HAWTHORN utility David Hale says a significant mental break following the Club’s eleventh premiership has helped ensure the players are focused and ready for season 2014.

Most of Hawthorn’s premiership winning 22 didn’t return to the Club until mid-November, filtering in and out to use the gym before officially beginning pre-season on 2 December.

The entire playing list returned for pre-season training 65 days after being crowned 2013 premiers.

While some ventured overseas to Bali, others to Thailand and some to the United States, Hale preferred to stay in Australia, heading to the Gold Coast with his young family.

Hale relished the time with wife Teresa and daughters Mia and Asha, relishing the opportunity to rid his mind of football.

“The first four weeks after you finish, that’s what you’ve got to do,” Hale said of taking a mental break from football.

“With two little girls now, it does make it pretty easy to take your mind off it (football) because I went home and played with them a lot.

“We then went up to the Gold Coast for a few weeks to just spent time with family and go to the beach and do all those sorts of things.”

With almost a three-week break over the Christmas period too, the players are in a good headspace heading into the new season.

Hale says the players returned from the holiday period fit and ready for 2014.

“It is very important to get that mental break because footy takes up most of your life and all your thoughts during the year so it’s good to get away from it all and worry about other things,” Hale told hawthornfc.com.au

“I guess that’s one of the most important things for all players - to find that good balance with footy and outside of footy because it helps you play well on the field as well.

“It is good to be able to get that unique blend where you’re able to play good footy and train well when you’re at the Club and then go away to focus on other things.

“The boys all came back in good shape, which Jack (Head of Fitness, Andrew Russell) was pretty happy with.”

One of Hawthorn’s most experienced players, having now played 197 games, Hale knows this pre-season is just as important as the ones before it despite having just achieved premiership success.

Coach Alastair Clarkson, his assistants and the players know they need to improve over the pre-season to put themselves in a position to challenge again in 2014.

Hale says that was in the back of the playing group’s mind over the breaks too, as they strive for more success.

“That’s the message we got told after our success last year because there is no point resting on what we achieved, we need to come back and be better again – we all have to improve,” he said.

“We did enjoy our breaks but we knew as soon as we came back we have to work hard because it’s not just going to fall into your lap.”

It’s so far so good at Hawthorn, the 29 year old says with an eye on the NAB Challenge ahead of Round 1.

“It is definitely a big task but I think the way we’ve approached it so far has been pretty good so hopefully we can be up there again,” Hale said.

“It has been a good start but it doesn’t count for much because at the start of Round 1, everyone is back at square one and a level playing field.

“We have to get off to a good start like we did last year and set ourselves up for later in the year.”