Spalding 'pleased' as preseason enters week three

Now into its third week, Perth's 2017 campaign is well underway and coach Earl Spalding is "relatively pleased" with how it's going.

Spalding says there is a good vibe amongst the revitalised group.

“There’s a good mood at the moment," Spalding says.

"A few of the older boys aren’t back yet, we’ve given them a bit more time off.

"When we get the whole group together I’m sure they’ll be up and about."

With training being based at Higgins Park due to the redevelopment of Lathlain, Spalding says the group is still acclimatising.

"We’re sort of still getting used to our environment here, it’s been pretty good up at Higgins," Spalding says.

Now into his third preseason at the helm, Spalding says ball movement will continue to be the main focus from a coaching perspective. 

"We’re still working on our ball movement and getting that up to speed with the young guys," Spalding says.

"And obviously structures, that will come in a bit later, but mainly ball movement at this time.

"Defensively, defending ball movement, but also how we move it."

With new recruits Brant Colledge, Clem Smith, Devin McFarlane and Clayton Giblett all out on the track already, fellow recruit Tendai Mzungu is expected to join them in the coming weeks.

Spalding says the recruits have been training strongly.

"We’re pretty pleased with the way they’re tracking at the moment," Spalding says.

"We’ve just got to get the work in this time of the year."

Newly appointed strength and conditioning coach Brock Fleay says the focus from a conditioning perspective this preseason is high intensity running.

"This preseason’s going to be heavily focused on repeat, high intensity running," Fleay says.

"And the strength component as well, we’ve got a pretty big preseason in the gym with a focus on getting our core strength nice and strong and getting some of the young players built up.

"What we want to do is have a lot of gut running, those high threshold speeds and just a real high base of endurance on the field so when it comes down to that crunch in the fourth quarter we can match that reserve and withdraw from that."

Fleay heads Perth's performance unit, with the addition of a strength and power coach, a rehab specialist, an athlete development manager as well as a sports scientist.
 

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