Colts commence 2017 campaign

The colts this week commenced their assault on season 2017, with the club's returning 2016 colts starting on Monday in the gym and all newcomers beginning on Tuesday at Higgins Park.

The colts' delayed start to preseason is a result of them playing deep into September earlier this year, with the side making it to the preliminary final before bowing out.

The returning colts will spend the next four weeks building muscle mass and strength, with Monday, Wednesday and Friday sessions in the club's gym.

New colts will train on Tuesday's and Thursday's at Higgins Park with a focus on skills and core strength.

The full squad will then come together on Sunday mornings for a main session.

Coach Andrew Ruck says the club's inability to compete physically at times over the last few seasons is the cause for more time in the gym this preseason.

"From a club perspective, we just can’t compete physically with some clubs so that’s the reason we’re getting in the gym," Ruck says.

"Our returning colts are going to focus on strength and trying to build some muscle mass.

"We’re going to actually get some coaches in the gym with them to teach them how to use it properly."

The club has also arranged a weekly training session in Northam for all of its country colts, which will take place on Tuesday's with these players joining the rest of the squad on Sunday mornings.

The squad will train together on a full time basis from January onwards, once the players have returned from their Christmas break.

Ruck believes the next four weeks will teach the returning colts gym routine and hopes it will carry over into the new year.

"These next four weeks in the gym will hopefully get the boys into a routine so then over Christmas they can do some running and learn to run with a couple of extra kilos," Ruck says.

"When they come back after Christmas they’ll already be in that routine so they can do their weights training on an alternate night.”

Ruck says the ultimate focus will be on developing the squad into future league players for the club, but stresses the importance of a winning culture.

"Ultimately, we’ll get judged on how well they compete at senior level and how many players transition through to the seniors," Ruck says.

"But at the same time when it comes to game day we’ll be doing everything we can to win and we’ll pick the best available team.

"We’ve certainly got to teach them that wining behavior."

Be part of the journey...2017 Memberships available here.