Players are back at Visy Park after the Christmas break, which followed their gruelling trip to Arizona.
Training under blue skies in sunshine, players have spent the first week back undertaking skills and conditioning exercises on the oval, before finishing their days slogging it out in the gym.
McLean says although the physical demands are immense they’re not his biggest challenge.
“It’s probably tested me more mentally,” McLean said.
“I don’t mind running and that sort of stuff, but it’s taken me to places that I haven’t been before mentally.
“It’s just about challenging yourself, getting out of your comfort zone and how you respond to those challenges. So it’s certainly been a testing time for me.”
McLean says his teammates have returned from the break in good shape and high spirits. Asked to nominate the players he thinks will be the ones to watch this year, McLean heaped praise on Ed Curnow and Levi Casboult.
“Ed Curnow’s an absolute freak on the field, so I’d say he’d be shutting blokes down again,” McLean said.
“But Levi Casboult I think will take his game to another level – he's running really well for a big bloke. If he can stay healthy and keep his body right, I think he’ll have a big year.”
