Training 2023 pre-season

[caesar88]

On your last point. I've been ship wrecked on the same island ever since McDonald was drafted but it only works if Amartey can become more mobile.... and the jury has been deliberating for years now. He needs a good year and that injury is very problematic

Fingers crossed Wilson.

 

[anotherletdown]

Someone else mentioned it somewhere, I just couldn't find the post to give them credit.

Can't find the post either. Nickname is going to stick though, Syd from ice age

 

[rustycrate]

Can't find the post either. Nickname is going to stick though, Syd from ice age

Looks a lot like Syd!!

 

[RilesMacca]

New player profile photos are out on the website

 

[caesar88]

Hickey always looks like that mate who asks "DO I LOOK HIGH" in the line at a club

 

[rustycrate]

Boys doing a lot of running at training

 

[Zanerednwhite]

I don't think Amartey's involvement level in off-field causes is relevant. Every player is different and as Zane said above, we have no idea what they're really like.

The relevant question is how invested Amartey is in improving his game. Based on any and all reports I've seen over the years, he's always bringing up the rear in time trials. So OK, he's a key position player, they're more likely to struggle in a time trial than a wingman or a half back. But is he at least improving on his times? I've just gone back through every available time trial report I could find, and Amartey isn't once named as someone who has had any PBs over the journey. Hell, even Gould with his well-documented fitness issues had his name appear in one of them. Campbell, McLean, Bell and McDonald are others who have been mentioned at least once.

Maybe the club's media coverage just excluded Amartey, or maybe the time trials aren't the be all that ends all in regards to fitness levels. But it would check out in the way he plays and how Horse has treated him. For a tall who is supposed to boast mobility and athleticism, he still moves a little too much like a QE2 for my liking, and whilst his effort is unquestionable (he's a really solid forward 50 tackler in my view), if his pressure is going to be a selling point for him, then his inability to give repeat efforts (presumably from lack of fitness) is an issue. If you look at the likes of Reid, Wicks or Rowbottom, they don't appear to have elite levels of fitness, but they can go from contest to contest without being gassed after one big effort.

I think this is ultimately what's holding Amartey back from being able to have a bigger impact beyond cameo moments and put together more complete performances. And why I think Horse has shown more of a willingness to play McDonald or McLean for extended periods than he has Amartey. And maybe even why Beatson felt compelled to put the pressure on him publicly. Maybe the ability is there but the level of commitment to getting the best out of himself isn't. This is not to say that he's lazy or has an attitude problem. He may think he's giving his all without realising the level you really need to be at to make it.

With out trying to turn this into a Amartey thread, I just wanted to touch on a couple of things, even though I pretty much agree with everything you said.

Firstly time trials and PBs as a indicator of fitness, one with his injury history I imagine that would impact his ability to run a Pb. But regardless as Nick Davis said to me recently, "pbs aren't everything, I ran a Pb once and was still 3rd last"

I guess I'm very patient when it comes to the big kids, plus I take into consideration the covid years had to hamper development with there season being scraped, combined with his early years in the neafl which can be a false sense of security for players.

When i look at him in the vfl last year I see a natural fwd who is leaps and bounds better then what he was a few years back. Especially in his set shots, something that was so bad they actually moved him down back as he couldn't hit the side of a barn for a long while.

So for a 23 yr old tall with 13 senior games I'm far from stamping his card if anything I'm excited to see if he can get his body right more then anything.

 

[RedBloodBlackSwan]

I’m just keen to see one of our emerging forwards come out really competitively and looking to make their desired position their own.

I think MacDonald has the biggest chance of getting his swagger going, particularly if Buddy starts a little late.

While McLean and Amartey have both played some good games, I’ve never really felt like they have had the mindset that they not only belonged, but that they were going to tear the opposition a new one. I’d love to see that from one or both of them this year. Even if they are not playing super well, I just want to see that fierce desire to compete.

Let’s see.

 

[Zanerednwhite]

I’m just keen to see one of our emerging forwards come out really competitively and looking to make their desired position their own.

I think MacDonald has the biggest chance of getting his swagger going, particularly if Buddy starts a little late.

While McLean and Amartey have both played some good games, I’ve never really felt like they have had the mindset that they not only belonged, but that they were going to tear the opposition a new one. I’d love to see that from one or both of them this year. Even if they are not playing super well, I just want to see that fierce desire to compete.

Let’s see.

Don't get me wrong I'm all aboard the Logan train! Definitely his year to break out and is already miles in front of the other 2!

 

[WillHayward]

Interesting that on GF day we won clearances easily. Centre and stoppages. We won tackles but that's only because we never had the ball.

So maybe clearances are over rated?

We got smashed on contested posessions and they had double the amount of marks.

We got smashed on inside 50s.

 

[caesar88]

Interesting that on GF day we won clearances easily. Centre and stoppages. We won tackles but that's only because we never had the ball.

