KEVIN SENT
LOOK WHO DROPPED INTO LEOPOLD TRAINING LAST NIGHT TO OFFER SOME WORDS OF WISDOM
AFL icon and newly inducted Hall of Fame legend Kevin Sheedy was an interested onlooker at Leopold training last night ahead of its cutthroat preliminary final against St Mary’s.
Sheedy, 70, is a longtime family friend of Leopold coach Guy Morphet and was invited to the club by Morphet to give some inspiration to the playing group before tomorrow’s sudden-death final.
“I’m very good friends of the family and known Guy since he was a young fella, and I’ve watched his career over the years, particularly up in Yarroweyah and then down into Yea and then down to here,” Sheedy said last night.
“He’s been a very successful person in footy.”
Sheedy spoke to the playing group at length after training, but the four-time Essendon premiership coach believes the group knows what they have to do to avoid a straight-sets finals exit.
“It’s a tough game footy, at all levels, but when you see a team not play well and only get beaten by three or four goals, you know you’re a chance because you’ve only got to improve marginally to get to your best,” Sheedy said.
Sheedy has been impressed with Morphet’s coaching career thus far, keeping tabs on his progress through country Victoria. “He’s always wanted to improve and get to the best he can be, and that is a terrific attribute that he’s got,” Sheedy said.
“He’s coming up through the ranks and he’s got them to one loss at the end of the season, that’s an incredible effort in your first year.”
Morphet said the presence of Sheedy wouldn’t alter preparation for the weekend’s game.
“He’s really here as a support role tonight and to have a look at how we go about it I suppose,” Morphet said.
“He’ll have a chat to the guys after training but ultimately we’ve got our eyes on the prize this week and nothing is going to change too much from how we prepare.”