When 22 young Crows set off on an afternoon bushwalk through scrub near Strathalbyn as part of the Club’s development camp last Tuesday, the players never imagined they would be spending the next two nights in the wilderness.

The team-bonding camp for 1-3 year players (1-2 year players in previous years) is an annual event at Adelaide, but the 2012 camp was the first under the guidance of new leadership development manager Paddy Steinfort and there were a few surprises in store for the players.

The activities kicked off after training last Tuesday morning, with the players and coaches heading south to Kuitpo Forest for a paintball skirmish.

After inflicting adequate bruising upon one another, the Crows contingent completed their journey to Strathalbyn, checking in at Club Patron Rob Gerard’s lavish Clipsal Retreat.

Several players were optimistic they would spend the rest of the afternoon watching the last session of play in the Second Test between Australia and India, and still held out hope of catching the evening highlights when they departed for the bushwalk … but the match was all but over by the time the group next laid eyes on a TV.

Assuming they would be returning to the retreat, where their belongings stayed, the players initially thought Steinfort was joking when he informed them the bushwalk would turn into an overnight stay.

“The camping element was a bit of a surprise to the players initially and they weren’t quite prepared for it,” Steinfort told afc.com.au.

“They reacted as you might expect when you think you’re staying in a luxury resort and then end up staying in the bush.

“There was a little bit of disbelief and they struggled with it a little bit on the first day, but after that they were fantastic and I couldn’t have asked for a better response from the guys.

“They all got onboard, pushed each other and worked together.

“Coming back to the camp on the last night, they seemed to have gotten really close.”

The players were split into three groups, the red team led by Matt Jaensch, the yellow team led by Daniel Talia and Matt Wright’s blue team.

The accompanying video shows the red team winning the ‘minefield’ challenge, where the groups took turns testing their recall and trying to negotiate their way through the rope grid without setting off the invisible mines.

Wright was the most impressive of the designated leaders, but Steinfort said several other players had also displayed strong leadership.

“There are a couple of guys, who really stood up, especially when the (camping) surprise hit,” Steinfort said.

“James Craig really carried his team and was clearly voted best afield by the entire group.

“It was very well done by James to stand up, take everyone on his back and charge ahead.

“Matty Wright was a really good leader too.

“He didn’t dominate the group, but he really helped guide the guys along and was also pretty handy in the activities.

“There were a few guys, who really put their hands up and the coaches definitely noticed.”

As part of the camping expedition, the players took part in activities like kayaking and finishing.

Norwood recruit Mitch Grigg was the outback adventurer of Wright’s group, while fellow draftee Cam Ellis-Yolmen proved a hit with the hand reel, hauling in several fish.

“In the outdoor activities, Cam Ellis-Yolmen was fantastic,” Steinfort said.

“He’s a bit of a natural.

“He was good at fishing, kayaking and building the tents and would’ve been a handy team member to have.”

A former CEO of Leading Teams in New Zealand, qualified physiotherapist, AFL-listed player at Richmond and Victorian Amateur League coach, Steinfort was headhunted to run the Crows’ revamped leadership program.

Although a student of the Leading Teams program, Steinfort has evolved the program through his experiences operating outside of the AFL, and indeed outside of Australia, to be more flexible in its application in different contexts and environments.

“I’m here to try to help grow the leadership culture within the Club, so that it extends beyond the leadership group,” he said.

“We don’t want to rely on just one or two players. We need to develop leadership from the bottom up and that’s part of the reason I’m working so heavily with these guys (the 1-3 year players).

“We’ll also work with the leadership group, the middle group of players and the coaches to try to improve the behaviours that are the basis of good leadership in footy clubs.”

The aim of the Strathalbyn Camp was to promote team bonding and test the players in an environment outside of football.

Trade week recruit Josh Jenkins said the young group of Crows had become closer as a result of the week together.

“It was an excellent week as tough as it was and as hard as some of the activities were,” Jenkins said.

“Over the course of the week, I spoke to a lot of guys and especially the rookies, who had only just arrived at the Club and I hadn’t had a chance to talk to at all.

“I can probably say I’ve spent at least half an hour with every single person here individually and that’s been great for me and for all of us.”