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CTV > Post-match interview with Shane Wakelin.gif){kind=icon}
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CTV > Mick Malthouse's post-match press conferenceAt 33, Shane Wakelin is just happy to be doing what he loves doing, and winning along the way.
Speaking to CTV after the 100-point demolition of West Coast at the MCG in round 10, in which he was typically reliable and resolute in defence, Wakelin explained he’s just happy to "keep living the dream”.
“I’ve always had the belief that if I can play a role down back and provide a lot of these kids that I’m playing with the knowledge that you need and pass on some of my experience well I’m happy to do that,” said Wakelin.
“I still love winning and I still love competing and that’s what’s driving me, and the chase to play in a successful team.”
The Magpies backed up their stunning 86-point triumph over Geelong in round nine with an equally dominant display on Saturday afternoon, and showed no signs of complacency.
“We spoke about it (a letdown) for most of the week, that it’s ok to do it one week, but we’ve just got to back up again, and we’ve got to make it a habit.
“Our intensity at training all week was very good, the attitude was great, and we just kept reinforcing what we wanted to focus on today, and that was to purely sacrifice your game for your team mate, get the desire indicators up, and just work as hard as we possibly can.
“We kept it as simple as that and we knew the goals would come.”
With 242 AFL games under his belt, Wakelin is the ideal associate for emerging defenders like Harry O’Brien and Nathan Brown, both of whom Wakelin rates extremely highly.
“Harry’s really found some form over the last three weeks, he was down for about a month there. A great attribute of Harry’s is that he just keeps having a crack, and his intensity over the past three weeks has been fantastic.
“Browny had another great learning game today, he played on Josh Kennedy, which was a great challenge for him. Kennedy’s probably been one of the most improved players in the competition over the last month, and I thought Browny was pretty solid.
“He’s getting better every week, his decision making is getting better. He’s working hard more offensively and that part of his game’s starting to come together as well.”
Click on the link above to watch the full post-match interview with Shane Wakelin on CTV.
