Mobile St Kilda forward Mav Weller says preparing for the inaugural AFLX tournament has been reinvigorating during a time of year when the pre-season can become a grind.
The Saints will face Essendon and Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium on Friday night in their first taste of the hybrid version of the game.
“We’re looking forward to getting out there and having a bit of fun. I think it’s a great concept,” Weller told reporters at a press conference ahead of AFLX on Friday night.
“It’s a bit of a mental freshen up. You can challenge yourself
While others have nominated Seb Ross, Jack Sinclair or Tim Membrey as players to watch this weekend, Weller believes dashing defender Shane Savage is best suited to AFLX, with his pace and penetrating right foot set to cut opposition sides apart.
“I reckon Shane Savage. He’s been able to use his skills really well. It’s a small ground so if you can penetrate the defence you can score really quickly,” Weller said.
After carrying a lingering ankle issue for much of 2017, Weller has stripped eight kilograms off his frame this summer to reduce the load on his ankle and to allow him to cover more territory this season.
“I lost a bit of weight in the off-season, which definitely helps with the loads and the pre-season," he said.
“I’ll look to keep that off because it’s more and more of a running game every year.
“If you don’t carry around some extra kilos then it’s pretty handy.”
