Peninsula Hot Springs at Rye on Melbourne's Mornington Peninsula offers everything for the sensitive new-age AFL footballer.

The Quandong hair massage might be lost on Carlton captain Chris Judd, but the thermal mineral pools and array of spa treatments, massages and facials are perfect for the jaded player trying to break up the mid-season doldrums.

And not a beer keg in sight.

AFL teams used to break up the weekly grind by surprising the players with a good old-fashioned "bonding session".

A day after Judd led Carlton to a solid win over Sydney, he and his team-mates spent half a day at the spa centre.

Asked how old-time footballers might view the excursion, Judd noted: "probably much the same things they say about us when they see us out there getting the pampering we get these days.

"The game has certainly changed a lot and yeah, we get looked after a lot better than the old blokes did."

Judd sheeted the blame entirely onto team-mate Michael Jamison.

"We've had a go up in the hot springs, it was very nice, very relaxing," Judd said.

"It's just to break it (post-game recovery up) - 'Jamo' called it, his book club are having their annual retreat down here.

"We just came up here, talked about our feelings and jumped in the hot pool - it's been magic."

Asked what sort of literature might be on the Jamison book club menu, Judd smiled and said:

"Very intellectual - I think they're reading the ... I don't know what they're reading, some book."

More seriously, Judd said the trip made a nice break from the normal Monday morning routine of hot-cold plunge pools and other recovery routines at the club.

"It is good this time of year just to start breaking things up," he said.

"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."

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