North Melbourne’s first-to-fourth year players returned to the club for day one of the 2020 pre-season on Monday, and were put through a tough first session. 

Head of Development, Gavin Brown told North Media it is a good opportunity for the younger group to build an edge before the main group return. 

“It’s two weeks that helps the guys transition from the off-season to the pre-season and for them to get a head start,” Brown said. 

“It’s certainly about getting fitter, and reacquainting and bonding. We want to help them work on their touch and skills and any deficiencies they may have.” 

There were some experienced faces joining the group, with Jamie Macmillan, Majak Daw and Ben McKay opting to return to training early. 

“It’s fantastic. It shows how keen they are and it says a lot about them as individuals. It helps to get some more experience on the track and to drive standards a bit.

With Macmillan the only member of the leadership group on the track for the next couple of weeks, Brown is looking forward to the emergence of the next generation North Melbourne leaders.

“This window is a good opportunity for these younger guys to step up a bit, which they seem to do when the senior players aren’t here. 

“They use their voice a bit more and we will hopefully start to see some young leaders emerge.”

See the best images from Monday's session below.