Descending on Flagstaff, Arizona for the fifth time in six years, Collingwood’s sport science director David Buttifant has stressed this preseason camp will be the toughest the playing group has faced under his watch.
The traveling party, made up of 55 members including players, coaches, doctors and staff, arrived at base camp late on Sunday night.
Click here to view photos from day one.
“This camp is going to be a challenging camp,” Buttifant told CTV on Monday in Flagstaff.
“We are going to sort some of these guys out before 2011.”??
The group will spend the next 16 days utilising the high-altitude conditions. Northern Arizona University, which boasts world-class training facilities, will host the group from Melbourne for the next two weeks.
“I think we have a good record here and the template that we have developed over the years has proved beneficial.
“You do have to mix it up. You change some of the activities. Predominantly we are here for one reason and that’s for altitude training.
“It’s not just the physiological benefits we are trying to achieve here but also the psychological ones as well.”
Buttifant outlined the benefits of training at high-altitude, which will give the Magpies a solid base to launch their premiership defence next year.?
“The oxygen levels are a lot lower at this level (2200 metres) around 14%. As a result that puts a lot of psychological stress on the individual.
“It’s a training camp and you don’t have any distractions. We can monitor their diet, training, weights and recovery.”??
While Collingwood’s season was extended an extra week due to the drawn grand final, the players were expected back in training in the week leading up to the camp in Arizona.
“We brought them back reasonably early. They are professional athletes and their number one asset is their body. We have KPIs on the players to remain in top fitness.
“Going through this 16-day block is extremely challenging and they will draw upon those experiences throughout the year.”
