Todd Curley Q and A – Round 11

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

Curley spoke following Saturday's 38-point win over Perth at Fremantle Oval where the Bulldogs kicked seven goals to one in the final quarter, and looks ahead to this Saturday's clash with the league-leading reigning premiers Subiaco at Medibank Stadium.

QUESTION: A strong last quarter that we probably didn’t expect given you were coming off only a five-day break?
ANSWER: It was certainly pleasing that we had plenty of run at the end off the short break. They had a couple of opportunities early in the last quarter that unfortunately for them they couldn’t take, and then certainly in the last 20 minutes it was pleasing. In that last quarter it was 20 to eight inside-50 so it was reasonably dominant.

Q: Kicked seven goals straight in the last quarter as well?
A: Yeah we kicked seven straight but 20 to eight inside 50s suggests that you have played most of the quarter in your half so it was really pleasing after we really didn’t play that well I didn’t think for the majority of the day. But some of our leaders, Cook lifted at three quarter-time, and Gundry, Dragovich and Pullman all did well so we had some players who really lifted I thought.

Q: Four goals for Josh Pullman and important for him to stand up with Ben Saunders injured?
A: Yeah it is and he's had a little strange year. He had a really good summer, he started the season really well and then missed a game with injury, and then played a few and got injured again. He's come back in and the one thing you know about him is that he does absolutely everything right off the field to prepare. He prepares really well and when you do that you earn the right to play well, and he was super this week from the start to the end.

Q: He will always work hard and give a contest, and if you keep doing that you will eventually get the rewards with the goals?
A: His work rate was super. Obviously what stands out is his marks and goals, but he chases and tackles and pressures and he has been really good for us.

Q: Missing three key midfielders so you put Steve Verrier in there in a bit of a different role, and he was just about best on ground?
A: Yeah look we haven’t had a lot of injuries this year, but the ones we have had have been to Schloithe, Martinez and Tim Kelly, and that's not a bad starting midfield. Stevie has played a little bit of midfield before and he's been really good for us as that forward who pressures this year, but he's really competitive and that's why he went in there initially because he is competitive and doesn’t like to be beaten, and he's pretty strong. He has been really good for us.

Q: What do you learn about the group's character seeing them finishing so strongly against a team that should have been fresher with you coming off a five-day break?
A: From the moment I walked in they have really been eager just to work hard and they've done that all the way through. We won against East Perth as well off a five-day break and the real challenge for them again is to back up, and we have the top side next week so they need to recover really well. Sometimes off the short break it's almost the week after that it really hurts you, so we will recover well and hopefully get a couple of guys back. But we were really disappointed last time we played Subi so we will be pretty keen to come to play.

Q: Tough for someone like Craig White to go back to the reserves when he's played over 180 games and is a dual premiership player, but he enjoyed getting back out there and kicking two important goals in the last quarter?
A: And to his credit it's not easy when you're in the leadership group and you've played 180-odd games, but he admitted that his form at the time just wasn’t good enough. He went back to reserves level and his attitude around the club and at training and around the players was first class and his form has just steadily built. You could see out there that it really looked like he was out there to have an impact and play, and not just roll out. He was really important for us and I thought his ability to halve the contest forward and have an impact was really important. He was a very good player.

Q: Last time against Subiaco wasn’t a good day with an 89-point loss. How do you make sure this Saturday turns out vastly different?
A: Well we have to come to play for longer than a quarter. We were pretty good for a quarter last time and they are the premiership side, and they just keep doing what they do for longer than everyone else. We have to come to play and compete and hang in there, and that has to go right to the wire if we are going to be successful.

Q: Disappointing for Ben Saunders to injure a hamstring returning in the reserves from an ankle injury?
A: Yeah he's nicked a hamstring so he'll go through his rehab. He has plenty of time to get himself right again, but obviously that's why we put him back through the reserves because we were concerned after he's missed a lot of footy. But that's OK. He will train hard and prepare, and hopefully come back and give us a real lift.

Q: Still have a lot of options in attack?
A: Yeah obviously the last couple of weeks we've played Josh Branchi which has enabled us to play Brock Higgins forward, and Gumby is Gumby and he can jump, run, pressure, chase and tackle, and that's the key. We are lucky we have a few options.