Young defender Daniel Talia is regarded as one of the most professional players to ever step foot at West Lakes. The 2012 Rising Star gives an insight to his meticulous preparation …

People say that I’m very professional, but I don’t think I’m much more so than everyone else here.

For me, it probably started because I got injured a lot as a junior. I broke a fair few bones, had muscle strains and missed a heap of footy. Even early in my AFL career, I hurt my Achilles and my knee. I couldn’t string any games together in my first 18 months at the Club.

Something had to change, so I became a bit more diligent in my approach and that’s enabled me to play more consistently and at a higher level.

I like to do a few ‘extras’ outside the main training program. I do two sessions of yoga a week, which not many of the boys do, and about five extra ice baths. I’m always in the ice bath and the boys give me a fair bit of stick about it! I’ll have one after a game, two the day after a game, one on main training day and a couple of others during the week.

On my day off, I come into the Club to see a masseur and a physio for half an hour each. Later in the day, I’ll often see another physio, so I get a lot of work in. I also like to stretch at home every night and get on the foam roller to loosen up. They are just a few little things that make a massive difference for me. Here what my average week looks like:

SATURDAY, POST MATCH

Preparation for our next game pretty much starts as soon as the previous game finishes. Straight after a game, we do our media commitments and then I’ll grab a protein shake and jump on the massage table for half an hour. After that, I get in the ice bath for 15 minutes and get some food in. I get home about two hours after the game and have another stretch.

SUNDAY

We usually have a group recovery session the morning after the game. I like to arrive at the Club early and get an extra ice bath in because I’m usually pretty sore and struggle to move. After the ice bath, I’ll have a quick hot shower to warm up and then start the recovery session, which involves stretching, some light work in the pool and an ice bath.

MONDAY

Two days after a game, we have our aerobic flush. We’ll go for a light run and touch the footballs. Usually, I cannot move. If a ball is a metre either side of me, I let it go! After about an hour, we get in the pool, have an ice bath and a massage. We catch up with our line coaches before heading into the game review as a team.

TUESDAY

The tactical skills session is the first session where we really get going again. We kick the footballs and do a lot of drills specific to our areas. It involves a lot of the skill-based work ‘Sando’ wants us to improve on, so a lot of kicking and specific skills.

WEDNESDAY

On my day off, I like to have a sleep in before I come into the Club to see a masseur and a physio. It’s usually the day where your body catches up and you get over the soreness from the week before. I also have a lot of coffees and lunches with the guys on my days off. I’ll walk the dog or do some gardening just to get moving, or chill out with a movie at home. I’m also doing a Real Estate course, so I try to spend a few hours studying.

THURSDAY

Main training day is the biggest day of the week outside of game day. I have a big focus on training at speed. I like to be at 100 per cent because if I have a good main training session I usually play well on the weekend. I also use the main session to prepare for my opponent that week. We spend up to an hour-and-a-half on the track and then do our recovery. In the afternoon, we have weights, massage and more recovery. You have to get the recovery in to feel fresh again going into the game.

FRIDAY

The day before a game we have our ‘Captain’s Run’. We have meetings in the morning to go through the opposition, how we’re going to beat them and how we’ll structure up. We have a quick warm-up and a 20-minute session just to get going and feel good before the game. A lot of guys just do the warm-up and then head inside, but other guys will do strides and sprints. It’s very individualised the day before a game.

SATURDAY, GAME DAY

I have two different game-day routines depending on whether we’re playing at home or away. If we’re away, I’ll sleep in as long as I can and then get a massage. Regardless of where we’re playing, I always eat muesli and banana for breakfast.

For home games, my parents come over from Melbourne. They like watching me play footy and I think they enjoy the functions too, so they come over a lot. Dad is very vocal at games! I usually have lunch with mum and dad before a home game.

The players get to the ground two hours before a game. I have a massage as soon as I arrive and then start my warm up. I do a lot of mobility work. I’m usually in the warm-up area a lot earlier than other guys, just trying to loosen up. For me, the more mobile I feel the better I play. It’s just what I need to do to feel good going into a game.

A lot of players have set pre-game routines but you have to be flexible, especially, on away trips because things can go wrong. The bus might be late to the ground (as it has been a few times!).

I pick the important parts out of my routine, which are getting a massage and doing key mobility exercises. A few weeks ago, I strained my back in the warm-up which affected my routine, but I was still able to play and perform my role for the team. When I first came into the AFL, I was probably a bit rigid with my preparation. We’ve got a psychologist, Rosie, who works with us at the Club. I’ve set my routine with Rosie and now I feel confident to change things up without it affecting me. I suppose the older you get, the less stressed you are before a game.

We have time for individual preparation before our team meeting and the start of the group warm-up. Nick Poulos and Matthew Bode take us through our stretching before we head out onto the ground. We do an on-ground warm-up for about 15 minutes and then head back into the rooms for our final preparations. About 10 minutes before the game starts, we run through the banner and onto the ground. We have another five minutes of warm-up time and then all the preparation we do during the week is put to the test.