THE North Coast’s best junior Australian Rules players have put in the hard yards training over summer, which has paid dividends after being put through their paces during their first training session of 2022.

The Northern Heat players’ work over summer was reflected in their excellent testing results achieved in last weekend’s training session in Armidale.

The two squads were put through their paces with a 1km time trial to determine who had completed the program set for them over the summer, with the Northern Heat rep players achieving excellent results.

The vast majority of the squad achieved a marked improvement against the times recorded in early December, proving the point that hard work really does pay off.

Following testing, both squads trained on clearance work, where the focus was on breaking clear of the contest through the use of fast handballs.

This approach mirrors what is expected of players at higher levels of the game, such as NAB League and VFL, with the coaching drills being shared from the Sydney Swans Academy and Southport Sharks.

Northern Heat Coaching Coordinator Matt Anderson was impressed with the young players’ efforts throughout the session.

“Getting fitter doesn’t just mean that the players can run for longer, it also means that they can stay in the contest and have an influence on matches for longer,” he said.

“That ability to stay focused and play a modern brand of footy will really be evident when club activities hit full swing in the next month or two.

“That’s when the players will really appreciate how far they’ve come and will be keener than ever to push on with their development.”

Community Football and Competition Manager Paul Taylor also praised the efforts and work of the young players training over summer.

“Another outstanding Northern Heat training session on Saturday, with the players showing that they’ve done the hard physical work over the summer break by recording improved testing times,” he said.

“The session also encompassed more footy specific drills, with the players really starting to get their heads around playing a modern style of footy that’s reflected in the higher levels of the sport.”

The Northern Heat representative AFL program comprises the best players from the North Coast and North West regions in Under 15 and Under 17 squads.

The off-season program exists to extend the representative pathway for the players of the regions and provide them with a further avenue to build their game ahead of transitioning towards senior footy.

The Northern Heat squad has further training sessions on Saturday, 26 February in Coffs Harbour and Saturday, 19 March in Armidale, before it wraps up on Saturday, 9 April with matches on the Gold Coast against the Southport Sharks.

 

By Aiden BURGESS