GIANTS Assistant Coach Mark McVeigh says it’s like he “never left” as he returns to the club with eyes firmly fixed on the 2017 season.

McVeigh was part of the group of former Essendon players who were banned from the competition for 12 months in 2016 and returned to his role at the GIANTS in November last year.

“One of the great parts of the GIANTS football club is the family club and the way people treat you and my time away was filled with a lot of people from the GIANTS ringing and calling and keeping in contact so it wasn’t like no one spoke to me at all," he said.

“I’ve got a lot of good friends here, I feel like I’ve been able to slip straight in and get into it. I’ve kept my head down really and just wanted to get on to it.

“It’s like I never left.”

In his time off, McVeigh was still able to attend GIANTS matches and said it gave him a great insight to be able to watch the season on the sidelines.

“I was able to really sit back and watch as a fan, attending games in no official capacity was really good,” he said. 

“I didn’t particularly watch it from a coach’s point of view, I watched from a supporters point of view and what I got out of it was just the thrill of watching them play. 

“The excitement that Spotless has when we’ve got a capacity crowd and the way the GIANTS promote and engage their fans, I was just blown away by that and it really made you feel part of a footy club. 

“I certainly enjoyed it from a spectators point of view and what I saw was a team that plays an exciting brand, and probably play the game the way we like to see the game played.”

After joining the GIANTS in 2014 as Head Coach of the GIANTS Academy, McVeigh moved into an Assistant Coaching role in 2015, focusing on team defence.

This season he’s taken over the backline, a role he was earmarked for prior to his ban.

“I’ve come back in and worked closely with Phil Davis and Heath Shaw, Nick Haynes, Adam Tomlinson and all those type of players and really set ourselves for a really big year in terms of our defence,” McVeigh said.

One player who has stood out to McVeigh is utility-turned-defender Adam Tomlinson, who had a career-best season in 2016 after establishing himself as a key member of the GIANTS’ back six.

Before McVeigh’s ban, Tomlinson wasn’t even part of the defensive group.

“I’ve really been amazed by his development, I think he’s a player that has the ability to play forward, midfield and back and he’s probably never settled in to a position but last year he settled into that back six and really made it his own position and he’ll do that again this year,” he said. 

“He’s trained the whole pre-season again in that back six, he’s a key part of our defence and a very, very important player so he was one guy I was really happy with.”

McVeigh’s also enjoyed working with some of the club’s emerging talent, drafted from the GIANTS Academy last year.

“To have young guys from our Academy in Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming, who will play in the backline, whether that’s NEAFL or AFL, to watch their development in he first three months has been really exciting,” he said.

“They’ve come and really energised the group and I think from a GIANTS’ fans point of view, they’ll be really excited about watching those players.”

The GIANTS launched their 2017 season on Monday night with jumpers presented to the AFL Women’s team and GIANTS Netball for the first time.

McVeigh said it was a significant moment and one that makes him proud to be a GIANT.

“The club is a massive club and I’m really proud to be back, and be a part of it,” he said. 

“Being part of the season launch with two new teams in our club, I think we all agree it was an exciting moment and a proud moment for a lot of people. 

“For me it’s just being part of a really healthy, happy organisation that is family based. 

“I just think we’re in a really good spot and I’m just happy to be part of it again and play my role under Leon as much as I possibly can, and do the right thing by the players.”