Five Brisbane Lions players - Jonathan Brown, Simon Black, Jed Adcock, Daniel Merrett and Tom Rockliff - arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona on Monday 14 November to undertake a strict two-week high altitude training program and leadership course.

Merrett and Rockliff, in particular, have been keeping Lions fans updated with regular Tweets from abroad.

You can track the entire group’s progress by following the Club on Twitter - @brisbanelions.

In the meantime, please find below an entertaining insight into both Daniel Merrett and Tom Rockliff’s journey so far…

14 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: @Mark_Visser just happened to be on our flight. #adventuremadman



Merrett: After 23 hours in transit we are finally in camp… & it’s snowing! Out to dinner to watch Jets vs Patriots then bedtime - fun starts tomorrow

Rockliff: WOWEE what a day of travel! Time to hit the mattress and sleep for 12 hours #needmyZZZs

Rockliff: HIGHLIGHT of the day: Jon Brown driving on the wrong side of the road #shouldofleftittomannylynch

15 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: Weather forecast looks promising for training - see photo

Merrett: @rockwiz38 haha someone has stitched me up… if anyone finds a right glove please let me know!

Rockliff: Thanks to @SKINSAU for keeping some blood flowing around my body #surviving

Merrett: I would also like to thank @SKINSAU for the products. We would be in a lot of trouble without them.

 

Rockliff: The view from the motel #stunning - see photo

Merrett: First session done… A little hard to breath but good fun. Great facilities - see photo 

Rockliff: Session one in the bank! Lungs on fire but feeling good #surviving

Merrett: Road stop - see photo

Merrett: Jed extremely hungry after our first session - see photo 

Rockliff: Quote of the day: M Lynch “gee you must have some money if you can afford to send your band to altitude training” #northernarizonaband

Merrett: Off to the gym session in a 102 million dollar facility - NAU Flagstaff Arizona - its called the sky dome



Rockliff: Boys just pumped out some iron in the gym - see photo

Merrett: (In response to a query about the difficulty of high altitude training) hard to say its only the first day… But it was difficult to breathe during a simple running session

Rockliff: In the need of a good coffee in Flagstaff #nogoodcoffee

Rockliff: Big first day over and in the need of a big sleep before we tackle the mountain tomorrow

Merrett: @rockwiz38 can you sleep? There are no zzzzzz’s going on in our room… Time check 2:40am

Rockliff: Well the old body clock has turned on tonight and there has been little sleep in our room and @Merrett21 has not slept

16 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: Does anyone actually like those ‘goose down’ pillows?? I think it’s the hotels way of giving you the bird. #shockingsleep.com

Rockliff: The boys are packing the bus up for the hike #browndriving



Rockliff: Bit colder outside this morning - see photo

Rockliff: Big Matty Hass just doing his best work - see photo

Merrett: Feel so lucky to have got the opportunity to train in Arizona - was a great day today climbing Mt Humphrey - see photo

Rockliff: The boys hammered up the mountain. 3 votes S Black #alltimechamp danced up the mountain - see photo

Merrett: As @rockwiz38 reported Blacky was flying up the mountain today. He danced his way to the top. #likeafinewine



Rockliff: It was like being back at the Gabba this morning on the hike! Black and Brown leading from the front and @Merrett21 holding firm down back

Rockliff: There is some great footage of us climbing up the hill today #thinairplayswithyourmind

Merrett: Todays explorations - see photo

Rockliff: Boys have had a great day hiking and Jed's dinner! Manny Lynch for PM #champion #greatoneliners

Rockliff: Missing my boy @reddo30 hope the house is still standing

Merrett: (In response to Collingwood ruckman and former team-mate Cameron Wood) Hey bud was a cracking day. Heaps of snow on the mountain which made it tough. Got it all ahead of you. See you next week

17 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: (In response to Gold Coast defender Karmichael Hunt) Man some tough times - probs 9/10 hard. Sedona bike ride today

Merrett: If pre-season stays like this - I will play for another 10 years - such an amazing day riding in Sedona



Merrett: I lost skin in the car park trying to show off & got the front & back brakes mixed up - see photo

Rockliff: One of the toughest sessions I have ever done #mountainbikeriding - see photo

Rockliff: Although there were some good sights along the way - see photo

Merrett: Sedona was amazing felt like a 12yr old down the bmx track

Merrett: @SKINSAU getting us through another day. Sedona Mt Biking #attc



Rockliff: The great man had a massive ride and was buggered on the way home #bigday - see photo

Rockliff: @rainsey29 yeah mate it is great! Plenty of hard work though #sweatpig

Rockliff: Two legends having a coffee together - see photo

18 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: Doing some agility in the warm-up, just before the pain came



Merrett: Flat as a pancake after that session - still trying to catch my breath - see photo

