Training Pre Season ‘25

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Assuming we draft a half back to replace Rioli and maybe move Short up the ground, they won't be ready for a year or so.

What about putting Mansell back to half back. He looked good at times there but had a bit of the Steve Morris bull at a gate attitude. He has matured a long way since then.

He is quick, physical, a good kick and a very hard runner. I can't see any other reasonable prospects on our list bar Smith, who may be a player but probably not just yet.

Our half forward line is going to be full.
I’m not sure I’d classify Mansell as a good kick, the penetration isn’t there like Rioli and Short. I couldn’t see him being the go to man in the back half.
Certainly has the hardness and running capacity and Probably as good as anyone on our list to play on the quick small forwards.
I’m hoping Smith comes on next year, but he’s not in the same class as Rioli or Short re kicking.
Probably trying to get the ball into Browns hands as much as possible in the back half ( assuming he plays there)
 

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Good to see blokes like Lynch, Ross, Ralphsmith even Samson show up with the 1st - 4th year players. Would be nice if Ralphsmith keeps tracking upwards and expecting increased mid rotations for Ross so he can reach another level. Not sure but from pics and vids looked like Dow wasn't back yet. To be expected from the lazy weight dodger I guess.
 
and expecting increased mid rotations for Ross so he can reach another level.
Amazing that he was a Marlion Pickett BOG in the VFL away from being a 2019 premiership player.

So close that year but not since.

They messed with him so I agree; hopefully he gets back on track. He’s entitled to some luck.
 
I’m not sure I’d classify Mansell as a good kick, the penetration isn’t there like Rioli and Short. I couldn’t see him being the go to man in the back half.
Certainly has the hardness and running capacity and Probably as good as anyone on our list to play on the quick small forwards.
I’m hoping Smith comes on next year, but he’s not in the same class as Rioli or Short re kicking.
Probably trying to get the ball into Browns hands as much as possible in the back half ( assuming he plays there)
I think his kicking has come a long way. Early days half back no, but the last year he has come on as a full time player and that includes kicking. He might not have the length of Short's kicking, nor Rioli's precision, but plenty of half backs have been just good kicks. Someone like Laird for example is not a big nor penetrating kick.

Mansell has a good kicking technique, has good length, doesn't kick pie floaters ala Grigg, but mainly he can kick on the run at full tilt, which I have not seen Brown doing much off. By all means give the ball to Brown to do the kicking, and I really hope Smith comes on as well because he has great half back attributes, but they are both just starting, Mansell is becoming a leader now and could shoulder the responsibility.
 
Mansell's a half forward, he does his best work on the edge of the 50 and poaches a few goals as well. I reckon sticking him HB would put him too far out from goal and liable to get scragged when the oppo moves the ball forward with momentum
Half forwards, Campbell, Green, Bauer, MRJ, Clarke and 2 draftees (1-6). Resting mids, Taranto, Ross, Sonsie. Short could play there (get him away from half back)

We don't have a rebounding half back at all, Smith but he's a maybe. Trezzise shows signs. What is this scragging thing you talk of, if anything he is the scragger. He has real pace which our backline does not have now that Rioli has gone. How important was Rioli last year as a line breaker. Mansell has the confidence, toughness and 50+ games under his belt now.

Mansell has never been a natural half forward, but to his credit he has adjusted and become not a bad player.
 
Half forwards, Campbell, Green, Bauer, MRJ, Clarke and 2 draftees (1-6). Resting mids, Taranto, Ross, Sonsie. Short could play there (get him away from half back)

We don't have a rebounding half back at all, Smith but he's a maybe. Trezzise shows signs. What is this scragging thing you talk of, if anything he is the scragger. He has real pace which our backline does not have now that Rioli has gone. How important was Rioli last year as a line breaker. Mansell has the confidence, toughness and 50+ games under his belt now.

Mansell has never been a natural half forward, but to his credit he has adjusted and become not a bad player.
Take Lindsay and Oliver in the draft, problem solved
 
What is this scragging thing you talk of, if anything he is the scragger.
I may have underestimated his toughness but he's not the biggest player and i would hate to see him get ragdolled trying to tackle a big unit running at full speed.
 
I may have underestimated his toughness but he's not the biggest player and i would hate to see him get ragdolled trying to tackle a big unit running at full speed.
He's about the toughest player in our team, and a lot tougher than Short, Houli and Rioli who were all around his size and nowhere near his physicality (Rioli was pretty good in that regard).
 
You think 2 kids are going to come in and play the role of primary rebounder from round 1. I would love both or either, but let's not underestimate how long it takes to play that role.
Obviously not, but they'll get some exposure, others can fill in while they develop.
 

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Half forwards, Campbell, Green, Bauer, MRJ, Clarke and 2 draftees (1-6). Resting mids, Taranto, Ross, Sonsie. Short could play there (get him away from half back)

We don't have a rebounding half back at all, Smith but he's a maybe. Trezzise shows signs. What is this scragging thing you talk of, if anything he is the scragger. He has real pace which our backline does not have now that Rioli has gone. How important was Rioli last year as a line breaker. Mansell has the confidence, toughness and 50+ games under his belt now.

Mansell has never been a natural half forward, but to his credit he has adjusted and become not a bad player.
Unfortunately not one of those Half forwards you listed have any playing history of providing elite defensive pressure to create turnover up forward including up to and within the centre square (i discount Maurice, as he was injured almost all of the season just gone). We have less forward pressure players like this on the list than other players who may be more than serviceable as a rebounding HBF. I dont believe Mansell is that stop gap until we draft and/or develop our next Daniel Rioli.

Mansell leading patterns are very very good as well, unreliable kick for goal is his only black mark as a forward but I rate highly players that get multiple goal chances a game.

