footy, page-125

The Crows pre-season camp clearly had a bunch of amateurs running it. Very poorly managed, though nothing illegal. That aside, I feel elite sporstmen in a tough physical game should be able to handle mental challenges. There's a fine line - obviously the potential for serious harm must be avoided. But I'd like to think that elite sports clubs would help players develop mental toughness by testing their coping strategies. Mentally tough players will endure better than those who are not.

When a player is kicking for goal in a grand final and his opponent says something personal to niggle him, he should be able to maintain focus and not burst into tears. Mental toughness should be part of the training, imo.