Vice-captain Tom Scully has blitzed the first time trial of 2015 as GIANTS players were welcomed back from the Christmas break with a 3km test.

Scully led home the field of 37 players after six and three-quarter laps on the grass at Tom Wills Oval.

“It was a good start to the year,” Scully said.

“The boys have worked really hard up until Christmas, finished off with a really good Noosa camp, came out today and got some really good times so the boys should be pretty proud of their work and it sets us up for a big summer period.”

Forward Adam Tomlinson, who took out the first time trial of pre-season back in November, finished second, with Josh Kelly, Tom Bugg and Jake Barrett rounding out the top five.

It’s the first time this pre-season the players have run their 3km time trial together with the large group spilt in three and set off at 20-second intervals.

A notable addition to the group running the time trial was forward Jonny Patton who is rehabilitating from an ACL injury suffered in Round 21 last year.

The run was Scully’s first time trial of the off-season after he spent much of the pre-Christmas training block in the rehab group following knee surgery just after Round 18.

“I feel really good, obviously worked pretty hard with the rehab group and got myself into reasonable shape so I was reasonably happy with my run today and just to get a time trial under your belt gives you a bit more confidence,” he said.

“I’m just looking forward to getting into more training and games aren’t too far away now so it’s an exciting time of year.”

The players enjoyed a two week break over the Christmas and New Year period following an intense training camp in Noosa in mid-December. But Scully said the group were under no illusions that training would step up a gear on their return.

“We knew we had the 3km time trial straight up so the boys knew that in the back of their minds,” he said.

“It’s a good mental break to get away over Christmas and spend time with family and friends but you always know that’s there on day one and it’s always nice to get it out of the way. The boys ran really well and we’ll take that into the coming weeks.”

There’s now just 90 days to go until the GIANTS face St Kilda in Round 1 and Scully said the players can’t wait to get stuck into it.

“Up until Christmas we do a lot of fitness components, we’re still doing a lot of skills but now we get into the more game-specific stuff.

“The season’s not too far away now and I think the boys are really excited about that and we just can’t wait to get out there and start playing games.”

Top 10 - 3km Time Trial

1. Tom Scully
2. Adam Tomlinson
3. Josh Kelly
4. Tom Bugg
5. Jake Barrett
6. Will Hoskin-Elliott
7. Lachie Whitfield
8. Dylan Shiel
9. Rhys Palmer
10. Devon Smith & Toby Greene