CENTRAL Coast Mariners 2011/12 season may be complete but that doesn’t mean the players or coaching staff are on holidays just yet.
CENTRAL Coast Mariners 2011/12 season may be complete but that doesn-t mean the players or coaching staff are on holidays just yet.
For the next two weeks, Mariners coaches will put the team through a series of tests as the Club looks to assess each player before the squad resumes pre-season in early July ahead of the 2012/13 campaign.
The man at the helm of this process is former Mariners player and highly regarded Head of Sport Science, Andrew Clark.
Today, Clark said it was vital the players were assessed before their break and that this phase of the season was an important aspect of their preparation for next term.
“We-re looking at all areas of their physiology,” Clark said. “They have to do medical and physio assessments and then I am looking at their jump strength, their aerobic fitness, agility … we cover everything.”
“It-s a good time of the year for us, the pressure of the season is off. We are doing some final testing and making sure we finish the year on a high and the boys are enjoying themselves.”
Following a campaign that has included the Hyundai A-League regular season, Finals Series, and AFC Champions League Group Stage, Clark said the players were keen for a rest.
“It-s a time for the older guys who have played 40 to 50 games this season to have a break, so we-ll just tell them to have a rest,” he said.
“Some of the younger guys who haven-t played as many games, they will be asked to do a few little things towards at the end of the break.”
“But basically we-ve had a long season and we-re going to have a long season next year so they need a holiday like anyone else.”
Former Gold Coast United defender and new Central Coast recruit, Zac Anderson, trained with his new teammates for the first time on Wednesday and Clark said he-s confident the tall stopper would fit in with ease at the Club.
“He-s great. He looks like a great athlete, he looks like he-ll fit the sort of mould of a Mariners player that we like, and I-m sure he-s going to fit straight into the group.”
