Well, with the first month of pre-season behind us, the boys have to put their heads down for a couple more weeks before some well earned down time over Christmas.
We spent our first week on a camp up in Noosa which was a great way to start our pre-season. We are also back again in February for our Community Camp - we get great support up the Sunshine Coast so it will be great to be able to spend some more time up there in the new year.
The first month of pre-season is mainly about building our endurance base, which basically means running, running and more running!
It’s our second year under our current high performance guru Brett Burton, and the results so far have been fantastic - I believe well over half the squad have already performed personal bests in the 3km time trial which is fantastic considering it is usually the post-Christmas period where guys hit their peak fitness.
This is a result of the program set by Burts and his strength and conditioning team, as well as the professionalism shown by the boys in the way they presented physically for the first day of pre season.
Our four draftees arrived last week and while they look as though they will require some time in the gym to bulk up, they all look like naturally gifted footballers with the ability to play in many positions.
Personally, my pre-season has been a bit slower. I had a hip arthroscopy immediately after last season and am building up my training load every week.
So far for me it has meant a heavy diet of bike, boxing and swimming. While it would be great to be out there doing everything with the boys, it has given me the chance to build some more strength through my legs and core, which I think will hold me in good stead for a full season next year.
The last few years have been extremely frustrating but I have put that behind me and am just looking forward to contributing next season.
While last season was disappointing from a win/loss perspective, there were definite improvements made in the small parts of our game that will only continue to improve with another season under Vossy.
The group has really grown and with many promising youngsters beginning to feel they belong at AFL level there is a quiet confidence that we can make the necessary improvements to get back up to where we belong.
Drummo
Last Modified on 02/02/2012 13:05