JORDIE McKenzie got a laugh out of David Rodan’s humour, Jack Fitzpatrick was taken by the beauty of Kakadu National Park and Josh Tynan relished the tightness shown by the defenders.
The most important thing was that this midfielder, forward and defender all got something out of Melbourne’s 30 km hike through Kakadu on Thursday – with their colleagues, their teammates, their mates.
It was bonding at its best. Camaraderie was big winner in stifling heat and humidity. But it was worth every minute in almost eight hours of walking.
McKenzie said that to be able to complete the trek, while experiencing some of the park’s beauty and sharing a laugh, was what made it special.
“It was fairly intense and we went at a reasonable speed, the mids, so it was good and we all got something out of it,” he said.
“There was a really nice watering hole (Gabara Pool) about 25 km in, so all the boys jumped in and freshened up. I suppose to get so many km in under the heat was a good accomplishment.
“David Rodan is always the life of the party, so there was a lot of humor throughout the day. Jonesy (Nathan Jones) led the charge for most of the day. He only knows one way. He led from the front a fair bit, and we tried to go with him.”
Fitzpatrick said he was taken the landscape and the opportunity to travel in one of the world’s great National Parks.
He said to achieve it as a team was something they could all draw from.
“It was great that the team got through it together,” he said.
In just his second pre-season, two-gamer Tynan said that looking after one another was an integral trait of the backline.
“We see care as the thing that’s going to give us the edge. I really enjoyed it; it was a good challenge for all the boys and the coaches,” he said.
“It’s just [about using your] voice, being aware if someone is down or not quite training as they should be, and just making sure we are making the effort to get them back to where they should be.
“At one stage, there was seven km until the next pit stop and Neeldy (Mark Neeld) said ‘let’s challenge ourselves here’, so we ran 500 m and then walked 500 m for the seven km. It stepped up, but it was a good challenge and I thought everyone rose and stepped up.”
Tynan said the ability to try some opportunities that wouldn’t have normally have been presented were among his highlights of the camp.
“I’ve really enjoyed it. It takes everyone out of their comfort zone back in Melbourne, so hopefully it gives us an edge during the season,” he said.
For Fitzpatrick, the hike reflected the attitude of the group on the pre-season trip.
“Whatever it is, the whole trip, everyone has come together well,” he said.
“The more hands on deck the easier something is. Whether it was the obstacle course, where we were all helping with trailers or training – you might be feeling the pinch – but there is probably someone doing it just as tough as you.
“It’s been good and challenging. It’s been one of the hardest weeks of my life, but it’s been one of the better weeks of my life as well. The whole humidity and heat, the training sessions have been some of the best training sessions I’ve seen since I’ve been at the club so I think it’s been very positive.”
McKenzie couldn’t speak highly enough of the camp, right across the board.
“It’s been really good and really well organised,” he said.
“The boys have attacked everything head on.
“We have done a lot of different activities along with weights sessions and training sessions, so it’s been a successful trip.”
