Day three at the Cann River ""Survivor"" camp didn't get any easier for the Essendon players. They set off on foot from camp early in the morning to nearby sand dunes. According to football manager Dominic Cato it was an hour and a half return walk. ""Once we all got to the beach, John Quinn put the players through a relatively light sand dune session, but it was still fairly taxing given the amount of work they had done over the previous few days,"" Cato said.

The players returned to camp to find a bigger challenge was yet to come. The team commenced a 21km hike along the beach to their next camp. ""The players carried their lunch and drinks with them and they teamed together to share duties of carrying the backpack containing their tarpaulin and sleeping bags,"" Cato said. It was another early night for the team as they caught up on much needed sleep last night.

Today is the final day of the Cann River camp and the physical challenges continued. The players hiked along the river to the start of some minor rapids. Using the lilos they had been sleeping on each night they had to float down the river back to camp and had to rescue players in the water at different points along the river.

The four draftees - Kepler Bradley, Brent Stanton, Jay Nash and Ricky Dyson - have got a taste of what AFL football is about this week. All have participated in every activity and handled all the physical work. Cato said he has been impressed with their attitude and endeavor.

""The four draftees have handled all the physical aspects of the camp tremendously well. There is no doubt that the camp was designed to put the players outside their comfort zone and to test them mentally and physically. They have done all the physical aspects and if they are hurting mentally you wouldn't know it because they are just getting on with it and continuing through the camp without any problems at all,"" Cato said.

Cato said the camp has been effective in teammates getting to know one another better and in a situation where they are continually facing adversity. ""I think the players get to know each other in a different way, even ones that have known each other for a few years. People react so much differently when you take people out of their normal environment and you get to see how people handle the stress and whether they act positively or not.""

The team will depart Cann River tomorrow and return to Melbourne. The players will enjoy a weekend off after surviving the five-day training camp.

The Cann River training camp is a testament to how hard the players are working in preparation for the 2004 season. Show your support to the team and renew or purchase your Essendon Football Club membership. Click here to renew or purchase your 2004 Essendon membership.