NOTHING says the first day of pre-season like a two-kilometre time trial.
That’s exactly what was in store for Melbourne's AFLW group on Thursday night, as they officially kicked off preparation for the sixth season of the competition.
In wet and, quite frankly, less-than-ideal conditions, the players took to The Tan track to complete the run, dodging Melburnians out for their daily exercise along the way.
KP checking in at the first session back. ??#FiredUp pic.twitter.com/yjb24cBxbi
— Melbourne AFLW (@MelbourneAFLW) September 30, 2021
Eliza McNamara and Karen Paxman led the way, doing battle for a second year running.
It was youngster McNamara who crossed the finish line first, following up on her impressive showing from last year, with Paxman only seconds behind.
The 32-year-old matched her exact time, showing she means business ahead of 2022.
Shelley Heath was the next Demon to complete the pre-season kick-starter, with Kate Hore and Libby Birch rounding out the top five finishers.
Jogging back over to AAMI Park, the players then headed into the gym and underwent a series of strength testing.
The night marked the first of a two-week induction period for the players, which will consist of various testing, meetings and training sessions.
The women will hit Gosch’s Paddock over the weekend, building on their training efforts to date, before getting stuck into a structured pre-season campaign.
