The players returned to Windy Hill just 57 days after Essendon went down toCarlton by a solitary point in the preliminary final.
It is also just 115 days until Essendon plays Port Adelaide in thehistorical opening round of the 2000 season at Colonial Stadium.
Between now and then, it will be a hard slog for the players. They will beput through a torturous pre-season to ensure they are at peak fitness forthe 2000 season - a season where they will be desperate to take those nextcouple of steps and achieve premiership glory.
First-up today, the players will be given a two-hour overview of theseason's goals and what the pre-season program will entail.
By 1pm physical stuff begins. Fitness testing including short sprints, beeptests, agility tests and repeated speed tests will take up the remainder ofthe day.
There will be an average of eight session per week during the pre-season.The players will be given two weeks off during the Christmas period.
From January 6th through until January 16th the players will be in afull-time camp at Essendon Grammar.
Essendon will play one practice match prior to the Ansett Cup commencingand that will be against St Kilda on January 21. Its Ansett Cup opener willbe against the West Coast Eagles the following Saturday in Darwin.
