Courtney Dempsey owed his pre-season fitness to coach James Hird. Picture: George Salpigtidis. Source: Herald Sun
USUALLY when the coach beats a player home in a 2km time-trial, it causes extreme concern.
But Essendon defender Courtenay Dempsey has prospered this summer because of his unlikely partnership with senior coach James Hird.
Just as Sydney's Lewis Jetta teamed with Kieren Jack last pre-season to improve his endurance, Dempsey has thrived after forming a pact with Hird, a fitness fanatic, albeit 15 years his senior.
Dempsey, 25, finished seventh in last year's Crichton Medal count after recovering from a 2011 knee reconstruction and, entering his eighth season, said he had never been in better shape.
"I have gone through so many pre-seasons injured so I have only been at 80 per cent, but I think I am at 95 per cent now or even 100 per cent," Dempsey said.
"The big thing has been having Hirdy running with me and pushing me. I have had him helping me out and getting through the hard sessions.
"He has got me to where I am now. I guess I can't really let him down either, because he is the coach.
"He sort of put together a deal with me about how I could get fit. We had a competition with the 2km time-trial and he beat me by a couple of seconds but he got me a PB (personal best) time."
Hird turned 40 recently, but Dempsey said the Brownlow medallist continued to set the standard.
"He has lost his speed but his fitness level has always been up there and always will be," Dempsey said.
"He loves to stay fit and through the pre-season he loves to run with us.
"Him as well as (assistant coach) Simon Goodwin, who is still elite. I think both of them could still play.
"I think everyone has lost a few kilos (through the pre-season). We are all looking a lot leaner.
"We are still a lot stronger but we have lost weight through a lot more work on long-distance running and aerobic stuff.
"And hopefully it will help us through the latter part of the season."
The elephant in the room is the reason for that transition - the supplements program that has led to the AFL/Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation.
Dempsey and his teammates have escaped to Wangaratta, Beechworth and Bright for their community camp, but they cannot dodge questions about a saga that looks likely to drag on for months.
"It is all about football for us and that's all we are worried about," he said.
"There is nothing else that is going to take our mind off it. That is what we are here for and that's what we are going to do.
"I guess that's our job. We can't afford to focus on anything else.
"(Hird) is thinking exactly the same thing, just worrying about us and our football.
"He is our coach and that's what he is there to do."
Dempsey featured prominently for the indigenous side against Richmond in Alice Springs last month, and said his hamstring problems of recent years were behind him.
Now Dempsey, who last year signed on until 2015, wants to show Hird the hard work has paid off by stringing together a full season.
"I need to play good footy and consistent footy - over the whole season and not just a block or a month here and there," he said.
"He (Hird) is looking for more consistency so hopefully I can do that.
"Hopefully it goes in that direction, but you know football, you don't know which way it turns."
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