2016 Pre-Season (All news, press conferences, training reports, Photos)

[LIONS08]

He wasn't great last year either IIRC. Just doesn't seem to suit him and his strengths

He was far from worst on though. Hardly got a run and when he was on, with Hodge, Mitchell, Girchall and Roughy only passing to each other it made it bloody tough for him. There was one wayward handball which he worked hard for and got back. Very stiff to be given the worst rating!! Nick Smith was way more vonorable out there!

 

[BrizzyBandit]

He was far from worst on though. Hardly got a run and when he was on, with Hodge, Mitchell, Girchall and Roughy only passing to each other it made it bloody tough for him. There was one wayward handball which he worked hard for and got back. Very stiff to be given the worst rating!! Nick Smith was way more vonorable out there!

Rocky was far from the worst!!! Unbelievable.
He actually had a couple of nice moments... He was also one of the very few that put the ball on the chest of a leading forward.

 

[LIONS08]

Rocky was far from the worst!!! Unbelievable.
He actually had a couple of nice moments... He was also one of the very few that put the ball on the chest of a leading forward.

couldnt agree more. While Hodge and Mitchell had a lot of it, they turned it over a lot and Mitchell really struggled to kick it a decent distance!

 

[MacMum]

Replay tonight Fox Footy 7.30

 

[Toffee Lion]

So I'm assuming Rocky wasn't given much of a chance like last year?

 

[SRH17]

couldnt agree more. While Hodge and Mitchell had a lot of it, they turned it over a lot and Mitchell really struggled to kick it a decent distance!

Mitchell couldn't kick over a jam tin last night

 

[patfullfankezz]

Boss let me off early so I'm watching the boys on the oval Can't see too much though, they're up the other end andI'm not getting sunburn again. Can hear them pretty well though!

 

[patfullfankezz]

Gary-O liberal with his f-bombs O_O

 

[whizkizz]

Apparently N Robbo won the 3km time trial, ahead of Paps, Bell and Bastinac.

Source: Lions Twitter

 

[Milux]

Wow bastinac up there with bell paps robertson.

 

[JasRulz63]

Wow bastinac up there with bell paps robertson.

Quick Google says he was second in North's time trial last year to Sam Gibson. Tested well when he was drafted too.

 

[Milux]

Quick Google says he was second in North's time trial last year to Sam Gibson. Tested well when he was drafted too.

Didnt think he had the endurance side of things like that. So im a little surprised. Good to see though.

 

[Fatcat08]

Jansen looked like he came in 5th from the pictures. While I know that Bell and Bastinac are noted endurance runners its always a little alarming when two guys come straight in and finish 3rd, 4th and 5th. I know there's a difference between running a 3km time trial vs gut running in a game as well but you can't help but be a little disappointed in our some of our existing group.

 

[Fatcat08]

Didnt think he had the endurance side of things like that. So im a little surprised. Good to see though.

Came second in the 3km time trial at the combine in 2009 with a 10:03. Would have placed him top 5 this year.

 

[patfullfankezz]

The downside of being the one who goes to a technically "closed" session is I'm not sure how much to share.

 

[a mayes ing]

Jansen looked like he came in 5th from the pictures. While I know that Bell and Bastinac are noted endurance runners its always a little alarming when two guys come straight in and finish 3rd, 4th and 5th. I know there's a difference between running a 3km time trial vs gut running in a game as well but you can't help but be a little disappointed in our some of our existing group.

Same thing happened last pre-season where the young guys were beating the experienced ones. Some posters were saying that its just the older players knowing what to do to get through the pre-season, not to go hell for leather right at the start.

Still don't like the fact that the young guys and new people beating the older ones. It shouldn't be up to them to set the standards.

 

[Wounded Lion]

Jansen looked like he came in 5th from the pictures. While I know that Bell and Bastinac are noted endurance runners its always a little alarming when two guys come straight in and finish 3rd, 4th and 5th. I know there's a difference between running a 3km time trial vs gut running in a game as well but you can't help but be a little disappointed in our some of our existing group.

Can look at this glass half full or half empty. Perhaps Leppa wanted to target players who already had strong tanks to ensure they can implement our game plan under heavy fatigue, which makes sense given the average age of our list.

Regardless, it is great that they have all finished in the top five, it sets an external benchmark for our new fitness staff to work with.

 

[Kevvo]

Same thing happened last pre-season where the young guys were beating the experienced ones. Some posters were saying that its just the older players knowing what to do to get through the pre-season, not to go hell for leather right at the start.

Still don't like the fact that the young guys and new people beating the older ones. It shouldn't be up to them to set the standards.

While I agree with this to a point, I think the success of our recruits in time trials has a lot to do with our recruiting targets over the last couple of years.

Paps, Robbo, Bell and Bastinac (and Close) were all drafted or recruited with reputations as excellent runners. Paps is still in the young group, but he's also a fourth year player whose running is a key feature of his game. It's not like Beams and Christensen set the time trial ablaze.

You're right that senior players should set the standards. On the other hand, good runners are likely to win running trials. It's a long pre-season and this is just one hallmark of how it's going.

 

[Wounded Lion]

We shouldn't be too concerned with the results.

You can keep running a solid 3km time trial but if you can't hit a target from 25 metres, your team is going to finish bottom.

 

[BuntonRules]

Jansen looked like he came in 5th from the pictures. While I know that Bell and Bastinac are noted endurance runners its always a little alarming when two guys come straight in and finish 3rd, 4th and 5th. I know there's a difference between running a 3km time trial vs gut running in a game as well but you can't help but be a little disappointed in our some of our existing group.

Was it a 3 legged race?

 

[dlanod]

its always a little alarming when two guys come straight in and finish 3rd, 4th and 5th.

I agree. Two guys coming in and finishing in three different positions screams of favouritism by the coaching staff!

 

[Len S]

The downside of being the one who goes to a technically "closed" session is I'm not sure how much to share.

Thanks for the observations...wonder how many can break 52 on grass for the 400 ?

 

[Toffee Lion]

I wouldn't be concerned with a couple of new guys coming in and doing well.

They have a point to prove and it shows the other players that they need to work harder, which is healthy.

 

[L Dizz]

Jansen looked like he came in 5th from the pictures.

From the pictures it also shows they didn't all start at the same time (Robbo and Paps definitely in the second group), so it might not be safe to assume Jansen came 5th because he crosses the line just behind Paps (although he may well have)

 

[jjami15]

Papa and Robbo have shown that they are good runners over that distance when they first came to the club. I would be more concerned that the majority of players did PB's over the summer to show an upward trend in their fitness.