It's been a rewarding couple of weeks after the disappointment of our only defeat of the season so far.
We bounced back well from a one-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs and have used that game as a bit of a reflection point for the back end of the season.
Sometimes going through a season you can lose a little bit of focus at times and I think we lost focus at times during that Bulldogs game.
Looking back on it now, that defeat is something that we’ve learned a lot from and it’s reminded us that we really have to push through and drive through every single game.
Personally I’m pleased with my performances since then. I’m really happy to be involved with the team because it’s such a competitive squad with some unbelievable players on and off the field.
After that defeat to the Bulldogs I was dropped down to the emergency players and I wasn’t actually due to play against GWS Giants but Stevie-Lee Thompson had a tight hamstring so I had ten minutes to get ready and out on the field to start the game.
We ran out 45-5 winners and really banished the memories of that defeat, setting us up nicely for the trip to Freemantle the following week.
I was fortunate enough to hold my spot on the wing half-back and I played there in the 25-16 victory against Freemantle for the majority of the match.
I’m still learning that position because I haven’t really had much experience in the half-back line so that was a good experience up against a very strong side.
Freemantle actually play what I’d a call a similar style to GAA. They’re totally different to what you normally see in AFL and they spread the ball very quickly, getting it wide and at half-back you’re put under a lot of pressure so that was good experience.
I think as a player it feels most natural for me to play at wing or half-forward. Certainly this season I’ve felt most comfortable on the wing.
It’s a position that feels quiet similar to the midfielder role in Gaelic Football just because of the amount of touches and possession you get.
You need a high work-rate because you’re often the last line of defence and you’re an extra support for the forwards.
It’s a position that I feel most suits my game because there’s a lot of hard running involved and a lot of chasing down players, but once you finally do get the ball and create the space it’s a great place to be.
Playing there, I feel like I’ve found my natural position for AFL. In the previous two seasons I’ve played deeper back, a little bit of a half-forward and a bit of a wing-back or half-back but playing wing along with the understanding I have of the game now, feels right.
Up next we have Collingwood who are a really good side with some excellent players and they’re fighting for their place in the top six to make sure that they’re involved in the Finals Series.
The top six go through to the knockout stage and they’re currently in sixth place with two game to go so they will be scrapping for everything.
We expect Collingwood to really come at us and they’ll move the ball pretty quickly throughout the game, using handball quite a bit to get around and get through us.
We’re going to have to bring a really high pressure game to get a result but fortunately we’re at home so that should help against a very good side.
This will be my first time to play against Collingwood and I’m looking to getting a crack at them. It’s an important game to help decide where we end up in the Finals Series.
We’ve already guaranteed a top six finish, so we’ll go through to the knockouts but there’s still a lot to play for.
As a team we’re aiming for a home draw in the finals and beyond that we’ll be pushing to get a week off. If we finish top we’ll avoid the Qualifying Finals and go straight through to the Preliminary Finals, or semi-finals, and that will just give us a little bit of a break.
Finishing top of the league also gives you home advantage in the Grand Final so there’s still plenty for us to fight for with two game to go.
