, keep it light and invest so much in their teammates which I love.
"Jack Silvagni, probably. A pest/larrikin. You need them in the locker room to make the gags and get the laughs going, and ‘SOS’ loves being in charge of that."
On fellow recruit, George Hewett:
"George has had a huge pre-season and I 100 per cent agree with what Robbie [D’Orazio] said.
"In the first two games, we’ve seen the ball-winning ability and the grunt and the intensity he brings to the contest, it’s a massive strength of his. Myself and him have added good depth to the midfield, and Matthew Kennedy — you saw what he can do on the weekend. Paddy Dow is a very strong player, and there’s ‘Walshy’ and ‘Crippa’ obviously.
"George, with his grunt and his connection with the other mids, has been really good. He’s going to be a good player for us and he backs up session by session and week to week, I think he’ll be a really reliable player this year."
