Training Pre-Season 2024

[cleanhands]

Good pastries, meat or otherwise, are ruined by tomato sauce. There is a chick at work that brings in leftover roast for her lunch and smothers it all with tomato sauce. But she’s from Millicent, not our gentrified Mt Gambier.

People from Millicent are allowed to be employed in the Mount now, good lord how times have change, i can recall a time when they were only allowed in the Mount was Saturday for sport then escorted out of town at conclusion

 

[Big Dub]

Jones career fell apart once we tried to force him into the midfield. Only taken until 2023 to right that ship, and even then, he's looking like a Mackay kind of ceiling.

Schoenberg fell apart in 2022 and really, there wasn't anything in 2023 that indicated he's come good. Berry fell apart in 2023 and is hoping for a bounce back.

We're yet to see with Soligo and have been rather cautious with Rachele going into the midfield. Seeing its typically been their third year that s**t hits the fan with our trying to develop midfielders strategy.

Jones' game fell apart when the Crows tried to make him more defensive and not focus on his natural weapons. He's got his confidence back and is using his weapons again. HOW he was used, not THAT he was used was the issue.

By all accounts, Schoenberg got lazy and that’s why his game fell away. He got back into the best 22 for the last 7 games of the season and looked fine. He also was never going to be a superstar.

Berry was always more effort than blue chip. He had a down year, but he also got overtaken by better midfielders. Keays also got overtaken by better midfielders (but had a second position), which is great. We want the honest triers to be overtaken by better midfielders.

I disagree that issues typically happen in year 3. The third year was bad for Berry, but Schoenberg's fourth year was his problem year. This year was Luke Pedlar's third year and by far his best.

 

[119others]

I truly don’t care about Curtin’s defending, and I hope our coaches don’t either. Play him to his strengths.

Please please don’t Chayse Jones this kid

Agree with most of these sentiments, esp re playing to stengths and wonder if he could even do the Hinge type HBF role if agile and fast enough? But overall surely if he is playing in defence we need him to be a competent defender? Otherwise he wont last long if his opponent is kicking a bag each week even if Dan is evading, rebounding and getting 20+ possies per week. Playing in defence you need to be able to defend as your one wood.

 

[cleanhands]

Jones' game fell apart when the Crows tried to make him more defensive and not focus on his natural weapons. He's got his confidence back and is using his weapons again. HOW he was used, not THAT he was used was the issue.

By all accounts, Schoenberg got lazy and that’s why his game fell away. He got back into the best 22 for the last 7 games of the season and looked fine. He also was never going to be a superstar.

Berry was always more effort than blue chip. He had a down year, but he also got overtaken by better midfielders. Keays also got overtaken by better midfielders (but had a second position), which is great. We want the honest triers to be overtaken by better midfielders.

I disagree that issues typically happen in year 3. The third year was bad for Berry, but Schoenberg's fourth year was his problem year. This year was Luke Pedlar's third year and by far his best.

Blind Freddie could see what was happening to Jones

 

[119others]

Spoke to a player over Xmas break and he’s most impressed with Oskar Ryan , a massive wrap for him , doing some amazing things at training

Reckons Curtin is impressive as a playmaker but needs some work on ability to defend as a defender

Likes Edwards traits but reckons he is very raw and will take some time

Many thanks mate, these little morsels of info for an info starved fanatical supporter base (ie us) are like nuggets of gold.

Any further insights received this time or previously? (or can be asked next time you catch up)? Who is training the house down? Big improvers expected in 2024? Can TT/Fog stand up and replace Tex as our number one go to guys this year (I think they need to). Who are the most likely next mids to succeed (Pedlar, Rachele, Soligo in that order IMO). Will Sloane see much action etc etc.

Also would love to know marco theme of Nicks opening address to the players before pre-season training started. Is it 'process driven and incremental improvement with everyone playing their role in team' to keep our liner improvement up (which should naturally see finals). Or a much more aspirational 'why not us. No reason we cant win the whole bloody thing if we train and work hard, take calculated risks, look for step change improvement in many areas (goal kicking accuracy, defending, many individual players stepping up to next level like TT, Peds, Rachele etc). I would personally love for him to be planting the seed that we are good enough to win it all.

Beat GC away week one and all of a sudden we are likely to be 3-0 leading to massive Thu night game vs Dees in Gather Round, and being talked about as a top 4 team.

 

[ABAB]

Jones career fell apart once we tried to force him into the midfield. Only taken until 2023 to right that ship, and even then, he's looking like a Mackay kind of ceiling.

