Players were split into 6 groups led by Brett Johnson, Ben Jolley, David Stretton, Peter Faulks, Matthew Little and Cameron Lockwood.
The Williamstown Coaching Staff, headed by Peter German and fitness advisor Luke Boyd organised a camp which challenged the players both physically and mentally, but also still allowed time for the new group to bond.
Friday night consisted of a skills session at Anglesea Caravan Park followed by dinner and a brief. The players then had some downtime where they cheered on the Aussies in their thrilling 20/20 cricket match against Pakistan.
On Saturday the players awoke early and began the day with trek to the infamous Parker Street hill at 6:00am. The trek tested the fitness of all involved, but this was just the beginning of the weekend’s activity. After breakfast the players walked to the beach where they took part in a series of beach games, which saw the six teams compete. A highlight was the wrestling competition final between Cameron Lockwood and newcomer Ed Carr.
After lunch the 6 teams set off for an adventure race, which tested their endurance, intelligence and ability to work as a team. Each group had to find specific Anglesea landmarks and also interact with the locals. Dinner was followed by a Trivia quiz and then team leaders Brett Johnson, Ben Jolley and Matthew Little combined with Peter German to discuss our 2010 game plan and team rules.
Players then had an opportunity to plan their SKIT which, as usual, was highly entertaining and an opportunity for some good natured ribbing of team mates / coaching staff and support staff.
Sunday morning was again an early start as everybody trekked back to the beach where Coaching staff David Bourke, Adam Potter, Luke Boyd and Bruce Davis had devised a number of team building exercises for the six teams to complete in the quickest possible time. The players then returned to camp for breakfast and the winning team announcement. The winning group led by Faulks included Dylan Ayton, Jake Wilson, Jake De Sousa, Sam Mason, Ben Davies, Harley Lewis, Justin Morris and Matthew Panos.
All connected with the camp should be congratulated on the organisation of the weekend. The feedback from the players was extremely positive and it was certainly a big step forward for this new group who will represent the Seagulls in 2010.
