SWITCHING it up. 

Carlton ruckman Tom De Koning is thriving in the humid and wet conditions of the Sunshine Coast, highlighting how the change of scenery has rejuvenated the group.

Despite training in pouring rain and temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, the 25-year-old declared that the Blues are pushing themselves harder than ever.

Here's what he had to say. 

On training on the Sunshine Coast: 

"It’s always great to train in different conditions. Coming up here, you’re sweating straight away, it’s definitely a bit different to Melbourne, a bit more of a humid heat, but the boys are training really well, it’s tough out there. 

"We love it. Most years we come up here and generally, our camp is in January but we’ve come up a bit earlier this time in a bit of different conditions, but the boys loved it and we’re training really hard out there."

On the goals for pre-season camp: 

"We're never satisfied finishing eighth and we’ve got plenty of work to do. We’ve got a few things to refine over this pre-season but I feel like the boys have come back in ripping knick, everyone is training really hard and working really well.

"We’ll be refining a few things with our game plan and attacking it hard."

On talks around his future:

"I’ve grown up playing with a bunch of these boys since I got drafted and we’ve stuck together and grown up in the Club together, and I’m really loving my footy with them. The more games we play together, the more cohesion we get. 

"My main focus is playing my role for the team, listening to what Vossy and the coaches have to say for me and the rest will take care of itself when it happens."

On aiming high in 2025: 

"If you don’t think that, then what are you thinking? We’re focused on the present, at the moment we’re focused on our pre-season and refining a few things in our game plan.

"We take it one week at a time here. That’s a long way away and that will take care of itself when it happens. We’re focusing on this camp now and how we can improve and go from there."

On his personal goals:

"I just want to have a consistent season. I think previously I’ve fluctuated through the season and I’ll have a few good games then drop off a bit, so for me, keeping that consistency each game, playing my role for the team and going from there. Hopefully, that’ll take care of the result for the rest of the team. I know what my role is now and hopefully, that will help the team."

On the Navy Blue presence up North: 

"It’s great. There are plenty of Bluebaggers up here and even just walking the streets near our hotel, I think every second cafe and restaurant has a Blues supporter running it.

"There were plenty out there [for open training] even though it was pretty miserable conditions, they still came out. We absolutely love our fans and they come from far and wide, we love it."