Speaking to kangaroos.com.au, he says having the right attitude goes a long way to helping the side better its eighth place finish of last season.
“I’m really freshened up and last season, playing a game of footy in the finals, gave us a taste of where we want to be as a footy club,” Ziebell said.
“I think that it’s made me more hungry, and I’m sure it’s made everyone else hungry to get back there. We understand that we’ve got a lot of improvement and a lot of hard work ahead of us, so the sooner we get stuck into it, the better off we’re going to be.
“That’s the mentality all the boys are bringing to this pre-season.”
The 21-year old is entering his fifth pre-season and is looking forward to what lies ahead.
“It’s all about hard work. Nothing’s easy in the preseason and that’s the way it should be,” Ziebell said.
“We have to make sure everything we do, we do to the best of our ability and we improve in every session. There’s always going to be days where you’re not feeling great and you’re a bit flat, but on those days you can still improve. Every time you walk out onto the track is a chance to improve.
“If all our guys have that mentality and do all they possibly can to get better, I’m sure as a side, we’ll get better as well.”
While Ziebell says ‘switching on’ now is crucial, he also acknowledges the need for some down time and hopes all the players were able to get away from footy over the break.
“It’s important to get away and have a good break and I think just about all the boys have gone and done that.
“It’s never long enough, but six weeks is a good break if you think about it in terms of a normal job. There are people out there who only get four weeks or can’t even afford to take holidays all year, so in a sense we’re lucky.
“We get to come back to 40 or so best mates and start our job again, so it’s a great life we’re living and we really enjoy it.”
Despite wet, cold and windy conditions greeting players on their second day back, Ziebell found a way to enjoy it.
“It was actually quite good today, considering our first day back on Tuesday was in 30 degree heat,” Ziebell explained.
“We got spanked and all felt the wrath of the sun and the fitness staff that’s for sure. Today we were all happy because it was a bit chilly and it’s always easier to get warm than it is to get cool. It was challenging conditions but I think the boys handled it pretty well.
“As challenging as the conditions were, I actually enjoy training in the wet because it makes it a bit easier for me because I’m a bit slower than everyone else and it bring everyone down to my pace,” he said with a smile.