Schoenberg fell apart in 2022 and really, there wasn't anything in 2023 that indicated he's come good. Berry fell apart in 2023 and is hoping for a bounce back.

We're yet to see with Soligo and have been rather cautious with Rachele going into the midfield. Seeing its typically been their third year that s**t hits the fan with our trying to develop midfielders strategy.

Jones was drafted as a midfielder and he played there during his draft year. The problem was when he entered the AFL system he was too preoccupied with the AFL structure and lost complete confidence after his 1st season. MacKay had one season were he was excellent but his development stagnated into a "solid" career after that year, hopefully Jones kick on from this year.

 

[Rags_118]

Hopefully Oskar Ryan is this years version of the player we got mid draft that when drafts are redone in 5 years time will end up the pointy end of the Top 10 ala Soligo.

Better still Sloane

 

[119others]

Hopefully Oskar Ryan is this years version of the player we got mid draft that when drafts are redone in 5 years time will end up the pointy end of the Top 10 ala Soligo.

will be fascinating to look back at our 2023 ND in 3-4 years time.

My (completely unsophisticated and happy clapper tendency) gut feeling is we have picked up 3 long term players who could each play 200+ games of AFL. Each seem natural footballers, good athletes and the requisite work ethic and desire to succeed.

Curtin could be a star of the game and our best player towards the end of this decade. Many had rated him top 2-3 in the draft.

Edwards probably hardest to call but massive scope for improvement with all the right traits. Perhaps the biggest boom/'bust' potential of the 3 players with the biggest floor to ceiling variance.

Ryan looks a natural footballer to me. Hard as nails, run from defence, great kick (from the vision I have seen) and a real work ethic desire to succeed (as all seem to have - unlike others like Moir).

We have had an excellent last 3-4 years before 2023 for drafting and trading bringing in as many elite/high calibre players as any other team IMO - Dawson, TT, Rachele, Pedlar, Worrell, Rankine plus bargain basement but quality players like Hinge, Murray and Soligo. Lets hope 2023 continues Hamish/Reidys excellent run as the most in-form recruitment team

 

[crows dude]

Jones' game fell apart when the Crows tried to make him more defensive and not focus on his natural weapons. He's got his confidence back and is using his weapons again. HOW he was used, not THAT he was used was the issue.

By all accounts, Schoenberg got lazy and that’s why his game fell away. He got back into the best 22 for the last 7 games of the season and looked fine. He also was never going to be a superstar.

Berry was always more effort than blue chip. He had a down year, but he also got overtaken by better midfielders. Keays also got overtaken by better midfielders (but had a second position), which is great. We want the honest triers to be overtaken by better midfielders.

I disagree that issues typically happen in year 3. The third year was bad for Berry, but Schoenberg's fourth year was his problem year. This year was Luke Pedlar's third year and by far his best.

Pedlars first considering his first two he was barely fit

 

[Jcpdragonx]

People here make too many excuses for Jones. He was suppose to be an inside mid and has looked nothing like it outside of one game.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

will be fascinating to look back at our 2023 ND in 3-4 years time.

My (completely unsophisticated and happy clapper tendency) gut feeling is we have picked up 3 long term players who could each play 200+ games of AFL. Each seem natural footballers, good athletes and the requisite work ethic and desire to succeed.

Curtin could be a star of the game and our best player towards the end of this decade. Many had rated him top 2-3 in the draft.

Edwards probably hardest to call but massive scope for improvement with all the right traits. Perhaps the biggest boom/'bust' potential of the 3 players with the biggest floor to ceiling variance.

Ryan looks a natural footballer to me. Hard as nails, run from defence, great kick (from the vision I have seen) and a real work ethic desire to succeed (as all seem to have - unlike others like Moir).

We have had an excellent last 3-4 years before 2023 for drafting and trading bringing in as many elite/high calibre players as any other team IMO - Dawson, TT, Rachele, Pedlar, Worrell, Rankine plus bargain basement but quality players like Hinge, Murray and Soligo. Lets hope 2023 continues Hamish/Reidys excellent run as the most in-form recruitment team

Calm down. We still have no elite young midfielders coming through aside from Rachele who probably wont ever been a permanent midfielder. We are lucky Dawson wanted to come home and barracked for us as a kid.

 

[WeeBlake]

Agree with most of these sentiments, esp re playing to stengths and wonder if he could even do the Hinge type HBF role if agile and fast enough? But overall surely if he is playing in defence we need him to be a competent defender? Otherwise he wont last long if his opponent is kicking a bag each week even if Dan is evading, rebounding and getting 20+ possies per week. Playing in defence you need to be able to defend as your one wood.

