Next Game

AFL Round 1 – Fri 26th Mar 2010

Essendon Bombers vs.

Geelong

at MCG 7:40pm

Last Game

NAB Challenge – Sat 13th Mar 2010

Essendon 23.9 (147)

Richmond 11.6 (72)

Match Review

BomberBlitz.com Exclusive Interview - Kepler Bradley

BomberBlitz – Do you enjoy living here in Melbourne, or do you prefer Perth? How was the transition? Is/was it hard being in Melbourne without your family?
Kepler Bradley – Love it here! Miss the warmth of Perth, but the family come over every two months or so, and yeah, really enjoy it!
BB – We hear you got lost sometime last year while going to training!
KB – grins Tried to find a short cut to Latrobe Uni, and didn’t have a Melways, so, yeah, was on the phone to Adrian, trying to figure out where I was, and he said “just drive till you see a sign” and the next sign said Lancefield!!

BB – What’s it like being so tall? If you stood up straight, how tall would you really be?
KB – chuckles I get that quite a bit – tend to hunch over on the field!! Um, the last time I was measured I was 198cm
BB – And how long ago was that?
KB – About… three months ago

BB – So being the age you are, you could be a tad taller now!
KB – A cm or so, yes!!

BB – When Sheeds met with you in Perth the week prior to being drafted did he guarantee you to be selected by Essendon?
KB – No, actually he said he wasn’t going to pick me up! Said he was going to go with a small midfielder instead! So I thought I might have been off to Geelong!

BB – What school did you go to in Perth?
KB – Woodvale Senior High School

BB – We know you were a Swans supporter… were you disappointed they didn’t draft you? What was Kevin Sheedy’s response to the photo of you driving a car with Sydney Swans number plates?
KB – grins he hasn’t said much, actually! I was glad I didn’t go to Sydney – I’ve been there a couple of times now for games, and the traffic’s horrendous, it’s a hassle to get around – Melbourne’s much more relaxed!

BB – Your old man is obviously a bit of a cricket fan … was there ever a time you had to choose between cricket and footy? Or was footy what you always wanted to do?
KB – Always footy. Dad played a bit of footy, when he was younger, some amateur footy. I had a go at indoor cricket, but I wasn’t too good at it!

BB – What is the pressure like being Essendon’s highest draft pick for quite a while?
KB – There was a bit of pressure when I first got to the club, particularly with the comparisons to Kane Tenace – and in the first year, he got around 12-13 games, compared to my five. But this year I think that’s been turned around a bit – think now he’s played 20 and I’ve played 21 – and hopefully I can keep playing better footy!!
BB – Yes, there are comments now seen on the forums – “Kane who?”!!
KB – Yeah, I had read some stuff on the internet when I first started, and I was determined to show I was worth the pick!

BB – Which is your favourite position? Do you enjoy playing on the big gun forwards? Do you miss the freedom of the wing or do you prefer CHB?
KB – Love to run around! I don’t mind the ruck, just have to work on my taps. Quite enjoy playing down in defence as well – HBF/CHB. But yeah, I like the freedom on the wing, and have got the endurance, so like a run there!

BB – Is Sheedy insane or scary? or both like MJ said…
KB – chuckles I…. don’t think he’s either! He just does stuff differently to other people!

BB – If the Eagles offered you a contract worth more than what you are being paid here, would you leave? Do you see yourself as a career Bomber?
KB – I can’t see myself leaving – I think if you get drafted by a club, you should stay with that club – if they’ve been good enough to draft you, you should do the right thing by them. Can’t see why I wouldn’t stay!

BB – Who are your best mates at the club?
KB – Nashy and Thomas

BB – What do you do with all that money in the brown paper bag?
KB – I’d answer this if I knew what it meant!!

BB – What part of footy do you enjoy the most? and the least?
KB – The best – playing the game in front of a crowd – when you grow up dreaming of playing AFL, there’s nothing better. The worst – Quinny’s hill sessions!

BB – When you line up alongside someone like James Hird, Dustin Fletcher, or Matthew Lloyd how does it affect you? Do you believe there is a possibility that someday you could be held in such esteem as that group?
KB – Well, I’ve got the best people teaching me! Any person has to have players like that to look up to – Hird, Fletcher, Lloyd… and McPhee, he’s coming up, a future champion – so that you can realise how good you can be if you put your mind to it.

BB – Who do you think are the three fastest at the club?
KB – Winderlich….. Lovett… and Dyson

BB – Have you been fined the $20 for not helping the “blokey” image by doing not so blokey things down at Essendon?
KB – grins no, haven’t been fined yet!!

BB – How much have you contributed to the ‘fine jar’ and which chores has Paul Thomas given you? How is home life working out?
KB – chuckles well, there’s no roster now, it’s been given the flick – I never kept to it so I guess Paul just gave up! We’ve got a pretty good routine worked out – he does most of the cooking, I do the washing up!

BB – Did you get your legs waxed just like Jason Johnson? Do Zantuck and Lovett really fight over the hair-straightener?
KB – They do like the hair straightener – Ty likes the solarium too!! I’ve never had my legs waxed or shaved – I believe it’s a girls thing!

BB – Do you like to fight people on the football field?
KB – grins well… when you’re in the backline, if you put an arm across a player, and they want to hit you, you have to show that you mean business – without getting caught, obviously!!!

