Training 2024 Pre-Season

[Imtellingya]

Training Report 15/01/2024

• Caminiti, Marshall, Crouch, Jones & Hayes in rehab group.
• King took part with the main group for the first half of the session (wearing a fluro hat obviously meaning 'no contact'), but then joined the rehab group when the match sim drills started.
• There was one handball drill at the beginning which was carried out in very high intensity and lots of voice. It feels like training has ramped up now that the season is approaching.
• Stocker was very instructional & vocal, often providing feedback to the younger guys, with Shoenmakers in particular bearing the brunt of some of his 'feedback'. A couple of times he yelled out to him to 'work it out' in reference to his positioning against his opponent.
• Darcy Wilson has serious speed and finesse. At one point he broke out of congestion with ease, burning off his opponent. He also has great kicking skills hitting targets on the chest at will. He knows when to pull the kick so as not to over hit it. Lock him in for round 1.
• Pou not training today, and I saw him walking back from the pool.
• Mini match sim made up of 2 lots of 10 Vs 10 on opposite wings. There were also AFL umpires umpiring these mini match sim games. At one point RTB stopped the drill and yelled something out to the 4 groups. I didn't quite hear what it was but I suspect he wasn't happy with the standard. He was very vocal during the match sim, providing lots of feedback and instruction, and pulled up quite a few players for taking the wrong option.
• Then moved to full ground match sim (18 v 18). Interestingly Isaac Keeler played in the backline, with Heath v Campbell in the ruck. (From what i've seen, I think Heath is better suited as a forward than ruck at this stage of his career).
• Hill, Windy, Henry & Sharman very prominent during the match sim, with Henry in particular receiving lots of praise from RTB during one passage of play. (very audible)
• Liam O'Connell has pretty good kicking skills for someone new to the game. A good size - one to watch.
• Allison trained well and has impressed over the pre-season. He could easily play on the wing as he has excellent endurance (could be the new Mason Wood) as he would be a very difficult match up for most wingmen with him being 195cm with the ability to run up down the wings all day long.
• Keeler really needs to work on his physical strength (out bodied in pretty much every one on one contest), as well as his endurance. He was constantly hunched over gasping for air, and struggled with repeat efforts.
• We will have a very powerful midfield this year with the likes of Steele, Crouch, Ross, Dow, Clarke, Jones, Windy & even Owens running through there occasionally, with lots of outside speed. No doubt Liam Henry was recruited to help wiht our outside speed.
• Of our draftees, I think Wilson & Shoenmakers are the two most likely to play this season whilst the others will need more development. Collard has all the tricks but does not have an AFL body yet. I also think he lacks intensity. He no doubt has x - factor, but I'm not sure he's quite ready.
• During one drill, Skunk chased down Hugo Garcia with a bone crunching tackle from behind, and pretty much all 40 players erupted in cheers. I heard RTB yell out, "Hugo, welcome to the AFL".
• Mitch Owens was almost unstoppable in the one on one marking contests. He pushed opponents off the ball with ease. (I can see why David King got excited).
• There are quite few top-ups training with us (I suspect from the Zebras) and none of them look out of place.

Did Allison actually touch the ball? He looks the part, is a good size and athletic and can take a strong mark, but spends most of his time running around and pointing. He doesn’t appear to have any game sense at all. I have followed him since we drafted him and would love to see him develop into a player but I still have my doubts.

 

[Sunshine Sainter]

Well done to the track watchers, seems from afar possibly the best training observations reports group of the pre-season (challenge to all others moving forward). Thanks, your reports do add info, colour and much needed in the football pre-season drip feed.

Can see how stressful it is in Melbourne with trying to work out exact times of when training sessions will be on. When the Saints were based at Noosa and trained at Maroochydore, we knew to go to training when the sun was clearing the mango tree. Can see that the Victorian system still has a ways to go to catch up to what we have here in Qld.

 

[True Believer]

Well done to the track watchers, seems from afar possibly the best training observations reports group of the pre-season (challenge to all others moving forward). Thanks, your reports do add info, colour and much needed in the football pre-season drip feed.

Can see how stressful it is in Melbourne with trying to work out exact times of when training sessions will be on. When the Saints were based at Noosa and trained at Maroochydore, we knew to go to training when the sun was clearing the mango tree. Can see that the Victorian system still has a ways to go to catch up to what we have here in Qld.

If you PM me your address, we can arrange for a sundial to be shipped up to you........

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

Some footage from today's session

Love your work Jake!

 

[Saintos The ITK]

My first training report. And first session I’ve been to in maybe 6 years!


-The reports of 9:45 training were incorrect. Training instead commenced at 9:47!

-it was warm! Felt hotter than the temperature. Sun had some bite!

