McGovern press conference 25.06.24

um G interesting game against the Hawks they sort of seem like to be a team on the r what's your approach this week against them yeah no they are they're in great form um the Hawks at the moment uh they've obviously been building the last couple of years and uh their form of late uh obviously wins uh that they've got uh makes them extremely dangerous but I think um obviously any team in the comp at the moment uh You' you got to be doing everything you can to try and beat them but yeah the way that they they're going at the moment we haven't dug too deep yet uh We've we've just reviewed so um we'll get into the Hawks the next couple of days but um it'll be a big challenge for us siis has been in formed how much effort and work do you put into him as a key player yeah um they got a lot of good key players which which we'll dig a bit deeper into obviously throughout this week but um he'd be one for sure that that normally comes up that we need to keep an eye on um but there'll be plenty others as well that we'll we'll be having to look at and and trying to nullify as much as we can what did you make of the return of Oscar Allen and pairing up with Jake Waterman there was quite a bit praise once they sort of got going in that third quarter yeah it's good it's good to see how was he back um and didn't really look like he missed a bait really um which is a credit to him in all the work he's done but um it's obviously we're a much better side with Al unit he's he's one of our captains uh purely from performance but also um he's a leadership side of things um adds so much to our team and and and our club so um it was good to see him back for sure and seemed to work pretty well with with the boys down there so um if they could get a little bit straighter would be nice but um still they they're getting opportunities which is um which is great for us Kell comes back this week I believe how how's he G yeah yeah I probably just got to get through training I don't want to jinx him but uh yeah we're looking forward to hopefully getting him and Harley back this week and and and possibly Dom as well so um obviously the boys need to get through that those sessions but um it'd be great to have him back were you encouraged by the signs last weekend that how how competitive the boys were without Jim Kelly yeah yeah for sure obviously not happy that we that we lost but um there's a lot of positives there um which we're we're looking into and I thought the boys through that that young Midfield fought pretty hard um we had a lot of opportunities I think s very similar scoring shots so uh there's a lot of positive take out of it but also understand we still uh have a bit of improving to do so um we we'll take what we need to out of the game and do everything this week to prepare well for Hawks G how do you rate your form this year and in in in conjunction with Tom as well is this I mean you seem to be working extremely well together is this some of your best work or where does it sit you reckon I think it's just work we haven't really played much the last couple of years I've obviously been um pretty injured the last few years so um me and Tommy actually haven't been able to play a lot of footy together so um it's just good to play with him not just him just the backs in general as well so um you know we've we've got a key roles each week that we we want to try and stop them from scoring as much as possible pretty simple um being a bman but um no I've just really enjoyed playing with him to be honest and I think he's growing each week he's becoming a better player every time I play with him and um he's one of your best mates as well so uh the enjoyment side is right up there at the moment are you mentoring the next generation is Harry and would you like to see Harry play more because he's 23 now and you know you're not going to be there for every forever are so you need to hand over the yeah a couple of years maybe yeah he thanks let me know I'm getting old but no it's a fair no it's fair fair point and yeah we are we are we working pretty close with Harry um Cal jamson as well coming through R bazo's obviously been a little bit injured as well but um yeah we're working closely with those Lads uh and I'm sure Harry if he keeps going with the way he's playing in the waffle and his form will uh will get himself into the side uh but yeah we we we're doing everything we can obviously myself all the backs in general um but yeah me and Tommy sort of try and look after the TOs as much as we can what was the feedback post game particularly without the ball defensively yeah we just had a look at at them we we did some good things defensively but obviously poor we had a lot of poor turnovers probably that hurt us in the end but um that's a part of trying to move the ball a bit quicker as well so uh it's just find that balance between trying to move the ball as quick as you can and score and then also turning it over in tough positions to to defend so um and that's that's part of our growth that's part of us getting better as a team is is trying to nullify those scoring opportunities that they have um it's a bit of balancing Balancing Act but um I feel like on the weekend we we looked a little bit more dangerous with the 40 which was nice go the uh the midfielders take this as step forward this year the clearance numbers are up how much do you think that's helped for you guys in the back 50 the fact that you're getting a bit more front football and you're not constantly Under The Siege as much as you were maybe the last couple of years yeah I'm all for it man keep it up the end as much as possible that helps us out definitely as as a backline um I think obviously just having boys on the park with Y yoi makes a massive difference in that space and you L Harley in there and we we've got fly back and or fly over so um it's a it's a pretty key aspect of of footy I think at the moment um around the whole comp is trying to get on top of stages and and the contest work uh which then can help build your system and and build your your game so I guess around that so it uh it definitely helps us and they've done a massive job so um SP little with a down there was mentioned earlier you and Tom having you know two Good Seasons again I think you're equal first in the league for inter intercepted marks as a defensive Duo you know what do you think is