BRENT Harvey says there is a "real sense of belief" at North Melbourne this pre-season, with the lure of a premiership dragging the playing group through a brutal training session on Thursday.
The Kangaroos endured three-and-a-half hours on the track at Arden Street, with a time trial, 'yo-yo' test (similar to a beep test), about two hours of skills and a gruelling finish of 16 300m sprints pushing the players to their limits.
"It was a pretty exhausting session to tell you the truth," Harvey said.
"I wish I could say they (pre-seasons) become easier, they certainly don't."
Now in his 20th pre-season, 36-year-old Harvey could be excused for pulling back a notch.
But the 1999 premiership player was one of the most impressive performers on Thursday.
He completed the entire session and finished second behind running machine Sam Gibson in one of the 'yo-yo' tests, where players run back and forth between cones about 20m apart with short breaks separating each set.
Like the beep test, players run until they can't anymore and are forced to pull out.
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"It's a different type of test," Harvey said. "It doesn't go for very long but once you get to a certain point the lactic acid builds up in your legs."
The 384-game veteran still enjoys the grind of pre-season training and said the Roos' entire squad has to improve if North is to make the leap from thrashed preliminary finalists to genuine flag contenders.
"I still love coming to training with 45 guys and we're all trying to get a premiership, so to share that feeling while we're training and trying to get the best out of each other, it's a good job," Harvey said.
"We've got 18-year-olds here and I've been playing for 20 years and I love coming in and challenging them, just like they're going to challenge me in the running or the skills.
"As long as we compete against each other that will make us better.
"I think last year after we won a couple of finals, you start realising how potent our group is and how good we can be. This pre-season there's a real sense of belief there.
L-R: Shaun Higgins, Jarrad Waite, Sam Gibson, Nick Dal Santo and Todd Goldstein. Picture: NMFC.com.au
"We've made it nearly to the top now but, again saying that, we realised how far away we were.
"So we have got a lot of improving to do if we want to get back up there next year."
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Fellow veteran Nick Dal Santo said improved fitness was a key part of the Roos' rise last season, with this pre-season about consolidating those hard-won gains.
"It just felt like last year was a massive grind and I think we got the rewards for it with our fitness and this year is just doing that again," he said.
Now aged 30 and with 285 games under his belt, the former Saint certainly qualifies for veteran status.
But with Harvey still pushing himself to exhaustion, Dal Santo joked that it left nowhere to hide for everyone else.
"It's not inspiration, it's silly, I reckon. The only problem with Boomer is if he's doing it, everybody that's younger than him has to still do it," he said.
"So I'm getting to the age where I'm hoping to get the odd session off every now and then, but it's not going to happen.
"There's not many like him. I remember playing with Robert Harvey and you can't model your game on these guys because they are so rare."
Dal Santo demonstrated a strong understanding with recruit Shaun Higgins in game-based drills on Thursday.
He said he has been impressed by the former Bulldog and ex-Carlton forward Jarrad Waite, who trained well and looked to be in good condition in the running exercises.
"The one thing I've learned about Waitey already in two-and-a-half weeks is you know where he's going to be," Dal Santo said.
"He leads to the ball really hard, he's got really good hands and we saw that last year when played against him actually – he ripped us apart.
"As long as his body can hold up ... it's exciting times for him and the footy club."
Waite was one of only a few talls involved in full training, with Drew Petrie, Robbie Tarrant, Majak Daw and Ben Brown among a number of players on modified duties.
Ben Cunnington in action at training. Picture: NMFC.com.au
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