-Keeler the most noticeably different looking player. Looks slim! Has lost a lot of the puppy fat. Moved nicely. Still looked puffed out a lot and lost his zip later in the session.
Side note - I saw a bit of him in the VFL and noticed he had a tendency to ‘pop up’ and influence/kick goals early in games and early in quarters, then faded away. He HAS something, but isn’t an athlete (yet). If he can get fit, he will be an AFL player. I assume this was the Crows’ hesitancy when he was an NGV player.

-Crouch and Jones just running laps

-Max King in the green cap. Joined some drills. Was often the outnumbered defensive player in a drill, and used his wingspan and intercepted 3 times. Nobody else managed this. Timed his interceptions well. Bugger through the legs and moving impeccably. Was then moved to the rehab group and did some smaller drills and running, alongside Marshall, Caminiti and someone else.

-AFL umpires there for match sim. Corey Enright had a long chat with them. Asked how the umpires’ pre season training was going. When they asked about ours, Entight said much better than last year. Biggest difference is player availability, and it’s week 2 of training and the fitness base is already there so they can do more footy stuff.
Told the umpires the focus of the day is inside 50 entries.

- Philipou unfortunately had a small achilles issue last Friday and didn’t train today. He did some swimming then was on the bike. Won’t hurt to hold him back. No risks with an Achilles at his age! Hopefully just minor soreness.

-Collard has some zip and agility, got some reactions from the players with a few blind turns in a simple handball/pressure drill

-Higgins has told people he had lost 5-6 kilos hoping to improve running (looked the same to me!)

-The boys were NOTICEABLY loud. Big change from when I used to get down more frequently around 6 years ago. Lots of feedback.

-Seb Ross very scrappy and it stood out

- Wilson moved well and was hitting targets every time in an outnumber, Chinese checker sort of drill where the focus is to get the outlet and deliver cleanly inside 50

-Van Es was sloppy with the ball

-Garcia surprised me. Fit and quick off the mark, one of the best movers on the team. Something about him I really liked!!


- Ross Lyon just stood back early, but when the match sun started he was really heavily involved. He stopped the whole drill at one point and yelled to all players: “Listen up - stand the mark ******* properly, ok? It’s 50 and it’s a bad habit.”
Otherwise, he would call individual players over to deliver one on one feedback.

-they did some smaller match sim, 10 v 10 or thereabouts, half the field each. So around 40 players overall. Great numbers on the track. Seemed to be the 1s on the far side and 2s/development players on the near side. There were a few boys I couldn’t tell who they were so I reckon a few Sandy boys might’ve joined. It was high intensity from here on.


-Ross again stopped the drill and got them into individual groups. Cracked it at how long it took them to get back to their groups and yelled LOUDLY for them to jog in. Real suburban footy stuff. And boy did they respond.

-They moved into a full ground match sim, high intensity. Coaches would Deliberately hold up the ball at stoppages to allow the players to scream at each other RE positioning. They’d sometimes move the ball to a particular spot to challenge the players to get into the right positions quickly. The players were loud and demanding. Love to see it.

-Owens was the deepest forward in match sim at times. He looks like an absolute specimen.

-Butler was on the bike for about 2 hours straight.

-Session wrapped up after around 2 hours and they commenced their warm down

Great write up mate.

 

[Saintos The ITK]

What time is the next training session taking into consideration I live in northern Queensland and we don't have daylight saving and I probably won't be able to get there anyhow?

 

[Tyrian Lonestar]

What time is the next training session taking into consideration I live in northern Queensland and we don't have daylight saving and I probably won't be able to get there anyhow?

9:47am AEDT this Wednesday & Friday..... roughly

 

[Saintos The ITK]

9:47am AEDT this Wednesday & Friday..... roughly

Cheers, microwave timer set.

 

[Joffaboy]

I remember being shocked at how s**t they were at training under Richo. I remember going to a session at Seaford and it was like watching the under 7s in quality. Looked so amateur and the line coaches looked like they were dicking around trying to be the cool teacher. Compared to the previous Lyon era it was chalk and cheese.

Bonner has been a pretty solid player at Port. Not a bad free hit at a solid best 22 player from a good side. Wouldn't be surprised if he becomes one of those Sean Dempster type of pick ups where he just walks into the best side.

Got to a few Seaford and then a lot of Ratten training sessions. Must admit Rattens were lethargic (cant remember Richo's). Maybe they were so bad, I thought that was the norm.

Last preseason, the contrast was stark. I even posted that I was hoping it wasn't rose coloured glasses with Lyon back, but many trackwatchers backed up what I thought.

Since then, every training session I have seen have been highly organised, slick, discipilined, balanced, timed, and adhered to. When a coach says jump the players say 'how high?'.

The discipline and ridged application of the training programs have led to disciplined players. Example, between drills the players will all grab balls and shoot for goal. One session I saw Windhager line up to shoot started to run in, the coach called them in, instead of going through with the shot, dropped the ball and ran in with everyone else.

