Can you tell us, and you probably experienced it yourself, you had to bide your time a little bit behind... behind hawk and and jez is the combo but you're getting tastes of it uh you're obviously doing a heap of work in the background jay would have been doing the same as he he was waiting for his opportunity the importance of that apprenticeship for one of a better term to make you ready for your senior um action can you talk the listeners through that

Yeah, absolutely.

You obviously hear a lot throughout the whole league really about how you want to set up sort of your VFL program so that people or players can come in and make an impact straight away and know exactly what they're doing.

And yeah, I was sort of in and out of the team.

I played a game there and then was back in the VFL for different reasons.

But Jay's come in, he's been able to play consistent footy and get some continuity straight off the bat, which has been great.

We've seen what he's been doing in the VFL.

Did you watch the games? What are your thoughts on it?

Uh, is it a bit of relief, or what's the feeling to get back on the winners list?

Uh, yeah, it's obviously great to get back on the winners list.

Um, obviously a few close games in the last sort of five to six weeks.

Um, we felt like we weren't too far off, we just sort of had patches in games where we sort of fell off and let teams get a run on.

So, um, to get, to get a win on the board and sort of get our season back on track a little bit, we've still got obviously a lot of, lot of work to do, but, um, yeah, it just feels like we can sort of go ahead with what we need to do.

What was the message to you heading into this one?

Uh, yeah, no- nothing really too different, to be honest.

Obviously, um, we saw Jay tonight and what a talent he's gonna be and what he already is, to be honest.

Uh, is it a bit of relief, or what's the feeling to get back on the winners list?

Oh, yeah, it's obviously great to get back on the winners list.

Um, obviously a few close games in the last sort of five to six weeks.

Um, we felt like we weren't too far off, we just sort of had patches in games where we sort of fell off, and let teams get a run on.

So, um, to get, to get a win on the board and sort of get our season back on track a little bit.

We've still got obviously a lot of, lot of work to do, but, um, yeah, it just feels like we can sort of go ahead with what we need to do.

What was the message to you heading into this one?

Uh, yeah, noth- nothing really too different, to be honest.

It's been a little bit up and down this year, but how, how does the, the coach and the team assess where the Cats are at right now?

Yeah, I think you summed it up pretty well.

We've been a bit up and down.

Um, but we, we keep focusing on what we need to do and, and how we can get our game to, to its best ability.

Um, so, um, we, we obviously, uh, look at the opposition and, and sort of do what we need to do in terms of preparing for each team each week.

But, um, b- by and large, it's about what we can do and how we can, um, get our game going to the best of its ability and, and trying to get that going.

'Cause we, we think, like... we think we're obviously doing some things really well, but I think in some weeks we're, we're doing, you know, A really well, and then the next week that, that same thing is, is sort of dropping off a little bit.

Just drilling down a bit further, what's the sort of work you've done to get on top of these best key defenders in the competition? Barass, Weitering, Andrews, who in the past can get hold of young key forwards like yourself.