It shapes as one of the Club’s most anticipated games in recent memory and the opening bounce in Essendon’s round one match against Hawthorn can’t come quickly enough for David Myers.
The 27 year old has played just two games in the last two years.
“I just want to play … it has been a long time watching and sitting back – it has been weird – you’re getting paid to do something that you haven’t been able to go out there and do,” Myers told RSN.
“I’m just hanging to get out and play.
“The body is great, I haven’t missed a beat so far, so that’s half the battle – you get all the training in and you’re normally in a pretty good spot to play well.”
Myers’ long kicking and contested ball winning have been features of his 85 game career.
He’s spent most of his time in the midfield but knows flexibility among the Dons senior brigade will be important this season.
“The young guys last year were outstanding and they haven’t slowed up, they’re all improving again over the last few months,” he said.
“They’re all going to be floating through there a lot more so guys like myself, ‘Stants’ (Brent Stanton), Heath Hocking, a lot of the older guys coming back – we’ll still have time in there, but we’ll have to be a bit more flexible and be able to play a few different positions on the ground.
“A bit down back, a bit on the wing and I think, with the rotations as well, you just have to be out on the field a bit longer than you would have previously.
“So everyone across the board is going to have to get used to getting shifted around a bit more.”
Myers said the strengths of the Club’s young midfielders would help complement the established players.
“A lot of the young guys that we’ve been rolling through there and played good footy last year, have got a lot more leg speed that what we’ve had previously,” he said.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if we’re trying to move the ball a bit quicker and try to move the ball forward as much as we can and hopefully it’ll be a pretty exciting brand of footy for our fans to watch.”
The Bombers are incorporating more match play into their training schedule as the season draws closer.
The players took part in match simulation on the weekend and Myers said the early signs are good.
“We played about a half and had a few guys from the VFL come down and help us out,” he said.
“Everybody was looking pretty good – Jobe is in great nick, he didn’t look like he missed a beat, he was flying around there … ‘Hep’ (Dyson Heppell), Zachy Merrett – all your usual suspects … everyone sort of did their bit and looked in good shape.”