Given it was early days of when he was recruited but Mansell was a sub-standard back pocket. Yes he has remarkably improved in a number of areas but there would be a more likelihood that he cant translate what he is doing now as a pressure HFF into a HBF line breaking role, Dan Rioli has elite agility plus speed (not all fast players have both), Mansell does not seem to have that agility from what I have watched which makes the difference with line breaking types.

Small case study but Banks has been tried a couple of time down back and his distribution and run had way more impactful than his games on the wing
 
Unfortunately not one of those Half forwards you listed have any playing history of providing elite defensive pressure to create turnover up forward including up to and within the centre square (i discount Maurice, as he was injured almost all of the season just gone). We have less forward pressure players like this on the list than other players who may be more than serviceable as a rebounding HBF. I dont believe Mansell is that stop gap until we draft and/or develop our next Daniel Rioli.

Mansell leading patterns are very very good as well, unreliable kick for goal is his only black mark as a forward but I rate highly players that get multiple goal chances a game.

Given it was early days of when he was recruited but Mansell was a sub-standard back pocket. Yes he has remarkably improved in a number of areas but there would be a more likelihood that he cant translate what he is doing now as a pressure HFF into a HBF line breaking role, Dan Rioli has elite agility plus speed (not all fast players have both), Mansell does not seem to have that agility from what I have watched which makes the difference with line breaking types.

Small case study but Banks has been tried a couple of time down back and his distribution and run had way more impactful than his games on the wing
The old defensive pressure thing. Seems to me that only works when you are a really good side because it is coming from all over the park, like us 2017 on. When you are a poor side, the ball is kicked cleanly out of our forward line because we have no scoring pressure. Good sides picked us apart by foot, and our pressure seemed pointless.

Mansell was hard at the ball so won 50-50's but that is not defensive pressure, that is offensive pressure. So in that respect he was good, but it is up to the others who look like they can play a bit like Campbell and Green and of course MRJ to step up and provide pressure both offensive and defensively. Campbell and Green know where the goals are as well and look natural forwards.

As far as Mansell at half back goes yes you are correct that nobody will replace Rioli. Banks does distribute well but gets almost no ball at the coalface as the good half backs do. Mansell can win his own ball and would be the fastest we have across half back if he was to play there. He was an average back pocket because he was just a few games into his career, but he did also look good there at times. I think he is a footballer who looks much more comfortable running forward rather than turning and weaving like natural forwards do. I hope we recruit a small forward because we need one badly.
 
Mansell is not tidy enough for half back. Hard working half forward is his go. Or nothing.
I think he has tidied up a lot and maybe the conception is from last time he was there or earlier as a forward.

He seems to hit targets more often than any of our other mids or small forwards. Short couldn't hit a barn last year at half back. We have been spoilt with Rioli but Laird was multiple AA half back and used the ball pretty conservatively. Broad is an average kick and a very good player.
 
I’m not sure I’d classify Mansell as a good kick, the penetration isn’t there like Rioli and Short. I couldn’t see him being the go to man in the back half.
Certainly has the hardness and running capacity and Probably as good as anyone on our list to play on the quick small forwards.
I’m hoping Smith comes on next year, but he’s not in the same class as Rioli or Short re kicking.
Probably trying to get the ball into Browns hands as much as possible in the back half ( assuming he plays there)

Mansell is a shocking kick. Has lost us games with his goal kicking

Love his aggressiveness if he’s going to play a role for us it needs to be a small pressure forward like a castagna
 
He's about the toughest player in our team, and a lot tougher than Short, Houli and Rioli who were all around his size and nowhere near his physicality (Rioli was pretty good in that regard).
Houli was tough as nails.
Scrupulously fair but tackled hard and stood under the ball numerous times knowing he was gonna get hit.
 
Houli was tough as nails.
Scrupulously fair but tackled hard and stood under the ball numerous times knowing he was gonna get hit.
Houli was not tough as nails, but he was no shirk and as you say stood under high balls and learned to tackle well enough. But Mansell likes to take the body and is far more physical that is why he wins 50-50 balls. Mansell's attitude has got him where he is now, an established player, which most of us here would not have said that a season or two ago.
 
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Mansell is a shocking kick. Has lost us games with his goal kicking

Love his aggressiveness if he’s going to play a role for us it needs to be a small pressure forward like a castagna
Castagna was far more than a pressure forward, when he was allowed to play his natural game he was attacking and a good mark. In 2017-19 he averaged 27 goals. In 2018 he took the most marks inside 50 after Jack.

Mansell kicked 21 goals last season which was pretty good in our awful forward line. He kicked 10 points only, so his kicking was far from awful. He actually delivered the ball very well into the forward line when playing high up the ground.

Pressure forwards have one position, the VFL, because that position only existed in Dimma's sides late in his tenure. Mansell is a far better player up the ground where he can use his running game, aggression and generally pretty good and long kicking to advantage. His kicking has improved 100%.
 
Castagna was far more than a pressure forward, when he was allowed to play his natural game he was attacking and a good mark. In 2017-19 he averaged 27 goals. In 2018 he took the most marks inside 50 after Jack.

Mansell kicked 21 goals last season which was pretty good in our awful forward line. He kicked 10 points only, so his kicking was far from awful. He actually delivered the ball very well into the forward line when playing high up the ground.

Pressure forwards have one position, the VFL, because that position only existed in Dimma's sides late in his tenure. Mansell is a far better player up the ground where he can use his running game, aggression and generally pretty good and long kicking to advantage. His kicking has improved 100%.
before anyone says "21.10 but kicked more on the full!" i checked the stats and he only had 4 registered shots at goal that didn't record a score
 

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Training Pre Season ‘25

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