With NAB Cup looming, excitement is beginning to build for Tom Campbell as he prepares to take on season 2013.

Off the back of hard work in the gym under new Strength and Conditioning Coach Andy Barnett, the 21-year-old has embraced his first full pre-season.

“It was a bit hard last year coming in – I think my first day was December 14 – so I missed a big chunk of pre-season,” he said.

“This year I have been able to get some consistency in my footy and really hit the pre-season and the fitness really well.

“I have loved it, Andy has been great, really changed my perception of how to attack a weights session – really try to transfer out onto the field, so you don’t just lift to be big and strong, you lift to be powerful out on the field.”

Campbell came to the Club a strong bodied ruckman from Bendigo Bombers and made an impact early, winning the ruck battle in his debut game against Brisbane Lions in round 13.

He went on to play a further six senior games and despite playing just ten games for VFL affiliate Williamstown last year, Campbell also took the honours of Western Bulldogs Best Williamstown Player at the Charles Sutton Medal.

Elevated to the primary list for 2013, the 201cm ruckman is determined to add more senior games to his resume and has been making himself known over summer. 

“Pre-season is a bit of a grind but when you get close to the games, that is what you are here for and it is pretty exciting,” he said.

“Coming off the rookie list I think last year, I didn’t really know what my place was.

“This year [I am] feeling a little bit more comfortable and settled in the group so it has been really good to be able to just attack the pre-season, knowing my place.”

Campbell is not alone in trying to maximise his output this pre-season.

“Everyone has come back in really good shape and training is really ramping up – this week we had a couple of really solid footy sessions,” he said.

“There is a really big fitness block pre-Christmas, and coming back that is still a big focus but definitely notice that the footys are out a lot more and we are doing a lot more contested footy stuff.

“I think we have been pretty good right the way through pre-season training really hard but certainly just on the contested footy stuff blokes are going a little bit harder, which is good.”