Training 2024 Preseason reports and discussion

[WWSD]

If Round 1 was this week I reckon Ginnivan, Watson & Butler would all be in the side. Moore can play up the ground.

Butler & Ramsden are the two players in my opinion for most improved and I expect them to be in the best 22 by the end of next year.

 

[Topiary]

Still no love for the Frostball.

Can't see him missing out.. For the first few games anyway.

We have got to do better, but unfortunately I have to agree.
We need a quality KPD added to the List. Frost is not it.

 

[perrdan86]

So Weddle and D'Ambrosio have been training at half-back. Amon is also rumoured to start there. Ward is training more inside.

Who has been playing mostly wing? CJ is one. Could CMac move higher up to accomodate the fleet of small forwards?

That is an interesting half back line..That would give us some serious creativity and rebound whether it be through run and carry or the foot skills or Amon and D'Ambrosio

 

[Topiary]

If Round 1 was this week I reckon Ginnivan, Watson & Butler would all be in the side. Moore can play up the ground.

Butler & Ramsden are the two players in my opinion for most improved and I expect them to be in the best 22 by the end of next year.

Gee I hope Butler lives up to it. Ramsden will be a player.

 

[grumbleguts]

Interesting how despite finishing 3rd in the Crimmins medal Nash still winds up on most people's benches.

 

[rei154]

Interesting how despite finishing 3rd in the Crimmins medal Nash still winds up on most people's benches.

For me that's more due to his flexibility- I can see him having an impact in each third of the field

 

[tl92]

Interesting how despite finishing 3rd in the Crimmins medal Nash still winds up on most people's benches.

Which Nash are we talking about?

 

[Simon Crawshay]

Sam’s already said they will be picking best available this year, not a team for development.

Based on this it’s almost certain he’ll play, particularly how light we down back in big defenders.

Frosty definitely has his limitations but as you say we are super light on big bodies down back.

And I am still not 100% sold on Blank (as are the club it seems given the one year contract).

I think Frosty will play most weeks just to enable Sicily a bit more freedom to play loose off half back which he is the best in the league at.

 

[Slainte]

Frosty definitely has his limitations but as you say we are super light on big bodies down back.

And I am still not 100% sold on Blank (as are the club it seems given the one year contract).

I think Frosty will play most weeks just to enable Sicily a bit more freedom to play loose off half back which he is the best in the league at.

If only he could learn to play within his limitations. He is quite good until he gets a rush of blood to his head and kicks it straight to an opposition player. Meanwhile he is out of position and unable to help defend the rebounding ball. I find it very frustrating that he seems unable to learn.

 

[DogDaySonny]

I really don’t get some of this talk. Amon is an excellent winger, and Hardwick is one of the best small backs in the league, even if he isn’t broadly recognised as such. And yet, there’s talk of playing Amon at half back, even though we are covered for medium half backs, and of pushing Hardwick forward, even though we added not one, but two small forwards in the off season. On top of Bruest, who should have at least two seasons left in him, Moore, and the Chad (and yes, I’m aware he’ll be out for a while)
Seems weird to me.

It happens every pre-season. What else are we to do with ourselves if not constantly speculating about moving proven players from their best positions and challenging them to perform where they have almost no track record? Personally, I look forward to watching Lewis swing to full back.

 

[Simon Crawshay]

If only he could learn to play within his limitations. He is quite good until he gets a rush of blood to his head and kicks it straight to an opposition player. Meanwhile he is out of position and unable to help defend the rebounding ball. I find it very frustrating that he seems unable to learn.

I've said it before but Frost reminds me of a super duper Gaming Computer with the latest Graphics Card, 16GB RAM, 3TB hard drive, SSD, etc but it's all being run by an old 486 CPU!

He's got all the physical attributes and bravery but his ability to process data in real time on the field is lacking. I wonder if his brain ever flashes system error codes at him mid game

In fact he is almost the complete opposite to his coach who was short, slow and couldn't jump but his footy brain was an effing supercomputer that could process data quicker than anyone (and of course he was also hard as a cats head and had unbelievable balance).

But I'd still say on balance Frosty will get a game most weeks next year, especially if he can limit the amount of "Oh Frosty" moments to say one or two a game.

 

[Topiary]

If only he could learn to play within his limitations. He is quite good until he gets a rush of blood to his head and kicks it straight to an opposition player. Meanwhile he is out of position and unable to help defend the rebounding ball. I find it very frustrating that he seems unable to learn.

The last bit is so, so apt.

 

[unitedhawk]

Only nashural for people to make light of it.

You meant to say daylight, didn't you?

 

[flinchfree]

Very fit. The way he moves, the way he drops the ball and kicks screams of Andy Collins clone.

I hope not, Andy was not a great kick with little penetration and plenty of helicoptering.