No one is complaining about Sheezel’s first year

 

[StonesThrow]

It's really quite baffling how many supposed football experts keep insisting that a 187cm defender, who routinely failed due to lack of size when pushed out of the third tall intercept role and into a man marking role on an actual tall forward, is a tall defender.

Even people on here doing it. Doedee was well and truly covered by the end of the year from multiple players emerging (Worrell, Hinge, Michalaney and Jones) with all of his traits and then some.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Calm down. We still have no elite young midfielders coming through aside from Rachele who probably wont ever been a permanent midfielder. We are lucky Dawson wanted to come home and barracked for us as a kid.

Imo Rachele, Pedlar & Soligo will be either good or elite midfielders.

How can you not be excited by these guys as a supporter of the Crows?

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

It's really quite baffling how many supposed football experts keep insisting that a 187cm defender, who routinely failed due to lack of size when pushed out of the third tall intercept role and into a man marking role on an actual tall forward, is a tall defender.

To be fair how many times did our selectors use Doedee as our 2nd tall defender, rarely with success.

At least Worrell has more height & more suited to switching from 3rd to 2nd tall defender.

 

[cleanhands]

Imo Rachele, Pedlar & Soligo will be either good or elite midfielders.

How can you not be excited by these guys as a supporter of the Crows?

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Imo Rachele, Pedlar & Soligo will be either good or elite midfielders.

How can you not be excited by these guys as a supporter of the Crows?

Rachele is exiting. I'm not convinced Pedlar and Soligo are as exciting as many of the other young mids in the comp. The bar needs to be very, very high for midfielders.

 

[Alwaysacrow]

Rachele is exiting. I'm not convinced Pedlar and Soligo are as exciting as many of the other young mids in the comp. The bar needs to be very, very high for midfielders.

Pedlar and Soligo have heaps of room for improvement that Burgess and hard work can fix.
Even players like Taylor and Nankervis could roll through there at some stage.
Our midfield going forward is starting to look much more promising.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Rachele is exiting. I'm not convinced Pedlar and Soligo are as exciting as many of the other young mids in the comp. The bar needs to be very, very high for midfielders.

I honestly don't know how you could come to the conclusion that Pedlar & Soligo don't look like exciting prospects...

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Pedlar and Soligo have heaps of room for improvement that Burgess and hard work can fix.
Even players like Taylor and Nankervis could roll through there at some stage.
Our midfield going forward is starting to look much more promising.

It's the most excited I have been about young midfield coming though in a very long time...

 

[Jcpdragonx]

I honestly don't know how you could come to the conclusion that Pedlar & Soligo don't look like exciting prospects...

There are a lot of very exiting young midfield cores going around

Rozee, Butters, JHF
Ashcroft x2
LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel
Serong, Brayshaw, Young
Walsh, Cerra
Rowell, Anderson, Flanders
Green, Callaghan
Day, Newcombe
Gulden, Warner, Sheldrick
Reid, Ginbey


I don't doubt Soligo and Pedlar will be good midfielders, I said they weren't as exiting as others. I'd take any one of these young midfielders over Pedlar or Soligo.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

There are a lot of very exiting young midfield cores going around

Rozee, Butters, JHF
Ashcroft x2
LDU, Wardlaw, Sheezel
Serong, Brayshaw, Young
Walsh, Cerra
Rowell, Anderson, Flanders
Green, Callaghan
Day, Newcombe
Gulden, Warner, Sheldrick
Reid, Ginbey


I don't doubt Soligo and Pedlar will be good midfielders, I said they weren't as exiting as others. I'd take any one of these young midfielders over Pedlar or Soligo.

I very much doubt you will be correct.

The fact you list players who haven't even played or been drafted yet for other sides as more exciting says everything imo.... when you then ignore Curtin. Double standards.

 

[finn]

On pasties...and i don't discount that suggestion

For the life of me i do not understand why Aussies get tomato sauce on a pastie. A pastie is full of vegetables,you should cut the pastie open and put a big chunk of butter in it and close it.

You saute vegetables in butter, a pastie is full of vegetables, it just makes sense

I used to get ham, cheese and mustard added to my pasties at the shop. Tasty.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I used to get ham, cheese and mustard added to my pasties at the shop. Tasty.

Yum.

Still have our leftover baked Xmas ham which had for lunch today with berenberg mustard, local truffle brie & aged Gouda.

 

[cleanhands]

I used to get ham, cheese and mustard added to my pasties at the shop. Tasty.

Man of my own heart