One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “What does your training look like in the off-season?”

That’s understandable given the nature of the shorter AFLW season, which is played during the summer months.

Despite not being in-season, the work load remains high and our training schedules remain full. Currently, we are in the midst of an academy training block that involves 18 of our signed West Coast AFLW players plus another 15 potential draftees who have been invited to train in the high performance environment with us.

Almost all AFLW players will play in the WAFLW competition for their local team in the AFLW off-season. It’s a fine balance we establish between increasing fitness through specifically designed strength and conditioning sessions, improving areas of football through the use of our WAFLW clubs but also training with our AFLW clubs in the elite environment and building that chemistry amongst our newly-established playing group.

One thing I have really come to appreciate is how lucky we are to have the support and resourcing around us to challenge and develop further during this time.

With the likes of Ezy (Eric Mackenzie), Alivia del Basso, as well as our head coach Luke Dwyer, heading up our training programs and making their expertise available to us, we’re rolling into 2020 well prepared.

The support is next level; whether it’s putting on the boxing gloves and doing an off-feet conditioning session with us, running with us during our gruelling programs or remaining at the club after hours to coach us through a gym session, they are with us.

They also put their hand up to do extra skills and touch sessions, even if it’s just one player that comes in to complete a session! That’s true commitment to the betterment of this team and helping to quickly build trusting relationships between players and coaches.

We had our last training session at Subiaco Oval on Tuesday night in absolutely horrendous weather with torrential rain.

Yet we received the support of 18 staff members who were there to facilitate us through the session and maximise our output. The connection amongst the group and coaching staff is so strong already.

When you’re supported by the likes of Drew Banfield, Ryan Turnbull, and Andrew Embley (just to name a few) and they address the group, you could hear a pin drop. They speak, we absorb.

The competitive nature to get the very best out of ourselves and comradery amongst the group to push each other to get there is evident. We are building a serious foundation for the many more months of training ahead of us on the road to our 2020 launch.