How did you come to the decision to continue your career at the Brisbane Lions?
I felt like I needed a change and I always saw myself and my partners (Tippah) future up here, so it was a great opportunity to be able to come up now and settle in. Furthermore, to the footy side of things, I believe it’s a young exciting list than can do some special things over the years to come. And the bonus is obviously the lifestyle which has been incredible so far.
Have you settled into life in Brisbane?
Absolutely loving life in Brisbane, the weather is great, the people are even better and not to mention the setup we have out in Springfield which is honestly world class. I can’t complain with anything now, life is great, and I just can’t wait to get stuck into the season soon.
How did you spend the offseason?
I spent the offseason mostly back home prior to the trade period, I did manage to sneak away to fiji with my partner for a few days before everything went down with the trade and I absolutely loved that. Then I went back to the family farm where I grew up in South-eastern Victoria a small town called Yarram which is located in Gippsland and where we grew up. That is where I spent most of my time before heading up here to Brisbane post trade and then to and from here and Adelaide to see Tippah. Before heading back to Melbourne and then driving up here with my brother and Adam Treloar which was good fun.
I am sure preseason in Brisbane is a little different to Melbourne. How are you coping with the heat?
Yes it has been extremely humid and hot so far, however after the first few sessions I feel I adjusted quite well. Just sweat a lot more and a big focus has to be put on hydration because you can lose so much weight out there in the heat. Melbourne does get hot this time of the year however its nothing like what we get up here, which im loving.
What does preseason look like?
Pre season is pretty full on, we train 5 days a week, on average probably do around 30km on legs per week that can obviously go up and down depending on where we are at. Mixed in with weights sessions most days and off legs conditioning normally once a week if you train everyday. It is taxing at times however I feel if you have the best recovery practices you can find that extra edge backing up session after session.
What is a normal weekly routine during season?
I'm not to sure what its like up here in season however at the dogs we would normally have one day off during the week and the rest would be spent at the club leading in to games. The focus early in the week is mainly on recovery and getting moving again post game and then as the week goes on you start to build up your loads. It does turn to a maintenance type of program though when compared to pre season.
What emphasis do you put on nutrition?
I put a massive emphasis on nutrition, I strongly believe it is if not the most important one of the most important things, It helps with everything. Recovery for me as mentioned above is a priority and I strongly believe a good diet and some added supps from Batch Tested helps me get the most out of myself both on field and off. Not only can it help to keep you in shape it mainly just helps your body feel better which I love especially when we are always sore post training/games.
Why do you incorporate supplements into your routine?
Similar to what I just spoke about, I add supps into my diet because I feel it gives me that extra edge. It allows me to back up session after session, game after game and it just helps me feel generally better day to day.
How important is third party testing and the role Batch Tested plays for athletes?
Third party testing is incredibly important for athletes, I think we all know now that even the slightest of risks can finish a career tomorrow so to be tested and therefore legal is incredibly important for us. It will keep us at our peak which is what everyone wants to see. Batch Tested provides a trusted platform that saves us time and gives us peace of mind.