A self-driven fitness focus has Emma Humphries primed to have a big impact in the second edition of the AFLW.
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The Wynyard product, who featured in every match in Melbourne’s 2017 campaign, will enter this season in the best physical shape of her life, confident her experiences last year would hold her in good stead in a competition she believed would “go up a gear or two”.
“I am a lot more relaxed this year,’’ the 23-year-old told Fairfax Media.
“Having done it all before once really does help, but it was a seamless transition last year and it has been the same this year.
“The body is feeling really good as well, and I am hitting PBs in the gym, so things are going great there.
“I am a lot fitter than I was last year, but that is not saying we weren’t fit last year, but we have done a pretty heavy running program in the lead up to the season.”
The need to fine-tune her fitness base, a major focus when she returned home as an assistant coach for Burnie in the TSLW, was a decision she made knowing her teammates and opponents would also be thinking be thinking the same.
“I did put a big focus into my strength and conditioning in the off-season on a personal level to get stronger and fitter so I can run out games in the heat if I need to,’’ she admitted.
“I definitely am fitter and stronger, and that has probably helped mentally as well.
“The club was quite happy with me last year where I was sitting, but I kind of took it upon myself to go to that next level and really get as fit as I could for the start of the season.
“It did click last year that everyone would be going up that extra notch, so we all had to put in that extra work to maintain where we were at and to try to be the best we can be.”
The fact she is also feeling more comfortable in both Melbourne the city and the club, something she said had helped with her confidence, has the 57th draft pick in the 2016 AFLW draft keen for the first bounce of the season to come sooner rather than later.
However, she did admit she was “trying to keep it as normal as possible at the moment for as long as I can” when it came to dealing with that building anticipation.
Melbourne will play a practice match against Collingwood at the Holden Centre on Friday to officially get its campaign underway.
The Demons, one of the flag favourites, will open their season against GWS at Casey Fields on Saturday, February 3.