SAM WALSH joined 3AW Sportsday to chat about what promises to be a big upcoming month. 

This is what he had to say. 

On his best position:

“I’ve been asked that question a bit at the moment. I’m primarily a midfielder, but I think I’m pretty versatile in that I can start at half-forward and be able to have a relationship with our midfielders where from there, I can either go inside the stoppage or out.

“One of the biggest parts of my game that I try to use is my transition running. Whether that’s getting back hard to support the defence or getting forward, that’s where my game comes from.

“Sometimes can get a little bit consumed by where you start at the centre bounce and thinking that’s the role you’re playing. Generally it’s midfield, but I’ve been able to spend a bit of time forward which has been good to add to my game.”

On the position the team finds itself in compared to previous years:

“These are the positions you want to be in as a footballer.

“You get to train a fair bit of the year with 40-odd blokes that are all striving for the one thing to get the best out of yourself to win games of footy. To be able to do that more frequently this year has been great for our group.

“I feel like we’ve always been pretty connected through even the tough times, so for a really good coaching group to come in and have us focus really hard on our roles and help each other play our best footy has been great.

“As we know from the weekend, we’ve still got a lot to learn and the best part about is each game we’re picking up something and getting better at that. It’s been very enjoyable, but we know how quickly it can turn if we stop the hard work.”

On Michael Voss’ impact:

“I got to research a fair bit about him when he was appointed coach. Before that, I was a Brisbane supporter growing up and the absolute prime of ‘Vossy’ was when I was very young around the premiership times.

“The presence he has in the game and even when he walks around the Club, he has that aura about him: I think he would’ve been the same on the field. You see some of his highlights, he was so ruthless on the standards of the game and tough at the ball.

“For someone like that to be leading the group, you couldn’t ask for much more.

“You definitely feel the urge to play for him: I think he’s managed the coaches and us players really well this year. I’ve built a strong connection with him, as he’s brought to a lot of the players.”

On his key focuses during training:

“For me, I work with [Voss] and Tim Clarke on a lot of parts of my game. I think the best players in the competition are able to win the ball from the inside and then go out.

“I’ve been trying to work pretty hard on my stoppage craft, especially over the last two months. I think i’m starting to see some growth in my game and getting a bit more explosion out of the contest to then use my wheels around the ground.

“‘Vossy’ has been really big on focusing on relationships and you can only go so far as a player being an individual.

“It’s how you work with others and play team footy, that’s ultimately when you get the best out of yourself. That’s something that everyone has bought into.”

On future captaincy ambitions:

“I don’t think you can put an age on it. I do think it’s something, agreeing with Leigh Matthews, that you need experience under your belt to perform that role.

“For me, I’m pretty early in my leadership journey and always want to get the best out of myself and others around me. If I do that, it’s going to hold me in good stead no matter what age I am. There’s a lot more to being  a captain than just that.

“‘Crippa’ has been amazing and we have a lot of guys that are developing really strong leadership skills. I have learnt a lot off of ‘Crippa’ and ‘Vossy’ and guys like them.

“I still think it’s a while away for me if it ever comes, but I’m very passionate in it. I think being thrown in the deep end doesn’t always work out too well.”

On the lessons from the Geelong game:

“You’ve got to be able to take positives out of being beaten by a team like that. You’ve got to find ways you can get better and I’d rather learn these lessons now than later on.

“They’re a pretty well-oiled machine and were strong in the contest, plus they had a bit of an edge about them – this is something we didn’t bring which hopefully we can work on in the coming weeks.

“They just knew how to get their role done and they did that over four quarters by bringing good energy. That’s something we want to be known for.

“I think it’s always good to be able to learn from a game and move on. That’s what we’re trying to do this week: it motivates us going forward.”

On the season so far from housemate Paddy Dow:

“From [Paddy Dow’s] season point of view, he’s had a great year without probably getting the opportunity. I think that’s what we built over pre-season: a real strong midfield group.

“For when he gets his time to stand up, he’ll be the most prepared he has been to play strong AFL footy. That’s all he can do.

“Our VFL is going really well and when you look at a lot of the [successful sides] in the history of footy, your twos have to be performing well for your ones to be. Hopefully he can keep knocking down the door and get an opportunity soon enough.”