Triple M Footy on the Coleman race, and it all lands on our doorstep in round 24.

The Wizard was pretty good again yesterday, Will, with kick to five goals.

Oh, yeah.

A- after the game, I didn't know how many he'd kicked, and someone told me he'd kicked five, and yeah, I, I can't believe it.

He just pulls them out from anywhere, and, um, he's becoming very consistent, which has been great.

I- is he a player that sorta does some stuff at training where you're just thinking, "Wow"? Because we see, you know, the two hours on the Saturday, but you must see a lot more of him and, and he'd be pretty entertaining, I would imagine.

Oh, yeah.

I think, um, I think Gunners wouldn't talk to me for the rest of the time we'd know each other.

One, how does that feel? Have you copped any crap for it? But two, is that harder than it seems to not sort of play on instinct?

Yeah, it's been something that I've had to get used to, I think, because growing up, I've always sort of been skinnier than, um, all the other players I've versored.

I've had to sort of, yeah, go in a lot harder and, um, do some of those acts a bit more.

So, um, I'd say it's one of my weapons as well playing.

So there's definitely times where I'll still have to.

Um, but yeah, there's probably some other times that I can think it through a bit more and, um, just be a bit more controlled.

So it's been something that has taken probably a few weeks from when I did come back this year, but I'm at a pretty good balance now knowing if it is there to be won, to still go, but if it's a bit stupid, then just, just hold back a bit.

How excited are you, provided you get through the next three weeks, for September and playing in a finals campaign? And how much did it hurt you having to, to watch on the last two, uh, campaigns when your team went through?

One, how does that feel? Have you copped any crap for it? But two, is that harder than it seems to not sort of play on instinct?

Yeah.

It's been something that I've had to get used to, I think, because growing up I've always sort of been skinnier than, um, all the other players I've versed.

I've had to sort of, yeah, go in a lot harder and, um, do some of those acts a bit more.

So, um, I'd say it's one of my weapons as well playing.

So there's definitely times where I'll still have to.

Um, but yeah, there's probably some other times that I can think it through a bit more and, um, just be a bit more controlled.

How excited are you, provided you get through the next three weeks for September and playing in a finals campaign, and how much did it hurt you having to, to watch on the last two, uh, campaigns when your team went through?

One, how does that feel? Have you copped any crap for it? But two, is that harder than it seems to not sort of play on instinct?

Yeah.

It's been something that I've had to get used to, I think, because growing up, I've always sort of been skinnier than, um, all the other players I've versed.

I've had to sort of, yeah, go in a lot harder and, um, do some of those acts a bit more.

So, um, I'd say it's one of my weapons as well playing.

So there's definitely times where I'll still have to.

Um, but yeah, there's probably some other times that I can think it through a bit more and, um, just be a bit more controlled.

How excited are you, provided you get through the next three weeks, for September and playing in a finals campaign, and, and how much did it hurt you having to, to watch on the last two, uh, campaigns when your team went through?

What was the difference? What's the variation? Mainly for maybe young kids who are listening out there and just wanna know what it was like, 'cause we don't see it very often.

Yeah.

I think holistically we needed to just dial in on our pressure, which is something that we sort of get after every week, but in conditions like that, it needs to dial up a notch.

But then also we, we all wake.

We're talking about getting back to an attacking brand of footy and, um, I don't think attacking just means, um, flair and switching and, um, moving quickly.

So we were really big on what attacking looks like based on the conditions, and early that was just territory, get it forward, get numbers to contest.

But then later in the game, as it dried up a little bit, we were able to get a bit more flair and back to our brand of footy.

I think you've, you've come to the realization that you may be a player that doesn't play quite as many minutes.

And we know, you know, a, a lot of times it looks like you still don't go direct to goal both sides, that you're still trying to play a certain way, but, uh, what was the difference? What's the variation? Mainly for maybe young kids who are listening out there and just wanna know what it was like 'cause we don't see it very often.

Yeah, I think holistically we needed to just dial in on our pressure, which is something that we sort of get after every week.

But in conditions like that, it needs to dial up a notch.

