Essendon are set to join the growing wave of AFL clubs doing pre-season training camps at altitude in the United States.

Bombers skipper Jobe Watson said on Tuesday he would be among a select group of players the club planned to send to the US to experiment with the concept this off-season.

“We might be doing a trial camp over in the (United) States,” Watson told reporters.

“For a small group, we haven’t done any sort of altitude training before, so we might be sending a group over there to trial it.

“I’ll go and I think the leadership group and a couple of the midfielders and see what it’s like.

“We haven’t done anything like that before so we’ll wait and see.”

The Bombers have said they plan to tinker with their fitness program after their season was severely hampered by a succession of players falling victim to soft-tissue injuries.

Collingwood started the trend of overseas altitude training camps with their regular trips to Arizona.

Brisbane and Gold Coast have followed the Magpies’ lead in sending their players to Arizona, while Carlton plan to follow the same path under newly-installed ex-Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse.

North Melbourne use Utah for their off-season altitude training base.