Training Pre-season 2018

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Was great to get to my first training session in two years, and what an intense session it was.

First might I just say that it was a pleasure to meet the warburton lad at training. Have been enjoying his reports for years now, and it was great to see him action, bringing insight and commentary to the magpie faithful.

It was a v young squad that took the field today, with Moore, Grundy, pendles, treloar, goldy, hoskin Elliot, oxley and De goey for large chunks reduced to a limited schedule on the sidelines.. ably joined by sier, wills and Callum brown.

Times have certainly changed since the days of Taz and Rocca dominating training with their high marking, as with Elliott and fasolo missing, the major forward targets were Crocker, Kirby and Tarks.... with a bit of Reid and mayne thrown in.

It's actually a v small side, still full of not quite mids and not quite key position players, which had me lamenting what would happen if Moore and Dunn go down for large chunks of the season. Football has no doubt changed over the years, but the lack of genuine KPP's could again be our undoing this year.

For the sideline brigade first...

Pendles was free from finger bandage and running boundary circuits at medium pace, building his tank and most likely being managed for the big season ahead.
Treloar looks strong, but regaining fitness and touch after the op.
Goldy did v little, as did Grundy, though he looks in ripping shape.
Oxley honestly looked lighter than I've ever seen him, awkward and unfit, whilst seemingly making up the numbers at this stage. Obv had a bad injury, but looks half the player he once was.
Whilst Hoskin Elliott was running sprints with his head perfectly still, reminiscent of the Rams hall of gamer Eric Dickerson in full flight. He isn't toned, but does look to have added a minor bit of baulk, and has a deceptively wide frame.
Wills looked knackered and in minor distress, with a build that doesn't scream out mid. He is an animal when playing though, so I look forward to seeing how his 2018 season pans out.
Sier covering the ground v well, and has a v nice physique for a mid. Kid screams josh Kennedy in build, so still hoping he makes it.
C Brown has def filled out and reminded me of a young diesel williams in build. V solid legs, and upper body hasn't been neglected. Will feature this year.

For the mainstays, it was quite brutal in the heat, with no leniency given to first year players or the less fit. A solid 2 hours of running and skills games weeded out the ones who couldn't keep up with high intensity drills... a stark contrast to the demons training around the corner, who were much more casual in their approach with the mercury pushing 30c. I dare say that sideline group weren't upset to have missed today's session. I can't imagine the recovery for the younger bucks is a simple exercise... welcome to the big time lads.

Maynard - poss best on today, slimmed down, but has lost no power. Will def feature in the midfield, as he looked like a quicker pendles at times, tackling and endurance, with arrow like passes and a few goals to cap off a v good session. Looks a senior player now and def has high respect within the group.

Howe - also prominent throughout, with intercept marks and nice delivery. A born leader and crucial to our chances of success.

Adams - in ripping shape, at 3/4 pace from what I could see, but snapped goals, showed some poise and class, as well as some Quick movement that was nice to behold.

Tyler Brown - quite impressive and a session to warm the hearts of the faithful. Has already filled out a little in the lower body, and his lateral movement, reading of the play, and spring when marking had me jogging my memory for a player of similar style. Then it came to me... Gavin Wanganeen. Now I'm not going too early here, but this kid looks to have a bit, and I'm now v happy with the decision to draft him where we did. Def one to watch.

Sidey - also at 3/4 pace and bobbed up when he needed to. Nice tan and mo, and hopefully primed for a big one.

Josh Daicos - also v impressive. Will have to feature this year. Looks to be sidey's heir apparent to me. Running was strong, disposal a1, and reads it v well. Another draft bargain in the making... though another hff to add to the mix. So where to play him the only issue if all the other young guns also come on.

Stephenson - v skinny, but has toe and a v nice style to his game. A real dasher who can also win his own ball, and brings some class too really like this kid.

