Despite taking out the 2015 Sutton Medal and being named in the All-Australian team alongside teammates Bob Murphy and Jake Stringer, Easton Wood is keen to keep improving.
“There’s aspects of my game that I’m really keen to improve on and I think I’ve got scope to, [but], I think that’s the case with most of the group, the 26 year old defender said.
“That benchmark has been set and we all need to improve.”
Wood understands that the Dog’s 14 win season might find them in the gun of other clubs come 2016, but he says that’s not something that he can control, and in a sense, it’s not a bad problem to have.
“I don’t think that’s really something I can gauge, you just take it as it comes. I suppose if they are doing that, then it probably means we’re going ok.”
What he can control is the work that’s put in during the preseason, months before a single ball is bounced in anger. Complacency is the enemy.
“That’s the message we’ve got across pretty early on, with young players, even I was guilty of it years ago.
“You think, I’ll just be better because it’s another year on. But you have to put the work in and that starts now. I’m pleased to say that’s what I’ve been seeing from the young boys like Bonty and Jakey Stringer.”
As to the heartbreaking finish to 2015, Wood says that the team have learnt their lessons and moved on. But it wasn’t easy.
“It’s one of those things that when the siren goes, you can’t believe it’s so immediate and how quickly it’s over. It’s like, that’s a year done, it’s just done.
“And that was really hard to swallow and you try and put it out of your mind, [but]I think the coaches did a great job – we came back, had a look at the game and put to rest what we needed to.
“And that’s a great base that we can bounce off and work on over the preseason. “
