Captain Matt McKay says the Roar squad are in great shape after completing the second day of pre-season training.
The side recently returned from their off-season break and have begun preparations for their upcoming Hyundai A-League and Westfield FFA Cup campaigns.
“Everyone’s come back looking really good,” McKay said.
“It was a really good session today. We got on the ball straight away which is always positive.
“Every session that’s planned has a purpose and for that to work we have to come in committed and give 100% and make sure we’re improving.
“I thought that it was a another good session today and we’ll be better for it.”
The Roar will face their first competitive test in a Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 tie with Perth Glory on August 10th. With less than a month until the clash, McKay says it’s not too early to start preparing for the Roar’s first cup clash in Queensland.
“It’s not too early to consider the Cup tie seeing as it is now under a month away,” McKay said.
“We’re concentrating at the moment on getting through these first few weeks and implementing the small changes that the Boss [Head Coach John Aloisi] has made.
“We’ve got a similar squad to last season so everyone knows what to expect.”
The Roar’s focus on youth development has seven members of the Young Roar squad, including leading goal-scorer Nick D’Agostino (above), given the opportunity to complete pre-season with the Hyundai A-League squad.
McKay believes bringing these young players in gives them not only a great opportunity but also provides strong competition for the squad’s senior members.
“You’ve got to have evolution in any team in any sport and to have those guys come in is great,” McKay said.
“They look really sharp as well seeing as they have come straight out of their NPL season.
“A lot of us were probably a bit behind them physically. They can push us and that’s what we want to see.
“You want to see those guys come into the team because we need to get better and we need that competition.
