Annabel has apparently swallowed yet another dictionary.......7 or 8 words rarely heard or read which had me hunting for my dictionary: cleaved gusto lassitude putative lissom ubiquity aberrant desultorySo Annabel must have gone back to training after missing some and here is a long report from Fb.
There was a bank of white cloud covering when all the coaches and Howe graced the arena at 9.15, but the sky was hardly glowering with shards of bright blue penetrating. Shortly thereafter, most of the remainder of the squad emerged.
The report from casualty reads as follows:
Clearly Josh Daicos was an in-patient today as he did not make an appearance, even to check out the weather which was favourable - the vista evident to fans, was alternately bathed in sunshine, or covered in slightly duller light.
Jakob Ryan participated in all of the early drills and became kicker for one which involved one on one duels. Later he undertook a lot of agility work with a trainer. He was wearing a bandage on his lower right leg.
Oleg spent the session running laps and doing some individual work with a trainer. Clearly he is nursing a niggle.
There were some near misses to alarm the reasonable number of fans who’d arrived to monitor training. About halfway through proceedings, IQ went down in a drill. He was assisted to his feet by teammates but was hobbling appreciably when upright. He started hopping and then was aided by a physio to leave the ground. When he was near the pavilion, he was explaining how the injury occurred and there was some speculation that it may be a PCL injury the way his knee banged into the turf. Fortunately, he re-entered the arena in time for the next major drill, after the whole group had been ushered inside, clearly for some instructions. He sported a square of tape just below the left knee. With the number of incidents occurring at training around the venues, his temporary absence was enough to give the onlookers pause.
Beau copped a heavy knock during stoppage training and remained on the ground before gingerly regaining his feet. Howe also was inconvenienced when knocked in a drill with the ‘big boys’ at the river end but resumed after a breather.
The SSP crew was in attendance again and striving hard as we move inexorably towards the decision deadline. There is some talk our call on these players may be imminent.
The long whistle for the commencement of training sounded at 9.25 and the first three groups reprised all recent sessions. The outer side was reserve for a high-octane warm-up which today featured aggressive jumping and hopping. In the middle there was tackling and evasion work taking place between two fluoro green poles. As it progressed there were two tacklers grappling with each target accompanied by a high volume as players screamed “Take him!” The coaches constantly asked them to reset. The third group at the John Cain Arena end honed their handball skills between yellow cones, with half the players donning yellow vests to create the competitive edge.
The groups rotated to provide exposure of the range of activities to all players.
This protracted phase of training was called warm-up fundamentals
As per usual, the whole squad reunited and sprinted between strategically placed cones, with the latter running tougher by virtue of the start being from a prostrate position which is clearly aimed at warming up the muscles even further and simulating match situations.
Therein followed an assembly of four groups with some undertaking tackling, some handballing, with those at the far end, mixing their skill base with some shots for goal. It is patently obvious that shooting for goal is one of the players’ favourite indulgence.
The players in the middle where there was a stoppage focus were likely suspects; Cox, Allan, JDG, Crisp and Pendles, with Cameron and Cox competing for the ruck. The smaller players would shark the hit outs and burst away with the ball.
At the JCA end there was an emphasis on spoiling, practising leading for the ball and competing in one-on-one duels.
The next stoppage group which rotated through the middle included: Begg and Steene who battled it out in the ruck, Sullivan, Nick, Pendles, Lippa, and Hustwaite who fought for the crumbs.
While this segment of training took place, the scoreboard illuminated the word FIGHT which appears to signify that everything has to be hotly contested, and the players put inordinate pressure on their opponents with even some latent aggression on display from WHE.
The combined groups all met in the centre and the whiteboard was held aloft for everyone’s perusal.
They then cleaved into two main groups with players at both ends paired with another – one had to be a forward, while one did the defending. They competed with gusto and there were some interesting match-ups, including: JDG/Mitch, Moore/Ash, Richards/Beau, Cox/Begg, WHE/Sofrinidis, Reef and Murphy. Ryan was the kicker to the river end.
