Campbell Set To Attempt The Unexpected
The Age
Saturday March 29, 2008
How does a big man prepare to face one even bigger? With a spa, Robert Campbell tells Steve Butler.
HAWTHORN ruckman Robert Campbell has turned to Australia's oldest health retreat to help him deal with the paranoia associated with preparing to face Fremantle man mountain Aaron Sandilands at Subiaco Oval tonight. Campbell said that visiting the Gold Coast's Camp Eden health resort now meant he was literally able to become a sleeping giant in the week leading up to confronting one who will be very much awake. Camp Eden, which is nestled in 118 hectares of tropical rainforest, claims to "provide you with the inspiration, self-knowledge and practical application to turn your intentions into a lasting reality, which will empower and enhance you".At 199 centimetres and 107.5 kilograms, Campbell is dwarfed by few AFL opponents. But he admitted this week that Sandilands' comparative 211 centimetres and 125 kilograms had been the past cause of some serious insomnia. Now Camp Eden, where he spent five solitary days earlier this month, had turned his thinking around and after also spending Thursday afternoon studying video footage of the big Docker, he believed he was primed to tame the beast."Every time you came up against him you'd always have a few sleepless nights and a few nervous moments going through the video," Campbell said. "But now I think he's just like us and you go into the game playing to your strengths and try and beat him that way."Going to Camp Eden has also given me great techniques for relaxation and meditation."You think footy's the be-all-and-end-all and then you meet people who are struggling in a lot of other areas. "It gives you a good appreciation for the opportunity in life to be able to play this game rather than worrying about the relatively insignificant things like whether you're too hydrated or not."I get a lot from it . . . and I've got to try and get some sleep somehow."Campbell said taking Sandilands on was based on producing the unexpected."He's a formidable opponent and just when you think you're not going too bad and might have him out of position, he's just so big and those big arms seem to get his hand to the ball," he said."But it's more about variation and not just doing the same thing every time so he can get hold of you in certain ways. One time you jump and next time you try and wrestle him - you've got to try and keep him thinking and not just let him have it the way he wants it." The towering 25-year-old was forced into a defensive role against Demons skipper David Neitz during that match last week after Trent Croad suffered a wrist injury that will keep him out for more than a month. He said he "got lost" at times against Neitz, so called on former St Kilda defender and Richmond coach Danny Frawley for tips this week in case he had to battle the attacking might of Matthew Pavlich.
© 2008 The Age
