Training Official Essendon Preseason Thread

[jdstorm]

ant555 archie roberts red or grey?

Thinking this is the side

Mcgrath - Mckay - Ridley (Roberts)
Redman - Reid - Shiel

Duursma - Parish - Martin
Bryan - Caldwell - Durham (Tsatas)

Zerrett - Caddy - Perkins
Gresham - Draper - Langford (Kako)

22nd: Hobbs vs SEH - Hobbs not a winger, so be interesting how they work it. Maybe either Tsatas or Roberts as the 3rd for small stints ie 25-30% game time in wing position

No Harry jones ?

 

[ant555]

ant555 archie roberts red or grey?

Thinking this is the side

Mcgrath - Mckay - Ridley (Roberts)
Redman - Reid - Shiel

Duursma - Parish - Martin
Bryan - Caldwell - Durham (Tsatas)

Zerrett - Caddy - Perkins
Gresham - Draper - Langford (Kako)

22nd: Hobbs vs SEH - Hobbs not a winger, so be interesting how they work it. Maybe either Tsatas or Roberts as the 3rd for small stints ie 25-30% game time in wing position

Has played mainly grey side but has also split time with El-Hawli in both sides in the last couple. Been playing wing.

 

[ant555]

Can you put it down to anything?

Been playing in the red forward line against the better defense that the grey side generally has. He just doesn't stand out as much because he does not have the tricks Kako does or the ability to be really involved up the ground like Gresham. To be honest I have not specifically watched him a lot . I did see him working with the young blokes during the game as far as set up goes. Sometimes the average Joes struggle to stand out I guess.

 

[DERO]

Can you put it down to anything?

Saving himself for the real stuff. He is ready to explode.

 

[ant555]

Been trying to find the best words to describe pre season this year and I think it is everyone do your job. The focus is clearly around playing your role. I think this is why we are not seeing a lot of reports about this bloke or that bloke tearing up the training track. Players are chiming in and doing their thing but it is not all about individuals commanding the play like last year where they just kept feeding it to Martin.

 

[DERO]

Is Harry jones injured ant555 ?

I only heard about Cox after I caught the back end of a Cornes discussion and the club said that his head hit the ground (apparently).

 

[ant555]

Is Harry jones injured ant555 ?

I only heard about Cox after I caught the back end of a Cornes discussion and the club said that his head hit the ground (apparently).

Harry rolled rolled an ankle last week. Should be back in full training in a short time.

Have not heard exactly how but yes Cox did cop a concussion in one of the drills a few weeks ago. They had been taking him along slowly anyway and from what I hear he had only just got back into contact training. He had not done match sim so I presume it would have been some sort of contested marking or tackling drill.

 

[DERO]

Harry rolled rolled an ankle last week. Should be back in full training in a short time.

Have not heard exactly how but yes Cox did cop a concussion in one of the drills a few weeks ago. They had been taking him along slowly anyway and from what I hear he had only just got back into contact training. He had not done match sim so I presume it would have been some sort of contested marking or tackling drill.

Is there a psychological issue here?

 

[ant555]

Is there a psychological issue here?

I would be speculating but I do not think he enjoys the heavy contact anyway. He is not built for it. He has not really developed body wise. He is still a big gangly giraffe type . It would be his second concussion in 12 months so maybe a bit a conservative approach but yes maybe a bit of a psychological issue as well.

 

[DERO]

I would be speculating but I do not think he enjoys the heavy contact anyway. He is not built for it. He has not really developed body wise. He is still a big gangly giraffe type . It would be his second concussion in 12 months so maybe a bit a conservative approach but yes maybe a bit of a psychological issue as well.

That concussion was prior to Christmas. Maybe there is an other issue, who knows?

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

Today was a little different to previous weeks. Only ran a few full of ground drills before match sim. They ran a loaded grey side first up with a couple of changes at half time and at 3/4 time. Grey side dominated but the reds did fight back a bit in the last quarter when the sides equaled a bit. The grey side dominated on the back of good pressure and two way running.
The first 4 quarters where 4x15 minutes.
Then they evened the sides out a bit and ran a 4 x 10 minute game which the red side won by a goal.
Any comments about the value of the early game are rubbish as it is not what they have done every week and it was only for 3 quarters of the 8 played this week. It is good experience for the young blokes to see how the mental mistakes can be seriously punished.

Anyway the pre season has been decent. There have been days where the skills have been a bit scrappy at times and then others where they have been sharp and crisp. The focus has been work rate and ground set up as well as fast ball movement as much as possible. Not going to go over the top and this everything looks like we will be good. It has been a methodical program where they are looking to work on the spots that let us down last year.

Players.

