A host of Hawks have hit the ground running with their pre-season training following the Christmas break, says Hawthorn High Performance Manager Peter Burge.
All players returned to training last week following a three-week break during December and January.
Despite the time away from the club, Burge said the players have adjusted to the demands as training lifted up a notch this week.
“The players have had three sessions now with Monday probably being their toughest one so far with some match play," Burge said.
“It’s been good for us to see the players back after their three-week Christmas break, where they’ve had programs to follow. We’ve seen them turn up, present in a really good condition and progress to football really quickly."
Draftee Josh Weddle, who was selected with Pick 18 in November's national draft, won Hawthorn's time trial last week.
The 18-year-old won all four 1km tests to stand out ahead of the likes of Karl Amon, Fergus Greene, Max Ramsden and Ned Long.
Weddle, along with a series of other youngsters, have caught Burge's eye.
“I’ve been really impressed with a large number of players so far, more recently Max Ramsden last week in our running trial – as a big bloke, his running was really impressive," Burge added.
“Max Lynch is another one out of the taller guys, then you've got younger guys Connor Macdonald, Sam Butler and some of the new draftees Josh Weddle and Cam Mackenzie.
“Jack O’Sullivan has also really impressed with his work ethic – he’s a super hard worker, I’ve got to hold him back a little bit, but we love that about young players."
Couple of rucks battling it out 💪 pic.twitter.com/OZLgIxyyvT
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) January 16, 2023
Burge said the intensity of training would further increase in the coming weeks.
“It’s an important time of year for us at the end of January," Burge said.
"Our football loads are increasing with more match play, and we’ve just got to make some really smart decisions with players so that by the end of February we’re in a good position.
“It's the balance of still working hard as a pre-season and introducing match play into our training.
“We can do all the kilometres and running as we like, but ultimately football conditioning is what we need to get used to and improve on, and practice our craft and what we do.
"We've got to put that into flat out 100 per cent scenarios, so that’s stepping up now and will do over the next couple of weeks until we get to some intraclub and some pre-season games."
Hear more from Burge below following the first week back.
