Training 2024 Training - reports, pics etc

[Red Bull]

Interesting that a lot of the potential round 1 teams in the other thread have Fantasia as a round 1 starter. I legitimately thought he’d be retiring after barely seeing him play for Port last season.

Is he going that well at training that he’s putting his hand up for a senior team spot so early on?

Perhaps a bit of the shiny new toy thing as opposed to Durdin who has kinda been outta sight outta mind.
The great news is they can both really play and along with a maturing Motlop and a hard nosed Owies, we have developed real depth in the small forward ranks now.
Competition for spots will be fierce, which is great

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

As Cornes said, if we get 13 games out of Orazio in the back half of the year we are going to be extremely hard to beat. Every time he plays he just kicks goals.

He's just like Martin for us imo, somehow get both of them fully fit and a run in for finals and they change our mix from mediocre to electric.

Key is how you get both of them fit consistently.

 

[Soapy V]

Perhaps a bit of the shiny new toy thing as opposed to Durdin who has kinda been outta sight outta mind.
The great news is they can both really play and along with a maturing Motlop and a hard nosed Owies, we have developed real depth in the small forward ranks now.
Competition for spots will be fierce, which is great

I don't know how we fit them in but a forward line of McKay Charlie TDK Martin Fantasia Hollands Docherty Motlop Fogarty Owies Durdin Cottrell is bloody dangerous and hard to stop

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

I don't know how we fit them in but a forward line of McKay Charlie TDK Martin Fantasia Hollands Docherty Motlop is bloody dangerous and hard to stop

Add Stengle as an UFA end of year and I'll cry happy tears

Martin McKay Fantasia
Motlop Curnow Stengle Hollands/TDK

We'd be unstoppable

 

[Soapy V]

Add Stengle as an UFA end of year and I'll cry happy tears

Martin McKay Fantasia
Motlop Curnow Stengle Hollands/TDK

We'd be unstoppable

Nah. Won't happen and not needed

 

[Red Bull]

I don't know how we fit them in but a forward line of McKay Charlie TDK Martin Fantasia Hollands Docherty Motlop Fogarty Owies Durdin Cottrell is bloody dangerous and hard to stop

I favour a forward split of :
2 talls
2 mediums
2 smalls

Charlie and H pick themselves as talls.
Pitto starts in the ruck with TDK splitting his time between the pine, ruck and forward when Charlie or H need a spell.
Martin and E.Hollands as the mediums with Doc and Cottrell, who can both roost a long goal, more towards the wings.
2 of Motlop, Durdin and Fantasia to start deep forward with the other possibly on the pine.

Martin Curnow Hollands
Motlop McKay Durdin/Fantasia

 

[Soapy V]

I favour a forward split of :
2 talls
2 mediums
2 smalls

Charlie and H pick themselves as talls.
Pitto starts in the ruck with TDK splitting his time between the pine, ruck and forward when Charlie or H need a spell.
Martin and E.Hollands as the mediums with Doc and Cottrell, who can both roost a long goal, more towards the wings.
2 of Motlop, Durdin and Fantasia to start deep forward with the other possibly on the pine.

Martin Curnow Hollands
Motlop McKay Durdin/Fantasia

Interesting now with 4 man bench plus sub what we will do. Pittonet still not 100% fit with ongoing knee complaints

 

[JuddgementDay]

Flying. Bloody impressive and hasn't missed a session

I don't know what happened at Port but he looks fit and happy and has fitted in well. What has amazed me is his pace. He is lightning and in match sims has made a big difference to our forward half. Real X factor and has a presence

Adding he and Hollands for bugger all has been a master stroke by our recruiting team

I'm really keen to see how this unfolds in the season proper...

We've seen too many times when the opposition got our talls covered, the smalls did not step up
It would be great to have the ability the threaten oppositions with more goal threats and therefore reducing double/ triple up on our talls

 

[Soapy V]

I'm really keen to see how this unfolds in the season proper...

We've seen too many times when the opposition got our talls covered, the smalls did not step up
It would be great to have the ability the threaten oppositions with more goal threats and therefore reducing double/ triple up on our talls

Agree. I also feel our delivery inside 50 was poor. We were also way too focussed on Charlie. We need to look for player in best position regardless of who they are

IMO last year are biggest flaw was we had to work way to hard for goals. That's hwere I can see us really improving

 

[gbatman]

It’s great that we don’t have to rush players anymore, but if they are ready & there’s a need why not? e.g. OHollands last year

With Wilson, is he not ready due to:
1. Learning to play as a mid
2. Fitness & conditioning
3. No spots - who is he competing with anyway?

