Training Official Essendon Preseason Thread

[jdstorm]

Tsatas is a long way behind Parish. The club still heavily rate Parish hes just become a whipping boy for the fans

Parish aint stepping out of the side so Tsatas or Hobbs can get a run

Theres a spot for a 5th mid who play half mid half fwd. Thats Hobbs. Basically taking over Stringers/Perkins time as an onballer from last year

I rate Parish more than most on here. I just think Tsatas size is what is going to put him into the mix.

Parish is a better player but there’s a good chance the mix is better with Tsatas as a key piece.

In terms of who’s that 5th guy. I have no idea. Could be Hobbs, Parish, Perkins or even Caddy. He got some mid time yesterday and looked decent from all reports.

Might even be setterfield if they go bigger.

They’ve also been trialling Merrett at HB maybe that’s what unlocks the extra spot for Parish in the middle.

While I’m sure coaches have some thoughts I doubt they’ll have it fully figured out until about a month or so into the season.

 

[ant555]

I rate Parish more than most on here. I just think Tsatas size is what is going to put him into the mix.

Parish is a better player but there’s a good chance the mix is better with Tsatas as a key piece.

In terms of who’s that 5th guy. I have no idea. Could be Hobbs, Parish, Perkins or even Caddy. He got some mid time yesterday and looked decent from all reports.

Might even be setterfield if they go bigger.

They’ve also been trialling Merrett at HB maybe that’s what unlocks the extra spot for Parish in the middle.

While I’m sure coaches have some thoughts I doubt they’ll have it fully figured out until about a month or so into the season.

Forget the Caddy midfield stuff. He gets a run in the midfield in match sim as it is extra conditioning work and a learning tool for playing high half forward which he will have to do at CHF plus learning some stoppage craft to be a big body at forward half stoppage as we will play two rucks of some description and he will not have to ruck . The extent of his midfield role will be maybe some centre bounce.
People are getting carried away with the midfield discussions as far as Caddy goes.

 

[Vindicater]

Forget the Caddy midfield stuff. He gets a run in the midfield in match sim as it is extra conditioning work and a learning tool for playing high half forward which he will have to do at CHF plus learning some stoppage craft to be a big body at forward half stoppage as we will play two rucks of some description and he will not have to ruck . The extent of his midfield role will be maybe some centre bounce.
People are getting carried away with the midfield discussions as far as Caddy goes.

I agree.

Caddy has shown he has all the tools to be the perfect CHF in today's game. Why would we move him.

 

[rumply]

I agree.

Caddy has shown he has all the tools to be the perfect CHF in today's game. Why would we move him.

 

[Keystone agony]

I rate Parish more than most on here. I just think Tsatas size is what is going to put him into the mix.

Parish is a better player but there’s a good chance the mix is better with Tsatas as a key piece.

In terms of who’s that 5th guy. I have no idea. Could be Hobbs, Parish, Perkins or even Caddy. He got some mid time yesterday and looked decent from all reports.

Might even be setterfield if they go bigger.

They’ve also been trialling Merrett at HB maybe that’s what unlocks the extra spot for Parish in the middle.

While I’m sure coaches have some thoughts I doubt they’ll have it fully figured out until about a month or so into the season.

Ohh its likely not a thing thats cemented all year

Just think one thing for sure is a fit Parish getting through the PS in good shape is starting round 1

So Durham, Caldwell, Parish all there. Then the 4th if Zerrett is a meaning to atleast no to either Tsatas/Hobbs and maybe both of them. Zerrett is the moving piece for me that allows us to see what these guys can offer and imo Hobbs over Gresham in that Fwd that comes upto stoppages and then takes the share of CBAs as the 5th with no Stringer

For me this year is majority about giving opportunity to kids and developing them Roberts, El Hawli, Davey, Kako, Tsatas, Hobbs and figuring out exactly what we have with those guys that have been top 15 draft picks that are in years 3 and 4. That likely dictates our movements heavily going forward in list management. At the moment we just dont know because of limited opportunity

If both Hobbs and Tsatas dont show much whilst having opportunity than we likely need to invest heavily in the midfield

Ie: raising $$/year deals to guys like Brayshaw, Bont, Ed Richards, LDU, H.Reid, Worpel, H.Clark ect

 

[JayJ20]

I'm really excited to see what Saad can do. He's a great kick and can run both ways on the wing. He can also impact the scoreboard.

Hopefully another mid-season/SSP success story.

 

[jdstorm]

I agree.

Caddy has shown he has all the tools to be the perfect CHF in today's game. Why would we move him.

you want to play players where they can have the most impact. If he’s more impactful there then why not.

He’s smaller than Bont and Cripps. If he’s got the pace/tank/skills to play there and more touches = more impact then may as well give it a crack.

Like you said he’s a good CHF probably stays there.

 

[faible]

you want to play players where they can have the most impact. If he’s more impactful there then why not.

He’s smaller than Bont and Cripps. If he’s got the pace/tank/skills to play there and more touches = more impact then may as well give it a crack.

Like you said he’s a good CHF probably stays there.

