Coach Phil Walsh encourages direct communication with each of his 45 players on a daily basis, but don’t expect a prompt response if you contact him after 8:00pm.

Walsh is an early-riser, who arrives at West Lakes by 6:00am every morning.

The trade-off is that the first-year senior coach turns in early, prompting an unwritten rule at the Club not to contact him after eight o’clock in the evening.

“I think I’m a little bit different to most. I was on the treadmill at about 5:15am this (Monday) morning,” Walsh told Fox Footy’s On the Couch on Monday night.

“Normally, I get to work about 6:00am and I’ll leave at 6:00pm. I do try not to take work home with me. I do some of my best work at 2:00am!

"I am early to bed though."

Captain Taylor Walker pokes fun at his coach for going to bed so early.

Cheeky midfielder Patrick Dangerfield also revealed his strategy for riling Walsh.

“I don’t mind sending Walshy an email or a text at, say, 7:58-7:59pm. That does stir him up a little bit!” Dangerfield joked on FIVEaa.

“He doesn’t mind a text message, Walshy. He gets around the players, that’s for sure. Similar to ‘Tex’, I did text Walshy, I think, at quarter-past eight one night and I didn’t get a return text until about three o’clock in the morning.”