Ball movement coach Mark Williams speaks exclusively to melbournefc.com.au in the eighth of a nine-part series about how the Melbourne players are tracking this pre-season

Ricky Petterd
Rick has worked really hard since injuring his shoulder early last year. He’s put on some size in his core and legs. He looks really strong, and I know he’s chomping at the bit to get involved. Rick’s enthusiasm is contagious and his knowledge about the game is fantastic as well. We just really want him to keep training well over the rest of the pre-season, so we can pick him early in the season.

Jared Rivers
Jared has got himself into a fantastic groove now. He’s over his osteitis pubis, but it’s a constant area he has to address. But he’s really got his body under control now. He changed the way he played last year - for the better. We just want Riv to continue to prepare really well, and to monitor his body. And we also want him to continue to give his knowledge to the backline, and knowledge to the group.

Tom Scully
Tom’s level of training is unbelievable. He trains at 100 miles an hour, and you can see in his eyes that he just loves playing footy. We need to make sure that Tommy doesn’t over-train, although he has been fantastic in his preparation. He needs to keep digesting information, so he can play the roles we need him to play. He was such an exciting first-year player, so it will be great to watch him build on that. 

Jake Spencer
Spence had a back injury last season, and he’s finally over that now. He’s training really well, and he’s put on quite a bit of size and strength. We just need Jake to maintain his body, so he can play some consistent footy. He hasn’t been able to do that over the past couple of seasons. Flexibility, adding size and digesting information, which can all assist his preparation, have been pre-season focuses.

James Strauss
Straussy has had a few injury interruptions with his footy over the past two seasons. But he’s a really important player. We need his kicking skills, we need his confidence, and we need him to remain on the track. If he continues to do the work over the pre-season, he will gain the confidence, which will allow him to play some good and important footy.