Essendon players have taken their destiny into their own hands as a group of more than 15 players head to the US to undertake a high altitude training camp in Arizona, in hopes of ending the club’s 20-year finals win drought.
After missing the finals in 2023 despite a promising start to their season, the Bombers, led by forward Kyle Langford, midfielder Andrew McGrath and defender Jordan Ridley, have taken it upon themselves to become a genuine threat next year.
The trip to Phoenix, Arizona has not been organised by the club, instead planned and paid for by the players themselves.
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The Bombers will be taking the camp seriously, with 2024 marking 20 years since the club’s last finals victory, a grim milestone for the red and black.
“We’re flying to San Fran(cisco), then Phoenix. We’re there for about two weeks training,” Langford told 9News on Tuesday.
“There’s probably a group of 16, 17 of us going over that will really kickstart our pre season.”
Langford, alongside teammates Jye Menzie and Kaine Baldwin, jetted off on Tuesday, to join a large group of others already in the US.
“Andy McGrath and Jordan Ridley, they’ve been in there in the past, so they’re the ones that have organised it all,” Langford said.
The most exciting part of the trip is that it had nothing to do with coach Brad Scott or any other coaches or leaders at Essendon, a telltale sign that this playing group want to change the club for the better.
“Scotty (coach Brad Scott) hasn’t really driven this. This is player driven,” Langford said.
“Obviously we had a lot of hard conversations at the back end of the year.”
Legendary league coach Mick Malthouse was the trailblazer for high altitude camps, taking Collingwood and Carton during his coaching tenures at both clubs.
“It’s a great initiative that a lot of the younger boys have jumped on, ready for the season,” Menzie told 9News.
Essendon and its fans will be hoping this trip acts as the catalyst for much-needed change at the proud club.
“We don’t like the way in which we finished. I think we’re a much better team,” Langford said.