SAM KERRIDGE led Adelaide's first-to-fourth-year players on the opening day of the club's pre-season, impressing in a time trial and a series of interval runs in the city's parklands.
The 21-year-old's aerobic capacity saw him take over from injured skipper Nathan van Berlo as the club's chief run-with player in 2014 and that running power was obvious as he led 17 of the club's AFL-listed players on Wednesday morning.
Brodie Smith trained ahead of his Virgin Australia International Rules Series duties next week, as did the Crouch brothers, Brad and Matt.
After their session in the city, the players resumed a day of testing and conditioning at West Lakes.
Midfield coach Scott Camporeale was pleased with the condition in which the young group had returned from their break and said the entire squad had plenty of work ahead to atone for a disappointing 2014 season.
New coach Phil Walsh wasn't present. He is still in Switzerland at a leadership conference run by the Boston Business School.
Walsh will be back in time for the senior players' return to training on November 17.
"A new coach always heightens the expectation when you get back. You want to put your best foot forward with your times and the way you prepare," Camporeale said.
"The whole list has to improve; I think we've got a reasonably young list that needs to improve and take a few more steps.
"[It's a] really good start."
Camporeale was excited to be a part of a new-look Crows coaching group, headed by Walsh.
He said Walsh's high expectations would be met well by the playing group.
"The main thing Phil's brought in and has been really clear with the coaches [about] is elite standards, attention to detail with the way you prepare, train and turn up to play and a real team-first mentality," he said.
"They'll be the real key messages that he'll be driving.
"Sometimes you just need those to be reinforced continually."