Those guys were always midfielders, Caddy never has been.

Let's not do a Langford with him.

 

[jdstorm]

Those guys were always midfielders, Caddy never has been.

Let's not do a Langford with him.

I don’t think it’s smart to.

I’m a big believer in establishing guys in the side in a set position before expanding their role…

But also 12 months ago I thought Duz was a wing so I’m openminded when it comes to possibilities

 

[faible]

I don’t think it’s smart to.

I’m a big believer in establishing guys in the side in a set position before expanding their role…

But also 12 months ago I thought Duz was a wing so I’m openminded when it comes to possibilities

I'd argue wing and midfield at least exist on the same continuum, you generally need 360 degree awareness and an understanding of midfield running patterns, you train with the midfield, you set up with / around the midfield.

Wing is as much 'outside midfield' as it is Wing these days, it's partly specialised position, partly just less contested midfield.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

we have a massive hole in our forward line for an agile key forward with sticky hands. Caddy looks like the most likely to fill this hole.
Yes we have a hole in midfield for a big dynamic player but lets be patient and draft/trade in a natural mid that fills that role instead of robbing peter to take a wild stab at paying paul.

 

[faible]

we have a massive hole in our forward line for an agile key forward with sticky hands. Caddy looks like the most likely to fill this hole.
Yes we have a hole in midfield for a big dynamic player but lets be patient and draft/trade in a natural mid that fills that role instead of robbing peter to take a while stab at paying paul.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I have faith

 

[jdstorm]

I'd argue wing and midfield at least exist on the same continuum, you generally need 360 degree awareness and an understanding of midfield running patterns, you train with the midfield, you set up with / around the midfield.

Wing is as much 'outside midfield' as it is Wing these days, it's partly specialised position, partly just less contested midfield.

Fair enough.

in a lot of ways I think that the evolution of the modern game requires all players to have higher levels of 3D awareness/problemsolving then the past.

Then positions are more about physical attributes that allow players to fit specialised needs.

 

[faible]

Fair enough.

in a lot of ways I think that the evolution of the modern game requires all players to have higher levels of 3D awareness/problemsolving then the past.

Then positions are more about physical attributes that allow players to fit specialised needs.

I agree that players need a bit more general awareness than they have in the past, forwards need to be able to work in congestion and understand positioning at ground level contests, tackling, and how to receive and move a ball quickly, which are all midfield-esque skills.

I think a player like Perkins vs Parish is a good example of what I'm talking about:

Perkins has better raw physical tools than Parish for a midfielder, he's taller, heavier, a better 2km runner, and by eye looks stronger in the body when he's tackled.

But he doesn't 'work' in the midfield because he lacks the 360-degree awareness Parish has. Perkins is a straight-line kind of player, Parish isn't.

Straight line players can work in the middle, but they need to be a serious brute. Stringer for example, he's a bit of a straight-line player too, but has power and mass that few in the AFL have so can make it work (in bursts anyway).

Caddy is a good physical profile, but does he have the awareness of a Parish, or the raw power of a Stringer to make a midfield role work for him? I think Geelong have occasionally thrown Cameron in the middle, but that's more of a 'we feel like changing shit up' move to disrupt the flow of a game more than it is any real kind of positional change.

 

[jdstorm]

I agree that players need a bit more general awareness than they have in the past, forwards need to be able to work in congestion and understand positioning at ground level contests, tackling, and how to receive and move a ball quickly, which are all midfield-esque skills.

I think a player like Perkins vs Parish is a good example of what I'm talking about:

Perkins has better raw physical tools than Parish for a midfielder, he's taller, heavier, a better 2km runner, and by eye looks stronger in the body when he's tackled.

But he doesn't 'work' in the midfield because he lacks the 360-degree awareness Parish has. Perkins is a straight-line kind of player, Parish isn't.

Straight line players can work in the middle, but they need to be a serious brute. Stringer for example, he's a bit of a straight-line player too, but has power and mass that few in the AFL have so can make it work (in bursts anyway).

Caddy is a good physical profile, but does he have the awareness of a Parish, or the raw power of a Stringer to make a midfield role work for him? I think Geelong have occasionally thrown Cameron in the middle, but that's more of a 'we feel like changing shit up' move to disrupt the flow of a game more than it is any real kind of positional change.

I think that’s unfair to Stringer. Jake’s an incredibly smart footballer. He just goes in a straight line because it’s the path of least resistance and he has the physical tools to access it. He’s a brute because he’s lazy (and lacks stamina) not because he lacks inteligence.

I think when it comes to contested positions like inside midfield, Ruck, KPF and KPD there is a physicality factor at play and players that aren’t genetically predisposed to it shouldn’t play there.

That’s why players certain players don’t go inside their bodies aren’t built to take that beating. Jezza being a good example of this. Whitfield, Goodes, Hird ect. Why expose a highly skilled player to greater wear and tear than nessecary.

Cameron at CHF basically has free rein as a loose central midfielder anyway. It’s just that Geelong doesn’t need him to move the ball forward most of the time and why risk him at stoppage.

