Todd Curley Q and A – Round 23

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

Curley speaks following the Bulldogs' final round loss to Peel Thunder and looks back on some of the positives from his first season in charge, what needs to improve, who might not be back in 2016 and the chances of the reserves in the finals as minor premiers.

QUESTION: What did you make of that game to finish the season. Again you were competitive and fought hard, but in the end came up short against a finals bound team? 
ANSWER: We played pretty well for large periods and even the last quarter we dominated the first 10 or 12 minutes, but just couldn't convert and every time they went forward they scored. That's turned out to be a bit of a pattern for the season.

Q: The season has only just finished, but what are your initial thoughts on reflecting back on the season?
A: I've certainly really enjoyed being part of the club and the group. Again this week we had seven guys with 10 games or less and probably another with less than 40 games. We've ended up playing 43 or 44 players so I've got a better grip on the list now, and the players' strengths and weaknesses going into this pre-season. So we'll be better placed for 2016.

Q: A lot of young players in the second half of the season and another debutant Tim Stewart played well in his first game?
A: I thought for the majority of the day it was probably our young players who were our better players. They got a bit tired towards the end, but certainly our young blokes are something for us to be excited about. We also have a few blokes who will come back from injury and another key forward would be pretty nice, but we are pretty excited about the young group we have going forward.

Q: Craig White's career is over now and he's someone who was just starting out when you finished your career, and now you've got to coach him, how important has his leadership been for you at the club this year?
A: He's had a pretty tough year in terms of starting OK, then having a bit of a flat patch and then fighting back well to play some really good footy in the second half of the year. He leads really well and will be missed obviously. He's a 190-game player and is really popular around the club, so he'll definitely be missed.

Q: Aside from White and a couple of potential draftees, is there anyone else you expect to not be back for 2016?
A: We'll work really hard to keep them and we have a few young guys who've been waiting for opportunities. There'll be Whitey, Kyle Hams probably won't play next year, Jimmy Sellar is going to move home and Paul Mugambwa will retire after the reserves are finished. So there's four but we think we can keep the majority together.

Q: The reserves have been dominant all season, it would be great for the club if they can go on from here and win a second premiership in three years?
A: It will be great especially for the bunch of players. There are 30 or 35 guys available, and a lot of them are in that 18 to 22 age bracket, so it's a chance for them to build for next year, and build a pretty strong together by playing finals footy. It will go up a level now for them in finals and hopefully they stand up.

Q: Have you learned a lot this year as coach at South Fremantle for your first season?
A: No doubt. As a new coach, I've had to get to know 70 or 80 new players, a new staff and we've had a new coaching group in place with a new footy manager. I've learned a lot and we'll all be a lot better placed going into next year.

Q: From this point, do you pencil in Day 1 of pre-season and start building towards that?
A: We've got some tentative dates for when we'll start and what we want to do, but the real focus now is probably supporting the reserves group and working out who's available, and who will play going into the next month.