The GIANTS’ 2021 squad has come together for the first time on day one of pre-season training since the new year.
The club’s first to fifth-year players came back for a fortnight of training pre-Christmas, and were joined on the track for the final week by the club’s six new draftees.
While several senior players floated through the club last year - including new recruits Jesse Hogan and Braydon Preuss - Wednesday was the first official day of training for the older players.
As usual, the group was welcomed back with a 2km time trial, albeit with a slight difference.
Due to the AFL’s current coronavirus protocols, training this week is restricted to groups of 10 with two groups running 30 seconds apart before another two groups ran later in the day.
The squad was separated into their lines - midfielders, defenders and forwards - while the recent draftees ran with players coming off modified programs.
It was hardly a surprise that some of the club’s best runners set the pace once again, however there was strong competition from some of the younger brigade.
Josh Kelly led the way with a blistering run, finishing ahead of Tim Taranto who had taken out the pre-Christmas time trial.
Draftee Ryan Angwin came in third overall, after the times from all four runs were amalgamated.
Nick Shipley and Lachie Whitfield fought it out in the defenders run while Jake Riccardi just pipped Toby Greene in the forwards group.
Jacob Hopper - sporting a fresh new ‘streamlined’ haircut - finished in eighth, while second-year players Lachie Ash and Tom Green rounded out the top 10.
2km Time Trial Top 10
- Josh Kelly
- Tim Taranto
- Ryan Angwin
- Nick Shipley
- Lachie Whitfield
- Jake Riccardi
- Toby Greene
- Jacob Hopper
- Lachie Ash
- Tom Green
