There might be no such thing as a true off-season in the world of AFL football anymore. As the standards of fitness and sport science continue to improve, it's up to every club and every player to ensure they don’t get left behind as the game evolves.
While North Melbourne’s official pre-season began in late November, when the first to fourth year players returned, Kyron Hayden returned to Arden Street on January 10 after being afforded an extended Christmas break to spend some quality time with family and friends in his home state of Western Australia.
It could be forgiven for assuming such a late start meant the defender was left behind in terms of pre-season preparation, but he says both he and the club remained focused on ensuring he didn’t miss a beat.
“I knew the boys were going at it pretty hard, all the new faces were around and we’d made some adjustments to our training and game plan. I felt excited but I also didn’t want to miss out on anything,” Hayden told North Media.
“I was able to jump in on all the meetings, and the club were really good at facilitating my education so I didn’t miss a beat when I came back. I was also able to train with my WAFL club, Subiaco. They were really accomodating with my needs, and being able to train with a footy and a group was really helpful.
“I’m pretty keen on staying on the park this year since I’ve missed a lot of football over my first four years. I just want to make sure my body is ready to go and I’m not missing a step.”
The fast-paced nature of the AFL season coupled with the early pre-season starts leaves some players with little time to return to their home state and fully switch off from the intensity of the sport. For players who hail from Western Australia, like Hayden, the past two Covid affected years has meant the possibility to return home has been slim to nil.
In the weeks since his return the defender hasn’t missed a beat, and he's once again throwing his hat into the ring to be named in the Kangaroos’ best 22 heading into round 1.
He says he’s appreciative of the chance afforded to him to spend more time at home over the holiday period.
“I think that was probably the longest I’ve been in Perth since I got drafted, and it was really refreshing to see everyone and really get to relax and not be under any time constraints. I got to travel around a little bit, and I really got to see the country and connect with the land,” he said.
“If I came back pre-Christmas with the border situation, I would have been spending Christmas by myself. Thankfully the coaches and everyone at the club were generous enough to understand my situation and give me the opportunity to stay home, and I’m really appreciative of that.
“The club put a lot of faith in me, so I owed it to them to make sure I came back in decent nick.”
Hayden was amongst a raft of Kangaroos defenders who recommitted to the club over the course of last season, signing on for another 12 months.
He joined the likes of Aiden Bonar, Ben McKay, Aaron Hall and Jack Ziebell in signing new deals, and the amount of emerging talent in the North back line is cause for excitement amongst fans.
After rupturing his achilles tendon on debut in 2020, injuries have restricted the 22-year-old to just 12 senior games in three seasons.
He says he’s keen to continue his growth alongside his defensive teammates.
“We’ve got a good crew and we’re pretty young too. There’s Flynny (Perez), myself, Atu (Bosenavulagi), Bon (Aiden Bonar) who are all around that 23 or younger mark, and we’re all developing. If we can stay together I think we’ll gel and mix really well. We’ve got a good group of coaches here so we’re definitely going to learn and grow, so hopefully we can be really solid in the years to come.
"I’ve had a bit of a shocking run with injuries, so for me just being on the park is the most important thing. I’m hoping the football side of things just takes care of itself, but I just need to get some games in and target that continuity."
