FOR the Western Jets, the 2016 season doesn’t start in Round 1, it starts now.
The Jets’ hierarchy along with their players, parents and coaches have already set their goals and plans for next season.
About 75 players began pre-season training almost a month ago, with the club putting the aspiring AFL footballers through a series of training drills, testing their abilities both physically and mentally.
This year the Jets managed to score two wins, but according to Western Jets regional manager Shane Sexton there is a strong belief among the group that the team will be better next year.
“We are looking forward to getting into 2016,” he said.
“We have a good group, with some genuine depth.
“We will continue to grow.”
Players, 90 per cent of which are from the Western Region Football League, have already completed a 3km time trial, specific testing as well as training sessions at the Essendon Football Club HQ.
Next week, the Jets squad will take part in an intense two-day camp in Ballarat.
The camp will act as the end of their official pre-Christmas training, with players expected to continue their own personalised training during the festive period.
Sexton said the Ballarat camp had three different challenges the players would have to tackle.
“There is the ropes confidence course to start with,” he said.
“This involves the kids doing activities and working the challenges out themselves, they have to come up with the solutions.
“Then we will introduce leadership challenges which are reasonably physical and challenging, it is like a boot camp.
“Then we will develop behaviours and values of what the group expects and we will come up with a trademark, a key indicator that we can go back to throughout the year and reassess.”
Sexton said one of the aims in the time before Christmas was to prepare the players now for the rigours of playing at the TAC Cup level.
“Our major focus is getting the players at their base fitness prior to Christmas,” he said.
“Over Christmas they will be given a training program they have to adhere to.
“There will be some rest days, but there will they need to complete some sort of training whether it be training at the gym or running.
“Then we return on January 18.”
The Western Jets will then have two practice matches, one on February 2 and the other on February 9 at the Collingwood Football Club’s home base at the Holden Centre.
Caption: Western Jets players and staff at Cross Fit South Wharf.
Last Modified on 09/12/2015 11:56