A mate of mine went to training today and provided me with a very comprehensive report and a few pics:
With respect to Axeman's jazz, this is hopefully some sort of fill.
Parking, Kenneth Luke Drive.
The weather was overcast and then worked its way to a lightly sunny day. Warmish by the end.
Ground, a treat for the players when they slide around to trap a stray ball, Newcombe did so in one motion with a full body dive on one F50 play.
Obviously, I couldn't see everything so hope this captures things in some way. I hope I didn't miss bits or get names wrong.
Rehab group, Gunston, CJ, Massimo, Chad (just walking), Chol, Lewis, Amon. Reeves came out in the second half and did not partake.
First drill I saw was ground balls where players had swimming noodles to hit them as they came through.
Ginni talking with Sam in the forward pocket, discussing snaps and different types of kicks, around the corners and trick kicks. Later on Sam had the attention of about 20 people and said he would snap one without looking and then went on to miss, nobody said anything....
Hale ran the first main drill. Players split on corners of the centre square. The ball started on loose half-backs who hit someone on the wing before a cut inside to CHF or a straight I50. Ginnivan caught the eye on my wing, just tidy continuous play around that middle of the ground area and read the play well. Has some nice athleticism/spring.
Zane was full of praise for one O'Sullivan finish inside 50, he was happy with himself as well (later on seemed to struggle with yips on the set shot, you could see how much pressure he was putting on himself and it was like he was going to miss even as he was collecting the ball for another go. Expects a lot of himself. Seems to have got chunkier around the shoulders, not looking like a kid anymore).
Generally, training was drills of about 10-15 mins: Agassi, Baz Ball, Money ball up for grabs were some of the names on the digital board. One match sim, goal kicking and then lots of running.
Couldn't work out some of the rationale of the individual running - CJ did a lot of running and then some drills, Massimo only running, Sicily dropped out of drills to run with Simpson. One run was something like Ward, Nash and Butler maybe, not for long though. Finn did some very light laps at one stage while the rest of the top runners were being flogged. Butler was the consistent runner, first or the first few (group running), one stage Ward tried to overtake but couldn't get him. Butler beat Finn in one run where it was just those two up front.
Just about all coaches did some running with Hale maybe doing a hammy and Sam getting a head start and encouragement for his top runners, my gosh does he stand out as un-athletic! Small steps that go nowhere, not sure he will make it.Just seems like a good environment. Players telling each other they love it when gasping for air, not sure they did!
Finn is ripppppped.
In the match play I really liked DGB (full back position) being vocal a few times to organise things and did so with a lot of confidence. Knew exactly what was needed and teammates listened quickly. DGB is no bigger for those wanting to know.
Players who caught my eye were:
Blank - he was composed in competitive drills, nothing special but allowed the play to be continuous when I would have thought he was a weak point for opponents to lick their lips.
HH - I don't get this guy, he is just so tall and doesn't act that way! He just blends into a very tall squad, not a great runner (Jai and Day seemed similar) but is such a natural. Freakishness in IQ, I hope he is watching the Bont.
Weddle - you have seen it all before, was last on the computer at the end, probably looking at his GPS or something.
Butler - always at the front of running drills and looks really muscly for a player in his second preseason? In two years, he will be a finished product from a bulk perspective and he must have trained all the way through as he bounces around with some athleticism and a few players went up to him to do a congrats pat on the back for his running, respect stuff. Set shot practice, he was doing a Josh Kennedy sewing machine and I think it was Moore who told him so.
Serong - I can't see him being a gorilla defender but if you want a body size guide, very similar to Gunners right now. Also looks trim and took a nice intercept mark but it was from a stationary Frost. He and Scrim look to be after the one spot?
Connor McDonald - looks super cut (still another season away from his final AFL body) but is always in the top few of all the drills and running. I think he did get stitched up by Stephens at one point though, hospital offload from someone.
Scrim - did his bit, can't remember what but he looked to take the game on.
Watson - not bc he is box office. He reads the play well. He was half back with Sam Mitch on the other (I assume he was coaching him in a sense, copy me on the other side of the ground type thing). I think he was loose but in a sense quarterback and one time came through a gap of two people and then cut inside, opening up the play and didn't overcomplicate it and hit a short target (got praise). Watson tends to do shorter kicks (Ginnivan also), and wondered if he had bigger ones in him and how he looked doing them. During some dead time he easily kicked a 50m goal when kicking from the line, so not over the mark and it cleared the line quite well. I hope he can build leg strength to make his bag of tricks from further out. My two cents worth, he must have done some training in martial arts as the way he falls to the ground in a roll and then gets back up is very much part of his x-factor, barely any momentum is lost. Very happy to do a nicely weighted no look handpass that hit the mark. Huge leap to intercept a handball and at other times, mid air very comfortable handballing it on, other x factor. I'd guess 50% of his work is from a spring in the air.
Mackenzie - the natural we know he is.
Ryan - taller than expected, I hope he turns into a Grimes type. Sic understudy just seems obvious. Like how he and Watson stuck out the running, shows how much of a freak Weddle is.
Why no 40+ set shots? Maybe it is a heavier training time and they do more of it closer to games.
Pocket, 5 metres in boundary line scrimmage - 3 vs 3. Ball rolled in and one team tries to score while the other tries to exit between two cones to be a D50 get out. Sicily and Blank kicked goals when their team were forwards. Butler got Sicily’s approval with one thing he did, I think he put someone into space.
Nash fended Weddle in the face I think it was, the rehab group felt it when they heard it.
Chol, really good goal kicking routine and confidence from different areas of F50, I hope he finds his spot suits him as he and Lewis seem to be a similar size and would be good twin towers.
One time Finn had Ward and Moore on the ground, one under each arm. Hulk stuff!
Not sure if O’Sullivan or Bennetts stopped play through injury. I thought O'S but Bennetts seemed to leave limping when going past in the car park.
Moore and Wizard got into a non-aggressive tangle on the ground.
Ryan, Dear sitting out big end running. Seamus also sitting out, not sure he trained.
Dear snaps from the boundary, very comfortable. Set shots seemed to sometimes kick 40 well and others seemed a bit far so wondering if he is trying something new, did some stuff with Sippos.
Nash and Meek finished off with over shoulder handballs, stuff you see deep in a pack.
Hardwick has taken his karate kicks to a higher level, what is he doing! They well and truly work though, one was around someone trying to smother!
At the end they all crowd around the computer, looking for feedback which shows how much they want that instant feedback. I heard Sam very clearly say, "get off BF, Axeman has moved interstate".
Sorry for typos with my probably arthritic hands.
View attachment 1867570 View attachment 1867571View attachment 1867572 View attachment 1867573View attachment 1867576View attachment 1867577View attachment 1867578View attachment 1867579View attachment 1867580View attachment 1867581
oh how good would it be to score more next year
I thought Chol had a very nice, natural kicking action, especially for someone so tall, could be a great asset, he will demand a quality defender and stretch backlines.
Richmond 2017, 2019 and 2020 had no issues with “dirty” entries.
I actually didn't mind Richmond's game styl TBH.
Their game was built around intense pressure which doesn’t appear to be an obvious strength of our new look forward line.
It’s also actually fun as a fan seeing more goals. Sounds obvious and dumb …
Love the Alle De Wolde avatar. One of the more ungainly kicks to play for the Hawks but a premiership player nonetheless!
Too many pizzas…? Sorry just had yummy pizza. No idea how I’d be an athlete. Couldnt cope
