Research’s under-12 and under-13 teams have started their pre-season in style with a visit to the Carlton Football Club training headquarters.
1995 Blues premiership player and 173-gamer Matthew Hogg has sons with the Searchers and was able to show the players through the inner sanctum of one of the AFL powerhouse teams.
The boys began the day in the Blues auditorium, where the AFL team watches and pre and post-game videos. the ‘Searchers also watched an inspiring video on the massive screen).
They visited the gymnasium and the high-altitude room which starves the players of oxygen making their heart-rates higher. One of the highlights was the swimming area, where the team saw a 25-metre pool, but in a side-room were two smaller chilled pools containing built-in treadmills, opposite a larger heated pool.
The benefits of heat/cold workouts were explained to the players by one of Carlton’s elite training team.
The Searchers were also treated to a money-can’t-buy experience when they went into the players locker area, a sacred ground for the Blues. Under each locker number is listed the warriors who have played 100 games for the Blues, including Hogg.
Many questions were asked, a lot of information and advice was given, and the team came away with a real knowledge of what it takes to get their football to the next level.
A short, sharp training session on Princes Park was followed by a team-building dinner and a chat about the upcoming season.
Research Junior Football Club, the family Club, is renowned for innovative ideas, and this was just the first of many already planned for season 2015.
Research has teams from under-9s to under-17 and any players interested in joining this forward-thinking Club should contact them via 
www.researchjuniorfc.com.au.
In 2015, Research is also looking to field teams in the under-12 girls and under-15 girls competitions.
