8am
After a pretty good night's sleep (I think the body is finally getting over the jetlag) I awoke to another very chilly morning but this time it was a little overcast around the town of Varese where the AIS is situated. A quick shower and freshen up and I was ready to head downstairs for a bite of breakfast and for another big day.
8.30am
I joined the rest of the group for breakfast in the AIS dining area. I, along with the majority of the boys had some cereal and toast and then finished off with some low fat yoghurt. The belly was full and I had plenty of energy ahead of another weights session which was in around 60 minutes time.
10.30am
Another solid weights session which saw all the team really push themselves to gain as much out of the session as possible. Again the boys were lifting some pretty big weights and there is a real sense that every player is super keen make every post a winner in the gym this pre-season so that we can start to compete with the more mature aged bodies that we'll come up against next season.
11.30am
After weights, as is protocol, the boys had a light recovery session in the pools here at the AIS. Straight afterwards we got changed and headed back downstairs for a light lunch to refuel after a pretty big weights session. The AIS kitchen staff again delivered a delicious and healthy selection of food and I enjoyed some pasta, a piece of pork and some salad which certainly hit the spot.
12.30pm
The team gathered at reception at the AIS and there was a real buzz around the foyer as we were about to head off for a tour of AC Milan. A few of the guys, in particular Tommy Jonas and Aaron Young, are big soccer fans and even for those of us who aren't as passionate about the round ball game, we were certainly pumped to pay a visit to one the world's most famous sporting clubs. So we headed off on our 45 minute drive with spirits and expectations very high. As has been the case with all of our bus trips, this was again very picturesque with sweeping hills in the distance and an abundance of greenery and leafy roads.
1.15pm
We arrived at our destination - AC Milan Division One senior team training base - full of enthusiasm and eagerness. In fact I nearly pulled a hammy trying to get off I was that excited - and yes I know you might be thinking that's not that hard for me - but I, along with the rest of the boys, was pretty pumped. But within minutes we knew something wasn't quite right. It might have had something to do with the six foot wrought iron fences in front of us with Rottweillers pacing around like caged lions and two security cards brandishing pistols and batons refusing to open the entry gates.
It was quite evident that we were either at the wrong location or that there was an issue with our booking but one thing was very clear we weren't going to be allowed in by the very officious, fully uniformed policeman-style security guards. So Rohdey, who is so used to having to negotiate, stepped in but all to no avail. It didn't help that the guards didn't speak English or our busdriver for that matter, and none of us could speak Italian. After a tense discussion, a Mexican standoff ensued. The guards weren't retreating and we were certainly were very keen to stand our ground. Toward the end of the stand off a luxury sportscar left from within the grounds within allowing the electric gate to open.
Bobby Carlile was standing closest to the gate and we all urged him to show some courage, take one for the team and charge through security so as to create a path for the rest of us to get in. Bobby decided he enjoyed life too much and doing the charge wasn't an option. All the while, Peter Rohde and Stuart Cochrane were on the phone in deep discussions back to Adelaide and the AIS at Varese and realised that in fact we were at the wrong location - we were actually meant to be an hour away at AC Milan's youth academy base.
1.45pm
We set off from AC Milan's Division One team's training base and headed off to our new destination. As we drove off we still took in the unbelievable surrounds of their training base. Laying within a Fort Knox-style set up was acres and acres of soccer pitches in a typically green European setting. From the outside their administration building had a traditional Italian feel about it and their logo AC Milan 18 was very noticeable. I think the 18 stands for how many championships they have won but like the Swiss Alps story from yesterday I'll need to check Google to confirm.
2.45pm
The team finally arrived at the correct destination - the AC Milan youth academy site. And I tell you this was just as impressive as the senior team's base. There were acres upon acres of pitches layed between leafy trees on an allotment that kept going as far as the eye could see. On arrival the team was greeted by four assistant coaches and they took us through a power point presentation of AC Milan's mission and methodology.
It was really fascinating to hear how they've set up an academy of players starting from the age of 8 that are nurtured and developed through their system to hopefully become stars of the game. They explained that players at the academy are based on site, do their schooling on site and of course participate in soccer training and development on site. The coaches also explained the ages in which they try to develop certain skills, then when they focus on decision making and when they build up their strength and conditioning. It is clearly very scientific and they leave no stone unturned for the pursuit of excellence.
Some of these players have gone onto represent the Division One team, while others can get poached by rival clubs because due to certain restrictions not all players can be contracted, or at least not in the short term. After their 60 minute presentation, we took in a tour of their outdoor surroundings. Fortunately, training had just started, and when I say training, about a dozen different teams and age groups were training on different pitches simultaneously honing their skills.
What stood out was the intensity of training, and even at such a young age you could see the competitiveness and passion of the players come through. At the completion of our tour, Tommy Jonas presented the coaches with a Port Adealide guernsey which they said would take pride of place in their office. A big thanks and good luck to AC Milan for the remainder of the season and hopefully we can keep contact and remain allies into the future.
5.30pm
The team arrived in Milan City ready for a final look around the shops and bite to eat before we head off to London tomorrow evening. I bought myself a shirt and a pair of gloves with the fingers cut out which caused a bit of a stir amongst some of the players and coaches.
I explained that when you're in Milan, the fashion capital of the world, you have to do as the locals do so I added a bit of flair to my wadrobe. After shopping, a group of us sat down and enjoyed some tradional Italian cuisine - Pizza and Pasta - afterwhich we walked back to the bus and headed back to the AIS at 8.30pm for a night's rest, looking forward to tomorrow's final training run in Milan before our departure to London