Murphy - looks to have lost weight since the draft, as is stick thin, but has elite decision making, nice skills and a strong mark. Another HF something that is holding his own at this stage. Saw the intercept that the Lad mentioned, and it was the stuff of a veteran, in a crucial passage of play. Nice

Phillips - has also shed some lbs and looks a diff player for mine. Lean & Built for endurance and did some nice things. Decision making is good with this guy, and looks a solid chance for starting best 22.

Broomhead & aish - paired off against each other in the sprinting duels and was surprised to see aish win a lot. Has better endurance. Broomy solid but didn't impress as much as hoped. Really want him to take the next step. Aish still looks a bit vanilla to me, without any big tricks. Two more HF something's.

Varcoe - trimmed down and youthful looking. Didn't recognise him at first. Looks v fit and tackling was a feature.

Crisp - fitness shone through at end. V productive and strong in the sprints and mids work.

Dunn - fit, lasted well with plenty of desire. Great addition this guy... thanks melb for two leaders. Backline would be completely lost without them.

Reid - just glad he's out there. Looking in good shape. Need this guy to hold down a key spot. Didn't feature too much.

Mason - agile and skilled for a big guy, but decision making a split second off at times and was punished. Gotta stop beating himself up and just get better. Looks strong and fitness has to be being better with all this running. Tailed off towards the end as Dunn easily had the better of him in sprints.

Appleby - kid impressed me. Looks a footballer and won two group backup sprints comfortably. Great rookie pick

Mihocek - looks like a smaller version of glen jakovic. Strong and could be used this year, with mclarty still looking raw.

Magden - plenty of desire and effort. Has the right traits for a defender, so will be v interesting to see how he goes.

De Goey - solid but skin folds didnt look impressive, as he returns from injury. Looks a sometimes distant figure at training. Something slightly off. Blair punched him the guts at one stage, and someone else gave him a Don't argue to the face.. so all didn't seem 100% if I'm being honest. Turned it on when he needed to, and looks classy when on... just need him to be switched on. Again, will watch with interest.

Wells - minimal work also. Not overweight, just looks to have an old physique now. Also hope he is switched on this season.

Kirby - def fitter than last year. Didn't disgrace himself in the running, but is still last. Big leap but dropped off at the end with fatigue. Perfect example to show him why he needs to be able to backup towards latter stages of games, if he wants to be best 22. Promising signs though.

Shaz - bigger, but also struggling a bIt with fatigue. Awkward running style, with right shoulder always higher, and def not quick. Some good kicks and decisions, as expected, but a mid he will never be. HBF is it for shaz... and hopefully in the 1's.

Langdon - trim, and looking like a cross between John McEnroe and martina Navratilova.

Mclarty - sad to say that he looked to have done his knee 3/4 of the way through training. Was struggling to keep up with the pace, and runs with a limited stride, but was helped from the field and was visibly in pain. I think he will be out for a while I'm afraid. Couldn't put any weight on it, and didn't look good
 
Last edited:
cityslick1 said:
Mclarty - sad to say that he looked to have done his knee 3/4 of the way through training. Was struggling to keep up with the pace, and runs with a limited stride, but was helped from the field and was visibly in pain. I think he will be out for a while I'm afraid. Couldn't put any weight on it, and didn't look good
Click to expand...
Well done with that report!

Hopefully the McLarty injury turns out be nothing serious, but it does sound worrying. The report by warburton lad (link posted by Dave on the last page) says:- "At 10-45, McLarty has to be assisted off the track by several trainers. Whilst limping slightly and favouring his right leg, he appears weak and dizzy and, one hopes, that it is only an adverse reaction to what is now a very warm morning and can be alleviated by rest and rehydration and not the dreaded 'big-knee'."
 

