Q – How are you feeling generally Joe – pre-season starts tomorrow. Are you a bit more toey about this one compared to others?
A – It is a little bit different, the off-season for me wasn’t what I really hoped for. I suppose that is the way it goes in footy these days. I don’t hold any grudges and the club doesn’t hold any grudges – I am where I want to be and I am very happy to be playing for the Essendon Football Club. Essendon is the only club I have ever played for except my local club – a club I love. I have been here ten years, I am a Life Member now and hopefully I can go on and be a one club player.
Q – How is married life treating you Joe?
A – It has been great. It is not too much different. Everyone says it will be different but it is not. It has been terrific.
Q – Joe are you excited about the prospect of perhaps having Fish tap down to you next year?
A – I have always wanted a bit of a grandfather figure to look up to. My parents were telling me the other day that with all of the retirements - Wally, Barnsey and Longy – I have the most number of games experience at the Essendon Football Club. So if Fish does come along he will be getting all of the old man jokes instead of me. It would be nice but we don’t know what is going to happen.
Q – Did it surprise you that Essendon Football Club might draft Paul Salmon?
A – A little bit. I haven’t read that many papers in the off-season. Someone rang me yesterday and said have you heard about the Fish. I didn’t know what he was talking about – I thought he wanted to go fishing. I wasn’t too sure what was going on. I read the paper yesterday and saw that – a little bit of a surprise. He is getting on in years but I think when he did leave Hawthorn he was still playing very good football. He has had a year off and freshened up. I think with his astute football brain it would help the Essendon Football Club a hell of a lot.
Q - Do you think as a team you need to improve next season?
A – There is no doubt. We finished second so we have to improve – there is no doubt about that. We got to a Grand Final last year but that is not what our ultimate goal was – our ultimate goal was to win the flag and go back to back. Last year was a failure and we will be looking to turn things around this year.
Q – Personally Joe, how much did the events after the Grand Final affect you and your motivation for next year?
A – If you asked me this question six weeks ago I probably would have had a different answer. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then and my pure and only motivation is to win another flag. I am still trying to emulate Mark Harvey and Bomber Thompson who won three flags. I have got two at Essendon. A lot of people would probably say two is a good effort, however I have had two at age 25. Hopefully I have got another six or seven years of footy left and I would like to if not beat them – I would like to join them on three flags.
Q – A couple of weeks ago, it would seem that was not going to be a possibility. How did you cope with that?
A – It was very hard for me and very hard for my wife and also my family. It just got to a stage, where the decision was mine after the trade period. In the end I wanted to play at Essendon Football Club. I love the club and I love the guys I play footy with. I think that is the only reason you play footy – to enjoy yourself and to play at a good club.
