""We will put him out in the paddock for a couple of weeks – I don’t see any real point him playing in any games over the next few weeks,"" Sheedy said. ""He was good and Camporeale has added to the midfield depth along with Chris Heffernan. And the fans should not forget about Brent Stanton and Ricky Dyson as well.""
Sheedy said he was very confident the side would perform far better than it had in 2005. ""The fans should know that – we must improve and I think we will. It is great to have almost 30,000 members and we are still six or seven weeks out from the season starting.""
Matthew Lloyd again sat out today’s match with a sore quad – medical staff opting to take a very cautious approach with him. Andrew Lovett also missed for personal reasons. Courtney Johns (hamstring) and Adam McPhee (knee) also watched from the sidelines.
There were a number of impressive performers for Essendon. Scott Lucas and Kepler Bradley had an excellent battle with both getting plenty of the ball. Both players have had excellent pre-seasons and are on target for the year ahead.
Jobe Watson played very well early and appears to be benefiting from the seven kilograms he has shed in the off-season. He moved very well and his foot skills were a highlight. Joel Reynolds came into his own late in the game as did Ricky Dyson. Youngster Courtenay Dempsey continues to impress using his speed and foot skills to good effect.
David Hille returned this morning and did a good job in the ruck and up forward where he was rewarded with a couple of goals. Dustin Fletcher was his typical assured self in defence while a physically bigger Nathan Lovett-Murray got plenty of the ball.
