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Essendon midfielder Travis Colyer admits he has entered AFL physical contests in the past uncertain how he was going to emerge.
Having started his career in 2010 as one of the competition’s shorter, lighter players, the 20-year-old said charging into the heat of the battle had not been a strong suit.
But, as a big beneficiary of the Bombers’ pre-season focus on bulking up, particularly in regard to their emerging midfielders, Colyer wants to change that.
“It’s something that probably hasn’t come as naturally to me, because of my size, being a bit smaller going through the grades,” he told AAP.
“But this year being able to put on 4-5kg, I took a lot of confidence from that, knowing going into the contests, you’re not going to get thrown around.
“Probably in previous years, having that little bit less weight, you sort of wonder what’s going to happen.”
Colyer, around 72kg last season, now weighs 76kg.
While no giant, he is still growing, according to the AFL media guide, having been listed at 173cm when he began his career, 174cm last year and 175cm now.
Under former Geelong fitness boss Dean Robinson, other Essendon midfielders Jake Melksham, Dyson Heppell and Ben Howlett have also added weight.
But a routine including protein drinks and frequent weights sessions has not stopped them also increasing aerobic fitness, which Colyer said would be equally important to gaining more midfield time.
Colyer wants to not only influence contests more, but reach more of them, particularly late in matches.
Having played 11 games in his debut season and 10 last year, including an elimination final, the speedster has set himself a goal of becoming a regular.
Ideally, it will not be in the substitute role he filled often last year.
Colyer said what excited him about Essendon’s prospects this season was the number of other youngsters also believing they were fitter, stronger and ready for regular midfield time.
“I’m excited about what the group can produce as a whole, because everyone else in the group is in that exact same position,” he said.
“Personally, you always look out for yourself and you say, I wonder how I’m going to match up against other blokes, how this four of five months of training has put me in a position where I’m bigger, stronger.
“I can be putting my body around and just matching blokes from other teams.”
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