NINE St Kilda players have blitzed their time trial personal bests in an impressive return to pre-season training on Wednesday.

 

Promising midfielder Jack Newnes dominated the 2km run in hot and humid conditions at Casey Fields.

 

The 21-year-old, who won December's trial, registered his third personal best this pre-season and led home runner-up Sean Dempster by nearly the length of the 400m track's straight.

 

Dempster and Maverick Weller, who finished third, also broke their own records.

 

Josh Saunders came home in fourth spot, ahead of tough on-baller David Armitage (PB) and Daniel Markworth (PB), who also ran his third personal best of the pre-season.

 

After battling an ankle injury during 2014, Dylan Roberton showed no ill effects as he smashed his personal best by 11 seconds.

 

Roberton set a cracking pace over the first 700m before finishing eighth. He was the sixth Saint in the top 10 to set a new personal best.

 

Josh Bruce, Darren Minchington and Brenton Payne also ran personal best times.

 

"Nine personal best times is a great result in hot conditions," Saints high performance manager Adam Basil told the club's website.

 

"The fact Sean Dempster ran his second PB of the pre-season and finished third at the age of 30 shows how committed these guys are to improvement.

 

"Likewise Josh Bruce, who ran a PB despite spending a considerable amount of time in rehab."

 

1st - Jack Newnes (PB)

2nd - Sean Dempster (PB)

3rd - Maverick Weller (PB)

4th - Josh Saunders

5th - David Armitage (PB)

6th - Daniel Markworth (PB)

7th - Eli Templeton

8th - Dylan Roberton (PB)

9th - Daniel McKenzie

10th - Seb Ross/Tom Curren