But then also we, we all week we were talking about getting back to an attacking brand of footy and, um, I don't think attacking just means, um, flair and switching and, um, moving quickly.

So we were really big on what attacking looks like based on the conditions and early that was just territory, get it forward, get numbers to contest.

But then later in the game, as it dried up a little bit, we were able to get a bit more flair and back to our brand of footy.

So I think that was a big focus for us, let's be attacking based on the conditions.

I think you've, you've come to the realization that you may be a player that doesn't play quite as many minutes.

How was he after?

Yeah, we sort of lowered our colors at times.

They had a few double marks inside 50 just from us, um, sort of switching off, and that's something that we don't condone as a team.

So just little acts like that is probably what he was pretty angry with.

I think for the greater part of the game, um, we were able to play our way, but just to lower our colors here and there, we know against sort of the top sides, you can't really get away with that.

So yeah, there was a few times where he had to spark us back up, but, um, we got back on top, which was the important thing.

[laughs] Hey, Will, I realize the medical department is, uh, is, uh, its own, um, part of the footy club, and you're not part of it, but do you have an update this morning on Nick Watson's situation and also Jack Gunston?

Yeah, and, uh, don't with Watto.

How was he after?

Yeah, we sort of lowered our colors at times.

They had a few double marks inside 50 just from us, um, sort of switching off, and that's something that we don't condone as a team.

So just little acts like that is probably what he was pretty angry with.

I think for the greater part of the game, um, we're able to play our way, but just to lower our colors here and there, we know against sort of the top sides, you can't really get away with that.

So yeah, there was a few times where he had to spark us back up, but, um, we got back on top, which was the important thing.

[laughs] Hey, Will, I realize the medical department is, uh, is, uh, its own, um, part of the footy club, and you're not part of it, but do you have an update this morning on Nick Watson's situation and also Jack Gunston?

Yeah.

You yourself, Will, have you had to change the way that you're going to play your football considering the injuries that you've had? Sam Mitchell's spoken a little bit about that publicly.

Yeah, it's been something that I think my competitiveness is probably my biggest strength that can be a weakness of mine as well.

So I've done a lot of work sort of behind the scenes just about that and mainly training just If there's a ball that I don't really need to go for and I'm not in the right position, I think previously I'd just go 110% all the time.

Whereas now I'm just sort of having the smarts to sort of pick my battles.

But yeah, I guess there'll always be times where I have to go.

And as I said, it is one of my biggest strengths.

But yeah, I guess I've sort of changed it a little bit.

What drives you to do that and take me through the behind-the-scenes work that we will never see, which puts you in a position to perform like you have so strongly off such a long break?

You yourself, Will, have you had to change the way that you're going to play your football considering the injuries that you've had? Sam Mitchell's spoken a little bit about that publicly.

Yeah, it's been something that I think my competitiveness is probably my biggest strength that can be a weakness of mine as well.

So I've done a lot of work sort of behind the scenes just about that and mainly training just If there's a ball that I don't really need to go for and I'm not in the right position, I think previously I'd just go 110% all the time.

Whereas now I'm just sort of having the smarts to sort of pick my battles.

But yeah, I guess there'll always be times where I have to go.

And as I said, it is one of my biggest strengths.

But yeah, I guess I've sort of changed it a little bit.

yeah, I think doing a lot of

But to throw Zach Merritt into that midfield, do you feel like that makes you a premiership threat if he was there?

I think a lot of teams can probably say that and I mean at the end of the day we know our midfield probably hasn't been performing so we see it as a really exciting opportunity for a lot of our younger guys to step up but that comes with a bit of responsibility and yeah if it doesn't happen then we'll probably get beaten in the middle so I'm excited for tonight.

We get Cam McKenzie back, who was out with concussion last week.

And yeah, there's probably some other names that didn't perform as well as they would have liked last week.

So I'm expecting a good response.

And yeah, although I'm out and you say that as well, I think we see it as an opportunity.

And yeah, it does need to come along a bit.

And just if I could just get you to explain the process around the way the club dealt with it and decided to keep it as best they could internally until Mitch Cleary broke the story during the week.