I think Perkins is an interesting case. Covid year player. Little midfield development. Is he capable of working out how to play there or is he just a 188cm pressure forward that can only really handle simple decision making.

Him and Martin ran into each other quite a few times last season near the end when both competing for the same space/ball.

I that’s his big question is he able to work out the mental aspect of afl football. Hopefully more development coaching helps him a lot.

 

[Keystone agony]

Funny because Perkins albeit as a 17 year old had pretty good agility, reckon hes lost a bit of that with size gain no doubt

For me Parish is one of the best ground ball players and handles it as clean as just about any. Hes right up there with the Neale, Daicos types in that regard, whereas Perkins has been found to be pretty poor in both regards

Parish is also under rated in how dynamic he is

Ball handling, ground ball, football nous and awareness let him(Perkins) down. Ive still not given up hope, but you cant hang anything substantial on him right now

Petracca broke through in his 6th year
JDG broke through out in his 7th year
Rayner in his 7th year avg 15.3/1.1 goal a game in the best side in the comp as a fwd, which is essentially what Archie did in 2023

Actually think theres a good chance he attends a decent amount of CBAs still next year

 

[faible]

I think that’s unfair to Stringer. Jake’s an incredibly smart footballer. He just goes in a straight line because it’s the path of least resistance and he has the physical tools to access it. He’s a brute because he’s lazy (and lacks stamina) not because he lacks inteligence.

I think when it comes to contested positions like inside midfield, Ruck, KPF and KPD there is a physicality factor at play and players that aren’t genetically predisposed to it shouldn’t play there.

That’s why players certain players don’t go inside their bodies aren’t built to take that beating. Jezza being a good example of this. Whitfield, Goodes, Hird ect. Why expose a highly skilled player to greater wear and tear than nessecary.

Cameron at CHF basically has free rein as a loose central midfielder anyway. It’s just that Geelong doesn’t need him to move the ball forward most of the time and why risk him at stoppage.

I think Perkins is an interesting case. Covid year player. Little midfield development. Is he capable of working out how to play there or is he just a 188cm pressure forward that can only really handle simple decision making.

Him and Martin ran into each other quite a few times last season near the end when both competing for the same space/ball.

I that’s his big question is he able to work out the mental aspect of afl football. Hopefully more development coaching helps him a lot.

I don't think football IQ and being a straight-line player are mutually exclusive. Stringer has fantastic tools to be a straight-line player, and with the broken leg in juniors has never really been able to play as a full-time midfielder so we don't know exactly what he could have been like playing as a full-time midfielder, or if he'd still be what he is anyway.

That 'striker' role they talked about a lot a little while back is basically a powerful MID/FWD playing as a straight-line player.

It's not necessarily a negative, it's just whether you have the tools to make it work or not. Perkins takes the game forward and direct, as a half forward that can still be a really powerful skill to bring to the table.

A player like Moore at Hawthorn might be a good comparison, he made the AA side this year averaging; 19d, 5m, 1.4g, 4t, 4 i50s

Perkins was at 15 / 3 / 0.3 / 3.7 / 3.3 this year, but has gone at 0.9 goals in a previous season. So he's got the potential IMO.

 

[jdstorm]

I don't think football IQ and being a straight-line player are mutually exclusive. Stringer has fantastic tools to be a straight-line player, and with the broken leg in juniors has never really been able to play as a full-time midfielder so we don't know exactly what he could have been like playing as a full-time midfielder, or if he'd still be what he is anyway.

That 'striker' role they talked about a lot a little while back is basically a powerful MID/FWD playing as a straight-line player.

It's not necessarily a negative, it's just whether you have the tools to make it work or not. Perkins takes the game forward and direct, as a half forward that can still be a really powerful skill to bring to the table.

A player like Moore at Hawthorn might be a good comparison, he made the AA side this year averaging; 19d, 5m, 1.4g, 4t, 4 i50s

Perkins was at 15 / 3 / 0.3 / 3.7 / 3.3 this year, but has gone at 0.9 goals in a previous season. So he's got the potential IMO.

Will be interesting to see.

Perkins has the tools, and there’s a reason he was drafted so high.

Quite a few players of his ilk take about 5 years or so until they work out how to play midfield. Experience aids with the pattern recognition aspect I expect.

He looked very good at the start of last season when others on the team were able to generate space. Which makes me think he’s good at quickly identifying the easy option. Just needs his brain to feel like there’s more than 1 easy option I guess.

 

[Call Me Cake]

I just want a midfielder who's actually a midfielder.

 

[jdstorm]

I just want a midfielder who's actually a midfielder.

That’s a next offseason problem.

Unless you believe in Setterfield and Tsatas being the missing pieces.

 

[Donflicted]

That’s a next offseason problem.

Unless you believe in Setterfield and Tsatas being the missing pieces.

Give lil J a chance

 

[faible]

That’s a next offseason problem.

Unless you believe in Setterfield and Tsatas being the missing pieces.

 

[justlookingaround]

Man I miss footy so much

 

[HirdsTheWord]

View attachment 2175438

So, orange isn't slimming then?

what's the bet he kicks 4+ on us.