Hundreds of Collingwood Football Club and AFL fans flocked to the Port Douglas Sports Complex to watch the premiership favourites train in the winter warmth yesterday.

The famous black and white army of supporters of all ages showed their colours proudly as players were put through a testing two-hour training session.

A number of fans had stories to tell. Geneva Gilbert presented Alan Toovey his 2010 premiership medal at the MCG in front of nearly 100,000 fans, and was eager to be reunited with the popular backman.

Bev Warner, a Collingwood supporter of 70 years, was also in attendance as was a long lost uncle of power forward, Travis Cloke.

Watch local fans tell their stories (top left)

At the end of the training session, players took the time to sign autographs and have pictures taken with the fans, and were somewhat taken aback by the level of support thousands of kilometres from their home base.

While Collingwood's Director of Football Geoff Walsh was non-committal on a return to Port Douglas in 2013, the trip has perhaps paved the way for Port Douglas to become a mid-season destination for other clubs looking to escape the cold, for a few days at least.