The first week of Carlton's pre-season training has drawn to a close, which means there's just one more week until the players head to Arizona.
Matthew Watson is among the players who made the trip to Flagstaff last year. He's bracing for this year to be even colder and more challenging.
The big-kicking 21-year-old, who played five senior games in 2013, was showing plenty of promise until his season was cut short by a foot injury.
But after shedding his moon-boot he is back to full training and looking forward to getting a full pre-season under his belt.
We caught up with Watson to find out what he's been up to during the break and what he's looking forward to in the months ahead.
What was the highlight of your two-month break?
I went to the US for a few weeks - LA, Las Vegas, New York and Miami. Vegas was definitely my favourite.
How have you found being back at training this week?
It's been tough, but great! It's been a good opportunity to get back a bit earlier and to get an edge on the senior guys. It's also been great catching up with all the fellas.
Have you managed to spend much time with our new High Performance Manger, David Buttifant?
He's been great. David is very approachable and obviously knows his stuff. I'm really looking forward to working with him over the next couple of years.
The Arizona training camp is less than two weeks away. What are you most looking forward to about the trip?
Not the cold weather! As a club it will be great to get out of Australia and train – it will be something different for sure. We went there last year and it was a great experience.
If you were to give any advice on how to prepare for Arizona, what would it be?
Be prepared for the altitude because it can get to you a bit when you are 7,000 feet above sea level. Make sure you bring a lot of warm clothes and I would recommend goggles – you're going to need them for the mountain climb!
Who are you hoping NOT to sit next to during the flight there?
Probably Dylan Buckley – I just know that he wouldn't stop talking.