 

[flinchfree]

I really don’t get some of this talk. Amon is an excellent winger, and Hardwick is one of the best small backs in the league, even if he isn’t broadly recognised as such. And yet, there’s talk of playing Amon at half back, even though we are covered for medium half backs, and of pushing Hardwick forward, even though we added not one, but two small forwards in the off season. On top of Bruest, who should have at least two seasons left in him, Moore, and the Chad (and yes, I’m aware he’ll be out for a while)
Seems weird to me.

I agree. Can only think that Blake himself has asked for the change as a fresh'n up to the back half of his career.
If so, more power to him.

 

[kazzooka]

If only he could learn to play within his limitations. He is quite good until he gets a rush of blood to his head and kicks it straight to an opposition player. Meanwhile he is out of position and unable to help defend the rebounding ball. I find it very frustrating that he seems unable to learn.

Frost needs to play as a pure stopper/interceptor. I know with his pace it seems like he can provide run out of defence but it's no use if it goes over his head 5 seconds later. He's proven time and time again over his career that he cannot make good disposal decisions nor can he execute them well. I've been seen him play since under 9s and it's just the way it is with him. If Frost kept his man quite, had 8 touches 4 intercepts he'd have a role. He gets far too much of the ball and has delusions of adequacy in disposing of it.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Only nashural for people to make light of it.

It’s only natural that Nash should want to be there for you.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Probably it's just the club is putting hours into Hardwick training as a frwd just in case we get injuries to Bruest or Ginnivan and Watson is a slow burn for a season so, if needed dimma could be swung frwd even mid game in some instances. He doesn't really need to train and show himself as a Backman at this stage of his career . Just filling out the trick bag. Maybe.

 

[Steven Tyler]

It’s only natural that Nash should want to be there for you.

It’s only natural that you should feel the same way too

 

[Roddy]

It happens every pre-season. What else are we to do with ourselves if not constantly speculating about moving proven players from their best positions and challenging them to perform where they have almost no track record? Personally, I look forward to watching Lewis swing to full back.

Yeah I always thought Roughie should have gone back…

 

[grumbleguts]

For me that's more due to his flexibility- I can see him having an impact in each third of the field

He can't have an influence on the bench, start him in which ever third of the field you want. Wasted having him on the bench as a matter of course. If he needs a rest, sure, but he surely doesn't need a rest at the opening siren.

 

[Bee Dee 63]

Probably it's just the club is putting hours into Hardwick training as a frwd just in case we get injuries to Bruest or Ginnivan and Watson is a slow burn for a season so, if needed dimma could be swung frwd even mid game in some instances. He doesn't really need to train and show himself as a Backman at this stage of his career . Just filling out the trick bag. Maybe.

I don't think so.
I think it's a plan, and I think it's a good one.

Most people are risk averse, so I get that many will worry that we lose a quality defender.
Fortunately, (in my opinion), Sam seems not to be wired that way, and with risk, comes reward.

At the time of his drafting, most people would have thought of Hardwick as a forward, not as a defender.

He'd led the TAC cup season for goal kicking easily, with bags of 12,10 and 8 goals.
(That draft year included the last three Coleman Medallists, Charlie Curnow [twice] and Harry Mackay, who both also played the TAC cup season.

He beat the next highest scoring forward that season by 20 goals!!

He may well become a better forward than he is a defender.
He will provide another leading/marking option which will help spread the opposition defenders and defensive pressure to keep the ball locked in.

It is well worth the calculated risk in my opinion, as we can always move him back if our backline is getting smashed.

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

Frost needs to play as a pure stopper/interceptor. I know with his pace it seems like he can provide run out of defence but it's no use if it goes over his head 5 seconds later. He's proven time and time again over his career that he cannot make good disposal decisions nor can he execute them well. I've been seen him play since under 9s and it's just the way it is with him. If Frost kept his man quite, had 8 touches 4 intercepts he'd have a role. He gets far too much of the ball and has delusions of adequacy in disposing of it.

i mean he "only" averages ~2 turnovers a game. his kicking efficiency was a pretty solid 70% last season too. when he makes mistakes they are bad mistakes and very visible and often result in goals. but he has improved in both metrics pretty significantly over his career and i think that confirmation bias plays a little bit into his current perception.

we 100% need to move on from him sooner rather than later but if we are picking a side based on merit he is definitely going to be in the mix come round 1. i would personally leave him out but has Sam ever not picked him when he's been fit?

 

[TFFM]

Yes - great idea.

Premiership player fresh from a program far advanced to ours……gets to play at Box Hill unless a new draftee is injured.

Ain’t going to happen.

Watson is better than Ginnivan, if you've seen him play

 

[TFFM]

Watson is better than Ginnivan, if you've seen him play

I want them both in btw.