The players may be keeping their distance, but that doesn’t mean Reece Conca hasn’t felt the enthusiasm at Fremantle after their first week back at the club.
The Freo leader has trained as a part of group three, which also includes Luke Ryan, Bailey Banfield, Brandon Matera, Jesse Hogan and Ethan Hughes.
He said he has loved being able to get around just a small fraction of the playing group
“I’m a real people person, I thrive off being around others. The energy of the group really makes me a better person,” Conca said.
“I know this week’s been really great for me so I’m sure there’s a lot of guys in the same boat. The excitement level has been at all time highs this week.
“Within my group, the guys are all looking in really good condition.
“Bailey’s a really good athlete and he’s looking good. I think most guys are in really good form, physically.
“It’s great to have Jesse back as well and he’s looking phenomenal, so that’s really exciting for us.”
After completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine since arriving back in WA, Fremantle welcomed back James Aish, Andrew Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Sean Darcy, Lloyd Meek, Lachie Schultz, Stam Sturt, Caleb Serong, Matt Taberner and Hayden Young to training on Friday.
Conca was thrilled to see the mostly-young group back and couldn't wait for Monday's full-contact training session.
“I haven’t spoken to them but I managed to see Adam Cerra from 20 metres away, so that put a smile on my face, I love Cez,” Conca said.
“I’m really looking forward to Monday when I can get around those guys and I’m sure the last 14 days for them has been relatively difficult.
“From all of the group chats and the correspondence that I’ve had with them, it seems the spirits are really high. It’s really good to have them all back.”
Conca has made the switch from the midfield to the backline for the 2020 season and feels the whole defensive unit will take a step forward when the season gets back underway.
“It’s the line that probably showed the most growth over the pre-season,” Conca said.
“We have some really young guys stepping up, Griffin Logue’s in career-best form and he’s really holding us with the keys down there.
“Coxy (Brennan Cox) is young as well and super athletic with heaps of talent. He’ll come along with us as well.
“I think it’s really exciting for our backline group. I’ve no doubt that we’ll be able to hold our own.”
