Geelong vice-captain Brenton Sanderson has signalled the Cats will return to the attacking and exciting brand of football which pushed them to great heights in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Sanderson said the Cats wanted to improve their offensive side of the game and make amends for a disappointing 2003 season.

He said the attacking style would flow through from the backline which was “a little too dour in stages'' last year.

“We were too defensive last year. We want to get back to the exciting footy we played in the 80s and 90s,'' Sanderson said.

Coming on the back of the toughest pre-season he has endured in 13 AFL seasons, Sanderson said the players were definitely fitter than last year.

“The emphasis was more on strength last year - the list was mainly 21 years and under, and the younger players were a bit underdeveloped,'' he said.

“This year we realise we have to be fitter to run out games. Last year we were beaten badly in a lot of last quarters.

“This season it's been tough because we've had to fast-track some of our younger players to make them as strong and fit as some of the better sides in the competition.

“We can't really waste a day, we've been doing double sessions.''

He said while the workload had increased, gone were the days when players did endless sprints, now it was about training smarter.

“We do a lot of cross training, swimming, running and weights.''

Sanderson was also mindful of the Cats' sluggish start in 2003, an effort which they could not afford to repeat.

As one of the Cats' older players, he said his playing days were numbered and team success was his most important goal.

He said the signs around the club were positive and this week's community camp on the Gold Coast was a welcome break from the pre-season grind.

The Cats will visit 40 schools during the week as part of the AFL's campaign to promote the game around the country.

“I know when I was a kid the chance to see an AFL player was fantastic,'' Sanderson said.