6:30 am
NEW FOOTBALL department member, training services coordinator Peter W. Roberts (not to be confused with football technology manager Pete Roberts), is the first among the red and blue contingent to arrive at Melbourne Airport.
Soon Spike Harris completes his regular team manager duties, handing out boarding passes from the Virgin Australia group check in. Big man Jack Fitzpatrick appears to be the first player to arrive.
No one arrives late - at least to the best of my knowledge - as the team traverses to the Virgin lounge.
A pair of glasses dropped into a cup of coffee does not agree with one senior member of the football department, as groups of Demons tuck into an early morning breakfast.
Four new Dees - David Rodan, Dean Terlich, Dean Kent and Dom Barry - join 2009 club champion Aaron Davey on one table, for example. Plenty of iPhones and iPads are getting a work out, as the waiting happens.
7:45 am
Flight DJ 817 departs Melbourne for Sydney.
I’m seated next to director of sports performance Neil Craig, who flicks through the papers at quick speed, while at his window seat. On my right hand side, I’m seated next to a gentleman who is an Essendon supporter, but is inquisitive about the club’s travels. He asks several questions and is genuinely interested in the club’s progress. (But surely he’s taking the ‘you know what’ when he suggests I’m a player. Thanks for the compliment!)
Soon we land in Sydney.
9:55 am
I’m seated in the middle again. At this point, forward coach Leigh Brown arrives, offering me his window seat, so I don’t have to clamber back out into the packed aisle. Brown moves into the middle, with new Dee Shannon Byrnes on the aisle seat.
Just before takeoff, Brown receives some good news. He learns that there are some spare seats and he can move once the seat-belt sign is switched off. His knees, which are somewhat poked into his chest, are quickly released, as he moves towards the back of the plane.
Now we’re into our four hour-plus flight to Darwin.
I’m chatting to Byrnes, who I interviewed upon arrival at the club and have since had a couple of quick chats with. Other than that, I really haven’t had the opportunity to spend much time with him yet.
This is where trips like this are great, and if they are for me, then surely they’re invaluable for the players and coaches. It’s the opportunity to chat one-on-one casually.
Not surprisingly, Byrnes is a ripper.
He’s speaks with genuine excitement - and respect - about playing for Melbourne. He says it’s a great opportunity for him to lead, given he played in a dynamic Geelong era, which won three flags - two of which he played in - and was dominated by some strong characters and players.
He offers an insight, which can often be forgotten - the fact that experienced players switching clubs for the first time still need to adjust. For Byrnes, he’s moved from the Geelong region to the city of Melbourne for the first time. It’s still a big step. Still, he now feels settled and says the players have made him feel welcome.
The word among the AFL fraternity was that Byrnes was a top clubman, and it’s easy to see why. He will be a fine person to have around the football club and although in the latter stage of his career, he’ll offer Melbourne plenty.
With the flight in full mode, so too are the Bose and Beats by Dr Dre headphones. Young gun Jack Viney looks the part wearing his Dre headphones, as does backline coach - and big music enthusiast - Jade Rawlings with his Bose set.
1:05 pm
The Demons land, and the Darwin trip is now a reality.
Jack Grimes finds this out quicker than most, when he fronts the waiting Northern Territory media outside the airport.
“We knew exactly what was in store. We think we’ve prepared really well for it,” the co-captain says.
The team gathers its luggage and heads for the waiting mini-buses.
The likes of Brown, midfield development coach Aaron Greaves and football operations manager Craig Notman drive the mini buses to Robertson Barracks, predominantly the home of the Melbourne football department for nine days.
A combination of footballers and luggage makes for a ‘cosy’ ride. Chris Dawes, Jesse Hogan, Dean Kent and Josh Tynan are among the players on my bus.
2 pm
The team arrives at Robertson Barracks, complete with sweat beads and drip-stained shirts. (It doesn’t take long!)
In fact, the drive from the airport to the Australian Army base is just a taste.
We are greeted by two army members, who are dishing out lunch packs from bread crates. Each Melbourne player/staff member receives a lunch, big enough to feed - you guessed it - an army. Two sandwiches, a couple of pieces of fruit (I hadn’t seen an apple or orange that big before!), a fruit juice box, a packet of biscuits, a slice of fruit cake and a muesli bar combine for the biggest lunch in a while. But it goes down a treat, considering many didn’t eat on the flight up.
A welcome from the Barracks is followed.
As is the norm, housekeeping is addressed, but it was perhaps the ‘add on’ housekeeping that grabbed the attention of many a hardened football person. The problem of taipans escaping the savannah and entering the base has been an issue, we are told - albeit not a massive one. So, on top of wrestling with the heat, the thought of a taipan(s) entering the Melbourne Football Club sleeping quarters was the cherry on top. The facial expressions and mutterings among some of the contingent were priceless.
The possible notion of cyclones in the wet season and the wanderings of dingoes in the army base didn’t seem to faze the group - oh, and crocodiles were mentioned either - but the prospect of taipans sure did.
After the introduction, the players slithered - I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist - to the pool area.
Stretching, followed by a light jog on the oval, adjacent to the pool area, was concluded with players diving, jumping and simply dropping into the massive pool, which was all covered by several large shade cloths.
Rehab coach and sports science coordinator Alex Sakadjian took the players through some drills in the pool, before the water polo balls came out. The soccer heading from player to player was pretty impressive too!
James Frawley reflected on the heat and humidity from the first few hours, and was optimistic that after a few days it would be manageable.
“As soon as we got on the bus, everyone was sweating, and when I was looking at Neil Craig, he looked as if he was battling a bit with the sweat coming from his face,” he said with a smile.
But Jimmy Toumpas’ initiative to get somewhat of an army haircut was perhaps the thing that caught the eye late in the day. As a handful of players, including Frawley and Jack Watts, walked past the hairdresser, when they peered through the window, they found that the club’s first pick in the recent NAB AFL Draft was in fact sitting in the chair. But Toumpas had simply taken up the offer from the army that players were welcome to get a snip or new do - if they felt inclined.
6 pm
Dinner was held in the mess hall with several army personnel in attendance. The food was plentiful and similar to what potential draftees were fed when the Draft Camp was held at the AIS. A combination of pastas, meats, vegetables and salads were on offer, and no one went hungry.
But it was interesting to hear on the grapevine that an army member had suggested to some Demons that they were in for a torrid time of training in the coming days. It certainly got some of the players thinking!
7 pm
Following dinner, the last activity for the day happens when the players complete their walk through session. An Australian football ground at Robertson Barracks was used for the drills.
These drills are designed to help players understand certain defensive positions.
Coaches then explain how the positions change when the ball’s moving. A set of players are involved in the activity and another group watches on.
It’s a theory component, so players can learn about space and awareness. No running is involved.
The session concludes and it’s the end of a long, enjoyable and very hot first day in Darwin. It’s only just begun and it’ll be fascinating to see how the pre-season adventure unfolds. Stay tuned.
