After completing very little of the pre-season ahead of last season, David Armitage hasn’t missed a beat this summer.
With a back injury restricting his preparation last year, the star midfielder entered 2016 without the work in the bank.
And despite playing every game and grinding out a solid season, Armitage didn’t reach the heights he set a year earlier, where he finished 2nd in the best and fairest.
But now, with nearly a full summer under his belt, the 28-year-old is feeling fit and raring to go.
“I didn’t have much of a pre-season last year but this year I haven’t missed a beat,” Armitage told saints.com.au at a broadcast shoot at Channel Seven.
“I’m feeling nice and fit and really, really ready to go and step back up to where I was a couple of years ago.
“I’m really excited to personally have a good year and to help these other guys throughout the midfield.”
Days out from St Kilda’s intra-club at Trevor Barker Oval and just over a week from the Saints’ first JLT Community Series game, Armitage is eager get some minutes in ahead of Round 1.
“Last year I didn’t get to play in any of those games, so I was a little bit underdone coming into Round 1,” Armitage said.
“Intra-club is a great time of year because you know when they come around games are only around the corner. I’m very excited to practice everything we’ve done over pre-season and put them into games.”
Armitage admits the off-season arrivals of midfield pair, Koby Stevens and Jack Steele, has excited him, with their hard-nosed approach setting the tone around the ball.
“Having those two on board is really exciting for me,” he said.
“They’re really tough and aggressive players which is really good. They bring massive leadership, naturally, by playing that way.
“I’m really excited to play alongside those blokes, as well as the blokes that have been there the last few years.”
The Queenslander believes the club made the decision to alter the demographic of the leadership group because younger options had emerged across the last 12 months and are ready to drive the club forward into the future.
“I think we’ve (previously) left it to too few at times, but this pre-season with blokes coming back in really good condition and the guys really driving the group so that’s probably the reason why (the club has made the leadership change),” he said.
