The 2014 pre-season boot camp took a squad of 40 players to the Mornington Peninsula for a schedule of team building, strategy, fitness and match play amid a beautiful and yet uncompromising environment.
The boys were split into teams and pitted against each other in a series of challenges from beach dune sprints and drills to team building exercises. Each team was made up of a mixture of Senior and Reserves players, old and new! The competition was fierce from the word go as each team were driven to be no.1 and claim bragging rights.
On the Sunday the players ventured across the road to the Peninsula Hot Springs to try and recover from the grueling workout of the previous day, after this they enjoyed a light lunch and another training session with match day intensity. Some players showed some great improvement and it is no coincidence that the players who have been slogging it out all pre-season were amongst the best on the day.
Scenic running for the boys!
It was exciting to see our game plan come together as we strive to be HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER in 2014!
The squad came away with not just a set of tired and weary legs but a mindset both unified and motivated for a season of genuine success on field.
It wasn’t just about on field it was also about developing as individuals and players sharing their experiences in football, work and in life. We have an amazingly diverse group and it was interesting to hear how each of them came to play with Power House.
Club Legend Ian ‘Dakes’ Dakin came down to see the boys in action and experience the camp and was thoroughly impressed with the format of the camp and the effort that went into making it a success. Dakes remarked “I thought the strategy discussions, which started shortly after I arrived, worked really well. I listened in to the various groups, and the participation , and presentations were very good.”
Some of the more interesting performances were:
Match simulation on a sunny day.
- Phil Mackney acquiring the new nickname Princess
- Steve Devine breaking all fitness records for men over 6”10
- Robbie Dabraio breaking a finger with his first tackle in 5 years
- Chris Barrett picked up the nickname ‘Boris’
Coach Ant Voyage was thrilled with the weekend “Many clubs may likely have ventured off on pre-season camps of this nature and this may look no different from the outside, but internally there is a strong sense of clarity of our objectives for what lies ahead in 2014.” He said.
A big THANKYOU goes out to Adam Collet’s parents who provided their House and Hospitality for the weekend, their property was a fantastic makeshift campsite and the boys thoroughly enjoyed their stay!
Stay tuned for our next major event ‘Jumper Presentation/Season Launch’ on the 3rd of April, more details to follow soon!
Boys cooling their heals and having a chat amongst the waves.
