With AFL side Port Adelaide Football Club training in Redfern this week, Rabbitohs outside back Campbell Graham gave an update on the variety of training regimes the combined squads undertook on Tuesday.
In what will be a great learning experience for both clubs, Graham said he enjoyed the unique kind of training, and was highly impressed with the skills and calibre of the Port Adelaide players.
“It was a bit different but it made training a lot more exciting and quite enjoyable actually, adapting to their drills and their kinds of things, I really took a lot out of it,” he said.
“We focused a lot on the kick-catch sort of things for the outside backs and also the halves working on their kicking, we learnt a lot off the Port Adelaide boys, they’re quite impressive athletes the way they catch kicks, we took a bit out of it.”
In an average game, AFL players can run between 12km and 20km, so there is plenty of emphasis on endurance.
“As I said they’re pretty impressive, they’re pretty fit and quite impressive. They’re not too much different really, maybe their builds are a little bit slimmer and we’re a bit musclier, but we’re both pretty similar I suppose,” he said.
However the young centre cited that despite a difference in endurance levels and build of the players, there is plenty of similarity and camaraderie between the two groups.
“They’re really switched on and they’re a good laugh as well. They’re easy to get along with but they’re here for a reason and that’s to learn a bit off us and it goes the same for us likewise.”
After trading in the Steeden for the Sherrin, Graham said that while both sides eventually got the hang of using different kind of balls, the Rabbitohs players were looking forward to showing the Port Adelaide boys a thing or two in their upcoming wrestling session.
“It was a bit difficult adapting to the AFL ball, there’s a lot less grip but the boys got the hang of it in the end and I think they thought it was a bit strange using our balls but it was good.
“Later on in the week we’ve got a wrestling session with them so we’ll see how that goes. I can’t wait, it should be good.”