BB – You put on a lot of muscle over the preseason. How much more weight do you hope to put on over the next few and what would you expect to be the optimum weight for yourself?
KB – When I got to the club I was 92 kilos. Since then, I’ve gone to 96, and by the end of next year I’d like to be at 98kg and stay there for the rest of my career. That’s similar to Fletch, and we’ve got fairly similar builds!!

BB – If you could choose your guernsey number, regardless of who has it now, what would it be?
KB – I would have chosen 12 – I’ve always worn it, always been my favourite number! But Welshy has that, so I’ve quite happy with 16!

BB – Do you have any pregame rituals or routines or superstitions?
KB – No! Do none of that! I always figure that one day you might roll out of bed and get a ton of kicks, another day you might get none!

BB – Who has been your toughest opponent thus far in your career? Which footballers do you admire most?
KB – Pavlich has been the toughest. Lloyd and Hird – when you see how they go about their game, and their preparation, can’t help but admire them. Judd is another one.

BB – If you could instantly improve one part of your game, what would it be?
KB – Kicking. It’s improved a bit, but still needs work
BB – Yeah, I remember watching you at a training session at the Dome last year, and you would always put one shoulder up!

KB – nods and not drop the ball right!

BB – Have you been sledged and/or do you say anything back?
KB – grins yeah, young blokes always do get sledged! Have to give it straight back, show you’re not scared!

BB – How good was Tony Modra? Would you fancy yourself in a marking contest vs Modra?
KB – He was unbelievable – could take marks over anyone… and I reckon if we matched up, he’d take a few hangers over me!

BB – Is there any pressure on you following in the footsteps of your brother Craig??
KB – Craig Bradley laughs well if I can play half as many games, I’ll be on the right track!

BB – You have been compared in some quarters to being a new version of Dustin Fletcher. How does it feel to know you are held in such high esteem?
KB – When I first got to the club, there were quite a few people saying that to me. He’s such a champion, and it is funny sometimes, how alike we can look – I was watching a tape of the game against Hawthorn, and he and I were walking to the back line, and the walk and the posture were just about exactly the same!!

BB – Do you and Fletcher discuss tactics before a game ? How much does it mean to have him at back of you during a game?
KB – nods he does talk to me, tells me where to run, gets a few kicks to me – it’s good to have him, McPhee, Welshy down there.

BB – Will you bleach your hair and trip Chris Judd over in remembrance of Fletch when he retires?
KB – laughs well, I’ve never been suspended, and hopefully won’t be, so maybe I can be a Dustin Fletcher without the suspensions!!

BB – Is it true that along with your cousin, Dustin Fletcher, you have more bones in your body than the normal human being?

KB – grins yeah people say that – I guess, being gangly, you’ve either got longer bones or more bones!!!

BB – Do you prefer smoked ham, or ham-flavoured smokes?
KB – chuckles smoked ham!

BB – Would you be a ring in for the BB football team next time we play? explain about the games
KB – oh okay! Well… sure, why not!

BB – We hear you’re a bit of a karaoke guru. Who at the club would you do a duet with? Which song would you sing? (would it be “Burn for You”?) Do you think you could have done better than Lisa Lloyd on “Screamers”?
KB – grins can’t comment about Lisa! “Burn for You” would be a good song to do.. and I’d do a duet with someone like Dean Rioli… or Nashy!

BB – Nashy! Can he sing a bit, can he?
KB – chuckles yeah, he’s not too bad! Have done some karaoke with him before!

BB – What’s your favourite film? Actor?
KB – Jim Carrey and “Dumb and Dumber”!

BB – Favourite colour?
KB – Green

BB – Favourite singer or group?
KB – John Farnham

BB – Monopoly or Cluedo?
KB – Monopoly

BB – If you could pick three famous people to meet who would they be, and why?
KB – Michael Jordan – just the best sportsman ever. Don Bradman – champion. And my favourite footballer, Paul Kelly, he’s a legend!

BB – Does Dennis Rodman remind you of Zantuck?
KB – chuckles a little bit!

BB – If you could hold a Guinness World Record, what would it be for?
KB – ummmm…. Not shutting up!

BB – Are you a cinnamon, iced or jam centred type donut man?
KB – Jam centred

BB – Three words to describe yourself?
KB – A Bit Loose!

BB – What is your favourite colour M&M?
KB – Black

BB – Do you think milk should be added to coffee prior to boiling water or after?
KB – After

BB – Shorts or pants man?
KB – Depends on the weather!

BB – Shoes or thongs?
KB – Thongs

BB – Is it true you can’t smell?
KB – nods it’s true! Since I was born!
BB – Weird! Is anyone else in your family like that?
KB – No, just me!

BB – OK, have got some word associations for you now!
BB – James Hird
KB – Champion

BB – The National Draft
KB – Scary

BB – Las Vegas
KB – Footy trip

BB – Steve Irwin
KB – Animals

BB – Tredrea
KB – Sledger!

BB – Chicken Parma
KB – Favourite

BB – Bugs Bunny
KB – Rabbit

BB – Training
KB – Hard

BB – Nickelback
KB – Good band

BB – Lance Armstrong
KB – Freak

BB – West Perth
KB – Home

BB – The Phantom
KB – Funny!