Matthew Knights’ main focus may be on Round 1 of the season proper but you can guarantee Mark McVeigh will be giving his all in tomorrow night’s NAB Cup semi-final against St Kilda.
 

Speaking to the media today, McVeigh revealed he will be doing whatever it takes to win Friday night’s blockbuster in order to give his younger teammates a taste of finals-type atmosphere.

 

“With a Grand Final up for grabs, I’m sure every player will be trying their best to win,” McVeigh said.

 

“It would be great for the whole club to boost their confidence going into Round 1 and I think playing in the Grand Final would provide a fantastic experience for the young guys. The kind of pressure that is involved would be similar to a semi-final or a first-round final in the AFL.

 

“We have finished down the bottom for a number of years now and I think the players will get something from playing next week, particularly the young players, and I’m sure that Knighter will want to coach in the big stuff.”

 

Praising the efforts of Essendon’s less experienced players over the past two weeks, McVeigh believes they add a new dynamic to the side, suggesting it may be what the Bombers need to catapult them up the ladder this year.

 

“It is good to see these guys with so much enthusiasm coming through the club,” McVeigh said.
 
“It gives you are real focus and makes you think that Essendon’s success may not be too far down the track.

 

“It is great to see the guys that have worked really hard over the preseason really benefiting from it and I believe there are really exciting times around Essendon.

 

“Obviously there has been a big change and that has been well documented, but we are really impressed with our draftees and also the guys who have been around two or three years. It is very exciting for a group of guys that are looking to go somewhere.

 

“I’ve been surprised with how quickly our young guys have come through. I was not so much shocked by our second and third year players because I have seen the work that they have put in and they have been very impressive. Guys like Ricky Dyson and Bachar Houli have put in a really good preseason and are now playing well, so there is no surprise in that regard.

 

“But I have been surprised to see the development of Tayte Pears, David Myers and Cale Hooker who already look like ready-made players. It has been fantastic.”

 

McVeigh praised Knights' new coaching regime and feels he is doing everything he can to make the Bombers a real contender this season.

 

“I think we are starting to see how he coaches and what he wants from players and it is really inspiring,” McVeigh said.

 

“In the regional challenge matches you try different things, but the NAB Cup is about trying to get the right players in the right positions for Round 1 and I think we are seeing a lot of stuff from Knighter that perhaps we wouldn’t have been seeing if we had been knocked out early.”