After a 27 hour transit from Australia, Shaun and a contingency of 16 other Carlton players, predominantly in their first and second year touched down in Doha.
Basing themselves at the ASPIRE Academy for Sport Excellence, a world class sporting facility which has been utilised by some of the most elite sporting clubs, including soccer powerhouse Manchester United, the Club is six days into the 14 day camp.
Along with high intensity training schedule, which includes a mix of football skills, aerobic interval running, speed and agility training, as well as cycling and strength training, the players are staying at a specialized altitude facility for the duration of their trip, called Aspetar.
What were your first impressions of Qatar?
It's very flat, extremely hot and dusty but also very impressive with the buildings, structures and facilities they have here, much like our training facility "Aspire" which is the most incredible sporting complex I have ever seen.
Have you even been to Qatar before?
No, this is my first time in this part of the world. The culture is very different to that in Australia. There are lots of little do's and don'ts which we have to respect.
How does the training facility ASPIRE compare to anything you have seen in Australia?
Aspire is by far the most impressive sporting complex I have ever seen. Just the sheer size of the place is enough to make your head spin. Everything is state of the art and everything is aimed to increase performance. We are very lucky to have the chance to train at a complex like this and it will no doubt give us a good head start for the 2012 season.
How has the training been going, considering you have all been off for over a month?
The training is going well. All the boys kept themselves in good condition during the break so making the transition back into full time training has been easy.
How challenging is training in the heat?
Being from QLD I'm used to a bit of heat while I'm training but this is much hotter. Although so far we have been lucky that the temperature has only been in the mid 30's while we are training and not 40+
How are the rest of the boys feeling about being over there?
Everyone is really excited. They know that this is not only an opportunity to train at one of the best sporting facilities in the world but it's also a chance for a massive head start. All the boys are really embracing it.
Who is your roommate?
I'm lucky enough to be rooming with big "Squidda" (Luke Mitchell) who comes into the room with a different useless object every time he enters, like a remote control helicopter and a Qatar scarf.
What is the accommodation like?
We're actually staying at the Aspetar hospital, where all the boys are sleeping at altitude ranging from 1000m-3000m. The rooms are pretty good, like you'd expect in a hotel back home.
