Carlton's rebounding defender Paul Bower has earned the respect of his peers as the best-performed athlete through what has been a rigorous two-week campaign at the high performance camp in Qatar.
 
And Bower, who got a late call-up to Qatar barely 24 hours after committing to the terms of a new contract for 2012, now says he is well-placed to launch a serious assault on next season.
 
"I'm really happy to be at the Club for another year, and look forward to repaying the faith the club has shown me," he said.
 
"I'm going into this pre-season injury free for the first time in a while and feel really good with the way I'm training. I'm looking forward to the season ahead."
 
Bower's efforts in Qatar earned the plaudits of fellow Carlton players, who adjudged him the elite trainer at the camp.
 
Taken by Carlton with its second selection (No.20 overall) in the 2005 NAB AFL Draft, Bower managed just three senior appearances through 2011, to take his career games tally to 60 in six seasons.