contributed to that obviously like you being healthy Tom being healthy as well but you know is it the rest of a back six stepping up as well to kind of take some of weight off your shoulders yeah for sure um I guess you everyone is talking about myself and Tom which is which is great and we appreciate it but you as good as boys he got around you and I think um and it starts the same thing with your Midfield as well so um we're pretty fortunate that we've got such good role players down the backline um such good smart players down the backline as well which help us out um and then also if the boys are putting some pressure on for us it gives us an opportunity to to be a bit more aggressive in the air so um as much as we get the Pat in the back for it a lot of it is off the ball stuff and and what's happening up the ground so um as much as it's nice to take the credit we're we're very fortunate that we've got a good bunch of boys around us to help us do that Harley B must be champion at the bit to get back out there yeah he's he's half a different man when he's not playing footy he's he just loves it so much he really has brought a lot of enjoyment back to to Footy as in just the game um so yeah he's chomping it the bit for sure he he can't wait to get back out there and um I'm sure the fans want to see him back out there as well I know I do um and all the boys still in the club do so um hopefully that's his last suspension for a while uh is it I mean the way that you sort of speaking then just in terms of the back SE and have people back on the park is sort of light at the end of the tunnel after what's been a difficult couple of years for the club you feel yeah there's there is there is a little bit of lot um I don't don't want to get too carried away with you know where we're at and and where we're going but it's a little bit more exciting I guess and we can yeah can see a little bit of the light we're starting to build um don't get me wrong we're we're still a fair way off we've still got a lot of areas that we need to get R which we're consistently working at each day and each week so um we'll keep on that path but it does it does help when you can start seeing some positive signs from all the hard work you've been doing and uh what we've been putting in so um it is a little bit more enjoyable but it's definitely not as good as winning so um we're yeah we're fine to to be in consistent winning team how does Harley go when he split up and he's not playing he have to play in the opposition team he but he doesn't have that I think I think he half does he half likes it cuz he he gets to do what he wants and run around him um yeah it's always as long as he's out there and everyone's training and enjoying it uh he plays with even more freedom which is probably hard to believe when he's um when he's training with uh no responsibilities will you be keeping an eye on him this weekend because last time they tagged him I heard the Ruckman say fly say that um you know we needed to protect him a bit more and get around him a bit more do you think that would need to be done if there is a tag comes to me if that Finn what's his face tags him yeah oh yeah of course yeah if what's his face comes to him yeah we'll um we'll keep an eye on him for sure um yeah look um I no not just Harley any any of our team members or anyone that needs a bit of a hand and they're getting a little bit of attention I I guess we'll we'll we'll do what we can to help him for sure but um obviously with him being so young um and coping that sort of attention sometimes he might SE little a little bit of a hand to get through it and it's probably not physically as much it might just be a bit more of conversation to help him try and get through it so we'll do what we have to do in that space and um it's a good thing as well it's a positive thing for him in a way he can start learning to get through that I'm sure he's going to cop a lot of attention throughout his career so the sooner he can start to get his head around that the better in a way and Mi Lewis you expecting him out there and have you played against him before yeah yeah a couple of times for sure um like I said we haven't looked too deep into the Hawks yet but um they've got a obviously lot of good players um throughout the whole team um and in their forward line especially so we'll be we'll be looking at their TOs and their Smalls um and going over the right matchups and and figuring out the best way to set up to to try and beat him and ginan does uh does he get under your skin at all when you play against him no I reckon he's um I I like I like watching him play it doesn't really bother me um as long as he's not getting too much of the ball for sure when we're playing but uh yeah no I think it's great I think he brings a lot of courage to the game um obviously he's an opponent this weekend and and we'll be doing everything to keep him as quiet as possible but um holistically looking from the outside and I think he brings a lot of lot of people looking at the game and he's he's himself which I I respect when you you mentioned car Jon before in the backline do you think that's where he will play his best football or can play his best football I think at the moment yeah he's probably showed that's his best position uh but the luxury of playing in multiple positions for him at the moment is is he we might might be able to throw him around um in obviously different areas wherever it suits but um speaking of him he feels pretty comfortable down back so um yeah they're part of a progression for him to keep working on that area but he can go into the Rock as well I think the fact that he's just so aggressive in his contests and um gives everything he can sort of really play most most areas for us so who becomes the next Tom and Jeremy when they leave oh I've mentioned before we got um Harry coming through obviously rep bazo it'd be great to get him back obviously he's showed a lot of Promise early uh before he got injured um jamo as well um coming through so and I'm sure there's other draft picks and we've still got Joshy Rothman fanging around he he can do it but um yeah a lot of and you never know sometimes the Fords go back so we might be able to might be able to steal a couple of couple of Fords and they come back every now and then but um now we have plenty there and we're doing everything we can to work with those boys