The Northern Territory trip will form the foundation of something special for the Club’s younger players.

Over a week long trip, the Club’s second to fourth year players spent time travelling around the Northern Territory training hard as well as integrating with various communities.

The trip is designed as a ‘Rite of Passage’, aimed at putting the boys through situations that requires them to work as a team and build a relationship away from the football field.

Senior coach, John Worsfold, viewed the trip as a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of how the boys operate in testing conditions in order to  better communicate with them throughout the season.

“It’s really important to get to know them in a totally different perspective and see them in a different environment, rather than just the safe surrounds of the True Value Solar Centre,” said Worsfold

“To see how they handle looking out for each other, help each other and how they contribute and participate in the community work that they’re doing, you get a real feel for who they are.”

Worsfold addresses the playing group before training.

The Club's new Head of Development, Matthew Egan, also spoke to the group about the importance of the team and building relationships over the next few years.

“It’s really important as a group that they spend a lot of time together,” said Egan

“They’ll spend probably the next ten years together, so it’s really important that they form some good strong relationships and just get to know the coaches and staff, and - as a group - work out where we’re going as a Club.”

Additional time on the track for the younger players will also benefit them before joining the seniors when the entire playing group returns for pre-season training on the 23^rd of November.

Worsfold believes that it will  allow them to further gel as a unit and take up the challenge to their teammates, leading by example and showing the rest of the group that they are prepared to raise the standards.

“It’s really about preparing for when they get serious next week,”  said Worsfold

“These guys can make some inroads in the next fortnight, getting some good touch, getting plenty of kicks of the footy and doing that little bit of extra fitness work to prepare them for what will be a pretty big month leading up to Christmas.”