AS THE temperature drops and the season heads towards the business end, coaches are faced with the unenviable task of keeping their players motivated.

In Melbourne this week, the weather took a decided turn for the winter worse with grey clouds blanketing the city, periodic rain and the degrees struggling to remain in double digits.

For clubs that didn't play finals the year before, July signals almost nine months since the commencement of pre-season training.

That's a long time to spend with the same group of people doing similar drills and running up and down a football field, particularly when the weather worsens.

On Wednesday, Collingwood broke its mid-week training block with a refreshing visit to Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Albert Park for a spot of water training.

They escaped the winter chill and constant threat of icy rain, and headed indoors to the balmy atmosphere of the pool complex.

Defender Harry O'Brien was a fan of the move, and expressed his delight at taking the recovery session away from last week's base of the St Kilda Sea Baths.

"We spent the morning at MSAC. Good change up in environment to keep us mentally fresh," he tweeted afterwards.

Fellow backman Alan Toovey agreed, especially after it became evident the players were in for a touch of fun as well given the diving pool was set up for school holiday activities with a giant inflatable slide.

"Just to kind of get out of the club is good, it's a different environment, a bit of fun on the slide, things like that," he said.

"It makes things a bit more interesting when you do get to training, and when we do train later in the week, we'll feel a bit fresher."

Darren Jolly proved a natural on the slide with a variety of moves - including a head-first effort - while Dane Swan was one of a few who hogged the equipment from the range of holidaying kids.

Toovey wasn't sold, but avoided being pushed down by a teammate like a hesitant O'Brien was.

"I was going to get up there and I saw the first few guys do it and thought there was a bit of a line. I didn't want to wait for too long but it looked like it was pretty good fun," he said.

"There were a few kids watching and I think they were itching to get up when our guys got off, so I think they're going to take it over now."

The Magpies aren't the only club looking for a bit of mid-season training respite at the moment, with Carlton taking its players to the Peninsula Hot Springs in Rye last month.

"It is good this time of year just to start breaking things up," captain Chris Judd said at the time.

"Like any job, you get into a bit of a routine that can become a little bit stale. Just to change the scenery is refreshing."

The concept of shaking up training is not restricted to organising activities close to home, although Fremantle players indulged in a sponsor-orientated golf session on Wednesday, some Demons have spent time ahead of their bye this round in Warrnambool on a boxing camp and the Suns played paintball on the Gold Coast last week. 

Ahead of their round 14 clash with Suns at Metricon Stadium, the Western Bulldogs went north four days early (one day more than scheduled owing to ash cloud-related flight concerns) to get some sun.

Geelong will replicate that next week when it sends its players straight from Perth - after the Cats meet West Coast on Friday night at Patersons Stadium - across the country to the Gold Coast for a week ahead of their round 17 appointment with the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

The Cats recently applied the technique to players on an individual basis as well, having sent the suspended Joel Selwood and Travis Varcoe, who was need of a break, to Perth ahead of the West Coast game to train away from home.

Former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams was a big fan of breaking things up with untraditional activities such as paintball, and booked his players - and coaches - in for a shoot-'em-up session after round 12 last year when the Power were looking to halt a five-game losing streak.

They faced North Melbourne the weekend after the bonding session and still didn't win, but Jason Davenport said at the time the activity had been all about "lightening the mood". 

On Wednesday, there was nothing serious about the Pies' session; nor was there anything tactical that could be gleaned from leaping off a high diving board and down a blow-up slide.

But Toovey said the aim had been simple - to give their minds and bodies a break - and the objective was achieved.

"It's not a great place to be if no one's having fun," he said.

"The better the mood is and the harder everyone trains, it's better for everyone."