Day 2 - Friday, December 7

6:50 am
A ROAR of thunder throughout the night seems to be an early conversation starter, as the Melbourne players and staff line up for breakfast. Unfortunately, I couldn’t add to the conversation, as I slept like a log and didn’t hear it!

Breakfast is, not surprisingly, plentiful and nutritious. A full buffet, consisting of continental and hot food, fuels the players in preparation for their morning training session at Palmerston Magpies’ home ground.

But perhaps the players and staff feasted on too much breakfast, as a tyre on one of the mini buses becomes flat. Off come several coaches and players, including coach Mark Neeld and director of sports performance Neil Craig.

The possibility of some selected players to change the tyre is mooted. As are jokes about it being ‘The Reality Bus’ - a term used by many among the football department.

Instead, some of the players and officials are spread among the rest of the mini buses. But the one with the so-called flat tyre bounces back and lives for another day - or at least until the drive to Palmerston, about 10 minutes away.

8am
Preparation begins for the squad’s training session.

Ruckman Jake Spencer receives some serious strapping to his feet - in fact, it’s a work of art from Dr Dan Bates. It’s as if the big ‘Pencil’ has an extra layer of padding on his feet - it’s that thick!

Draftees Jack Viney and Dean Kent have a quick kick-to-kick session on the ground. I can see why recruiting boss Todd Viney was a big rap for Kent. His left-foot is a beauty - even viewing this simple exercise. It will be powerful boot once fully unleashed.

Nathan Jones is jogging around the ground, when - aptly, given the name of the club - a Magpie swoops. He ducks, but fires back with a footy booted in anger.

David Rodan appears on the ground and immediately has a presence among the group.

For example, he educates Jack Viney with a positioning move - demonstrating with body-to-body contract. Viney is a sponge and soaks it all in, looking intently as the veteran explains.

At that moment it vindicates the importance of bringing in experienced types to teach the younger brigade.

Rodan has the right balance of knowing when to turn it on, from a serious perspective to a lighter side.

His shot at goal, which started with a run-up from the boundary line, before he trotted, shuffled and then eventually thumped the ball through from the goal line drew laughter from his teammates.

Backline development coach Andrew Nichol arrives back to where the players are preparing, having jogged several laps. He then walks up the steps in the stands and demands the players to keep up their fluids up.

“Don’t sit around without drinking water,” he says.

Immediately, several players jump to their feet and grab their water bottles.

8:50 am
Players and staff have moved upstairs to the clubrooms.

Bates addresses the group first, alerting all to the dangers of the heat.

He is followed up by Neeld, who doesn’t mess around with the players, making the expectations clear from the start.

“Right, you’ve heard the precautions. But training remains unconditional,” he says.

The ground rules are in no doubt.

Backline coach Jade Rawlings then runs through the upcoming training session, which focuses on defensive systems. As he shows relevant recent footage from training, he highlights areas of focus and the order of the drills.

Forward line development coach Paul Satterley adds to the presentation, with Neeld interjecting on a couple of occasions, before training starts.

The meeting only reinforces the attention to detail, which the coaches go to for every session. It’s far from the old circle work and running of laps from days gone by. Everything is measured and scrutinised to the nth degree.

9:20 am
It’s on. It’s on like Donkey Kong, to use a popular urban quote.

The intensity is right up there early.

It’s set at a cracking pace.

Key forward Mitch Clark, on the comeback trail from a serious foot injury sustained against Greater Western Sydney in round 13 this year, runs well in his rehabilitation and continues to make good progress. His effort and intensity was right up there for a player in his current position.

Daniel Nicholson, Nathan Jones and James Magner seem to thrive in the heat. Spencer is another to impress - a fine effort for a player of his size.

Players gained an opportunity to rest after each drill and jog to the sidelines as a team to replenish with water and Powerade.

A wading pool is also set up for players who need cooling off, which was mostly done post session. And you couldn’t blame them.

Colin Garland says at the end of training that it's the hardest session he has experienced in his career, which started after he was selected in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.

“I’ve been here six years and that’s right up there [as the toughest training session],” he said.

