JARRAD McVeigh tells sydneyswans.com.au about his upcoming trip to Ireland with the Australian team and his thoughts on season 2010...

What was most exciting about season 2010?
Just the improvement we had from a lot of players and then from the new guys coming in. We had a tough period there through the middle of the year, but the way we finished off the season made me really proud of the players, and there are good signs for next year.

We had a few injuries to key players, so hopefully when we get them back, it will be exciting times ahead.

Was there any one game that stood out for you as the best performance of the year?
The Hawthorn game here at the SCG, in round 19, was a turning point for us. And then getting back into finals and playing that game against Carlton with a really good win - they were highlights, along with the Bulldogs game here at the SCG. There was a great atmosphere, and that’s what we play for.

Which of your team-mates stood out?
After a long career, Jude Bolton had a really, really good year. And then the guys coming in, Mumford and Ben McGlynn and Josh Kennedy and Hannas and Gary Rohan and Jetta. There is a long list and that is a good sign for the footy club. It is good to see all those guys getting some games under their belt and hopefully they can continue on.

What would you personally like to do better next year?
More consistency in my performance. I had a period there where I was quite down for four or five weeks, so I just want to be more consistent and take the game on a lot more and become a better player.

Can you pinpoint why you had that down patch? You did get bad food poisoning…
Yes, I was also sore for a bit during that period, where everyone is sore. I lost a bit of confidence and just wasn’t playing well.

I was happy with the way I started the season, in the first couple of games I thought I played well but there weren’t too many things that were great.

What will you do during the break?
I’m going to LA and Vegas for 11 nights. There are eight of us, and then I head back and I’ll go overseas again on the Australian team tour to Ireland so that should be good fun. It’s for about two and a half weeks and then I’ll stay away a few more weeks and travel with my wife through Europe. I don’t have to be back to the Club for pre-season until November 29 and then there is only 17 days of training before the Christmas break. But we have to stay reasonably fit for the Ireland series.

Jarrad McVeigh in action during season 2010: