In the first instalment of an exclusive two-part interview, Western Bulldogs coach Rodney ‘Rocket’ Eade says he is buoyed by the Dogs prospects for 2008. Check back tomorrow when Eade reveals his lighter side and how he relaxes away from footy.

What excites you most about the season ahead?

There are a couple of things. Knowing we've got the talent, with the way we've recruited, and the way we've gone about the pre-season. The players' attitude that they've displayed since October 15 when we came back – they've really attacked it with a great deal of zest and enthusiasm, and I think that gives everyone a great deal more confidence that can bear fruit as far as results.

I'm pretty excited; with the young guys we blooded last year, and ones that have got a few more games under their belt, I think that's an exciting part of the future for the Bulldogs, with Higgins, Everitt, Harbrow and Williams, these types of players. Hill played a game last year, and Lynch, so you'd like to think they'll get more games.

So, that's an exciting part, along with the future of the likes of Griffen and Cooney. We've got three guys above 30, and some teams haven't, but generally, our list is getting younger and we've got a really good blend. We've got some exciting youngsters, and future-wise, things look pretty good.

Can you tell me a little about all the off-field changes the Bulldogs have gone through, and what effect you think they'll have?

That's also a reason to be excited. Other clubs have had more changes and more staff, and there has been some senior coaches change, but we haven't had that many, to be honest. We have a new development coach, with Brad Gotch coming in, so we've bulked up the development side of things.

We've got two new assistant coaches but one was part-time last year, so Wayne Campbell was already in the system. They've added a fair bit of enthusiasm, also with John Barnes coming on board. He's been very good in his role as ruck coach.

All in all, there seems to be a real focus going forward of what we want to achieve. There's plenty of enthusiasm about that.

Your job description has changed this year; how do you feel about that?

It's good. I can just coach, and I'm pleased about that. I think that's going to benefit everyone. I can spend more time with the coaches, and hopefully help their development as well as the players.

It's a real positive. It excites me, because it takes a load off and removes distractions and different focuses. It's good.

How would you describe your playing group, personality-wise? Are they generally quiet or extroverted behind closed doors?

They are a reasonably quiet group. A bit like all team sports, they have their rowdy times and have a bit of humour and a bit of comedy, but I think generally, they're fairly quiet.

We're trying to encourage them to be a bit more outward in their expression and their body language, but overall, they're a very good group to coach. Without resorting to cliché, they really try to do everything you ask them to do. They really try to implement instructions, and sometimes it doesn't work, which means we've picked the wrong options as a coaching group. They're just a really good group.

I think the way they conduct themselves off-field, too, with their community work and with other people around, they're just great ambassadors for the footy club.

Because they are quiet and tend to think a lot, is it a side that can be easily affected by negative momentum?

As a club that hasn't had a lot of success, until you've had that success, you don't cement that 100 per cent confidence.

You look at teams that have had success, like the Australian cricket team, they generate a harder edge when things are going bad. They can fight their way through it.

This group is improving in that area. They were poor in that area in the last six or seven games of last year, but I think that will come with results over a period of time. I've got no doubt that underneath that quiet exterior they've got a fierce determination to succeed.

You've got a few different ideas for some of your players this year?

Firstly, we need to have a bigger presence in the forward line, and Will Minson was actually recruited as a forward even though he's not Tony Lockett or Peter Hudson. He's developing, he's got a bigger body and he's trained well over the summer. It will just change our game plan, tweak it a little bit, having him down there.

Cameron Wight is another one. He's been doing a bit of work there as a forward, but where that takes us, I don't know. He's only just started up there and it's a tough position for him to play, but he's got some tools in his kit bag to play some different positions. He's a good runner, and he's learning how to play that position. That might take at Williamstown, half a season to learn and develop, but what he's shown so far to us means he's got the makings of being a reasonable player that can play forward, in the ruck and down back.

We've also got to work on not allowing as many goals as we did last year, so we need to strengthen up the defensive side of things as well. There are some areas that we're focussed on, and hopefully that works out.

With Andrew McDougall, it's a big year for him, I suppose. He's played all his football as a forward, and we traded for him as a forward but there was a question mark against how he would go and what he'd achieve. We thought he was worth the punt, and spending time with him and seeing how he works, he hasn't got natural forward instincts. So, we thought we might start playing him as a backman.

We haven't got a lot of height in defence; it's probably the one area that we probably need to beef up. He played in defence the last four or five games of last year and he did quite well, and we were pleased with that. He's still got a long way to go, but it's a new position for him and he is very competitive. He's a good athlete, and he's got some height and can mark well, so I hope he can grab his opportunity there.

All of a sudden, you seem to have all these forward options?

Wight and Minson have always been there, but we've decided now to give them a really good crack. Murphy was up and down last year with injury, with the hamstring coming back from his knee, and we've got Johnson and now Welsh as well.

That just gives you a few options of guys who can mark the ball, plus their height. Then, we've also got Higgins, Akermanis, Giansiracusa and Harbrow, so we've certainly got some players now we can throw through the forward line.

It's an exciting list on paper.

It really is. There is some talent there. We're just starting to get our list demographically correct. There's a whole generation, or age bracket, of players that are missing. We always had top-end older players, but the 25 to 28-year-olds, we had none. We didn't recruit for three or four years in that era.

We've always been young, and now that four other players have retired and those middle-age players have got that 100 games up – Murphy, Gilbee, Hargrave, Hahn, Giansiracusa ­­- we're getting a good balance of good experience there that aren't too old.

How do you feel as a coach with all these younger coaches starting up now? How does it all fit in together for the game itself, with such a wide range of ages coaching it?

I haven't really considered that before. You'll probably think about that over the pre-season with how guys coach and teams play, and the older coaches might end up changing their style as well.

I think you're always evolving and always learning, and the game changes. You're going to have to adjust to that, and hopefully stay ahead of the pack.

Whether they're young or old, they're obviously all going to have their own ideas and there's going to be a challenge week in, week out, to be able to cope with that.

Remember to check back tomorrow for part two.