Having proved their mettle in a tough pre-season training camp hosted by 53 Battery at the Puckapunyal Military Area, the Essendon Bombers' AFLW team offered the gunners an insight into the world of high-performance sport in October.
The exchange was the result of a collaboration between Essendon Football Club, 53 Battery and the ADF Physical Training School based at HMAS Cerberus, which hosted the 2024 performance camp for the Bombers' women's team.
After touring the Bombers' impressive world-class training facility in Melbourne - the NEC Hangar - the gunners from 53 Battery trained under the watchful eye of the Essendon FC strength and conditioning coach.
Lead physical training instructor at the School of Artillery, Sergeant James Steinhauser, was struck by the similarities between professional sport and combat training.
"Both demand high-intensity physical exertion, strength-based movements, technical skills and a deep level of teamwork and cohesion," Sergeant Steinhauser said.
The similarities do not end there. Essendon's fitness testing includes similar aspects of the performance tests run at the school, with common areas including a 1600m time trial, three-repetition maximum strength tests, broad jump and mid-thigh pull.
"As expected of an elite sporting club, Essendon FC focused on individualised fitness programs," Sergeant Steinhauser said.
"We learned about the multiple layers of data collected on each athlete, monitoring fatigue, stress and load management. It provided a unique perspective on how physical and mental performance is optimised at the highest levels."
Battery Commander 53 Battery Major Josh Childs said the exchange had a lasting impact.
"Essendon AFLW found it foundational to building their team's mentality and training attitude throughout the season, often referring back to their pre-season experiences with 53 Battery as a source of motivation and determination," Major Childs said.
The 2025 camp held in Puckapunyal comprised a series of physically challenging stands, mental strategy games and bodyweight exercises, and a night-time reconnaissance mission, culminating in a stretcher-carry up Mount Puckapunyal.
