Training bonus for Roos veteran

Kangaroos veteran Brent Harvey is loving North Melbourne's match training sessions with Geelong. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

BRENT Harvey has lauded the unpredictability and extra competitiveness North Melbourne's training clashes against Geelong have added to the Roos' pre-season.

In an unprecedented move, twins Brad (North) and Chris Scott (Geelong) have organised match simulation hit-outs against each other's team every Friday for a month.

The first two sessions have consisted entirely of end-to-end stoppage drills, with a coach up either end of Geelong's home ground, Simonds Stadium, calling the shots.

Onlookers said the atmosphere has been serious, with neither team engaging in friendly discussions or handshakes before or after the sessions.

Geelong captain Joel Selwood has been a standout, while Cats veterans Joel Corey, James Kelly (hip), Jimmy Bartel (foot) and North match-winner Daniel Wells (achilles) have all taken part.

Harvey said he had had initial doubts about the concept, fearing the competitiveness could result in a serious injury. But with two more hit-outs scheduled, the 346-game North champion said the initiative had been a success.

"I like it. I was really sceptical at the start, (thinking) it's only going to take one bloke to get someone into the ground and it's going to be all over," Harvey said.

"As long as we treat them very similar to what we treat each other at training -- you get the opportunity to bury someone, you just don't do it this time of year -- (so there's) the respect.

"It's different, you get to see how Selwood and Stevie Johnson train and for our young boys it's a good experience.

"Tell me five years ago, (we'd be training with Geelong) I'd be saying no, not a chance at all.

"But it's worked really well."

The 20 and 40-minute sessions have been behind locked gates at the Cattery, allowing the clubs to trial set-ups and game styles away from other clubs' prying eyes.

Clubs cannot conduct full-scale matches against each other until the NAB Cup.

Harvey said the sessions have taken the Roos' training to a new level.

"When you're doing your stuff (at normal training) you're mirroring each other, so the mids know what the mids are doing, the backs know what the forwards are doing, where they're leading," Harvey said.

"It's really hard to get great match practice out of it. When you're playing against Geelong they've got no idea and we've got no idea what they're doing, so it's actually a really good exercise."
 

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