What Lyon and his coaches have instilled in the players is basically train as you play with intensity. I like how players such as Henry and Dow have come in and embraced this process. Henry in particular was my BoG preseason. Enthusiastic, loud, seemingly very happy, but also very intense at every session.

gringo, try ad get top at least one training session, you will be pretty impressed. Actually if it is possible, everyone down to training and you will see we aren't looking through an optimistic lens.

 

[Ads734]

IDK why but I have a feeling thst if sincs spends the whole year on the ball he will have a brownlow caliber year. I just think he is set. He can have a year simmilar to Daicos.

 

[Saint Watto]

Collard is a wizard!
Ball spills off pack goal side, like a seagul he swooped on it, bends down slid his right hand along the grass like a spatula picking up the ball and snapped the goal.

My word....was that magical or what !!!!!!!!

It will be very exciting to see what he'll be able to do for us in the years to come.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Expecting indigenous players (for the vast majority) to have calves lmao, may as well pray for mine and George’s hair to grow back

 

[sunny3193]

Expecting indigenous players (for the vast majority) to have calves lmao, may as well pray for mine and George’s hair to grow back

Do your mates call you “Oasis” cause each hair is an oasis in a desert of scalp?

 

[Diehard Saint]

Well done to the track watchers, seems from afar possibly the best training observations reports group of the pre-season (challenge to all others moving forward). Thanks, your reports do add info, colour and much needed in the football pre-season drip feed.

Can see how stressful it is in Melbourne with trying to work out exact times of when training sessions will be on. When the Saints were based at Noosa and trained at Maroochydore, we knew to go to training when the sun was clearing the mango tree. Can see that the Victorian system still has a ways to go to catch up to what we have here in Qld.

Hey, after all the stress trying to work out training times, Thursday night selections should be a breeze…

Good to see you back SS.

 

[Parkysp]

Actually if it is possible, everyone down to training and you will see we aren't looking through an optimistic lens.

Great post JB and totay agree. The difference to the past decade is stark. The combination of cattle and coaching is enticing. We have to back it up on field of course but if there were games last year that our supporters got into then oh boy there may be a lid lifter at Marvel at some point in the next couple of years like we had in games between 04 and 10

 

[stavro#4]

So you are all saying, we are winning the flag and Ross will get a statue at RSEA park…


Nice

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Do your mates call you “Oasis” cause each hair is an oasis in a desert of scalp?

I ensure there is not a hair to be seen on my bronzed dome. A daily ritual

 

[stavro#4]

 

[Joffaboy]

Stark contrast to last year.

 

[Mavefromdelburn]

Young Wilson (and obviously Sincs) are sunny3193's wet dream with these calves.

 

[King_Steele]

Thank you all for the detailed reports. Much appreciated as always

 

[Saint Watto]

Stark contrast to last year.

It's a huge difference Joffa.......absolutely huge.

This time last year we all distraught........things were looking absolutely dire.......the injuries were really piling up.....we'd already lost big Max prior to xmas.

From memory....we had 14 injuries going into round 1.

 

[gringo2011]

Got to a few Seaford and then a lot of Ratten training sessions. Must admit Rattens were lethargic (cant remember Richo's). Maybe they were so bad, I thought that was the norm.

Last preseason, the contrast was stark. I even posted that I was hoping it wasn't rose coloured glasses with Lyon back, but many trackwatchers backed up what I thought.

Since then, every training session I have seen have been highly organised, slick, discipilined, balanced, timed, and adhered to. When a coach says jump the players say 'how high?'.

The discipline and ridged application of the training programs have led to disciplined players. Example, between drills the players will all grab balls and shoot for goal. One session I saw Windhager line up to shoot started to run in, the coach called them in, instead of going through with the shot, dropped the ball and ran in with everyone else.

What Lyon and his coaches have instilled in the players is basically train as you play with intensity. I like how players such as Henry and Dow have come in and embraced this process. Henry in particular was my BoG preseason. Enthusiastic, loud, seemingly very happy, but also very intense at every session.

gringo, try ad get top at least one training session, you will be pretty impressed. Actually if it is possible, everyone down to training and you will see we aren't looking through an optimistic lens.

I keep meaning to but trying to enjoy holidays and then need to do some work to pay for them. My kids are too old to give a shit any more so I have lost a bit of motivation these days but I'll definitely try to get one in before the footy stars. I'd love to judge for myself. I've always been a pretty harsh (but I think) fair judge.

 

[gringo2011]

It's a huge difference Joffa.......absolutely huge.

This time last year we all distraught........things were looking absolutely dire.......the injuries were really piling up.....we'd already lost big Max prior to xmas.

From memory....we had 14 injuries going into round 1.

The good old days of hoping Billings was going to meet his potential and Gresham was going to be elite. Hard to believe the season we had based on that.

 

[Ads734]

Also how good is training at mornin, remember the days of no reports when we were at Seaford.