Midfielder Brandon O’Neill continues his updates from our Gold Coast Training Camp this week. Find out how the training sessions have been, what the squad has planned for their time off and more.
How’s training been the past few days? Have you noticed a step up in intensity?
Training has been really good. From the first couple of sessions we got our bearings and worked on the fitness side of things and from there it was ramped up quite a lot. We went straight into bigger areas, more intense drills, whether it was passing or shooting everything was ramped up. We did everything in these past three days from 6v6 to 4v4 to acceleration and aerobic drills. To say training has ramped up has been an understatement because we’ve definitely clocked up the kilometres.
How is the team bonding during this time away?
It’s like we never left each other in the offseason, and that’s a credit to the new boys because they’ve just come in and fit into the system and philosophy at Sydney FC. Everyone has come closer together, on Thursday we had a recovery session in the morning and then as a team we’ll go out to dinner and bond even more. So far in training and out of training, breakfast, lunch and dinner, everyone is on the same page and first and foremost everyone is a good person which we know from last season takes you a long way.
Have the new boys sung their initiation songs yet?
Not yet! We’re leaving them in suspense a little bit, every dinner they’re looking around thinking whether they’ll be singing. They’re nervous every dinner time but I think we’ll get them done in the last couple of nights just to surprise them even more, and who knows maybe even on the flight back we’ll get them to do it over the intercom. We’ll wait and see.
What have you got planned for the remainder of your free time?
We have Thursday afternoon off so the majority of us will have a game of golf. Saturday we have a tough session in the morning before another free afternoon where we can go out and bond as a team at the shops or wherever. We’ve got a couple of team things coming up.
Generally how is everything on the Gold Coast?
It’s brilliant! We’ve adapted really quickly up here to the weather, the weather in Sydney is still blue skies and sunny but only 16 or 17 degrees while up here it’s the same but 24 or 25 degrees. Training in this type of weather has been really beneficial, especially for fitness purposes. The facilities we have here are really helping us to make sure we perform in training and game situations and every training session has been really good. Personally I couldn’t be happier with where we’re at.
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