The North Queensland Fury have been forced to reschedule training sessions to deal with the intense Townsville heat.
Coach Ian Ferguson has had the team on the park between 10am and midday most days, but as summer approaches the impact of the harsh tropical sun on the players has forced a rethink.
“It is getting hotter, we knew this would happen,” Ferguson admitted.
“We’re actually thinking about changing the times to come in earlier in the morning … it’s just going to get hotter from now on in and the boys can’t train in this,” he said.
The Scot, still getting accustomed to the North Queensland heat himself, says it’s become a player health issue.
“There’s obviously heat exhaustion, dehydration and a few things to take in, fatigue, so we have to watch out for that.”
For the players themselves; sweating it out in above 30-degree temperatures is beginning to take its toll.
Thirty-three-year-old midfielder Ufuk Talay admitting conditions are tough on the training paddock.
“You do get exhausted quite quickly from the sun,” Talay said.
“We are sweating a lot, probably losing around two or three kilos a session, so that’s probably what hurts you.”
“We try to eat well and obviously get in all the fluids that we lost and I think our conditioner is looking after us well, he tells us what we need to take in after sessions.”
“We had a chat with the boys and the gaffer and I think we are going to move the sessions earlier in the morning to try and get out of the sun,” he said.
Talay will get the chance to line up against his former club for the first time this season when the Fury take on Sydney in Round 6 of the Hyundai A-league.
He was injured when the Fury went down swinging 3-2 against Sydney in the opening round.
Meantime, Fury youngster Osama Malik may make his club debut in Sydney.
Ferguson has named the 18-year-old in an extended squad while John Tambouras comes into the side for the suspended Paul Kohler.
