And it... [laughs] When you actually review the season, you go, even if you win half of them, you're playing in a Wild Card final.

I know.

I know.

It's frustrating in that sense, but yeah.

I mean, it... after this one...

We've got one more to try and, and get over the line.

It'd be great to, uh, knock off the Swannies in the, in the last round for another scalp.

You take that, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Um, and the way we've been able to adjust to that has, uh, I think put teams under more heat than had previously, um, you know, in previous years when we've played.

So, uh, ball movement had improved.

Um, and then, you know, scoreboard pressure is another, you know, added thing that, uh, helps, you know, take teams down.

So it's a combination of a few things, but definitely our defense and some of our defenders down there have, have stepped up this year for sure.

Yep

...

I'm, I'm better with it now.

Mm.

And I've been...

You know, we've all bat forward, down forward, and the club's been craving for that for a long time.

So b- it's been...

You know, uh, you know, I feel, like, disappointed to not have, uh- You know, capitalize on that more from a team perspective, uh, if you know- Is it, if you put pressure on yourself- Yes ... as the captain with your goal- Well- ... is it hurting a bit? ...

like I think there's the, uh, you know, there's nat- naturally there, there is a little bit more, as much as you don't, uh, want to think it, but I've been able to work through that, um, since feeling maybe a bit more of that weight of responsibility.

So- Yep ...

About three times

it?

It's Andrew Dillon.

Oh,

Dillon.

Good.

Look, we've been looking at numerous things surrounding the media and how we can grow the game, Bill, and one of those parameters is the performance of The Rush Hour.

Oh.

And do impersonations to yourself or poor old Georgina? We had a captain's

to?

It's a great question.

Great question.

To be honest, I think on the weekend, it was a bit, it's always a bit of everything, but I think on the weekend, it was more of a sense of the team's maturity, um, and growing, uh, in mindset and the way we play.

And that was the difference on the weekend.

So at halftime, we came down and I was, I thought we were going to get a bit of a bake, to be honest, just because of the ease, which was they were scoring and their uncontested marks.

But Clarko, you know, from the ground, it felt like, Yeah, they were scoring too easily.

Yeah.

What happened there?

Oh, no. Oh, it, it was very unlucky.

Uh, it was innocuous.

So they both had their head over the ball.

It was a head clash, and it just flushed, uh, Foss right in the schnoz, the poor bloke.

So he looked really sore.

Um, and just terrible timing.

He's a pretty important soldier

[laughs]

Oh, I mean, I love him up forward.

We just got-- We've, we've played, you know, near, close to 150 odd games together forward, and it takes time to build chemistry with other players, um, forward to the footy.

And I just, I don't know, like there's something about playing with Cam where he-- I, I know where he's gonna lead.

Um, it's like a sort of intuitive thing where, you know, he knows where I'm gonna go, I know where he's gonna go, and he knows where to put the footy.

So I love having him up forward.

Um, but the beauty is that, you know, he's been able to play multiple roles for us and, and Clarko loves, um, players who can play multiple positions, um, whether that's midfielders who can swing forward, half-backers who can go into the midfield, backs who can go forward.

[laughs]

He just looked like he wanted to be back there closer to you.

Oh, I mean, I love him up forward.

We just got...

We've, we've played, you know, near close to 150 odd games together forward, and it takes time to build chemistry with other players, um, forward to the footy.

And I just...

I don't know.

Like, there's something about playing with Cam where he-- I, I know where he's gonna lead.

[laughs]

As a leader of this football club, I mean, what conversations were happening out on the ground to ensure that the boys just kept that energy and momentum going?

Oh, just ke- keep, uh, we, we, uh, had a big focus on the next moment play and, like, playing our way no matter what the situation.

Like last week, pretty much for a quarter, most of the game, but that quarter, that second quarter, we went away from the basics of our game plan, playing just focus on your role for the side.

I know it's cliché, but the, it's all the stuff you can control, your effort in the contest, um, where you run, getting up the ground, your work rate.

That's the stuff you can control.

As soon as you start thinking about outcome, touches, goals, marks, kicks, that's when you can go away from what exactly we want.

So that, our focus was big on that, and then obviously we took the game on a lot more, and some guys just really stood up.

I mean, you still didn't today, but if you can eventually find that four quarters, then you're well and truly up there.

What do I need to do better? How do I need to be different to get the best out of you?" That, for me, is brilliant.

Yeah, I think Coxie's been massive.

You know, he, he got, um, thrown into it quickly last year and, um, no one was really expecting it, to be honest.

So, um, he had his work cut out for him.

And then, um, you know, it doesn't help not having, um, you know, some of the boys that weren't playing last year.

And, um, you know, we got Simon Goodwin to the club this year, and, and he's been massive, um, in the way we play, and, and he was, he was big on changing a few things as well.

And, um, you know, all the coaches have been amazing in, in putting boys in, um, good spots and, um, you know, putting, putting threats all over the park.

Yeah, no, 40 possessions-

Mm

... and play out of the box for us to win.

Like, in previous years we've had to have a few guys play, um, out of their skins f- to give us a chance to win.

But, you know, his consistency and other guys around him in that midfield, around the ground, down in defense, up forward like we talked about, other guys stepping up, coming into themselves and, um, playing with a bit more confidence-

... has been nuts.

Yeah, he's been unbelievable for us down there.

I think just his experience, um, has really helped us, you know, structure up our back line a bit better.

Like, you know, in, in different parts of the game, I th- you know, Lukie Mac was probably the oldest or wisest head down there for a while.

Mm.

Like, he, he's, he played unbelievably well, but he's just super, super consistent without having to completely dominate a game, um, and play out of the box for us to win.

Like, in previous years, we've had to have a few guys play, um, out of their skins f- to give us a chance to win.

But, you know, his consistency and other guys around him in that midfield, around the ground, down in defense, up forward, like we talked about, other guys stepping up, coming into themselves, and, um, playing with a bit more confidence-

... has been nuts.

Yeah, he's been unbelievable for us down there.

I think just his experience, um, has really helped us, you know, structure up our back line a bit better, like, you know, in, in different parts of the game.

I th- you know, Lukie Mack was probably the oldest or wisest head down there for a while.

... opening round matches North have won, Big Suif

SuifFour Oh, dear.

Oh, dear In 24 years, Fred So surely we can, uh, put a stop to some of that Let's start- Yes ... just tweaking the ledger back the other way- Yes ... is, uh, is the plan.

But what, what other stats you get, uh, while you're sitting on that deal? Well, this is gonna be your first game as captain.

Oh.

[laughs] Yeah.

[laughs] Thank you, Bill.

Mm

We've got to win some games, don't we, Nick?

Got to get a bit better.

Well, you could say that.

Yeah, absolutely.

That's the plan, Bill.

Yeah, absolutely it is.

I mean, our fans have every right to be impatient.

Tell us about Wardlaw, though, because he is high quality but doesn't play enough.