It was like the start of school camp yesterday for the Essendon players. Family members and friends dropped them at Windy Hill with their bags packed and sleeping bags and tents in tow, to depart on their five-day training camp. There was the feeling of anticipation, excitement and a few concerned expressions amongst the playing group about what challenges lay ahead in Cann River.

The players are used to flying around Australia and staying in five-star luxury hotels. There will be none of that this week in Cann River - it will be a case of getting back to basics for the Essendon squad and support staff. They will get a taste of things from the other end of the hospitality scale when they stay in tents surrounded by the wildlife. They traveled six hours by bus yesterday to reach camp in Eastern Victoria.

Fitness coach John Quinn has organised the training camp and before departing Windy Hill yesterday said he is looking forward to a challenging week. ""The players will be confronted with a number of situations, both physical challenges and team building activities. It will be a good team bonding exercise and it is anticipated that the players will come back and have learnt a lot about themselves and their teammates. The camp will also be a good opportunity for the new players to get to know their teammates better,"" Quinn said.

The BomberLand team will bring you all the news and pictures from the Cann River training camp this week.