Season 2004 starts this morning for the Essendon squad. The players will return for training at 10am after enjoying a two-month break and there will be some new faces lining up in the red and black pre-season gear. Justin Murphy, Matthew Allan and Mark Alvey will begin training with their new club and after the National Draft on November 22nd, there will be a few more inclusions to complete the Essendon list. Fitness coach John Quinn is about to commence his sixth pre-season with the Bombers and he is looking forward to preparing the team for a successful year ahead.

""We will mostly have team meetings and testing today. We will ease the players back into it, but once we get through all the testing it will be straight into it. We have six weeks until Christmas so there is no time to ease the players back into it,"" Quinn said.

Quinn didn't prescribe individual training programs for the players over the break, but expects the players to return in good physical condition for the pre-season. ""I don't really give them much to do, because I think they need to have a proper break and get away. If they specifically request something I will give them stuff to do. They have enough of me through the year, without me giving them a six-week program for their holidays. I tend to let them do their own thing, but encourage them to come back in the right condition.""