Thomas Berry won't soon be forgetting his first training session in maroon, blue and gold.
The Lions' No. 36 selection from the 2018 AFL Draft, and brother of Jarrod, was left on his haunches, gasping for breath and vomiting after a one-hour high-intensity workout in south Brisbane on Friday morning. While Brisbane's newest recruits arrived in town and met their teammates earlier in the week, this was the first time they had joined them on the track for a training run.
Berry, who grew up and played his junior football in Ballarat, said Queensland's scorching 28C heat proved to be too much for him on day one.
"Probably the hardest [training session] I've done so I had a bit of a spew. It wasn't that great," Berry joked with media. "We did an upper body circuit and then bikes. It's pretty tough.
"Obviously it's a lot different compared to Ballarat - it's icebergs there at the moment. It's very humid here and [I'm] still getting used to it.
"I always knew it was hot up here but I've only ever visited Jarrod in the winter, summer is next level."
There were scenes of jubilation in the Berry household when it was announced that Thomas would be joining brother Jarrod in Brisbane.
A proud moment for the big bro, @Jarrodberry5! :hugging_face: #AFLDraft pic.twitter.com/Ycln1jFDI7
— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) November 23, 2018
But as Thomas began to recollect the joy of last Friday afternoon, he was cut short with another bout of sickness.
"It's a dream come true to play with Jarrod and I'm pumped to be part of the club. I was sitting with the family [during the draft] and we were absolutely stoked, so ..." Berry said before again dropping to his knees and dry retching.
Meanwhile, fellow draftee Ely Smith, taken by the Lions with pick No. 21, was also left breathless but was a little more confident of adjusting to the humid Queensland climate.
"It was pretty tough, just getting used to the heat. It's a bit hard," Smith said. "But I reckon it will only be a couple of days and we'll be alright. It's just adjusting to all the training and lifestyle."