MELBOURNE is set for a week of gruelling training after landing in Maroochydore for its pre-season camp on Tuesday morning, and Billy Stretch is certain to embrace the trip.
The 22-year-old is renowned for his elite training standards and will push himself to the limit, despite the testing Queensland conditions.
“It’s great to get out of Melbourne and come up into the heat, and while it’s quite challenging, it’s really enjoyable as well,” Stretch told Melbourne Media.
“Being able to get three really big sessions in, plus weights sessions every day … it’s really refreshing and you’re able to get some really high-quality sessions in.
“I think there’s lots of benefits out of it which is great for us as a team.”
While Stretch knows camps of this nature aren’t easy, the trip is set to hold the club in a strong position for 2019.
“It’s a great time of the year to get out of Melbourne and get up into a different climate and face some pretty testing conditions up here,” he said.
“It’s great to get together as a team and build our relationships and get some quality training in.
“That’s the main purpose of the trip – to get out of town and get some really quality training in and build our knowledge of the game plan.”
The Demons will use the week on the Sunshine Coast to not only prepare physically for the upcoming season, but tinker with some tactics to help them improve on-field.
There will be opportunities for the playing group to practice their craft on the training track with some longer sessions scheduled throughout the camp.
“I think all the main sessions will be pretty similar in size and we just want to maintain a really high intensity and build on our fundamentals, then apply that in match simulation drills,” Stretch said.
“From speaking to all the boys, they’re really looking forward to getting out there and putting together a really good quality session and kicking off the camp in good form.”
After a gym session upon arrival on Tuesday, the grind kicks off for the Demons on a warm Wednesday morning.
Training in such humidity is rare for the group, but Stretch isn’t daunted by what is in store.
“You look forward to the challenge,” he said.
“This is the time of the year where we’re peaking in our pre-season.
“Once we get back to Melbourne that’s where the match simulation and trial games will slowly start to kick-off, so this is really the pinnacle of our pre-season.
“It will test a few of us out but I think everyone is really looking forward to just attacking it and embracing the challenge ahead.”
