Training 2024 Preseason reports and discussion

[Pinoy Hawk]

The lads from Box Hill who played in today's IntraClub.
If I have to guess, Ethan Phillips is the one standing from the leftmost side.

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

A couple of my third rate videos from today's Intra.

 

[HedgeFund]

Not sure that works so well these days, never mind back then

 

[HedgeFund]

Frost is really good when he doesn’t have the ball. Meaning he covers a lot of ground, spoils, tackles well…

Traditional AFL Defence 101

 

[CHUBBSS]

Ginny and Watson look like senior players already, getting excited to get to games again

 

[Brant]

Could meek play full back ?

Ruckman playing KPD - is that you Clarko?

 

[hawk for 37]

Is the fact a 3 club journeyman in Chol can be so dominant in practice matches a good thing, or a bad sign for our defensive set up?

 

[Judd2Sewell]

im interpreting it as: from a list management perspective we're aware that our 2024 KPDs won't be taking us to any premierships. we tried and failed with pursuing McKay and trying to get back into the 1st round with O'Sullivan. No doubt we will try again this off-season, as the goal is to improve the KPD setup throughout the next few off-seasons – because going into a season with Frost, Scrimshaw and Blanck as our main key defenders isn't much less alarming than the list you posted.

so based on that, i think the bigger problem is the year of development that Blanck misses out on eventually becoming an upgrade to our 2024 KPD. because we ain't winning the flag this year (although him going down hurts our already slim top 8 chances imo)

sucks he went down but injuries happen and good teams have to move forward and adapt. let's see what some of our other young blokes can do!

on a personal level im very glad Blanck got the contract extension before this happened. he is guaranteed another shot at a career now. if the timing didn't work out it could've ended up much worse for him.

We really needed Blanck to develop this season and become the long-term solution at KPD. We don't have other options: Frost is old and not good enough and neither DGB and Serong are big enough for the full back position, IMO.

Hopefully Phillips turns out to be a revelation. But aside from him, what options do we have at the end of the season? Who could we target as a FA or in a trade? I expect the club will be very keen to make a move, especially after the attempts to lure McKay and draft O'Sullivan.

 

[Brant]

Even old man Hawkins would burn him on the lead.Meeks biggest athletic trait is his endurance running, playing full back doesn't really make use of that ability.All of Meeks traits are r ally suited as a number 1 ruck (size, endurance, etc).

All except ruck work

 

[HedgeFund]

Is the fact a 3 club journeyman in Chol can be so dominant in practice matches a good thing, or a bad sign for our defensive set up?

Very good point

 

[HedgeFund]

Ginny and Watson look like senior players already, getting excited to get to games again

Gee - you really think the guy with a 2023 AFL premiership medal in his sock drawer looks like a senior player at Hawthorn?

Colour me shocked.

 

[Fulgent]

Is the fact a 3 club journeyman in Chol can be so dominant in practice matches a good thing, or a bad sign for our defensive set up?

It's me, not you, as this one bugs me for some reason...

Journeyman as per Wikipedia:

A journeyman is a worker, skilled in a given building trade or craft, who has successfully completed an official apprenticeship qualification. Journeymen are considered competent and authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee. They earn their license by education, supervised experience and examination.[1] Although journeymen have completed a trade certificate and are allowed to work as employees, they may not yet work as self-employed master craftsmen.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Ginny and Watson look like senior players already, getting excited to get to games again

Yeah it looks like Ginnivan is fitting in really well and seems to have developed a nice synergy with the other forwards. He looks fit and ready for a consistent season.

 

[Brant]

Is the fact a 3 club journeyman in Chol can be so dominant in practice matches a good thing, or a bad sign for our defensive set up?

It's clearly a sign of how good our midfield is delivering to our dominant forward set up.

 

[smish]

We really needed Blanck to develop this season and become the long-term solution at KPD. We don't have other options: Frost is old and not good enough and neither DGB and Serong are big enough for the full back position, IMO.

Hopefully Phillips turns out to be a revelation. But aside from him, what options do we have at the end of the season? Who could we target as a FA or in a trade? I expect the club will be very keen to make a move, especially after the attempts to lure McKay and draft O'Sullivan.

In the past few drafts:

Leek Aleer
Jedd Busslinger
Lewis Hayes
James van Es

All doubtful but I hope we're in their ears anyway.

 

[Bugs1977]

Wonder why Bucks was there today. Geez he’s make an awesome right hand man for Sammy.

 

[KermitJagger]

Wonder why Bucks was there today. Geez he’s make an awesome right hand man for Sammy.

View attachment 1906221

Two of the best footy brains and football communicators in the biz. Bucks' only downfall (besides playing for Collingwood) was transitioning to a senior coach too early, and with too many ex teammates still at the club.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

People high up at Box Hill are not expecting that Ethan Phillips will be on their list come 5pm Monday afternoon

There could be a silver lining to this all. If we get serviceable FB and CHB out of Phillips and Blanck, it will unleash Scrimshaw and Sicily on flanks.

 

[killerspud]

DGB - its his moment now.

 

[Brucie Buffer]

He ain't going to be playing against our backline every week. I'm still hoping for 40 goals from him though.

You can only play what’s put in front of you.
I think he’s going to be recruit of the year, to the point after Easter Monday I I will be rocking into work with the same bleached stripe through my hair.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

We really needed Blanck to develop this season and become the long-term solution at KPD. We don't have other options: Frost is old and not good enough and neither DGB and Serong are big enough for the full back position, IMO.

Hopefully Phillips turns out to be a revelation. But aside from him, what options do we have at the end of the season? Who could we target as a FA or in a trade? I expect the club will be very keen to make a move, especially after the attempts to lure McKay and draft O'Sullivan.

Battle is probably one we will look at as a key sized FA. And who knows who will come up for trade.

We clearly want +1 KPD in the 19-23 age bracket so maybe we draft one or target one on the fringes from recent drafts. It will take more than one additional KPD to get list balance right. Even if Frost isn't best 22 we still need to replace his spot on the list sooner rather than later. Plus another poor year from DGB and we might move on from him. I expect us to be quite active

 

[kawker]

Is the fact a 3 club journeyman in Chol can be so dominant in practice matches a good thing, or a bad sign for our defensive set up?

Not relevant - Chol was only "dominant" up forward in the second half when the sides were full A (Hawthorn) vs B (box Hill basically)
Did good things in the first half, but no dominance...

 

[hawkmang]

Meek to defence AKA Centre Half Backevoy 2.0

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Meek to defence AKA Centre Half Backevoy 2.0

What Big Boy had that Meek doesn't though is one of the best sets of hands I have seen for a ruckman.

Meek (and Reeves) are both average at best overhead marks.

Big Boy had a vice like set of mitts on him and was very good in the aerial contest.

I still r coin Meek has the makings of a good ruckman, the problem is that it's impossible to play both him and Reeves together.

 

[birch]

I'm not. It could work but it would be brave of Sam to do so. He seriously has all the attributes to be a gun key defender with his natural competitive instincts and size. He learns quicky too!

That’s what they said about Paddy Ryder, he was meant to be the kryptonite to Bud and look how that turned out.

Appreciate on paper he looks perfect but not growing up playing such a nuanced role hurts him.

He’s proved to be a gun in the mid, let’s just leave him there in my opinion