Yarrawonga’s Drew Barnes says he’s tinkered with his training as he approaches the veteran stage.
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The 30-year-old has been one of the Pigeons’ most consistent players after stepping down from a six-year coaching stint.
“I’m just trialling a few different techniques with my body,” he said.
“As you get a little bit older, you don’t always have to go 100 per cent all the time, it’s just finding little things that work well for you.”
There’s no more competitive beast than Barnes, who admits easing off doesn’t come naturally.
“It doesn’t, but I’ve got a little bit smarter as I’ve got older,” he said.
“I love it, I love being up there and working with the boys all the time, but you’ve got to be mindful that I’m not 24 anymore.”
Barnes would be pushing for the Pigeons’ top three after the first half of the season, along with Mark Whiley, Matt Gorman and Connor Hargreaves.
Gorman suffered a knee injury against Corowa-Rutherglen on Saturday, but won’t know the extent of the problem until he visits a surgeon in Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon.
Gorman is similar to Barnes in that he’s worked as hard as possible.
“That’s right and we’re starting to see the benefits this year where he’s started to take ownership of some of the positions he’s been playing,” he said.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed.”