This years Tom Fullarton , another ex Brisbane reject.
Oh good, I hope we get a lot of posts about why he isn't picked in the seniors to play in a position he has no business playing.
I can promise you one if you like. I’ll make it a bit different and do it before the season begins.
I don’t recall that being saidLol wasn't I being told Oliver was in good shape
4 December Training Report:
- Lindsay, Mcadam, Fritsch and Spargo all doing boundary line running. In order of intensity from highest to lowest: Fritsch, Lindsay, Spargo and McAdam. Good to see Spargo return to running. Something he didn't do last time. Fritsch looks great. And McAdam is actually in good physical condition. I hope he can be a wildcard. We've said that for a while but he's X-factor. Just the way Lindsay runs (and from what I see from his vision) I can massive Zac Merrett vibes. Cannot wait to see him play. Lindsay was doing like 100m (could've even been 80) repeated jogs (17s up, 15s break and about 20-23s on the way back). Same with Spargo. Spargo did less running overall, maybe half of Lindsay but did higher intensity stuff. All a part of their custom programs.
- Credit to the coaches: the drills were actually pretty cool today. Just a little bit more creative than usual.
- Lever didn't train.
- Draftees still without numbers on the jumpers. Not sure how hard it is. Also, get their photos on the official website playing list. I've never understood why it takes so much time.
- In a handball drill where it was like 8 v 8 and they had to handball it to either Goody or Nath Jones standing between in between 3m apart goal sticks and whoever gave that last handball off had to run around a post before rejoining play meaning it was an 8 or 7 briefly. So try to work the open man basically. Kozzie really took this game on and was goose stepping everyone. He broke Taj Woewodins ankles a few time in this drill (a bball term, so just figuratively).
- Petty is doing most of the drills in defence. He laid a good tackle on Sestan at one stage.
- Whoever that future NGA player is, he reminds me of Zac Fisher at North. Really zippy, low centre of gravity, confident to take the game on, left footer. Looked good out there. Now if only someone knew if we had access to him.
- Kynan Brown finished training a bit earlier than others. Not sure if he got injured or not, but he trained really well before that. A good combo or speed and endurance.
- I'm totally on board the AJ train. Moves well, physical, great size, agile and I can see him playing all over the ground. Has a really long handball on him too. Looked like a tall Nick Hind out there with his bald head.
- Langford was a bit quiet in the full ground drills. Has a really long kick on him. He kicked a running goal from 45m which Trac congratulated him on. He'll never be fast but I think once the game opens up a bit to the full width of the ground he can use his footy IQ a bit more to find space as opposed to sprinting into the open spaces.
- Taj Woewodin: it just needs to be said. He has the best rig on the dees list so he's clearly been putting in a lot of work since being drafted basically.
- Trac trained really well. he's got his power back. No issues with him playing round 1. Regarding his attitude, he's probably not as jovial as usual but I'm no psych. Still very professional. Still had some light moments with players 1 on 1. Just not quite the usual boisterous self that you can hear from the other side of the ground.
- Oliver did the entire training before finishing early to jog some laps. I honestly think it was just to get him to burn some extra calories because he's got plenty of weight to lose.
- Sparrow trained well. I know he's a fringe player but he's a great trainer.
- Everyone trained well. The ball use was good. They did like a 14 v 14 (or close to it) full ground drill with the boundary line brought in. Tackling was allowed, probably to a 50% capacity.
- Best trainers for the day: Pickett, Bowey, Rivers, Sparrow Trac, Kynan Brown, Viney, Howes, McVee, Windsor, TMac, Laurie. Everyone was fine though. A couple of unfit players in Oliver, May to a degree, Kentfield and Verrall. Overall much better skills today and the drills were much more free flowing and less standing around.
- Forgot to mention, Melksham is training really well. Could definitely play a big role this year even though some have him outside of 22.
Yeah definitely no one gets injured this year do they
Tend to agree with such low indigenous numbers that having like a rookie list purely for indigenous talent could be a good idea. Have a couple of list spots available. I'm not sure every club has the same support though and having done some counselling up in the NT, footy doesn't seem to be as big anymore within the communities as it used to be. There clearly isn't the talent coming through anymore.
Oh right but if they're black you don't have to pay them?
Friday Training Report:
- Xavier Lindsay kicked the ball around a bit at the start of the training session. Then continued his usual rehab running with Mcadam.
- Spargo didn't train but helped with a markers up type drill by being the kicker.
- Lever didn't train but did some solid running.
- Tholstrup was doing boundary run throughs. He's a big boy. Hopefully it doesn't limit his aerobic stuff.
- They did a full ground drill one stage that involved, from what I could see, hitting the top of the square. And playing it out with a shot on goal for whoever was crumbing. Windsor was getting a lot of the ball in defence (could be an afl fantasy option in this role). Petty was definitely playing in defence.
- The players then gathered in together and there was a bit of energy around the group so I figured they were going to call out 2 players and do a 1 on 1, winner is the one who ends up the ball sort of drill and that's what happened. I don't recall all of the match ups but some of them were.
- May v Jefferson: May dropped the mark, and then Jefferson saw the ball on the deck and just dived on it like a landmine. Got a big applause. Would've been holding the ball in a game but an applause nonetheless.
- Langford v Petracca: Langford held his own in the push and shove component but then Langford went for the spoil and did spoil it but then fell over and Trac picked up the loose ball. An anti climax.
- Towards the end they grouped the playing list into sub-groups of 6 or so players, mostly according to their fitness. Steven May was paired up with Tom Campbell and Gawn and yelled out these he was in 'the fossil's group'. They did about a 400m run and then went straight into a goal kicking drill. So the running was designed to just have some fatigue before practicing.
- in the goal kicking practice, Trac is holding the ball a completely new way. instead of holding the ball vertically up and down when walking in like 99% of players he's holding it more horizontally. It looks hella strange, and I hate it. I'm sure it will be something that the media latch on to, but there's obviously a reason that he's doing it this way. The goal kicking was horrendous, I counted about 6 goals 11 behinds from 25m out on an angle. The best at the goal kicking (in order) were Tom Campbell, Tom Mcdonald and Kade Chandler. The worst were Mentha, Pickett
- Oliver trained pretty well. Kicked a nice left foot snap during one of the drills. And he was in good spirits. Gave Van Rooyen and hug and celebration when paired into the same running group.
