Paddy Dow increases tank thanks to ‘summer of pain’, primed for breakout with Blues

Carlton midfielder Paddy Dow admits he was ‘running around in circles’ last year but, under the watch of a new fitness boss and an off-season with superstar Patrick Cripps, the young gun says he’s ready to leave nothing in the tank.

Carlton midfielder Paddy Dow says a summer latching onto co-captain Patrick Cripps in training drills will turn into a smarter and better player.

Dow played an impressive 20 games in his debut season after being taken as a No.3 draft pick, but admits he still has a lot to learn.

The new direction from fitness boss Andrew Russell is perfectly simple: “Last year I was one-paced a little bit, running around in circles,’’ says Dow.

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Paddy Dow has put in a massive preseason under the watch of a new fitness boss at the Blues. Picture: AAP

“I don’t know about the technical stuff, but if you are rooted, just keep going. If you are stuffed, just keep going. Push yourself at the start and just keep going.

“With Andrew Russell coming in and improving my running capacity I have grown a lot.

“This summer it has been all about keeping your heart-rate really high and short recoveries because that’s what the game is about.”

Dow says that approach — leaving nothing in the tank from the first bounce — is only possible because of a summer of pain.

Russell’s six premierships in AFL football are the kind of resume that has Carlton’s players full of faith in his methods.

Dow will kick off his second season with a Thursday practice match against Hawthorn, but it was against Collingwood last year where he furthered his football apprenticeship.

“There was one game against Collingwood where we had a couple of players down and in the last quarter I had to run with Steele Sidebottom and that was pretty tough, he is such a well developed player,” he said.

“That was one of the games where I ran the most trying to keep up with him in the last quarter, but I learnt a lot from that game a well, how much you have to run to be one of the star players.

“Cripper has a similar running ability to me and I have been trying to hold onto the back of him.

Dow trains on the Sunshine Coast at the Blues’ pre-season camp.

Dow hopes his off-season will make him an elite runner in 2019. Picture: AAP

“At the start I was struggling a bit, I had a week off pre-Christmas and I was a bit behind but I am getting back into the mid tier now which is good.”

Blues midfield coach Cam Bruce says Blues fans will see the benefits of his summer focus this year because it will allow him to maximise his strengths.

“Paddy Dow is a guy who I reckon has got great growth in terms of being a more efficient player. He has attributes the best midfielders have — his ability to explode from stoppages — but he has great development in term of the most efficient patterns to utilise his strengths.

“He is thriving on that. He has been able to get a lot of the summer to become more threatening with his ball movement around the ground.”

The Swan Hill local who arrived in Melbourne via Geelong Grammar has moved into a Richmond pad with fellow second-year player Angus Schumacher

He says under coach Brendon Bolton he can’t wait to reprise some of the unforgettable moments like the Round 8 win over Essendon, his first AFL victory.

“Bolts is demanding but he’s so passionate and loves where we are going at the moment,” he said.

“I can’t remember much of the first game because it felt like the grandstand was going to collapse, it felt like an earthquake, but beating Essendon was an awesome feeling and I hope to experience more of that this year.”

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