Rookies have lots to do
Bendigo Advertiser
Thursday, 28 December 2006
FOR most, the festive season at Christmas is a time of rest and relaxation with family and friends.
But for three of the AFL's newest recruits who have returned to central Victoria for the Christmas break, there's no let-up from their pre-season training program.
Richmond's Andrew Collins and Geelong's Joel Selwood were both selected in the AFL National Draft in November, while Jarryn Geary was picked up by St Kilda in the Rookie Draft earlier this month.
The three have all been given training programs to adhere to while they are on their Christmas break, giving the trio an early indication of the commitment and dedication needed to forge a successful career at AFL level.
'‘You learn off some of the players, especially those who have been there for five or six years and are successful, that you have to be so dedicated," said Collins, who was taken by the Tigers with selection 73 at the draft.
‘‘And you have to try to get to that level yourself," he said before yesterday's workout at Evolution Fitness on the La Trobe University Bendigo campus.
‘‘You expect the training to be full on and pretty hard, but not until you get down there and into it do you realise what it's like.
‘‘You get straight out of the pool after swimming a couple of kilometres and into the boxing ring - that's something you can't really prepare for before you go down there.
‘‘But all those pieces of training contribute towards you becoming a better footballer." Collins will be back in Bridgewater for two weeks, and has just two training-free days in that time.
The majority of his days will be spent either in the gym lifting weights, running, cycling or swimming.
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