Shiel - has been really good at half back. Plays it like he is playing midfield. He makes good decisions and his kicking has been 8/10. One thing that is noticable is playing behind the footy he has a lot less kicks where he is running flat out and sideways so there are a lot less of the rushed off balance floaters. He is not a great one on one defender but he does get his defensive positioning right most of the time. Will be interesting to see how it translates against opposition sides but it does look like he has the footy smarts to make it work. Kicked 2 goals off half back on the run from 40 out today.

It is hard to get an exact line on everyone as it is impossible to watch 35 players in training jumpers with no numbers so you do miss a bit.

Have liked the intensity levels. It is like boot camp. All hustle no stuffing around. Short sharp breaks and the players are at a level where the coaches do not have to drive that side of it much

Thanks for this. As you say, I think Shiel is always better with the play ahead of him as he can run in a straight line.

 

[IHurley]

Thanks for this. As you say, I think Shiel is always better with the play ahead of him as he can run in a straight line.

Probably why he was no good as a small forward. Super quick but not evasive. Could be a genuine needle mover at half back.

 

[Keystone agony]

No Harry jones ?

Id have him in and they may well aswell, go a smidge taller over Perkins

 

[Keystone agony]

I hope if were not 5-2 or better that we dont percievere with Shiel and Gresham past that point

 

[jdstorm]

I hope if were not 5-2 or better that we dont percievere with Shiel and Gresham past that point

Sheil needs to play about 15 games to get to 100 for the club. I think he gets there.

 

[crackers65]

The worst possible start to the year for Cox. I feel he’s just not physically made for AFL footy.

 

[Keystone agony]

Sheil needs to play about 15 games to get to 100 for the club. I think he gets there.

Sub for the last 8 games

 

[Keystone agony]

Ive officially lost all hope woth Cox, just doesnt want to do a PS whether its his own mental or his physical status

The good thing is, i feel ok about it now with the way Reid is going (touches wood*)

 

[NYRB]

Are we sleeping on Jaxon Prior? I didnt know the Bombers had signed him until I read an article on AFL website today.

His best for Brisbane was very good. And at his time there, he held a spot down there in a deep lineup.

 

[TheUnicorn]

Are we sleeping on Jaxon Prior? I didnt know the Bombers had signed him until I read an article on AFL website today.

His best for Brisbane was very good. And at his time there, he held a spot down there in a deep lineup.

He's definitely an upgrade on Kelly in most areas, except maybe when it comes to locking someone down. I know Kelly took a lot of flak, but he could really shut down an opponent. Prior should be pretty handy though, and he's at a good age too, he's also got a nice kick on him. If training's anything to go by, he'll probably be in for Round 1.

 

[ant555]

To give a bit of perspective on the uneven part of the match sim the following is important to take into account.

To start with I would say it is rubbish if it was a regular thing but it is not.

It was only the first two quarters. Once they made a couple of changes for quarter three and then four the grey side only out scored the reds by 3 goals.
Then they reset the sides and the scoreboard for the rest and red side won by a goal.

They often run 30 minute sims during the weeks where Caddy plays on Reid and Draper plays on Hayes etc
I watched one where Redman played the defensive half forward role on Shiel to provide some real pressure on ball movement.

Saturday sim is not always about exact game plan even though it is umpired. The first two quarters on Saturday were about education for the young guys. Sticking to the game style for the experienced guys even though they where better and a fast pace game to build fitness.

Everything is not always as it appears.

 

[boncer34]

Are we sleeping on Jaxon Prior? I didnt know the Bombers had signed him until I read an article on AFL website today.

His best for Brisbane was very good. And at his time there, he held a spot down there in a deep lineup.

He played 9 games in the last 2 years.

21 in the last 3.

Was he injured?

 

[faible]

The biggest intrigue to me is Unwin? I expect Clarke to be good in time but Unwn is a bit of a mystery to me.

I think Unwin is a bit of a Durham; a guy with toughness and energy. How good he could be, or whether he makes it, who knows.

Might be a bit like Rioli vs Puopolo in that Hawks forward-line; Kako is the class, Unwin is your Puopolo who just goes hard each and every week.

 

[Howard Moon]

I know we don't like to make excuses for the malaise of our club but if the decisions are made by the same clowns who thought it would be a good idea to have the family day on a Tuesday school night - it's little wonder we suck

 

[Runk]

I know we don't like to make excuses for the malaise of our club but if the decisions are made by the same clowns who thought it would be a good idea to have the family day on a Tuesday school night - it's little wonder we suck

THIS.

My youngest told me about Family Day and when she showed me the date and time I fell off my chair.
As you say it's a school night, plus we're coming from Ballarat ffs. Diabolical organising.