Crows, Power continue training, are having line and leadership meetings via video and have set-up home gyms during shutdown
Virtual meetings, exercise bikes and work in pairs. Brodie Smith and Tom Rockliff reveal how Adelaide and Port Adelaide players are getting back to business during self isolation in this week’s The Lowdown Podcast.
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Crows players are training in pairs and having online meetings as Power staff spent the weekend delivering gym equipment to players who are midway through a two-week self-isolation at home.
Despite being no clearer on when the football season will resume, Adelaide’s Brodie Smith and Port Adelaide’s Tom Rockliff told The Lowdown Podcast it was business as usual for their clubs as they got used to their new normal way of living and training.
Smith trained with Chayce Jones on Monday and said players were going online to log where they trained, who with and what they did.
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“I haven’t used the treaddy (treadmill) yet, that’s reserved if we get the total lockdown, but I’ve been getting out and doing some exercise and trained with Chayce this morning so I was able to have a kick,” Smith told The Lowdown.
“We had a bit of a group organised and Nicksy was keen to come and have a kick as well, and we had that all planned, but about 10 minutes later ScoMo (Prime Minister Scott Morrison) was on TV and canned it back to two people only, but thankfully we’re still able to get outside for a kick.
“We (Jones and I) live pretty close to each other and a couple of the other boys were at the other side of the ground so we waved from afar, kept our distance and did some interval running so made sure we were five seconds apart and that sort of stuff, tried to do all the right things and still get out and train.
“We see it as our work and it is essential for us to train ... and as soon as we were finished we were back in the car and straight home.
“But I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to do that for and what rules are going to tighten, but we’ll keep getting out there as much as we can.”
Smith is also part of Adelaide’s leadership group which on Monday was meeting with new leadership head Daniel Jackson via online platform Zoom.
They’ve also spoken to Matthew Nicks on the phone and have player WhatsApp groups to stay connected.
Things are similar for the Power, who remain housebound as per government advice after travelling to the Gold Coast in Round 1 but are holding online meetings in their line groups and speaking with coach Ken Hinkley.
“We had one with the midfield group today just to check in on each other, we reviewed the game last week as a midfield unit and individually,” Rockliff said.
“They had some edits for us, so we watched them and our line coaches made contact with us and we had a chat about the game and how we thought we went.
“We spoke to Ken around the middle of the week and he spoke about how important it is to stay connected at the moment, so we’re trying to make contact as best we can.
“It’s not easy to communicate via FaceTime or whatever, but we try to check in with each other as best we can.”
The Power’s physical training has been restricted to their homes the past week, but Rockliff said gym equipment had been hand-delivered on the weekend.
“The first week we were left to our own devices, whatever you have at your house, for me it was push-ups and sit-ups and chasing (son) Jack up and down the stairs.
“Over the weekend the fitness staff with Ian McKeown – it took up their whole weekend – they dropped a bike to me and on Sunday some weights and stuff, so we’ve just got back into it.
Day 7 of isolation with @rockwiz38 - looks like the house isn't the only thing Rocky is stuck in ðŸŒï¸â€â™‚ï¸ðŸ™ˆ #weareportadelaide pic.twitter.com/w3STgl4E9p
— Port Adelaide FC (@PAFC) March 29, 2020
“We’ve done a bike (session) and once we get out of isolation we don’t know where we’ll end up, but we’ll be able to go to the oval and do a run and if you can, pair up, but at this stage it’s do what you can at home.
“I’ve got a Wattbike, a few dumbbells and a bench, they had to divide all the gym gear up so a few guys got different things and tried to cater it as best they could to the individual needs.”
Smith said the training was as important mentally as physically during the AFL shutdown period.
“We’re doing training sessions one day and a weight session the next, a few guys went through the gym and took a heap of stuff home, so there are a few set ups,” he said.
“Obviously, we can only have one person around, but we have a full program and I know a lot of guys are doing extra sessions to keep themselves occupied.
“Guys are doing as much training as they can to feel good about themselves and also get the work in because hopefully we are back into it in a month or two.”
reece.homfray@news.com.au
Originally published as Crows, Power continue training, are having line and leadership meetings via video and have set-up home gyms during shutdown