Todd Curley Q and A – Pre-season

SOUTH Fremantle coach Todd Curley's weekly question and answer session during the 2015 McDonald's WAFL Premiership season.

Curley offered his thoughts on the Bulldogs' preparations for the 2015 season following two pre-season matches against last year's grand finalists, Subiaco and East Perth, and ahead of the season-opener on Friday night against his former club West Perth at Fremantle Oval.

QUESTION: Not far from Round 1 now, do you feel ready?
ANSWER: You always hope you are ready, that's the thing about pre-season. You never really are sure because you have all your best laid plans, but until the games start it's hard to judge. It's been a pretty good pre-season and it looks like we will have just about everyone available for Round 1, so that's good.

Q: Two pre-season games against last year's grand finalists – what have you made of the hit outs?
A: They have been really solid hit outs and that's exactly what we wanted. It's hard to practice game plans and what you are trying to implement amongst yourselves when everyone knows what you are trying to do, so it's good to test yourself against the opposition. It's a great start for us to get the opportunity to play against the grand finalists from last year.

Q: How are you feeling closing in on Round 1?
A: It certainly feels like it has gone quickly. It's been fantastic and the club has been super in their support of me, and the players have been fantastic as well. It's a new club for me and there's so many new names and faces and personalities to get to know, but we are as prepared as we can be. With a week to go I think the players are just as excited as everyone and pre-season is all about getting ready for Round 1, and now it's only a week away.

Q: Excited to have a full squad to pick from?
A: I guess the aim for everyone is to have everyone available for Round 1 so we will be pretty close to that. There will be a couple of blokes who missed this week and will be a chance to play next week, but apart from a couple of long-term injuries that we've known for a while who are left over from last year, touchwood everyone else will be available to put their hand up. And that's great and exciting for us.

Q: Conscious effort to come in as coach but back in the majority of the same playing group?
A: The plan coming in was to really target guys who are South Fremantle guys. The main focus was to get South Fremantle people back and we've done that really well, and then the bonus was if there was someone who could come in and add to the group who isn’t there then we will go after them. We were lucky that Blayne became available and he has a South Fremantle link to him as well. We're really pleased, we think we are as prepared as can be and we are looking forward to next week.

Q: You have never previously been involved in a WAFL club except West Perth. What's it like now being coach of South Fremantle?
A: I think the thing you learn about footy clubs is that generally they have the same sort of people and interests as each other, and you see once you get inside them that they are all good people. I always admired South Fremantle from the outside as an opposition player and coach, and now to get the opportunity at a traditional club it's been fantastic. The players have been really keen to learn and the club have been really supportive so I have enjoyed it to this point.

Q: Couldn’t have worked out any better than to have your first game against West Perth?
A: I guess the main thing is that under the pressure of the game that I remember to walk out to the right huddle at the breaks. I still obviously have a lot of relationships with people at West Perth, but in terms of the coaching staff and playing group it's probably changed a fair bit in the five years or so since I've been there. I love the club as a past player and coach, but I'm at South Fremantle now and that's where my heart is. We are really keen to bounce into the season with a really positive start and it probably doesn’t matter who we are playing.

Q: Season opener at Fremantle Oval on Friday night. What are you expecting?
A: Hopefully we get a lot of people here on Friday night. The weather is still nice and warm so hopefully we get a big crowd here. West Perth are a very good side, they started their pre-season well and have some really good players. We will need to come to play if we are going to compete, and that will be our aim.