The Lions players will be greeted with typically perfect Brisbane weather when they resume pre-season training on Tuesday morning, but will need to brace themselves for the chilly conditions awaiting them in Flagstaff.
The entire playing squad will depart for Arizona on Wednesday morning – more than half of which will be preparing for their first ever high altitude experience – and will be greeted by temperatures that are set to drop as low as -8 degrees Celsius on their first night.
The Club’s three newest recruits – Trent West (Geelong), Jackson Paine (Collingwood) and Jonathan Freeman (Hyundai Lions Academy) – will be among the first-timers.
Fortunately Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Hass, along with a number of the more senior Lions players, have been able to impart their knowledge of what is required from the Club’s previous two trips.
“There are some more specific things that are required for the elements over there,” Hass told LIONS TV.
“The boys will need to start with a base layer – we use the SKINS product. We use SKINS a lot in Brisbane for a compression point of view. They’ll wear those on the flights and during training sessions, pre and post for recovery. They also (provide) warmth.
“Beyond that we have SKINS gloves, which are specific for cold weather and are nice and warm.”
After trialling the concept with smaller groups over the past two years, the Lions will take a touring party of more than 60 people over to Arizona this pre-season – made up from almost 40 players plus coaches, football staff (including members from the physical performance and medical teams), and a small selection of corporates.
