Unseasonably cold early-summer weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of St Kilda Football Club as players and staff spent time on the Bellarine as part of a preseason training camp.
The Saints stayed at Barwon Heads Resort at 13th Beach and used two Ocean Grove gyms for the camp.
“It’s good to get away from our normal training base and have a different environment,” rehabilitation manager Marcus Krygger said.
“We chose down here because we were hoping for good weather and be able to use the beach, but unfortunately we weren’t able to get that.
“There’s so much to do down here, we went to the water park, the boys have spent some time playing golf and we were still able to get two quality football sessions in.
“The two gyms we’ve been using have been fantastic.”
All 45 listed players and around 30 staff spent a week on the Bellarine.
Second-year defender Callum Wilkie played all 22 games for St Kilda this season after being selected in last year’s rookie draft as a mature-aged recruit.
The 23-year-old was an accountant in Adelaide before getting his chance in the AFL.
“It was an amazing experience last year – I didn’t expect everything to happen like that,” Wilkie told the Voice.
“With Robbo (Dylan Roberton) going down, it left a hole for me, which was unlucky for him and bad for the team but obviously I got the opportunity to play and get that experience.”
Wilkie said the Bellarine was the terrific spot for a preseason training camp.
“It’s really nice, I’ve been down here a few times with the missus so it’s good to get down here with the boys,” he said.
“It’s a lovely place – it would have been nice if the weather was a bit warmer though.”
The Saints were active during trade period, bringing in Bradley Hill, Paddy Ryder, Dan Butler, Dougal Howard and Zak Jones.
“The five guys we got in are high quality players,” Wilkie said.
“We just have to tap into that knowledge.
“There’s a lot of positivity around the group.”