I was thinking this the other day. It really is great, 3 or 4 years ago guys like Wilson and Moir would be pencilled in to be automatic best 22 starting round 1.

A lot of first year players struggle to get their size, strength and running ability up to standard. Running ability being the main one and developing all these tends to work against each other. Sometimes you get a young player come into the system and they are already advanced in these areas so they play and impact early.

O Hollands being an elite runner means he could come into an inside strong side and play an outside role at AFL level in his first season. Wilson being a good runner, well built and strong with some training form probably means he puts his hand up for games this season and probably some time towards the end of this season or the next is very close to the 22.

Our onball group while pretty strong and deep in footballing quality does lack good runners. Best 22 not so much but an injury to Walsh or Cerra and we drop pretty heavily. There is a runner short in the group, Docherty is probably the third one to balance it up. I can see a guy like Wilson if he has midfield form coming in in this situation.

Going to be interesting to see and it's going to be a lot of fun watching our VFL side. Should be a good mix of developing youth and fringe mature players.

 

[gbatman]

Interesting now with 4 man bench plus sub what we will do. Pittonet still not 100% fit with ongoing knee complaints

Are Mirkov or O'Keeffe looking like being capable of playing game at AFL level this season? Is Young or anyone else rucking? Neither ruck can be expected to play every game and Pittonet may miss regularly being the case. We have a delimmer here with Silvagni going down for the season.

We are super lucky to have DeKoning who can play the forward/ruck role and the number 1 ruck role. He's possibly the most important player on our list now because of this.

Our best 22 is excellent. But there are a few areas where an injury or two we may struggle to handle it. One is our rucks and forward/ruck position and the other is the running onballers. So Walsh and Cerra. Next cab off the rank probably not a like for like or near the quality.

But who knows. A Wilson or a Carroll could take that midfield role and absolutely own it or Young or one of the young rucks may just go up levels.

We have a good enough side to win a flag but how we get there and how we get through the season is the big part of the story for us.

I don't know how we fit them in but a forward line of McKay Charlie TDK Martin Fantasia Hollands Docherty Motlop Fogarty Owies Durdin Cottrell is bloody dangerous and hard to stop

Nearly impossible to pick the smaller forwards and the defenders for that matter. Our depth in these areas is excellent.

 

[Soapy V]

Are Mirkov or O'Keeffe looking like being capable of playing game at AFL level this season? Is Young or anyone else rucking? Neither ruck can be expected to play every game and Pittonet may miss regularly being the case. We have a delimmer here with Silvagni going down for the season.

We are super lucky to have DeKoning who can play the forward/ruck role and the number 1 ruck role. He's possibly the most important player on our list now because of this.

Our best 22 is excellent. But there are a few areas where an injury or two we may struggle to handle it. One is our rucks and forward/ruck position and the other is the running onballers. So Walsh and Cerra. Next cab off the rank probably not a like for like or near the quality.

But who knows. A Wilson or a Carroll could take that midfield role and absolutely own it or Young or one of the young rucks may just go up levels.

We have a good enough side to win a flag but how we get there and how we get through the season is the big part of the story for us.



Nearly impossible to pick the smaller forwards and the defenders for that matter. Our depth in these areas is excellent.

Mirkov still building up so may take a little while. Needs to step up this year. I saw him before drafted and was very impressed but hasn't progressed the way I'd hoped

O'Keefe I like. Mobile and some mongrel and can go forward. Could play if needed but not really ready yet

Agree about TDK. Vital

Young for me is a disappointment. Just seems to lack the hunger or want to be an AFL player. Hope it clicks as the ability is there

Lemmey is the other option. Looks to be maturing and showing more and more but like O'Keefe realistically a year away

Kemp could be back up in that Jack role or we go with TDK 80% and McKay Cripps Kennedy try and cover the rest

 

[Arr0w]

Interesting that a lot of the potential round 1 teams in the other thread have Fantasia as a round 1 starter. I legitimately thought he’d be retiring after barely seeing him play for Port last season.

Is he going that well at training that he’s putting his hand up for a senior team spot so early on?

Has been managed, so hasn't completed every session, but I believe if fit, will be a starter first game and it's his to lose

 

[The Bighouse]

According to Port supporters it sounds like Ken signed his tickets early last season. Fanta had broken down to many times to trust so Ken just put a line through him.

I tend to believe it because he played 2 months straight in the SANFL at the end if the season and was playing well but still couldnt get a look in. That was at a time Port were dropping off. On merritt he should have got a callup.

