WITH the Club’s first NAB Cup just two weeks away, Hawthorn utility David Hale says he can’t wait to get back on the field and compete against opposition teams.
The Hawks began pre-season training in late November, before returning from the festive period in the first week of January.
It has been a long and arduous pre-season campaign the forward turned ruckman says, but with that comes the motivation to compete and adapt to the latest AFL trends.
“Every year the motivation goes up because the game changes every year, so something new will come up I’m sure,” Hale told hawthornfc.com.au
“To get back into games will be a lot more enjoyable than just running around the park.
“Everyone is up and going this time of year.
“We’re pretty adept at most areas and have practiced most over the pre-season so if anything comes up that’s a bit surprising or if a trend in the game changes a bit we’re already in front of the ball.”
The Hawks take on Gold Coast and Brisbane in a triangular series at Metricon Stadium in the opening round of the pre-season competition – the team’s first hit out against an opposition side since the Grand Final.
But playing four quarters of football during the NAB Cup won’t be foreign to the Hawks who have been preparing for matches since early January.
It’s something the entire group are excited about Hale says, ready to remind the football world of the group’s talent.
“We’ve been getting into some scratch matches since early January, it gradually builds up,” he said.
“The boys enjoy it, finally getting out there and putting it all on show again.
“It releases the shackles a bit, playing footy and just enjoying it, being in that competitive stuff.”
Hale admits there’s still work to be done in preparation for its pre-season campaign, but revealed the group is in good form on the track.
“The skills under fatigue as we start to play for a bit longer and getting used to it all again they’ll pick up, that’s probably the main thing you notice,” he said.
“The boys are moving the ball pretty well, our defensive stuff has been has been pretty good so hopefully we can keep that up into the season proper.”
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