Perth Glory players have undergone acclimatisation training in preparation for the hot and humid conditions they’ll face as they head north for a tough road double against Gold Coast and North Queensland Fury.
Perth Glory players have undergone acclimatisation training in preparation for the hot and humid conditions they-ll face as they head north for a tough road double against Gold Coast and North Queensland Fury.
One of the more eager participants in the heat chamber sessions was Glory skipper Jacob Burns who returns this week after watching from the sidelines as Perth notched a hard fought 1-0 win against Adelaide at ME Bank Stadium.
The tough midfielder was forced to serve a one match ban after accumulating five cautions this season but is adamant he won-t need to change his game style to avoid further stints on the sidelines.
“It-s frustrating getting yellow cards and missing matches through suspension but I don-t really think you can change your game,” Burns said.
“I play fair but hard.
“There are times in games when you-re half a second too late and you bare the consequences, but it-s the same for every team and it-s something we all have to get through.”
Strength & Conditioning Coach Peter Cklamovski has ensured the squad is ready to face any extreme weather on their trip with specialist heat training sessions at Edith Cowan University in Joondalup.
In Wednesday-s session Burns was joined by Naum Sekulovski and Branko Jelic, the trio put through a series of physical tests in a high humidity environment. Monitoring of weight lost during the 30 minute session revealed each player shed close to a litre of fluid, invaluable information as Glory medical staff plan a hydration strategy for the northern games.
“I-ve played up there (Townsville) before and it-s a very different environment. It-s something we-re going to have to adjust to and we-re doing everything we can to prepare to the best of our ability.
“We-ve got Gold Coast and North Queensland coming up and then both sides again in December so it-s really about acclimatising and looking for every edge we can to win the games.”
After successive wins from their previous journey east, Burns said there is a strong belief amongst the squad that they can continue their successful run on the road.
“I think you-ve got to set the bar high for yourself. We know what we-re capable of and we-re not going there thinking we-re going to lose.
“We want to get 6 points on the trot again. We-ll take each game as it comes and Gold Coast is the most important thing at the minute.
“I-m not much for watching. It will be great to get back out there with the boys,” Burns said.