Following this the players took a rehydration break some seemed overcome with lassitude as they were blowing hard and audibly gasping. Howe was down on his haunches, spraying jets of water over his head and saying “Suck it up!”
The players stood in a line facing McRae who showered praise on some, commending the efforts of individuals in training and imparting some pearls of wisdom for them to contemplate as they attacked their next bracket of drills.
The next was some mini-match play captained by six players who aren’t the putative leaders as three teams opposed each other and rotated. The alternative to the black or white tops were yellow, blue and green vests. It was here where IQ sustained his ‘false alarm’ injury.
This was willingly contested and profanities were borne on the wind as players battled for supremacy. When IQ walked from the ground, he showed the physio how the mishap occurred with his arms splayed explaining how he was pushing and then …
The scores were called by the coach overseeing each ‘match’ and very long whistle brought about the cessation of this energetic display.
Three groups again assembled with more focus on stoppage play in the middle and again the likely participants were: Beau, Crisp, Fin, Sidey, Allan Nick, Carmichael, Mitch and Hustwaite, w3ith Cox doing the bulk of the rucking. These stoppage set-ups appear to offer a preview of how we will be setting up once things get super serious.
At either end, the taller players competed for marks in packs with some occasional leading. There was then some half ground ball movement featuring overlapping groups.
The frequent wardrobe changes much to the chagrin of onlookers rendered identifying all the players at given moments an occupation fraught with vexation and laced with a liberal dose of mystery. Not only did they frequently change tops, from black to white, but they constantly mixed up the numbers on their backs.
Thereafter there was match simulation. Again the centre square configuration offered clues to our plans for the season but it was interesting to see Carmichael opposed to Sidey on a wing.
Cox rucked against Steene and Begg while it was instructive to see the likes of Fin and Allan getting so much practice in the middle, working with seasoned extractors like Mitch.
Random observations of players:
Q – it was great to see him rise – Lazarus like to move freely in the match simulation and play his defensive role with aplomb.
TJ – such a lissom athlete who glides over the turf and in the drills, he shimmied his way around targets. He is a paragon of elusiveness and in the match play he got the ball and used it with precision.
Nick – again shone in the match play, dobbing a long goal and impressing with his ubiquity and utility. If his popularity index was tested on the footy fan Stock Exchange, he would be more highly rated than most, with perhaps only Jamie at Collingwood threatening his top dog mantle.
Eyre – again looked solid and he nearly nailed a specci at the river end.
Sullivan – looks some chance of being listed and he’s clearly earmarked for the Adams role of being the high forward – the conduit between the middle and forwards, if he gets the gig.
Sofrinidis – thought he did all right in a spirited one on one duel with WHE in the marking and leading duels but he was relatively inconspicuous in the match simulation.
Begg – has to be rated as one of the big improvers this off-season. He is looking physically robust, is marking well but really showing out in rucking contests whereby he wins taps, some very accurately palmed, and on some occasions he follows his work up to impact the next contest.
Hill – moving like a treat, and manifesting that innate ability to know where the goals are but also execute well by foot.
Allan – while he fumbled one ball, his recovery was good and he continues to be prominent in the way he attacks drills and is involved in the match play.
Cameron – looks fitter than when he returned from injury halfway through last season. He’s manoeuvring his body well and his hands are vice-like.
Mitch – he has to be commended for how often he positions himself well to receive or hunt the ball, his footy nous is top notch.
Pendles and Sidey – evergreens who continue to approach training so professionally in their twilight years and show youngsters how to win the ball and dodge opponents.
Steene – takes the odd good grab and is learning the caper in the ruck but showing promise.
Checkers was pleasing to see him return to the fray and fit in seamlessly; he dobbed a major and was his customary unflustered presence.
Lippa – is unobtrusively show3ing that maybe some of his indifferent form last year may have been aberrant. He looks super fit and is running tirelessly, linking up with others and often kicking crisply.
After match simulation, it seemed to be a bit of players’ choice as they sauntered in desultory fashion to various sectors of the ground. Usually at this point, captain and coach have a lengthy conversation which perhaps is debrief of the morning’s proceedings.
I reckon Annabel would kick a$$ at Scrabble