This time last year, Michael Close was still hopeful of being drafted into the AFL system.

Fast forward 12 months and he’s in Arizona with his Brisbane Lions teammates as part of the Club’s high altitude training program.

The 196cm developing power forward is already regarded as one of the Lions’ best runners – and he further enhanced his reputation last week with a standout performance in the 2km time trial on the first day of pre-season training.

But training in Arizona is a far cry from what he’s used to in Brisbane – and Close got was exposed to the trying conditions on Friday when the team climbed Mt Humphreys.

“I heard it was a tough hike – around 12,500 feet I was told – and it was a good experience getting up the top,” Close told LIONS TV.

“I didn’t know how I was going to react to this altitude business because it’s my first time coming to Arizona.

“I thought I was fine when we got to the saddle, but in between the saddle and the summit, that’s when I started to feel a little bit dizzy.

“(The view at the top) was unbelievable – one of the best things I’ve seen in my life.”

Close said one of the biggest eye-openers for him so far was how quickly his body could recover in Flagstaff.

“Once I got to the bottom (of My Humphreys), and for the next few hours, I was really sore,” he said.

“Then, the next day, I was fine. I’m not sure what it is, but somehow you seem to recover better over here in Arizona.”

Close continued to see some phenomenal sights the following day when he joined some of his teammates in visiting one of the world’s seven wonders.

“About 20 of us decided to go to the Grand Canyon – which is about an hour and a half drive from Flagstaff,” Close said.

“That was an unbelievable sight…and we got some good photos there.”