As Adelaide 36ers point guard and reigning NBL MVP Bryce Cotton stood on the boundary line at West Lakes watching Kuwarna train on Wednesday, one thing in particular caught his attention.
“I am surprised the most at how intricate everything is,” Cotton said.
“Obviously the camera can’t catch it, but there’s a mini jumbotron that has the names of the guys who are practicing, the guys who are out.
“Then the field is so big, so the way they make use of everything, people doing different drills, it’s a lot more intricate, I would say than basketball, but there’s a lot more people on the field, too.”
Cotton, who helped lead the 36ers to a 23-10 record this past season and the NBL play-offs, was at the Club’s headquarters to get a behind-the-scenes look at how footballers prepare on the training track.
His visit comes after several Kuwarna players supported the 36ers throughout the NBL season, including during their heartbreaking 3-2 loss in the finals against the Sydney Kings.
Cotton, who claimed a record sixth NBL MVP award in February after averaging a league-high 25.7 points per game, said he had enjoyed learning more about Australian rules football.
The 33-year-old will also get a closer look at the AFL environment when he goes behind-the-scenes for the Club’s clash against North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
“I am here watching them practice. I had a little tour of the facility, so I got to see what goes on behind-the-scenes, which has been cool,” Cotton said.
“To see the guys practice, that's what I’ve been most curious about.
“It was amazing having the support from the AFL boys, it’s a very communal town - so not just the play-offs, but to see them quite often throughout the regular season, that support was pretty cool.
“I guess it’s my turn to pay it forward, so I’m going one step forward. I'll see them on Saturday, but I am here at a practice, and they haven’t been to a practice yet, so two points for me, one point for them.”
Although disappointed with the 36ers’ play-offs loss, Cotton said he was determined to work even harder during the off-season to return bigger, better and hungrier to win a title with Adelaide.
“Life goes on, you pick up the pieces, you figure out where you went wrong, you find ways to get better,” Cotton said.
“In a lot of ways, it takes losing to win, so I just have to push myself to exhaustion and try to get one-percent better to cross the finish line this time.
“(My off-season includes) constantly working out, a lot of recovery, and a lot of film - a little bit on myself - but more on other players, just trying to find different ways that I can come back better than I did the year prior.”
