The rebounding defender, who had ankle surgery in the off-season, said the AFL's 10-week coronavirus interruption had given him time to improve his fitness.

"I missed a lot of pre-season and although I did get back and play a couple of Marsh Series games, both my games I was on limited minutes," Gleeson told The Standard.

"It was hard to get out there and really play the way I wanted to. I knew I was going to be touch-and-go for round one and I probably wasn't ready at the start of the year to play, looking back.

"I only trained a week before with the main group before the (round one) game. I was thereabouts but not quite ready and with the health of our back line and other guys going well, I could understand why I was out."

The Koroit export, 25, is now fully fit and biding his time. He is confident he can have an impact for the Bombers in 2020.

"It is hard because we're in June but we're only going into round three," Gleeson said.

"There's so much of the year left and the team from round one, round two is always different to the team in round 15, 16 so I have a lot of confidence when I get my opportunity I'll be ready to go."

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Essendon has won its opening two games against Fremantle at Marvel Stadium and Sydney at the SCG by six points each. Gleeson said the Bombers were happy but aware of their deficiencies.

"We're probably not playing our best footy at the moment. A lot of the good teams throughout the past 20 years, they've built throughout the year," he said.

The COVID-19 break proved fruitful off the field for Gleeson.

The 78-gamer helped developed webinar program Football To You with long-time mentor and Koroit premiership coach Chris McLaren and ex-South Warrnambool coach and now Werribee assistant Mat Buck.

It is designed for community and country coaches.

"I keep in regular contact with Chris and he called me up one day and we got chatting about opportunities community coaches have," Gleeson said.

"There is a real thirst from local coaches for more knowledge and to hear from coaches in and around the AFL system. We thought there was an area we could help with contacts I have."

Gleeson, who has a passion for helping regional areas, said Football To You would run fortnightly with the first four coaches already signed up.

"We're going to start with Dan Jordan next Wednesday," he said.

"He is a brilliant one because he's an assistant coach now with (Essendon) but he worked his way up from East Point. For coaches who want to take their coaching further, it's good to hear from someone like him."

Gleeson said the pandemic had encouraged people to use online platforms. "Twelve months ago people may not have been," he said.

You can follow FootyToYou in Instagram.

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