FREMANTLE captain Alex Pearce hopes a gruelling training block can give his team a competitive advantage this season after the Dockers' biggest week of running this summer coincided with a Perth heat wave.
Temperatures passed 40C on Monday as the Dockers trained for more than three hours, completing match simulation, skills and ball movement work, as well as a long running session at the end.
There was also a more physical, competitive edge to match play, with coaches thrilled with the players' ability to ramp up their training this week under duress as temperatures soared towards record highs around WA.
"It just so happened that the hottest week of the year was also our largest running period of the year," Pearce said on Wednesday.
"We see it as a competitive advantage being able to train in the heat and we get tested all through the preseason.
"When you're out in 40-degree weather it makes it a little bit harder. Mentally it becomes a little bit harder to be able to stay upbeat and positive and communicate.
"There'll be many moments throughout this year where we're going to be tested. To be able to get tested through the preseason is a great learning experience and we handled that (Monday) really well."
Ruckman Sean Darcy was held out of match simulation on Monday as he manages his return from knee surgery last August, with the big man now heading to Qatar to "embed new strategies" in his strength and functional movement programs.
The ruckman will spend time at Aspetar Sports Medical Clinic, which has had recent success in supporting AFL players after repeated injuries, including reigning West Coast club champion Jeremy McGovern and premiership star Elliot Yeo.
"Sean's come a long way. He's been able to join in some footy training with us over the last week, which has been great to have him around the group," Pearce said.
"We had 'Chappy' (Heath Chapman) go over last year and have some great results with the way he prepares and some of the things he does differently in the gym.
"It's a good opportunity for Sean now that he's at a stage where he's doing quite a lot of training. Hopefully he has a really big impact for us through the season."
Pearce last week signed a contract extension through to the end of 2027, with the 201cm key defender keen to remain captain this year as the Dockers push to rebound from a disappointing 2024.
The 29-year-old played down the notion of playing with the new Tasmanian team at the end of that contract and instead said he wanted to use the next three years to go "all in" for a maiden Freo flag.
"After the way last season finished there is just a real hunger in all of us to go all in. It's been a bit of a calling card for the group that we want to go all in and just throw everything at it," Pearce said.
"It'll mean a lot to our community, our players, our past players and our staff to win that first premiership, so I definitely want to be a part of it."
The Dockers' entire playing list and staff visited St Patrick's Community Support Centre in Fremantle on Wednesday, with the players donating $20,000 to the organisation, which provides community housing and specialist support services for people facing homelessness.
"We've had a Freo players' fund that was started in 2018 by David Mundy and a portion of our playing group to help support the Freo community," Pearce said.
"It's always good to have moments like this where we step away from the training track and away from the pressures of football and acknowledge that we do have a bigger role in society and in the Freo community."
