Jackson Irvine is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to take the Socceroos to next year's World Cup, undergoing blood tests in clubland in a bid to improve his performance levels and retain his place at the heart of Tony Popovic's midfield.
The 32-year-old revealed ahead of Thursday's World Cup qualifier against Indonesia in Sydney how Popovic's appointment as head coach last year prompted him to rethink his approach to football.
Irvine, a veteran of 72 Australia caps, said that Popovic had brought a "new intensity and energy" to the Socceroos' set-up since he replaced Graham Arnold last year.
Since stepping into the top job, Popovic has overhauled his backroom team and appointed Julie Meek, a renowned sports dietician as part of his support staff.
Players are now subject to stronger dietary standards and Irvine has found Meek's input particularly useful on the way to playing every minute of St. Pauli's German Bundesliga campaign.
"I've been working with Julie and we did some blood tests at my club to look at certain levels of things," Irvine said.
"I've tried to adapt things into my life and game to make myself better as well.
"You can't stand still in football, there's always young guys performing at the top that are ready to come in.
"I've been a part of this team a long time, but if you want to remain part of it you've got to be able to adapt and change and improve."
Irvine has also noticed an upturn in dialogue between international camps as Popovic seeks to finetune his team's tactical knowledge.
Popovic has used a back three and inverted wingers in his four games in charge of the Socceroos thus far, which have yielded three draws and one win.
Australia sit second and are hanging on to the final automatic place in their group by a solitary point.
"That's another level up to try to raise standards all the time," Irvine said.
"A big part of it is making sure that when we come into camp, it's not like it takes you one or two days to flick back into that mode. It's about being ready for that."
While the changes may have come as a shock to some Socceroos, recalled fullback Jason Davidson knows Popovic's methods all too well.
Davidson was a surprise inclusion when Popovic named his squad last week for the Indonesia clash and the away qualifier against China on March 25.
But the 33-year-old defender, now with Greek top flight side Panserraikos, has spent extensive time under Popovic's guidance at both Melbourne Victory and Perth Glory in the A-League Men.
"His attention to detail is nothing like I've ever had," Davidson said.
"He wants discipline and when this is your job and your body is your tool, you need to maximise everything possible.
"One per cent here, one per cent there - it all adds up.
"Meals, lollies, sugar, sleeping, anything - he's brought in people that are experts in their field - to make sure that he can help the players."
