It’s arguably the toughest venue in the AFL, and no matter where you’re travelling from, there’s no escaping the taxing conditions that come with playing footy at Darwin’s TIO Stadium.
The SUNS head back to the Territory for a two-game stint, which has become an annual affair for the club since 2022 and has brought with it great success.
Eight straight wins from as many games has Darwin firmly entrenched as the club’s home-away-from-home. But even with a host of locals, including Daniel Rioli, Ben Long and Joel Jeffrey, who know the conditions inside and out, carefully structured and meticulously detailed plans are put in place ahead of the trip, well before the flight takes off this Thursday.
The club’s Head of High Performance Alex Rigby has shared some insights with SUNS members on how the club is preparing to chase wins against St Kilda and Port Adelaide in the Top End.
“Since we have been travelling to Darwin frequently, we’ve developed specific protocols around heat acclimation for elite athletes,” Rigby said.
“We have consulted world-leading practitioners in helping develop best-practice methods, which involve both active and passive techniques around heat exposure. These include things like saunas, hot baths and heat rooms.
“We build this into our schedule, and players are well educated on their routines up to three weeks leading into the trip.”
Despite the slow transition into the dry season at this time of year in Darwin, maximum temperatures are expected to push into the mid-30s, with humidity reaching well beyond 90% across the eight-day trip.
“The extra humidity and heat are definitely difficult to navigate. We look at hydration strategies as well as bodyweight changes throughout the week and post-game to make sure players are tolerating and recovering between sessions and games,” he added.
“We have observed in these conditions that players can lose in excess of 5% of their bodyweight, which is something our performance dietitians monitor closely.”
It’s that attention to detail that has the SUNS full of confidence every time they step out in Darwin. The past four years have yielded eight wins, including several of the highest scores and largest margins at the venue.
There are few places across Australia whose climate compares to the country’s north, but as far as ‘closest to the pin’ goes, the Gold Coast might just be it.
“The conditions we train in, particularly during pre-season, do help with our ability to tolerate demands in the heat. We are training in high humidity and heat right throughout pre-season and into the early rounds,” Rigby continued.
“Although altitude training has traditionally been employed to enhance endurance performance, heat training is now used more routinely in elite sport because it delivers reliable physiological benefits in a shorter timeframe.
“It’s been shown to produce meaningful cardiovascular adaptations with fewer logistical and performance risks.”
Your SUNS take on St Kilda this Saturday night before facing Port Adelaide in Sir Doug Nicholls Round next Friday night. Catch both matches exclusively live on Fox Footy and Kayo.
