Jobe Watson proved particularly impressive as Essendon kicked off its first day of fitness testing at the State Netball and Hockey Centre today.
While a number of the Bombers' young guns recorded promising individual times, assistant coach Ashley Prescott told Bomber.tv that it was 24-year-old Watson who really caught the coaches' eyes in the speed/endurance tests.
""He's certainly not suffering any hang-over from his best and fairest award, he was brilliant in the last exercise,"" Prescott said.
Prescott said the early signs were promising with a number of players recording significant improvements on previous testing results.
“There has been some great improvement already. A lot of the players were recording scores that were well ahead of what they did last year,” he said.
“The tests give the fitness department, the coaches and the medical department an idea of how hard the players had worked during their break.
“It also allows us to tailor their training programs around their individual needs.”
The testing will continue tomorrow with the Bombers set to undertake a 3km time trial and beep test. And it won't just be the players hoping to record strong times with Prescott challenging fellow assistant coach Scott Camporeale to a 3km race.
“I think he (Camporeale) has given nothing since he has joined the Essendon Football Club since his time at Carlton. I think it is about time he produced something for the Bombers,” Prescott joked.
Prescott said the majority of the players will hit the track when Essendon holds their first skills session at Windy Hill this Friday with only a handful still overcoming injuries.
“Compared to this time last year we have a lot of boys out on the track. It is really positive and everyone is coming along really well,” he said.
“The boys will be really happy to get the footballs out, getting their hands on the footy and having a bit of a kick.
“Obviously it will be an introduction-type session because the fitness testing is taking priority at this stage but we are looking forward to it.”
Essendon dynamo Alwyn Davey will begin full pre-season training in less than two weeks with hopes of making a big impact in 2010. A serious knee injury in 2008, followed by a shoulder injury last season limited the 24-year-old’s ability to deliver on the potential that saw him drafted to Essendon in 2006.
