WITH four pre-seasons to his name, Tom McDonald, says the excitement amongst the playing group is notably different in 2014.

“There’s been a real focus on skills and really moving the ball well as a team. It does make training enjoyable when you get to work on those things. There’s a really good vibe amongst the team.”

Although preferring to focus on skills than running, McDonald recently placed second in the 3km time trial admitting he was “exhausted” at the end of it. “It’s not a very fun test but it is good to run well” he said.

“Most of the guys hit their targets and a lot  ran personal best times too so it was a good thing to tick the run off the list. The results are a sign that we’re ready to get in to the really hard part of pre-season.”

With the leadership group likely to be confirmed by the end of February, McDonald is looking forward to the challenge of taking on a leadership role in the near future.

“I would love to be in the leadership group, I’m not sure if it will happen [this year] or not but I’ll put my hand up and if it’s not my time this year, I want to be there as soon as possible.”

Although a position in the leadership group is McDonald’s aspiration, he said will continue to lead on and off the field, regardless of his title, “I want to continue to show leadership amongst the team whether it’s on the field or around the club.”