BILL'S GRILL – ROUND 19

WE DID a bit of competitive work during the week which we don’t usually do a lot of, so that sharpened the boys up and I was really happy with the way we performed. To be able to shut them down in the second half to three scoring shots and three behinds was a really good reward for effort.

We were really critical of a lot of things against South Fremantle and mainly our preparation, and mental application for the game but South were up and about and played some really good footy so we can't put it all down to us. But we think that if we play at our best we can beat any side in the competition so we were slightly off that day and South were very good.

To the player's credit this week we were able to turn that around and we didn’t pull any punches during the week. Everyone was open and honest, and we thought as a coaching staff there were things we could have done better and the players clearly thought there were things they could have done better. We got together, came up with a solution and I thought our attitude was really good on the weekend.

The conditions were tough and trying, but we were able to keep coming at the opposition and put good pressure on, and i thought our attack on the footy and ability to keep our head over the footy was very good.

In the second half the inside 50s were 39 to 11 so we played a really good, tough, honest brand of footy and we were really pleased with that. In a way, given how poor we were with our mental and physical state the week before, to get a day like that on Saturday meant that we had to do all the hard things and that was a big focus.

Second position on the ladder is something we are certainly aiming for, but it's a process we need to go through to get that and it doesn't just happen. We can't take any liberties and we can't expect things to go the way we want them to. It's only going to happen for us through hard work, planning and preparation. We think that we are a win or two short of where we need to be at the end of the year, but importantly we need to look at this week and focus on a Peel side who was really competitive last week against Swans and could potentially get three or four AFL-listed players back in plus Cruize Garlett who played in the reserves on the weekend. They are going to be a formidable side and we will need to be at our best, and we expect it to be a great test and it's something we are looking forward to.

Steve Potente is one of those guys where there's not much of him, but he gives 100 per cent all the time. He has been dogged by injuries over the last two or three years and did play some really good football at Swan Districts in 2010 when they were the premiers, and we just thought that a change environment and in his training routine would bring the best out of him.

We're not surprised he is playing how he is, that's why we got him here, but it's great that he has been able to grab his opportunity with both hands. I thought the conditions on the weekend suited him and he played accordingly. We think that he has the ability to win his own football, but if we need to we can get him to run with someone from the opposition. He has been a handy acquisition for us and we were all happy with his game on the weekend.

Jason Salecic was miles ahead on the weekend of where he was the week before and in his couple of reserves games. We all know that he is a quality player so that is a real bonus for us with him getting back in the latter part of the season and if he can get back to his best he will cause trouble for a lot of teams. Ray Bartholomew also came back and was a bit scratchy especially coming back in those conditions. Without being critical of Ray, he is an outside, running player who is used to use the ball well and those conditions didn’t suit him. He struggled a bit early but he improved in the second half and he will be better for the run.

Unfortunately on the weekend Michael Pettigrew and Jay van Berlo both suffered what appear to be relatively serious injuries. Our early diagnosis on Michael's hamstring is not great and it looks like a hamstring tendon injury and history over the last couple of years with Riewoldt and a couple of others suggests that will end his year. That will be sad if that's the case.

Jay van Berlo looks like he has a PCL injury in his knee which we are hoping will be closer to three or four weeks, but it could well end up being five or six weeks. With four games and a bye left in the season we are hopeful that we might get some luck there, but other than we think that players in the reserves and guys who have come in throughout the year have been able to play roles.

It hasn’t been plain sailing with our injuries this year but we have been able to step up to the plate and deliver so those guys who get an opportunity this week will have to do that and it's about everyone playing their part. As sad as it is for the players who miss out, it's a real chance for the players who get an opportunity.

BY BILL MONAGHAN