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Tarkyn_24 said:
But concerning Tarks will be 38 and we’re still using him as a forward target.:p
Click to expand...
You jest, but it was a slight worry to behold. With moore, fasolo and Elliott absent, along with Grundy - pushing Cox into ruck, there were no standout genuine first team forwards on display. Overall defence was v good, but if we can't fix our forward setup and avenue to goal, we may struggle to kick winning scores this year
 
cityslick1 said:
You jest, but it was a slight worry to behold. With moore, fasolo and Elliott absent, along with Grundy - pushing Cox into ruck, there were no standout genuine first team forwards on display. Overall defence was v good, but if we can't fix our forward setup and avenue to goal, we may struggle to kick winning scores this year
Click to expand...

The forward third will be fine so long as the midfield improves their efficiency and we move the ball quicker off half back. To put it in perspective Richmond had just 6 players kick over 20 goals in 2017! System trumps talent every day of the week :thumbsu:
 
cityslick1 said:
You jest, but it was a slight worry to behold. With moore, fasolo and Elliott absent, along with Grundy - pushing Cox into ruck, there were no standout genuine first team forwards on display. Overall defence was v good, but if we can't fix our forward setup and avenue to goal, we may struggle to kick winning scores this year
Click to expand...
I’m only half jesting. Can’t we just play a Tarkyn? Still looks fit enough.
 
cityslick1 said:
Was great to get to my first training session in two years, and what an intense session it was.

First might I just say that it was a pleasure to meet the warburton lad at training. Have been enjoying his reports for years now, and it was great to see him action, bringing insight and commentary to the magpie faithful.

It was a v young squad that took the field today, with Moore, Grundy, pendles, treloar, goldy, hoskin Elliot, oxley and De goey for large chunks reduced to a limited schedule on the sidelines.. ably joined by sier, wills and Callum brown.

Times have certainly changed since the days of Taz and Rocca dominating training with their high marking, as with Elliott and fasolo missing, the major forward targets were Crocker, Kirby and Tarks.... with a bit of Reid and mayne thrown in.

It's actually a v small side, still full of not quite mids and not quite key position players, which had me lamenting what would happen if Moore and Dunn go down for large chunks of the season. Football has no doubt changed over the years, but the lack of genuine KPP's could again be our undoing this year.

For the sideline brigade first...

Pendles was free from finger bandage and running boundary circuits at medium pace, building his tank and most likely being managed for the big season ahead.
Treloar looks strong, but regaining fitness and touch after the op.
Goldy did v little, as did Grundy, though he looks in ripping shape.
Oxley honestly looked lighter than I've ever seen him, awkward and unfit, whilst seemingly making up the numbers at this stage. Obv had a bad injury, but looks half the player he once was.
Whilst Hoskin Elliott was running sprints with his head perfectly still, reminiscent of the Rams hall of gamer Eric Dickerson in full flight. He isn't toned, but does look to have added a minor bit of baulk, and has a deceptively wide frame.
Wills looked knackered and in minor distress, with a build that doesn't scream out mid. He is an animal when playing though, so I look forward to seeing how his 2018 season pans out.
Sier covering the ground v well, and has a v nice physique for a mid. Kid screams josh Kennedy in build, so still hoping he makes it.
C Brown has def filled out and reminded me of a young diesel williams in build. V solid legs, and upper body hasn't been neglected. Will feature this year.

For the mainstays, it was quite brutal in the heat, with no leniency given to first year players or the less fit. A solid 2 hours of running and skills games weeded out the ones who couldn't keep up with high intensity drills... a stark contrast to the demons training around the corner, who were much more casual in their approach with the mercury pushing 30c. I dare say that sideline group weren't upset to have missed today's session. I can't imagine the recovery for the younger bucks is a simple exercise... welcome to the big time lads.

Maynard - poss best on today, slimmed down, but has lost no power. Will def feature in the midfield, as he looked like a quicker pendles at times, tackling and endurance, with arrow like passes and a few goals to cap off a v good session. Looks a senior player now and def has high respect within the group.

Howe - also prominent throughout, with intercept marks and nice delivery. A born leader and crucial to our chances of success.

Adams - in ripping shape, at 3/4 pace from what I could see, but snapped goals, showed some poise and class, as well as some Quick movement that was nice to behold.