He actually suffers a bloody nose during training, given the temperatures. In fact, Dr Bates checks several players with an ear thermometer during the session as a precaution.

By the end of the roughly 80-minute session, the players remain positive, despite the intense heat.

Nathan Jones barks: “We loved that session. Keep the positive talk going.” Ok, there might’ve been an expletive in there, but his passion and leadership keeps the boys 'up'. 

Perhaps, the most humourous quote at the finish was from Daniel Nicholson, who says: “Great session boys. Let’s go back and enjoy Crown Plaza now.”

Elite performance manager Dave Misson calls it a “very taxing” session.

“We had a really solid session. It hit the boys like a big blanket, the heat did. We ended up getting everyone through, but we just had to make a few adjustments in the length of drills to get everyone through,” he says.

12 pm
The crew arrives back at Robertson Barracks and heads for a recovery/pool session, just before lunch in the Mess Hall.

I sit next to Jeremy Howe, who is on my left hand side. Soon Chris Dawes sits next to me on my other side, with Jack Grimes on his right.

Draftees Dean Terlich and Dean Kent are sitting opposite me.

Naturally, the training session is discussed. It’s interesting to hear that several players lose about 4.5 kg during training. That includes players of all shapes and sizes from Spencer to Jordie McKenzie to Rodan.

A blister on the base of McKenzie’s foot - reputed to be the size of a golf ball - is the talk around the lunch table. So is his ability to push through situations.

It doesn’t sound pretty, but the boys are so hungry that the thought of golf ball-sized blister doesn’t upset their stomach.

The players start heading in different directions, before a team meeting is scheduled at 2pm.

I have a good chat with Dawes, who hasn’t been at the club quite a month.

Like chatting to Shannon Byrnes on the flight from Sydney to Darwin, it was great getting to know the new Demons. And like Byrnes, it was hard not to be impressed with Dawes.

He is a switched on fella. Bright, articulate and you can instantly tell what he wants from the game and post-career. He’s determined to help the Dees up the ladder and play his part in attack.

Dawes’ interest in travel is a good conversation topic. He tells of the time he traveled through the Northern Territory with his family as a 12-year-old. And of his love of New York. He also talks about how his girlfriend is currently traveling through South America.

He’s a genuinely interesting person and you get the feeling he’ll be a strong leader at the club - and a more than handy addition on the field.  

2pm
The afternoon heads into several directions for staff and players.

Weights, massage, treatments and divisional meetings are all on the agenda.

But the one thing that wasn’t part of the itinerary - or maybe it was, it just wasn’t written into the schedule - was the remarkable tropical thunderstorm and lightening that happens.

This downpour was a sight to behold - at least for Victorians!

I watch on, with media manager Ryan Larkin, from the balcony outside our rooms. It was up there with the most incredible thunder and lightening we’ve seen - yet it's probably par for the course for Territorians, and others who live and breathe hot, tropical conditions.

So after experiencing those conditions and later realising that Darwin had reached 36.3 degrees after 2pm on Thursday - its hottest December day in 36 years - on the day the Dees arrived, it was a remarkable insight into the Top End weather.

That’s right, Melbourne arrived in Darwin on the hottest day since 1976 (incidentally, the same time I’ve been around)!

Maybe, the coaches do have more power than we think!

5:30 pm
The Mess Hall opens for dinner, with many enjoying a feed after a tough day of training.

Many take it easy for the night, while a number of players and coaches head to Northline Oval to watch Palmerston play Waratah.  

The NTFL match, which was under lights and started at 6:10pm, featured several interesting names with AFL backgrounds.

Palmerston had former Geelong and St Kilda forward Ryan Gamble, ex-Lion Albert Proud and recently delisted Bomber Ricky Dyson in its side. And ex-Richmond rookie Gibson Turner was another to play with the Magpies. 

After an even opening, Palmerston leads by two points at half-time, thanks to some inaccuracy in front of goal from Waratah.

But the Warriors hit back to lead by 11 points at three quarter-time. They then hold on for a two-point win over the Magpies.

It ends a busy, productive, yet enjoyable day for all concerned.