The Essendon pre-season went on the road yesterday with the Bombers heading to Warrnambool as part of AFL Community Camp week. The day started quietly enough with a Civic Reception at the Warrnambool Surf Lifesaving Club but it soon hotted up with the players put through a punishing 90-minute beach session in front of about 300 locals. David Hille was the star of the show, his swimming prowess seeing him dominate the ocean race.

Others to shine included Scott Lucas who finished second to Hille and Adam McPhee. On the beach it was the rookies who were the standouts – Andrew Lovett showing his blistering speed in the sprint racing and Nathan Lovett-Murray winning the flag race. The only disappointment for the Bombers came when Dean Rioli strained a hamstring – the injury isn’t serious but his training program will be modified for the next two weeks.

The Essendon players attended a sell-out function last night at the City Memorial Bowls Club to welcome them to Warrnambool before visiting some local schools this morning. An Auskick football clinic – that is expected to attract more than 500 schoolchildren – and a training session will follow this afternoon.

IN other news, the Windy Hill surface will undergo a facelift at the end of the current cricket season, forcing the Essendon players off the surface until as late as the end of April. The players will train at La Trobe University and possibly The Dome or the MCG until the Windy Hill surface is considered fit.