Day 1: Thursday, January 15
6am
Another big session looms, so the boys don’t have to prepare their own meals today. It means the breakfast buffet is back on this morning.
But the word on the street is that Jack Viney cooked a cracking steak the previous night – not on the barbeque, but in the frying pan.
In fact, Dom Tyson confirms that later in the day! And he’s quite complimentary of Viney’s effort. But I’m not sure how much Tyson got to eat. You can just imagine young J.Viney cooking up a steak can’t you?
MORE: Camp pushing boundaries: Tyson | vandenBerg making most of opportunity
8:15am
Training is again held at the Maroochydore Multi Sports Complex. And already it’s a hot one upon arrival. It ends up being a sizzler. Oh, which reminds me, I saw a television commercial for Sizzler last night – I didn’t realise they’re still around! Upon searching on Google, I discover there are 26 restaurants in Australia – including a whopping 18 in Queensland. New South Wales and Western Australia make up the rest. So there you go …
As the players prepare for their session, the sunscreen pumps get a work out. And some of the boys lather up in a big way, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Paul Roos.
“Marcel Marceau,” quips the coach, after noticing several players with faces covered almost entirely in white sunscreen.
It’s a great call from the coach, although I was thinking the Joker (minus the red -lippy) or Marlon Brando from the much-loved 1996 remake of The Island of Dr Moreau on some of the players.
Either way, I’m pretty sure that was Angus Brayshaw underneath an almost entirely painted white face. He’s certainly adhered to the Slip! Slop! Slap! mantra. No wonder he’s rated so highly. He does the little things right. Well done son!
Preparation for training is interesting to watch.
Some are fairly laid back. Some sit with an intense look on their face. Others can’t sit still and wander around. Some are doing some exercises, before they start on the ground.
Christian Salem is stretching his legs in the corner; Jack Grimes prepares with a roller behind his head, as he flexes pre-training.
8:30am
The ante is upped with training after a ‘lighter’ session the previous day.
Elite performance manager Dave Misson and his team, including Rob Jackson, Alex Sakadjian and James McGeoch, intend to ‘hit’ the players hard with their training program for the day. And they do.
In fact, later on, the squad’s GPS results indicate that.
The players undertake a ‘parlous relay’, which is somewhat like a baton relay.
The boys are put into teams of six. Each team runs six laps. But it’s up to each group to determine how far a particular team member can run. For example, one player can run a lap and a half – and that’s it.
In the end, most team members run anywhere from 60 to 80 metres each, as they’re scattered around the oval.
Naturally, it is a fairly hot, contested event – without taking the weather conditions into consideration.
In the meantime, back inside the air conditioned rooms, the work is cut out for the backroom staff.
The likes of property steward Anthony Brown, training services coordinator Peter W Roberts and head trainer John Stanaway are all hard at it. They are right on their game in keeping drinks supplied and water bottles filled for the players on such a trying day. Roberts, plus head physiotherapist Sam Pietsch, and his team Joel Ames and Jake Treacy also treat the squad pre, during and post training.
(Note: for the record there are two Pete Roberts’ in the football department. Pete Roberts is the football technology manager. He is right on the pulse with all things footy ‘tech’. And Peter W Roberts or Peter W/Pete Dub is a wizard with his iron-like fingers at destroying knots and kinks for players post training and matches).
The operation that goes into the players being out on the track is really impressive. The amount of equipment and organisation that comes with the job is quite significant.
Brown is busily ripping bags of ice apart. Remarkably, there are 50 bags of ice used today, which equals 250kg.
These are all the little things that the average supporter wouldn’t realise goes into the operation – and that’s fair enough, as they’re not expected to know. But the backroom support staff that goes into any footy club, from country footy to the big time, is imperative. And in the AFL it’s taken to another level.
The football component of the session is another opportunity for the players to work on the game plan.
Players practice their skills under pressure and in stifling heat, it’s not easy.
After three and a half hours, the skills and running session is over. It’s been another draining session.
A handful of players in rehab have also endured a tough session, including new rookie Aaron vandenBerg (note the spelling – he spells his surname with a lower case ‘v’ and a capital ‘B’ – all one word).
It’s intriguing to think that not quite two months ago he was living his life in the nation’s capital as an apprentice with the Royal Australian Mint.
He’s still got his challenges, including overcoming a shoulder injury and he needs to be promoted from the rookie list, but the almost 23-year-old is a really impressive young man and I’m sure he’ll make the most of his opportunity.
The lunches arrive and the players tuck into them before the afternoon’s activities.
1pm
Another big weights session – on the back of Wednesday’s effort – is held at the Suncoast Fitness Centre again. Only this time, the focus is on legs, instead of the upper body.
Recovery sessions and treatment are also held back at the apartments.
This takes up most of the afternoon for the players, before they undertake another trademark session just before dinner.
6:30pm
Dinner is brought forward with yet another early start planned the following day.
The group heads out to the Alexandra Headland Surf Club – about 15 minutes from the apartments.
Steak, chicken and barramundi are on the menu, but Roos manages to persuade the chef to drop off some hot chips near the coaches and non-playing staff. And they go down nicely too!
