Essendon’s young players are tackling the challenges of a gruelling development camp at the True Value Solar Centre this week.

The first to third year players not attending the club’s high altitude camp in Boulder are participating in a high intensity training camp.

Nick O’Brien is confident the group is learning important lessons from the physical and mental challenges.

“It has been a big challenge so far, everyone expected to be thrown curve balls and we have been but the good thing is all the boys have reacted really well,” O’Brien said.

“No one jumped out of bed when we were woken up at 1am and 3am but as soon as we were asked to do a task everyone chipped in and showed leadership with it.

“The main outcome of the camp is for everyone to have an impact among the group and they have which has been good.”

The camp started on Monday afternoon with a boot camp style circuit and boxing session before cross training sessions on Tuesday including cycling and swimming.

“We have seen a lot of cross training activities but we are still trying to relate it back to footy which is good,” O’Brien said.

“The primary thing that we are trying to do is speak about these situations where you are challenged and then related it back to a finals series which is where we want to be with our careers.

“To be able to be in those moments and succeed in it is the things that we keep coming back to.”

The 20-year-old said the group was continuing to work hard while their senior teammates were away in Boulder.

“We have no doubt we are doing a lot of hard work back here.”

“From everything we are hearing the boys in Colorado look like they have been good with everything they have done, they have worked hard and they are getting out of that camp what they want to get out of it.

“We want to be able to meet them head on when they come back from that camp so that we have a full list that is fit and training the way we want to play.”

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