PLAYERS, coaches, management and other members of the Richmond Football Club last week packed the town of Bright and it’s surrounds, as the AFL Premiership team embarked on a grueling two-day training camp with a twist.

Donned the “Amazing Race”, players and coaches alike were tasked with completing a diverse array of challenges, which were scattered throughout the Alpine hotspot and its mountainous environs.

Multiple premiership player, Jack Riewoldt, said that some the challenges were arduous, while others were just plain weird.

“We had to ride up the side of a mountain, which definitely caught a few of the boys off guard,” he said.

“But then we also had to bowl a dozen cricket balls at a single stump on the other end of a cricket pitch, which was almost more difficult than the bike ride.”

As any diehard Tigers fan will know, the club normally travels north to Queensland every year for its pre-season camp, but as the Tiger’s CEO, Brendon Gale explained, COVID played a big part in having the fitness and bonding exercise take place in Bright.

“We have camps every year, and they’re a really important part of our preparation for the season ahead,” he said.

“Normally we’d be in Queensland, but with COVID, travel interstate was just too tricky to navigate.

“So we just thought we’d keep it local to the state, and there’s really no place better than up here in Bright.”

Damien Hardwick, the club’s coach, said that the training camp was essential for every season’s preparation.

“One of the big things we enjoy in our footy club is getting away from it for a bit, resetting our focus, and the camp is a big part of that,” he said.

“And we thought we’d take the opportunity to get up to a beautiful part of Victoria, in Bright, and show the players the area, and also reset ourselves for the 2021 season and see what we can accomplish.”

Alpine Shire Council Mayor John Forsyth said it was fantastic to see a sporting club of such calibre choosing the region as a destination to enjoy themselves and carry out pre-season training.

“As the impacts of COVID mean more and more people are holidaying closer to home, our beautiful townships continue to attract return visitors and plenty of first-timers,” he said.

“Anyone who has visited the Ovens and Kiewa valleys knows that we offer a laidback atmosphere, unrivalled natural spaces and experiences and some of the best food and drink in the country.”