MAKING the most of it.
After a big week, AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss is excited about the prospect of debuting two new players in Cooper Lord and Ashton Moir.
Rather than focusing on who isn't available, Voss is looking ahead to the West Coast clash as a chance for his players to get away together and get the job done.
Here's what he had to say.
On Ashton Moir:
"How can you not be excited when you’ve got some players that are hearing some news that they’re playing for the first time? Downstairs, we let Ashton know he’ll play his first game: as you can imagine, there are a few smiles on faces.
"Ashton is very exciting, he has plenty of x-factor about him. He just loves footy, it’s a joy when you come into a club and you see someone who just wants to learn and get better. He’s a real excitement.
"It’s his turn and he gets to go out there and we’re not going to ask anything of him except to bring that raw enthusiasm and make sure you get your role done."
On the review of the Hawthorn game:
"I think the early part of the week was clearly about disappointment. After the game on the weekend, you’re assessing the situation and where to go next, that’s what happens first.
"Once you’ve reflected on it and find your way forward, you start to figure out what’s next.
"The reality is we didn’t defend hard enough as a team and we don’t step away from that. The early part of the conversation is having those accountable conversations about what their expectations are when they walk out on the field.
"There’s an attitude towards the way we want to defend and it wasn’t in the right place on the weekend. Against any side, they’ll give you troubles and Hawthorn was able to pick its way through."
On looking into the post-season:
"What we’re firmly fixed on is that the job’s not done. We haven’t shifted our focus that we want to have an impact this season and that hasn’t changed for us.
"Once you assess where you’re at, you take a couple of days to look at what the way forward is and then you lock in your next target: that’s West Coast. It’s a good opportunity for us to get away as a footy team, probably spend the next 48 hours together and get the job done."
On the goals for the remainder of the season:
"We still know that we have to be that real consistent football team, that message won’t change. It won’t change based on what happens over the next few weeks. We need to become a really consistent football team and that involves many things.
"I think what we’ve spoken about a lot is what our own ambition is and having this really strong feeling that the job is yet to be done: it’s not finished, that’s what our approach has been.
"We lean into what our purpose is – being a great teammate, how do we go out there and support one another through the way we play and how do we bring the energy we need to bring for each other?
"There’s not a lot that needs to change, we just need to double down on that and make sure we bring that for 120 minutes."
On the vibe of the playing group:
"There’s a lot to look forward to and that’s from my point of view when you look around, the energy is great among the playing group. We’ve got to get a job done, we’ve got an opportunity to train and we get to go out and play it.
"At this stage of the season, I find that to be really exciting and something to look forward to.
"We’ll face the next challenge and that’s the thing we love about our game. There’s a great unknown, there’s a great uncertainty about what happens next but that’s where courage lies and that’s where your boldness lies and that’s what we’re going to have to be like this week – play courageous, play bold, get a plan in place and execute it."
On any further debutants:
"No that’s pretty much it. Jaxon Binns played his debut, but he’ll take his position in the team, so he’s pretty excited for that.
"I think his family is flying over for that, so we’ll have a few faces in the crowd flying from Melbourne to Perth, so I imagine the rooms beforehand will have plenty of smiles of faces and plenty of nervous parents."
