FREMANTLE defender Lee Spurr is not expecting the Dockers' "gruelling" pre-season to get any easier in the new year and he is looking forward to the challenge.
Coach Ross Lyon appears to have delivered on his promise at the club's best and fairest in November when he said the players should expect "a really demanding and challenging pre-season".
Spurr, a member of the Dockers' leadership group in 2015, said pre-season had been tough but he believes the players deserve credit for the shape they returned in.
"We came back and we had strict guidelines that we had to hit," Spurr said at the club's corporate golf day at Joondalup Resort.
"To the players credit, we all came back in great nick.
"Training has been gruelling so far and it is only going to tougher and we're looking forward to the challenge."
Lyon also confirmed there would be changes to the club's leadership group in his speech at the club's best and fairest night.
The coach's comments caused Spurr to reflect on his own season in 2014.
"Personally, I thought I had a bit of a slow start to the year so I am looking to have a really big pre-season and come out and start really strongly and improve," Spurr said.
"I have been in the leadership group for one year and I want to improve those qualities and learn off the players such as Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and Luke McPharlin who have been leaders at the club for a long time."
The three Dockers veterans have all trained strongly throughout the early part of pre-season.
Nat Fyfe and Garrick Ibbotson are also on the mend from their shoulder issues.
Spurr said midfielder Anthony Morabito is also progressing well through his individually tailored pre-season following a knee scare in September.
The 27-year-old said the Dockers had been doing a lot more ball work through this pre-season compared to previous years.
"We're getting the footballs out a lot quicker this year," Spurr said.
"So that's really good and the players are enjoying it. It always makes it a little easier to do the running with a footy in your hand than running laps around the outside."
