Adelaide will change up their usual pre-season routine, with the team heading to Queensland next week for their first training camp in seven years.

Coach Don Pyke believes the camp will provide the close-knit playing group with an opportunity to strengthen their bond as they strive for further improvement.

“We have an opportunity to head to the Gold Coast and do some intense training and do some team bonding stuff as well, which is important,” he said.

“Equally as important is the fact that we go to a different environment, we spend a lot of time inside these four walls and training here.

 “It’s been seven years since we’ve been on a camp as a group, so the opportunity to go away and spend some really intense time with each other, it’s an opportunity for them (the players) to spend some quality time with their teammates.

“It comes at a good time in the program to break it up, and then we’ll have about three weeks before the JLT (Community Series), so I think it’s ideally timed for our guys.”

Pyke spoke to the media at West Lakes on Friday after extending his contract with the Club until the end of 2021, a process he described as a straightforward one.

“It was a really easy decision to be honest,” he said.

“I don’t have any issue getting out of bed in the morning and coming into work, because I’ve got a really engaged group of young men who are excited about what they’re able to do.”

Pyke took time to thank loyal Crows fans for the positive messages he’d received, both prior to and following the announcement.

“Our supporter base has been outstanding,” he said.

“The amount of letters I’ve received of support and so forth, supporting me and the team, I’m truly appreciative of the support we have in the town.”