PREMIERSHIP Hawthorn midfielder Isaac Smith has won the Club’s first 2km time trial of the pre-season on Wednesday morning.
With the oval at the Ricoh Centre still unavailable, the players completed the run at Box Hill City Oval, where Smith won his fourth time trial in a row.
The speedster wasn’t without his challengers though, with draftee Billy Hartung an impressive second from Bradley Hill in third.
Hartung is known for his elite endurance after breaking the AFL draft combine record for the beep test previously held by now-teammate and third-place finisher, Hill.
Isaac Smith and Billy Hartung break away from their teammates during the 2km time trial.
It didn’t take long for Smith, Hartung and Hill to break away from the pack but it was Smith and Hartung who were neck and neck until the final lap.
Smith eventually broke away but the two youngsters were impressive in the first time trial of the pre-season.
“I had a bit in the tank and when you’re the title holder you can’t give it up. Billy has a bit of work to do if he wants the title,” he joked about his new teammate.
“I was alright – the track was a bit heavier than usual because we usually run it out on the track at Waverley.”
With some expectation on his shoulders following his record-breaking beep test run at the combine, Hartung was more than happy with his performance.
“It’s a good result,” he said.
“I hadn’t done much running prior to starting pre-season because I took a bit of a break – I hadn’t had much of a break for the past two years.
“Coming into this I just wanted to get a personal best and I got pretty close to that, which was good.”
The youngster had had some banter with Hill in the lead-up to the time trial after breaking his new teammate’s record at the combine.
Hartung recorded a score of 16.6 in the beep test, beating Hill’s score of 16.1.
He was happy to defeat him this time and is eyeing off apost-Christmas showdown with Smith.
“On that last lap I heard Hilly coming up behind me – all I wanted to do was beat him,” he said of Hill.
“In the last 200m Isaac just went for it and I couldn’t keep up with him. Hopefully after the Christmas break when we have our next one, I can keep up with him.”
Hill too, was happy with his third placing and complimentary of Hartung’s endurance and performance.
“I had a time I had to beat and I did that pretty easily, which was a good result,” he said.
“He’s (Hartung) a good runner so that’s great to bring him into our side – it adds to the depth.”
He said though, that no one could catch Smith.
“No one could really get him, he’s got an extra gear,” he said of the winner.
Other players to impress in Wednesday’s 2km time trial were Liam Shiels, Ben Stratton, Ben McEvoy, Sam Grimley, Alex Woodward, Will Langford, Matt Suckling, Ryan Schoenmakers and Jordan Lewis.
