Guy McKenna says Jobe Watson is one of the best leaders he’s come across throughout his time in the game.
The two-time premiership player has been involved in football at the top level for almost 30 years.
He joined the Bombers as a Line Coach this season after coaching stints at West Coast, Collingwood and Gold Coast.
The Bombers announced last week Watson would Captain the Club for a seventh straight season in 2016.
McKenna said Watson’s leadership qualities stood out as soon as he began working with the Club.
“He was just impressive from day dot,” McKenna told SEN.
“He’s recovering from a shoulder injury but you wouldn’t know that – he’s been out doing most of the drills, he’s fantastic.
“As far as leaders go, and I’ve been around a fair few good ones in my time as a player and a coach, he’s one of the standouts.”
McKenna will take control of the midfield this season and will have a number of key players back to full fitness and at his disposal.
Watson, Heath Hocking, David Myers, Travis Colyer and David Zaharakis all spent time on the sidelines in 2015 but they’ve now recovered and are building their fitness base for 2016.
“I think that’s the great upside for Essendon going in to next season,” McKenna said.
“We’ll have our ‘A’ grade midfield (and), they’ll have had a very solid pre-season – more pre-season than they did last year.
“We’re going to need to be supplying our forward line with a lot more ball and conversely when it does get turned over we’ll need to be able to stand there and defend it.
“We want to be a good defensive side but also a very high scoring attacking side as well.”
McKenna said he had been impressed by the way the players had adapted to the new game plan and training program implemented by the coaching staff.
“The way they’ve approached the pre-season has been really professional and they’re looking forward to season 2016 and really jumping back in to the competition and really having a red-hot crack,” he said.
“It’s a fantastic Club, it’s a massive Club.
“The facilities are first rate and certainly the players and the staff have been fantastic.
“It’s been a really good pre-season.”