So maybe clearances are over rated?

We got smashed on contested posessions and they had double the amount of marks.

We got smashed on inside 50s.

I just think Geelong did their homework. We had a final at the G a few weeks earlier in which we played probably the best game we'd played all year as a reference point for how we might've approached the GF.

Two things Geelong probably would've seen:

1. Our two two-way mids in Mills & Rowbottom (The Firm) had the most metres gained of any players on the ground. They racked up over 1200m between the two of them, which is a ridiculous number for two players whose primary job is the tight and tough stuff. When you have two inside mids being so attacking like that, it just breaks the whole game open. Which benefitted...

2. Our wingmen and half-back flankers, who just thrived on the open space and free-flowing nature of that game (relative to usual finals.) Some of them had arguably their best games for the year that night - Lloyd with 25 disposals and 2 goals; Florent with 20 ridiculously classy touches; Stephens with 18 disposals and hitting the scoreboard with THAT goal.

So if I'm Geelong, I'm trying to avoid a repeat of that happening on the G. I'm trying to stop The Firm from getting effective territory and clearances from the inside of the contest like they did in the qualifying final. Get a big bloke like Blicavs to interrupt that game = Blicavs gets 23 disposals and a goal (plus 8 tackles (the most of any Geelong player, which shows the role he was in the midfield for). Far better game than either of The Firm had.

That then means that any clearances that we do win aren't going to dangerous positions for the wingmen and half-back flankers to capitalise on = Lloyd gets his lowest disposal tally of the year, whilst Gulden, Florent and Stephens all end up with under 15 disposals and zero impact.

All of the above = complete breakdown of the midfield, both inside and outside. If the actual system isn't working, then it won't matter what the stats are or who is playing well. The whole always needs to be greater than the sum of its parts.

That's just my take on it.

 

[WillHayward]

Boys doing a lot of running at training

Hayward is built like an Adonis nowadays

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Hayward is built like an Adonis nowadays

and Stevo has obviously flogged himself in the weights room. He looks like a beast.

 

[anotherletdown]

Hickey always looks like that mate who asks "DO I LOOK HIGH" in the line at a club

And the answer is always a resounding 'yes'

 

[RUNVS]

Have Sydney played any Intraclub games yet?

 

[Bonz]

Have Sydney played any Intraclub games yet?

There was one last Thursday, but haven't seen any reports on it.

 

[caesar88]

I thought it was interesting that Hayward mentioned Roberts as a standout performer over the pre-season. He's someone who hasn't been talked about much as so much focus has been on Sheldrick, so it'll be interesting to see if he can actually turn that into a meaningful impact during the season, or if it'll be another case of the pre-season hype curse.

 

[Punts]

Reckon they will want Francis in the defensive unit straight away

Paddy might have to play more one on one , was not allowed to intercept 2nd half year

 

[Bloods86]

Reckon they will want Francis in the defensive unit straight away

Paddy might have to play more one on one , was not allowed to intercept 2nd half year

Rampe getting dropped?

 

[Bonz]

Reckon they will want Francis in the defensive unit straight away

Paddy might have to play more one on one , was not allowed to intercept 2nd half year

Think one of Francis or Gould will be part of the team early in the year.

Paddy McCartin actually had a good 1 on 1 winning percentage last year surprisingly and should get better with experience.

 

[bedford]

Is Sheldrick becoming the boards new Gould

 

[Callipygian]

Reckon they will want Francis in the defensive unit straight away

Paddy might have to play more one on one , was not allowed to intercept 2nd half year

That's an interesting observation. I've read (haven't checked the stats myself) that as the season went by Paddy was allowed less latitude by opposition and made more accountable. If Paddy's being made more accountable perhaps it creates an opportunity for someone else to take more intercepts and that could be Francis. The tricky part, the really tricky part is, at whose expense? Maybe if Rampe starts slowing down it could be his - but can't see that happening Round 1 without injury. Could Fox be super unlucky again? Otherwise can't see who would leave to make room for Francis without injury.

As already confirmed, Sid is Caleb Mitchell, so named after Sid from Ice Age. That was told to me directly by staff at the club.

Finally, Melican is the resident Adonis. Perhaps Hayward can take the vacant Ganymede title? At least until Lewis vacates, potentially later this season...

 

[rustycrate]

Is Sheldrick becoming the boards new Gould

Sheldrick WILL play round one!!

 

[bedford]

Sheldrick WILL play round one!!

What about Will ?

 

[tombomb]

Papley on SEN track all afternoon (only worth tuning in if you are into horse racing).

But they did just ask him about preseason and who was the best performed and he said Caleb Mitchell, Konstanty and Dylan Stephens

15

Dylan Stephens

Age

23

Ht

184cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

3star

CL

0.0

1star

D

10.3

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.3

3star

M

3.0

3star

T

1.7

4star

CL

0.0

1star

.