Preseason Update: Q&A with Liam McKenna

Hear from Liam McKenna as the players break for Christmas following a solid six week training block.

How was the pre-Christmas training block and how are you feeling heading into the break?
The Pre-Christmas block has been good, a few new faces but more importantly a few familiar ones as well. Some boys have really made an effort to come back in good knick. I think with added pressure on positions in the league side, some boys are starting to realize that work needs to be done early in preseason and this puts the club in a really healthy position.

What’s the vibe been like amongst the young group?
The vibe has been energetic to say the least. We had a really successful colts side in 2016 with the boys unfortunately falling one game short of the Grand Final. Throw in Zac Fisher, Quinton Narkle and Matty Taylor all getting picked up, I think this has sparked a few boys that may have been disappointed to miss out on the draft to return and force themselves a berth in our league side.

What’s Higgins Park been like as a training facility? Refreshing change of scenery?
I’ve had mixed emotions about the venue at Higgins Park, obviously a huge thanks has to go out to the Victoria Park Raiders Football Club for allowing us to use their facility but not training at the home of the Perth Demons has been frustrating. Given our games during the season are scheduled at Laithlain, not having trained and been familiarised with the dimensions and feel of the oval is a little concerning but the facility at Higgins has been refreshing and given the boys something different to look at while Brock gives us our 2ker.

How would you rate where the group are at now in comparison to previous years at this same point in time (heading into the Christmas break)?
It’s always hard to sit here and compare previous years to this point in time just because of personnel and state of the Club, but we are looking strong. The addition of Strength and Conditioning Coach Brock Fleay has been paramount, he’s been able to stack weight on some young blokes who have lacked physicality in previous years.

Who’s been training the house down?
There have been few trailblazers over the summer, as I mentioned before a few blokes have really made an effort to return in good condition and it’s showing. Cody Legget looks strong as an Ox coming off a good year last year where he grew as a tough defensive mid but also someone that can win crucial one on ones. Sammy ‘Swarly’ Garstone has finally realized he is 195cm+ and is taking some telling towering marks in our full ground ball movement drills, as well as showing he has solid endurance capabilities as a key position player. Kurty Chester has been the surprise packet over the summer, the young ball magnet has always shown great potential as an outside/inside midfielder, although after two years in and out of the league side and some hard truths about his deficiencies it seemed as though he relly needed to step up. Well if this block prior to Christmas is anything to go by, the #17 is in for a big 2017. He is lean, fit and looks a couple fractions quicker, which is pleasing to see.

What would you say the focus of training has been thus far?
I think last year the coaching and playing group identified that our kicking and ball use were huge weaknesses last year that restricted us from finishing off games and ultimately playing finals. So this year has been a lot of kicking drills combined with full ground ball movement that will hopefully hold us in good stead as we ramp up our secret game plan that I obviously can’t reveal here.

How are you feeling physically and mentally? What’s the plan over the break?
I’m feeling good, the body has given me a few little niggles here and there but all in all I’m tracking well. Most footy players will tell you that pre-Christmas is really an added bonus if you can get a good block in but it’s really how you return post Christmas. Brock has given us a solid program and it sort of throws the boys a challenge of how to tackle the festive season and returning in the right knick come the 9th (January). All players have target times we have to meet so maybe that will be in the back of their minds as they go for the second slice of Christmas Pudding.

Have you been focusing on anything in particular this preseason on an individual level?
Yeah for sure, I think that’s the one real positive of the preseason, you can allocate a lot of time to learning and crafting new skills and drills in the training environment. Being a midfielder, I’ve been focusing on continuing to build an elite running tank aerobically as well as leg strength and speed to power out of stoppages. I love getting on the end of a good passage of play and finishing with a goal so I’ve spent a little bit of time in front of the sticks and have been hitting them well.

Being a member of the leadership group and one of the more experienced players at the Club, is captaining the Club in the future something you’ve thought about?
We have a pretty special skipper at the moment that bleeds red and black and he assures me he has a couple more years left in him so I can’t be jumping in graves just yet haha. On a more serious note, it would be a massive honor to captain any football club in the WAFL, let alone Perth Football Club. It’s definitely something I have thought about; having been added to the leadership group last year, if that opportunity arose I would be extremely gracious and honored to accept. The club itself has such a rich and successful history that we as a leadership group are working tirelessly towards trying to replicate.