Richmond’s Physical Performance Manager, Peter Burge, speaks to ‘Roar Vision’ about what’s in store for the Tigers’ playing group throughout the pre-season period.

Kicking off

“We’ve got the one-four-year players back today (Monday).  With the AFL restrictions, the older guys get a little bit more time off.  So they’re back on the 21^st (of November) – two weeks from now.  It is a long pre-season, particularly for the younger guys . . . They have about seven weeks to the Christmas break.”

Controlling the training tempo

“We have harder weeks, or slightly easier weeks, really judging on how they’re going . . . reading the signs and having good communication with the guys individually, to know where they’re at and how they’re tracking.”

The initial phase

“This time of year’s generally more about the conditioning guys and us blokes, with running, weights, and all that sort of stuff.  But, even today, we start with some skills.  We’ve got to develop their skills . . . that’s the number one thing.  But we have to get them conditioned well enough to handle the skill work . . . That skill work will build over the next couple of weeks, then all the sessions will get longer, and then into January with game play.  You want to put the players in the position they don’t break down with the intensity of match play.”

Current program

“At the moment, in a training session, we would do some football skill work, with some running in between drill, and then come back to football skill work.  They’ll be doing a strength program in the afternoon.  We’ve got new strength staff this year, so the program has changed a little bit. There are things like cross training, boxing, grappling, wrestling, yoga.  There’s a whole myriad of things that we do to help prepare the athlete to be at his physical best and also to prevent them from getting injured.”

Healthy shape

“We’re in a good position with our list.  We’ve really only had Steve Morris, with his ACL from last year, who’s longer term.  It’s probably going to be an early-season return (for him) . . . hopefully Round 1.  And Jack Riewoldt, who had some surgery to his ankle and his little finger as well, will be a little bit delayed.  But we expect Jack will be doing some skill work possibly prior to Christmas.  If not, certainly January he’ll be up and running.”