Todd Curley Q and A – Round 1

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

Curley this week spoke following last Friday night' season opening win over West Perth at Fremantle Oval and ahead of this Saturday's clash with Perth at Lathlain Park.

QUESTION: That has got to feel good to play well and get the win in Round 1?
ANSWER: Yeah definitely. It's really important to win early games and you train all summer to do that so it was a pleasing performance. That first round can get pretty scrappy towards the end and both teams were pretty tired, but it was pleasing.

Q: Both sides looked to be lacking a bit of polish, but where do you think you guys won it?
A: I think we probably took our chances early and were able to get a bit of scoreboard pressure on. Especially in games early in the year when you are going to tire, I thought our boys hung in there and it makes it much easier to do that when you are in front than trying to chase down. We started well which was important.

Q: Happy with the effort in the midfield to help out Blayne Wilson and Kyle Hams to mop up down back?
A: I thought across the board we were really good with our pressure for the majority of the night and so were West Perth after quarter-time. They certainly came out and lifted their intensity and pressure. The skills weren't pretty at times, but they were pretty enough. At the end of the year they don’t worry about if you won ugly or not, we'll take them any way we can get them to start the year.

Q: Have to be happy with Blayne Wilson's first game for the club?
A: Yep he is a very handy recruit. Some of the guys we brought in with some experience were able to play behind the ball and read the game. Blayne did that, Kyle Hams was super as well and to the credit of the midfielders and forwards, they pressured hard up the ground which hopefully helped the defenders get in a good position.

Q: Anything in particular you can improve on?
A: There's lots of things we can improve on, no doubt about that. The good thing about starting to play against opposition and getting some vision is that you can identify the things you need to get better at a little bit more easily. There are lots of those so we will go to work, have a look at the tape and prepare for next week.

Q: Exciting debut for Traye Bennell?
A: It's a great story. He is an unheralded kid who had a really good summer, really bought into what we are trying to do and his form has built. He earned the right to play the first scratch match and did enough to stay in the week after, and got better and now was better again in his league debut this week. It is a great reward for the kid to kick a goal late as well. His scrapping, pressure and chasing was really good and that's why he is playing.

Q: James Sellar spent a lot of time down back last year but with Blayne Wilson there, he went forward and it's hard to find players who can mark like that overhead?
A: There's not too many guys who are 6'5 with his mobility around the ground and in the first couple of weeks we thought we might struggle for another target down there. We asked Jimmy to take it on board and he was super keen to help the team and he said he was willing to play wherever we thought he could help the most. He had a really good influence and when he gives you a pinch-hit in the ruck he gives you good mobility and is a good player. The signs were good.

Q: Pleasing as well that you have Cory Dell'Olio, Jarrod Parry and Nick Borovac to come in, and Adam Carter, Toby Bairstow, Alistair Gillespie and a handful of others pressing up in the reserves?
A: It's really good signs and there were probably half a dozen guys who were in the reserves who legitimately could have played Round 1 and earned the right to, but unfortunately  we can only play 22. It's really positive that we have so many guys available at the moment and hopefully that continues because you want competition for spot. It's hard for the players but it's good for the club and we are all here for the club to have success.

Q: What are you expecting from Perth this Saturday at Lathlain Park?
A: I haven't seen much of them before last Saturday and we took a bit out of that, and are now working hard on preparing to take them on.

Q: The coach got a war wound as well needing some stitches after copping a whack singing the song after the game?
A: Yeah I got dragged into the singing of the song and the boys were a bit excited, and I ducked when I should have weaved. They were pretty happy now that I have bled for the club as well so we are all in it together.