Tyler Brown - quite impressive and a session to warm the hearts of the faithful. Has already filled out a little in the lower body, and his lateral movement, reading of the play, and spring when marking had me jogging my memory for a player of similar style. Then it came to me... Gavin Wanganeen. Now I'm not going too early here, but this kid looks to have a bit, and I'm now v happy with the decision to draft him where we did. Def one to watch.

Sidey - also at 3/4 pace and bobbed up when he needed to. Nice tan and mo, and hopefully primed for a big one.

Josh Daicos - also v impressive. Will have to feature this year. Looks to be sidey's heir apparent to me. Running was strong, disposal a1, and reads it v well. Another draft bargain in the making... though another hff to add to the mix. So where to play him the only issue if all the other young guns also come on.

Stephenson - v skinny, but has toe and a v nice style to his game. A real dasher who can also win his own ball, and brings some class too really like this kid.

Murphy - looks to have lost weight since the draft, as is stick thin, but has elite decision making, nice skills and a strong mark. Another HF something that is holding his own at this stage. Saw the intercept that the Lad mentioned, and it was the stuff of a veteran, in a crucial passage of play. Nice

Phillips - has also shed some lbs and looks a diff player for mine. Lean & Built for endurance and did some nice things. Decision making is good with this guy, and looks a solid chance for starting best 22.

Broomhead & aish - paired off against each other in the sprinting duels and was surprised to see aish win a lot. Has better endurance. Broomy solid but didn't impress as much as hoped. Really want him to take the next step. Aish still looks a bit vanilla to me, without any big tricks. Two more HF something's.

Varcoe - trimmed down and youthful looking. Didn't recognise him at first. Looks v fit and tackling was a feature.

Crisp - fitness shone through at end. V productive and strong in the sprints and mids work.

Dunn - fit, lasted well with plenty of desire. Great addition this guy... thanks melb for two leaders. Backline would be completely lost without them.

Reid - just glad he's out there. Looking in good shape. Need this guy to hold down a key spot. Didn't feature too much.

Mason - agile and skilled for a big guy, but decision making a split second off at times and was punished. Gotta stop beating himself up and just get better. Looks strong and fitness has to be being better with all this running. Tailed off towards the end as Dunn easily had the better of him in sprints.

Appleby - kid impressed me. Looks a footballer and won two group backup sprints comfortably. Great rookie pick

Mihocek - looks like a smaller version of glen jakovic. Strong and could be used this year, with mclarty still looking raw.

Magden - plenty of desire and effort. Has the right traits for a defender, so will be v interesting to see how he goes.

De Goey - solid but skin folds didnt look impressive, as he returns from injury. Looks a sometimes distant figure at training. Something slightly off. Blair punched him the guts at one stage, and someone else gave him a Don't argue to the face.. so all didn't seem 100% if I'm being honest. Turned it on when he needed to, and looks classy when on... just need him to be switched on. Again, will watch with interest.

Wells - minimal work also. Not overweight, just looks to have an old physique now. Also hope he is switched on this season.

Kirby - def fitter than last year. Didn't disgrace himself in the running, but is still last. Big leap but dropped off at the end with fatigue. Perfect example to show him why he needs to be able to backup towards latter stages of games, if he wants to be best 22. Promising signs though.

Shaz - bigger, but also struggling a bIt with fatigue. Awkward running style, with right shoulder always higher, and def not quick. Some good kicks and decisions, as expected, but a mid he will never be. HBF is it for shaz... and hopefully in the 1's.

Langdon - trim, and looking like a cross between John McEnroe and martina Navratilova.

Mclarty - sad to say that he looked to have done his knee 3/4 of the way through training. Was struggling to keep up with the pace, and runs with a limited stride, but was helped from the field and was visibly in pain. I think he will be out for a while I'm afraid. Couldn't put any weight on it, and didn't look good
Click to expand...
Did you see Murray the new kid from the swans?
 
