ADAM Tomlinson is preparing for his 13th season of AFL.
One would be forgiven for assuming that the 30-year-old was becoming weary with each year of football, but Tomlinson is breaking this assumption, re-energised for 2024.
The Demon returned from the off-season in his best shape yet, ready to face the upcoming year with a fresh look at his career.
To start off his pre-season, the 194cm defender breezed through the club’s 2km time trial on the first day back, finishing with the fastest time ahead of Alex Neal-Bullen and Bailey Laurie.
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In addition, the Demon has been impressing on the training track during match-play and drills.
This, according to Tomlinson, is from a break that was spent in perfect balance between switching off and refocusing.
“I ran a fair bit overseas, which was good for something different,” Tomlinson told Melbourne Media.
“I don’t tend to look at the off-season as a time to get super fit or change much, I just want to prepare myself to be as fresh as possible, more mentally than anything.
“That’s why I’ve come back, and I look forward to training.”
The exciting start back at the club for the Demon may also be a reflection of how he finished the 2023 AFL season.
After a year spent on the fringe of the senior side, playing nine AFL games and nine VFL games, Tomlinson hit his stride in the final matches of the season.
A highlight of his 2023 included a standout performance during Round 13 where his aerial game was above the rest with a match-high 10 marks, alongside 15 disposals and five rebound 50s.
These types of performances have given the defender new-found confidence for the year to come, with eyes on continuing to improve consistency.
“The difference between last season and the season before it, I actually felt like I played a lot better football,” Tomlinson said.
“Coming back from my knee injury [in 2022], I underestimated how long it was going to take to actually play footy again.
“[This year] was a bit frustrating; I played some really good games but just couldn’t crack into the side consistently.
“While it was frustrating, you can’t sit there and dwell on it and I still thought I played some really good footy whether it was AFL or VFL.
“And I still enjoyed it.”
As he looks ahead to his fifth year at the Dees, Tomlinson wants to make the most of what’s to come, excited for another opportunity at the top level.
“I can’t wait for 2024,” Tomlinson said.
“I look forward to training every time I come in, I have a clear purpose of what I want to do each session.
“And I want to give it everything I’ve got, I turn 31 next year, so I want to give it everything I’ve got.
“Internally, I put a lot of pressure on myself to play well, but I’m still lucky that I absolutely love the game and it means everything to me.”