Rockliff: Well well that was the hardest running I have ever done #lackofoxygen

Rockliff: @voss03 @Merrett21 I think we will be happy to get back to some sea level training

Rockliff: Well we have our first injury over here! Physio Shane Lemcke has done his hammy #iceup

Rockliff: Massive day coming to a close. Boys are shot #soflat

19 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: The amazing facilities we are lucky enough to utilise over here



Merrett: Getting used to the cold but still blowing up really quickly. But that happens at sea level as well. Ha

Rockliff: It's been good. Plenty of hard work, but great place on earth

20 NOVEMBER 2011

Rockliff: Off to watch the Lumberjacks this arvo and Browny thinks he may be a chance to get a call up to play quarterback in the second half

Rockliff: Lumberjacks 17-3 up with 3 to go in the second - see photo

Merrett: At the NAU Lumberjacks game - this guy has stolen Blacky's dance moves - see video

Merrett: @rockwiz38 with Rocky #glassjawrockliff - see photo

Rockliff: @Charmo_19 can't wait for you to take us through our set-ups

21 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: Just got owned for 4 hours by our strength & fitness guru - Matt Hass #bigday



Rockliff: Massive session this morning but the boys ate it up. @matty_h_86 knows his stuff (S&C) @Merrett21 just grinded the session into the ground

Merrett: Big Jon smashing out some dead lifts



Merrett: Training at the Skydome... good to have Garry O'Donnell aboard



Rockliff: @Merrett21 you should become a photographer #caneditpicswell

Rockliff: @matty_h_86 get around Matt Hass on Twitter (S&C) coach #willofferplenty

Rockliff: @drummo39 you have offered nothing on the tweets lately #boring must be busy on the bike #youandstakes

Rockliff: Be sure to give me cricket updates all night #goricky

Rockliff: @Merrett21 have an extra hour sleep! @matty_h_86 is killing us

Rockliff: Cummins saves the Aussies with the bat and ball #cumminsbandwagon

22 NOVEMBER 2011

Rockliff: Thanks to @SKINSAU saving my life right now #freshlegs #warmingmeup

Rockliff: Well it looks like @Reddo30 and I are big in America #redrockcombo - see photo

Daniel Merrett: Biking and hiking in Sedona again today - such a beautiful place. Makes all the hard work easier - see photo

Daniel Merrett: Hiking in Sedona



Rockliff: @Merrett21 and I just taking a quick break on the mountain bike today #awesomesurroundings - see photo

Merrett: @rockwiz38 #chooked - see photo

Merrett: Sedona Arizona USA - Great views, great times - see photo 1 - see photo 2

Rockliff: Awesome day, very tough though



Rockliff: Heading to the mountain bike trail - see photo

23 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: @powerade keeping us going!



Rockliff: Another good training session today. Ice still on the field when we started! #goodbalance

Rockliff: @matty_h_86 just smashed us with a strong man comp #mystrength

Merrett: @matty_h_86 put on a strongman event that @MPudzianowski would be proud of #moneyinthebank



24 NOVEMBER 2011

Rockliff: Time to get some more good kids to the club today #ATTC

Merrett: @brisbanelions good luck at the Draft tonight with picks 8 & 12. I'm interested in who we get for pick 30. It's been good for us in the past. (NB: Daniel Merrett was Pick No.30 at the 2002 AFL National Draft)

Merrett: Blacky looking for inspiration #ATTC #Arizona



25 NOVEMBER 2011

Rockliff: Good result last night! Great to have a couple more Vic Country boys coming up north and a bushie lad as well #ATTC

Rockliff: @voss03 licking my lips #billythekid

Merrett: Hit the summit today of Mt Humphries #Thanksgiving

Rockliff: Wish I had a Hyundai to get me up the mountain today #hardworking

Merrett: Eating like Kings! #Thanksgiving

25 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: Treturous conditions today. Never felt wind that strong or been that cold. Knew @BupaAustralia had our back. Then had a Four 'N Twenty pie to warm us up!



Merrett: I almost got blown off that mountain. Had to crawl to the top. Copped a bit of sand-blasting as well.

26 NOVEMBER 2011

Rockliff: Well well, all the training done. All we have left is a little hike (6 hours), looks like the boys did it tough back home as well today.

Rockliff: The old runners have done a fair few miles over the last two weeks!

Merrett: 5 hours and 12 minutes it took us to walk the Grand Canyon today. What a day!

     

Rockliff: Awesome trip coming to a close! Now trying to pack my bags #unmotivated

27 NOVEMBER 2011

Merrett: Time to leave Flagstaff AZ. Great times, great crew and hard work #ATTC



Merrett: Has been tough, but had some experiences you wouldn't normally get a chance to do.