Coach Brenton Sanderson believes an emphasis on strength training this pre-season will allow the bigger-bodied Crows to play a ‘crash, bang’ style of game in 2012.

In his first pre-season as coach of Adelaide, Sanderson has introduced boxing, grappling and more contested drills to the Club's training program.

The physical approach is already starting to pay off, with lean-bodied players David Mackay (2.3kg), Rick Henderson (2.4kg), Brodie Smith (2.5kg) and Rory Sloane (3.5kg) all adding muscle mass since the end of last season.

Sanderson said the increased size of the younger players in particular was noticeable.

“We’ve ordered all our jumpers in for next season and most of them don’t fit now,” Sanderson said after training on Thursday.

“The boys are bigger than they were last season. Whether that makes you a better player (I don’t know), but they’ve got the confidence because they’ve got the bigger and stronger bodies and that will enable us to play that sort of crash, bang style that we’re looking for.

“Brodie Smith’s mum (Tracey), who works here at the Club, doesn’t recognise him on the track.

“She came out to watch training and said, ‘I can’t find my son’ and then he ran straight past her.

“Our supporters and members will notice a stronger and more developed side, hopefully, in 2012.”

The players were given introductory boxing lessons at the start of the pre-season and have since progressed to weekly sparring sessions.

Sanderson said the boxing and grappling training was designed to build the players’ resilience.

“We’re not trying to become better boxer or better wrestlers,” he said.

“We’re just trying to release a bit of that inner aggression and we’ve certainly seen that.

“We’ve probably had to pull the players back a bit because they players have really eaten it up and almost been too aggressive.

“Some guys have been fantastic at dishing (the hits) out, but I like the guys who get hit and come back for more.

“We’ve got some players, who can’t box and have copped a few whacks, but they just keep coming back.

“I think that’s something that will come out of our culture, that if you get hit you just get back up.”

The team completed two five-minute runs to kick off the Club’s last training session of 2011.

The drill requires players to run as far as possible in a five-minute time frame.

They then have an eight-minute break before repeating the test.

Emerging midfielder Patrick Dangerfield edged out supremely fit skipper Nathan van Berlo and impressive rookie Tim McIntyre to win the first run.

Van Berlo backed up to win the second run ahead of McIntyre and best and fairest winner Scott Thompson.

An explosive ball winner, Dangerfield isn’t renowned for his long-distance running, but Sanderson said the 21-year-old had worked hard to improve his endurance over the break.

“Paddy is an incredible athlete,” Sanderson said.

“As you saw today, van Berlo, Dangerfield and Tim McIntyre were the ones up the front.

“McIntyre has come in as a rookie and made a real strong example today of how bad he wants it.

“I love those hungry dogs, who haven’t been picked up (as 18-year-olds in the draft).

“He blew them away in the running and then trained the house down as well.

“I love that in those young kids, the rookies and the ones who want to push up and succeed.”

The players will break for Christmas on Friday, with the full squad not required back at West Lakes until January, 9.

Sanderson said the team was well placed at the halfway mark of the pre-season.

“I sort of cringe when I hear other clubs, who have finished outside of the top eight the season before, talk about reaching personal bests and that sort of stuff, but we’re quietly confident we’re in a spot that we thought we’d be,” he said.

 “I’ve been really pleased with their dedication to getting the best out of themselves and so far they haven’t really put a foot wrong.

“I wish there wasn’t a Christmas break because I’d like to keep that momentum rolling along.”