The Herald Sun’s Gilbert Gardiner has provided a fascinating insight into the pre-seasons of two players at opposite ends of the spectrum; Brent Harvey in his 19^th pre-season and the man who’d admired him for so long before becoming his new team-mate – draftee Luke McDonald.

Check out some of the best bits below:

McDonald’s younger days
Growing up, Luke McDonald loved spending his school holidays at North Melbourne’s spiritual home, Arden St.

Not for the chance to run amok in the clubrooms, or the games of kick-to-kick with his father Donald, who played 155 games with the club.

It was all about wearing Brent Harvey’s boots.

They were a snug fit for the 10 to 12-year-old. Adam Simpson’s were next best, but about two sizes too big.


Harvey on competitiveness
"It’s so competitive (at training now).

"It’s good the boys have found that, that’s what good teams have, they’re competitive within themselves.

"Luke is a competitive beast already, you’ve got Jack Ziebell and Shaun Atley (too), everyone’s got their strengths, some are really good runners, some are really good at the gym.

"Your aim is to look at them and say righto; I don’t want them to beat me."

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How times have changed
Harvey: "This pre-season hasn’t been any easier compared to the first five or the middle five … they’re (pre-season) all bloody hard.

"(In the 90s) you’d come to the club and be here three hours, now it’s similar to pre-season camp – when you get here (8am) you’re here for the whole day, there’s always something to do.

"For me training is a little bit of a release, you come in you know you’re going to work hard for 4-5 hours so you just get the work done.

"When you’re out there you don’t think about (the heat), it’s always hard pre-season … mentally you’re just ready to go with whatever is happening."


Sacrifices
McDonald is learning fast that he can't live like most 19-year-olds. He spent New Year's Eve with family at the beach while his friends partied long into the night at a popular music festival.

"I really wanted to go to, but I realise that’s one of the sacrifices I had to make – I had to miss out," he says.

"In the end it’s not really a sacrifice because I get to play footy for a living."
 

For the team
McDonald powered through the shutdown period knowing Harvey would be doing "everything" right.

It was just the impetus McDonald needed to train every second day for two weeks to ensure he didn't let the veteran down, let alone the rest of his teammates.

"If you don't do it, you get caught out so you've got to do most of it," he says.

"It's more you don't want to let them down because we're a team now, even if one player is not doing everything it's probably going to hinder the team's performance."
 

Maintaining fitness
The 2-4 weeks away from the club is more about maintenance than fitness.

"We train so hard for the pre-season there’s no way known you can actually go away and get any fitter," Harvey says.

"All you’ve got to do is maintain the hard work that you’ve done and if you come back in just as good shape as you left, that’s a win."

Harvey is quick to point out "maintenance" is not code for slacking off.

"You’d fall right behind and you’d still be chasing tail three weeks later.

"If you’re chasing tail you’re probably not going to get picked for the NAB Cup and you’re behind the eight ball straight away.

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