NEW coach John Longmire says he was impressed with the players’ efforts at the Kurnell sand dunes, especially some of the younger players who tackled the gruelling session for the first time.

A selection of 15 players, including new recruit Matt Spangher, gave it their all in the scorching sun and hot sands.

The session began with short sprints up the hilly dunes before the boys were put into small teams and ran a long distance relay.

Some of the players were hopeful that the opening short sprints would be the peak of the work-out, but it turned out to be a mere warm-up for the morning’s events.

Following the sprints the group was sent around a circuit featuring 100m sprints with short rests in between, culminating in a tough up-hill climb.

The next task was the relay which excited some of the boys at the start but seemed to drain the players both physically and mentally throughout. The relay was conducted in groups of three and involved long runs with steep climbs to finish.

Conditioning coach Rob Spurrs was barking instructions while Development coaches Stuart Maxfield and Henry Playfair were also lending their support.

Nick Malceski said the session was “pretty tough” but led the way in most of the drills and appears to be at peak fitness after achieving a personal best in the 3km time-trial on Monday.

"It was much more solid this year, especially when you do it this early in the year," Malceski said. Last season, the Swans tackled the sand dunes in January, just weeks before the club’s first NAB Cup fixture.

The most enjoyable part of the day for the boys was a fun game of rugby in the sand. The boys were exhausted from the demanding morning and when tackles were made most of the players used the moment to rest on the sand.  

In his first real hit-out with his new teammates, Spangher worked hard and seemed comfortable on the hot sands. Josh Kennedy, Mike Pyke, Lewis Johnston and Paul Bevan were the other standout performers during the session.

After the session, Longmire expressed his pride in the boys’ performance. He admitted the running was going to be hard for a lot of the younger players and was pleasantly surprised of the boys’ efforts and the mental strength they showed.

Malceski is no stranger to the sand dunes and was visibly exhausted when he spoke to the media after the session.

“The best part was when it was over,” he said. “Thank God we’ve got nothing this afternoon.”