""They (Essendon supporters) can come and bring their jackets and wave them Friday night. There is no love lost when you play Port Power over there in a final so there is no reason why we shouldn't make this a final right now. This might be the only opportunity we have to play Port this year. We may both get in the finals series but we may not play one another. We have one chance - so we expect all our Bomber fans there,"" Sheedy said.
Q. How big is this game against Port Adelaide?
A. It is a tremendous game. In actual fact it is probably one of those games where they are a different side to what we have been playing. They don't have a lot of tall forwards. We have to match up a little bit different to what we have in recent weeks - coming off playing on Hawthorn's Jade Rawlings and NathanThomspon - those taller forward line players. Their best goal kickers are Cornes and the Burgoynes. It is a lot different game because their slickness comes from their foot passing and their smarter Aboriginal players up forward - Che Cockatoo-Collins and Wanganeen when he goes up there. It is a very different team you are lining up against each week and that is one of the challenges of footy and in many ways the challenges of coaching - making sure you have an all round footy team that players can play in different positions.
Q. You said earlier in the season that you thought the top two was pretty much out of reach for most sides - because it was going to be either Brisbane Lions, Port Adelaide, Adelaide - what about the top four - do you think that is out of reach for most Victorian clubs?
A. We are only one third of the way through the season so there is still a long way to do. It only takes a few injuries to certain clubs can change the whole season around. Therefore I think the season is wide open.
Q. How is Matthew Lloyd shaping up?
A. We are hoping that we will get him right, especially now that Hird has been ruled out. At this stage he is probably an 80% chance of playing.
Q. What about Fletcher - will he play?
A. He is hanging in there and he is only 80/20 too. We won't play him if he is not ready - we have a lot of big games coming up. It gives us an opportunity to play some of the young players anyway.
Q. Why do you think the interstate clubs have been going so well?
A. Fremantle and West Coast have been there for a while and did some really good drafting and you would have to say the same for St.Kilda - so it is not all about the interstate clubs. I think Paul Roos has done a fantastic job with the players he has. They haven't got a lot of injuries and they are playing great footy. I think most people would have always thought Fremantle and West Coast were going to improve, but I think Sydney and Paul Roos have been fantastic.
