RICHMOND has become the latest club to embark on an overseas pre-season trip, with the Tigers jetting off to the United States on Tuesday morning.
Damien Hardwick and his men will spend a week using the facilities of Athletes Performance, a business which runs a world-class training complex in Phoenix, Arizona.
"Not sure what to expect," Richmond captain Chris Newman said at Melbourne Airport before the team departed.
"A lot of the boys are pretty nervous because they haven't given us a lot of information yet.
"We'll wait and see what Phoenix holds for us, but there's no doubt we'll get tested physically and mentally.
"That's what a lot of these camps are about. I'm sure we'll be out of our comfort zones and be tested in all directions.
"There's no doubt a change of environment will do us a lot of good."
Richmond stayed closer to home this time last year, with the Tigers opting to hold their camp in New Zealand.
This time around they're heading further afield, but they won't be tackling any mountains.
"We're not doing the high-altitude training that a lot of clubs are," Newman explained.
"The footys will be out, so we'll do a lot of footy training over there. We've been told to pack our boots.
"Everything we use back in Melbourne we'll be using over there."
The three players selected by the Tigers in last week's NAB AFL Draft - Brandon Ellis, Todd Elton and Matthew Arnot - were all on the plane.
"They're straight into it," Newman said. "There's no hiding.
"But I think it's a good thing. You probably get to know them a little bit quicker.
"I guess they're excited. I spoke to them when they got drafted and they're looking forward to it."blog comments powered by Disqus
