Midfield Line Coach Guy McKenna has put his chargers through a demanding training session ahead of the 2016 season. 

In hot temperatures, the 46 year old joined the players for the half hour workout. 

“They got through it, but they certainly worked hard – we had a big session on the track,” McKenna said.

“It was really just to test when they think they’re fatigued – if you can train the brain to keep going.

“And the boys smashed it, they were fantastic – their intensity was really good.

“The voice in the group was fantastic and that’s what you need.” 

McKenna’s midfield mix will be bolstered by the returns of Jobe Watson, Travis Colyer, Tom Bellchambers, David Myers and Heath Hocking who all missed significant portions of the 2015 season.

The Club also secured premiership midfielder Craig Bird and former Brisbane Lion Matthew Leuenberger in the trade period as well as Darcy Parish who some draft experts rated the best midfield prospect in this year’s talent pool.

Essendon was ranked 16^th for clearances last season in the absence of some big-bodied onballers.

McKenna said the rule changes for next season would only increase the importance of the midfield group.

“Coaching the midfield group it’s so important with the rotations down, an extra man on the bench, so if any group is going to feel it the most this pre-season, it’s going to be our stoppage fellas,” McKenna said.

“It’s not always going to be on our terms, we know that.  There is an opposition out there and where we’re coming from you could argue that the opposition is going to have it more than us so we have to get it off them and that means working doubly hard.

“It’s early days of course, but it’s about maintaining this through the pre-season and ultimately through the season.”