LIKE most of Australia, reigning John Cahill Medallist Travis Boak is missing the football amidst the 2020 AFL season shutdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
However, along with the desire to compete on the field, Boak is also missing spending time with his teammates, particularly his housemate Sam Powell-Pepper who is now back home in Western Australia.
“I’ve been FaceTiming Pep a little bit,” Boak said during an interview with Fox Sports.
“He went straight back to Perth as soon as the season got cancelled to spend time with his family over there, which is great for him.
“I do miss him around the house – someone to train with, someone to take the piss out of a little bit as well – we’ve got a really good relationship so I certainly miss that.
“I think he’ll be back in a couple of weeks. So I am looking forward to having him back and spending some time together again.”
Off the field, Boak has not missed a beat and is maintaining his reputation for the fastidious preparation and dedication he puts into his body and fitness.
Like the rest of the Port Adelaide playing group, Boak has been forced to train away from Alberton Oval during the shutdown period, but has settled into a regular routine at home.
“It’s been good, very similar to what we do in the off season,” he explained.
“We get a program – we run Monday, Wednesday, Friday with some gym stuff as well.
“Most guys have been able to get some gym equipment from the club or found some somewhere in the state and set up a home gym.
“We are dialing in Zoom calls, FaceTime calls or WhatsApp groups to make sure we are training together and getting it done.
“It is very similar to an off season program we are following at the moment just to stay ready for when we do come back, whenever that may be.”
As for when exactly he will be back on the field in the black, white, silver and teal, Boak knows the health of players and staff remains the highest priority for the AFL and clubs when making the call on the return of football.
“The AFL have certainly put (our health) first before anything and that is what they have been great at so far,” he said.
“Whether that’s July/August, nobody is quite sure, but everyone wants to come back and play.”
The two-time All-Australian is also focusing on the positives to ensure his mental health remains as strong as his physique while the season is put on hold.
“You can look at it two ways,” he said.
“It is frustrating that you just want to get out there and play footy – my body feels really good, I’m excited to be playing footy and loving footy more than ever.
“But right now I’ve got a great opportunity to help my body as much as I can at my age to get back and play for a longer period at a high level.
“It is about putting as much as I can into my mind and my body with this time, use that to challenge myself going forward, and help the team going forward not just for this year when we do get back but for years to come.”
