They went to school together and were drafted to the LeasePlan Western Bulldogs together. But for Guy O’Keefe and Easton Wood, their preparations for the opening match of the VFL season could not have been more different. In their latest player column they explain why.
The road to Round 1
Guy O'Keefe: The VFL season kicks off this weekend and over the past couple of week’s I’ve played in some practice matches for Williamstown. I’ve been lucky enough to get a few kicks in those games and snag a few goals. It has made all the hard work over the summer months feel worth while.
Easton Wood: I’m getting ready to play my first competitive game since being drafted to the Western Bulldogs. Since my shoulder reconstruction I’ve endured 16 weeks of hard work, sitting on the sidelines doing all of the little exercises that help get you back to this point. It’s fantastic to finally be in the mix again with friends like Guy and hopefully all the hard work pays off this weekend.
Bigger, stronger, more confident
GO: After such an intense pre-season I’m really happy that my body is in good condition. I’ve put on five kilograms since I’ve been here and got up to over 80 kilograms which is what my aim was when I arrived here.
Having that extra body weight took it out of me few in the first few practice games. I felt it in the legs a bit more but have adjusted to it pretty well I think. I’ve found that it’s definitely easier going into a pack because I’ve put a little bit of bulk on and that gives me more confidence to go into that type of situation.
EW: My body feels great, after the shoulder reconstruction I got down to around 76 kilograms but my fitness levels stayed high. Now I’m back up to 81 kilograms so I’ve got back to the strength I want to be at. Because I haven’t done as much contact work as Guy I haven’t really felt the difference yet. But in the gym doing my weights sessions I have certainly noticed an improvement in my strength which builds confidence.
Ready and raring to go
GO: We play against Werribee and I hope that I can play a role in the midfield and push forward to provide an attacking option. Having played a couple of games already it might be a little bit easier for me to prepare than Easton. I’ll still be nervous as it’s the first real game of the year but this is what we have done the hard work for and I can’t wait to get stuck in.
EW: Being my first game I’ve got to try and relax. I haven’t played since the beginning of August last year so I’ll be really excited when I run out for Williamstown reserves this weekend. I’m lucky that I’ll be playing early in the morning so I won’t get too stressed out about it before hand. It might be a bit of a sleepless night on Friday though!