Big step up on the body between state leagues & AFL > ping.

 

[The Bighouse]

Interesting now with 4 man bench plus sub what we will do. Pittonet still not 100% fit with ongoing knee complaints

Geez, Pitto has really suffered since that clash with Darcy, if it’s still the same complaint.

 

[BlueTongue]

IMO a Very accurate assumption

Became a very divisive figure. Players and people he loved and many he wouldn't even talk to. Absolute Control freak

The worst Coach I have ever seen and I don't say that lightly

These revelations make sense in hindsight.

I was initially 110% on the Teague train, and the whole getting back to basics, simplifying the game plan etc.

However, even as a pure outside observer restricted to footage and game days, what was immediately obvious was;

• that he refused to change it up, even when things clearly weren’t working, not just on game day, but week to week. Definition of insanity stuff.
• that he had favourites and refused to reward good form. This is an absolute cardinal sin in my book, and surely a major factor in unrest in the club.

Those 2 things seem to be consistent with the previous stubborn, control freak, ‘won’t be told’ comments.

And thus the ‘Teague Train’ fast became a ‘Train Wreck’.

 

[Love the Drake]

Listening to the training reports (thanks everyone!), we seem to have upped our training re running/

The only areas of concern seem to be what our forward line set up will be and whether Pitt is fit.

The backs seem settled - they are already talking about structures/next man up re Weiters. Whether it is Kemp, Young, Big Durds steps in to help Gov and Marchy is up to the MC.

Same re the JSOS replacement - whether we play three smalls are a couple of hybrids is again, up to the MC.

Interesting times..

 

[lily of laguna]

I understand that he wouldn’t necessarily give too much away to media but when he was interviewed last week Pitto said he’d had a great off season and was feeling fit.
Was commenting on how he and TDK had been able to really work together.
I know he is not a great runner but has anyone seen him in the rehab group?



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Taminater]

What position have young and kemp been training recently?
Keen to get a feel for who will replace wietering rd 0.
Also apart from the 4 rucks; pitto, TDK, Markov, O'Keefe who has been training in ruck craft?
Anyone else who could be that 3rd tall/ruck chopout ?

 

[CJMB]

What position have young and kemp been training recently?
Keen to get a feel for who will replace wietering rd 0.
Also apart from the 4 rucks; pitto, TDK, Markov, O'Keefe who has been training in ruck craft?
Anyone else who could be that 3rd tall/ruck chopout ?

As far as I'm aware:
Young key defender (probably pole position for keeping Weiters' seat warm early days).
Kemp said he was focusing on becoming more of a 'hybrid' (3rd/med) defender.
Harry has supposedly been doing a little bit of ruck work on the side, and Lemmey did a bit in the reserves last year.

 

[gbatman]

I'm glad Harry is doing some ruck work. IMO it will help his forward craft. It really stood out how fish out of water he looked in the ruck in the GWS game last year. His body work was non-existent. A lot of body work will be good for him, for a big guy he's not fabulous in one on one marking contests. If it helps him develop his body work in marking contests then it could be a really good thing and make him an even better forward. It's also good for us as a team to have that big forward who can ruck. A bit like How Collingwood put work into Cox to improve his rucking so that he can ruck a lot better as well as play forward. IMO it's also improved him as a forward.

 

[Neese]

Big step up on the body between state leagues & AFL > ping.

Don't you jinx him

 

[Soapy V]

Weitering progressing well. Jogging etc

Club going to be "extremely" cautious to ensure it doesn't happen again. Could by another 2-3 weeks, could mean another 6.

Just not going to risk him at all.

 

[Soapy V]

I understand that he wouldn’t necessarily give too much away to media but when he was interviewed last week Pitto said he’d had a great off season and was feeling fit.
Was commenting on how he and TDK had been able to really work together.
I know he is not a great runner but has anyone seen him in the rehab group?

Like a number of players he has his own program. I notice he has been rested from some sessions then will do a full session the next day

My guess is he does of lot of fitness work away from group to take pressure off knee and then gets involved in Match Sims etc. Doesn't do a lot of the running sessions

I have no doubt he will be fit as possible come first game.

 

[Crippa#9]

Weitering progressing well. Jogging etc

Club going to be "extremely" cautious to ensure it doesn't happen again. Could by another 2-3 weeks, could mean another 6.

Just not going to risk him at all.

odds shortening that he'll play Rd.3 (after the bye) on Good Friday V North.

T-minus 50 days.