Fruit said:
Did you see Murray the new kid from the swans?
Click to expand...
No murray from what I could see. Was looking forward to a glimpse, but sounds like he's been on a modified training.

Crocker is bigger, but didn't stand out. Looks like a mini maxwell, not overly quick or agile, and a step down from faz. Need moore, Faz and Elliott to be right for round 1.

Smith was also quite impressive. Solid build and lovely kicking, with great endurance. Makes a big difference to see who is still leading and hitting targets at the end of a long session. Separates the men from the boys. Just don't know where he fits in... again.

Maybe it's the way of the modern game, but the list of not quite mids or KPP or key small forward / defenders now includes:

Smith, Phillips, Daicos, Murphy, Stephenson, Blair, shaz, Langdon, goldy, Thomas, Crocker, mayne, broomhead, aish.
 

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Scodog10 said:
The forward third will be fine so long as the midfield improves their efficiency and we move the ball quicker off half back. To put it in perspective Richmond had just 6 players kick over 20 goals in 2017! System trumps talent every day of the week :thumbsu:
Click to expand...
Sounds good in theory, but the backs and mids often ran the ball out, with v little being presented to kick to. Kirby did alright, but was knackered towards the end, so couldnt lead. Was told to work harder by Howe. Not inspiring to see Crocker or Daicos present, with taller and more athletic defenders able to shut them down easily.

That's why it's crucial to get moore, fasolo and Elliott back
 
cityslick1 said:
Sounds good in theory, but the backs and mids often ran the ball out, with v little being presented to kick to. Kirby did alright, but was knackered towards the end, so couldnt lead. Was told to work harder by Howe. Not inspiring to see Crocker or Daicos present, with taller and more athletic defenders able to shut them down easily.

That's why it's crucial to get moore, fasolo and Elliott back
Click to expand...

Like I said that’s structure. Remember Peter Moore’s comments from last week. We play a 5 v 7 forward third which means we have to hold our structure forward of the ball. It relies on territory in the midfield and quick movement off half back to give the forwards a fighting chance.
 
cityslick1 said:
No murray from what I could see. Was looking forward to a glimpse, but sounds like he's been on a modified training.

Crocker is bigger, but didn't stand out. Looks like a mini maxwell, not overly quick or agile, and a step down from faz. Need moore, Faz and Elliott to be right for round 1.

Smith was also quite impressive. Solid build and lovely kicking, with great endurance. Makes a big difference to see who is still leading and hitting targets at the end of a long session. Separates the men from the boys. Just don't know where he fits in... again.

Maybe it's the way of the modern game, but the list of not quite mids or KPP or key small forward / defenders now includes:

Smith, Phillips, Daicos, Murphy, Stephenson, Blair, shaz, Langdon, goldy, Thomas, Crocker, mayne, broomhead, aish.
Click to expand...
Whilst Smith gets a lot of pasting in these parts, one thing about him, he does everything asked of him and more. Totally dedicated and great attitude.
 
TheGreatGrundy said:
If the game was called Lap rather than Football we'd have something to enthuse about.
Click to expand...
You never seem to miss a chance to punt him.
It's a shame, as I hope he makes it and wish him well.
Has size, just needs a decent run at it injury wise.
 
Saintly Viewed said:
You never seem to miss a chance to punt him.
It's a shame, as I hope he makes it and wish him well.
Has size, just needs a decent run at it injury wise.
Click to expand...
I imagine we all hope he makes it. In the meantime, allow me the opportunity for a litte levity at his expense. He seems to do little other than laps at training.
 
If pre-season training had its own award for best trainer Adams would win in a canter, he always brings A for effort to every session and it's why so many people consider him to be a future captain. It's good to see Maynard being mentioned in the standout category, unlike Adams he can seriously kick a football and could be set to take the game's best midfielders apart.
 
TheGreatGrundy said:
I imagine we all hope he makes it. In the meantime, allow me the opportunity for a litte levity at his expense. He seems to do little other than laps at training.
Click to expand...
Fair enough.

Let's hope his laps become more
 

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