Training Pre-Season 2025 - The boys are back in town.

[2big2strom]

The player I noticed most was Erasmus. He really stepped up and was creative. He must take Fyfes spot with this opportunity. It's his time to build on his wafl finals last season.

I pretty much fully agree with your whole training report and had v similar key notes except for this one part! Erasmus has awful decision making and it is so frustrating to watch. The thing is when Fyfe or Matty J hold on to the ball for 100 years it's because there is no open option or they are trying to draw opposition towards them. And that's how they often get great forward movement handballs to their open runners.

Erasmus just holds holds holds and then makes a shit decision anyway (or gets caught holding the ball, which I saw twice in match sims today). I know they are different positions, I know Coops is smaller but at this stage I'm putting Coops > Erasmus already. In fact, Bruce has easily surpassed Erasmus in my mind. Superior decision making skills, fantastic use in close, again just smaller body.

It's a shame because Erasmus can actually tackle well and kick very nicely both feet when he's not under pressure to think - I genuinely wonder if he needs a sports psychologist and soon. Who knows, I did miss the fourth quarter so maybe that was full of his good moments, sadly I just don't see it yet.

Curious what others thought?

 

[Superkoops]

Training Report
Woke up did a body pump and my shoulders were burning on the way to training. The weight on my shoulders must be nothing compared to JLOs. If this team isn't playing finals then it's all over. They have all the key ingredients.

I won't cover warm ups and drills as I'd rather just discuss the full ground match sim.

Notes: Almost everyone is fit and available.

Walters can't be too far away as he was boxing and I could see him pounding it out for ages this morning.

Narkle warms up and does plenty of intermittent running yet won't join in full match sim. He looks fine but clearly the club are holding him back for a reason.

Darcey, ditto, I can clearly see how hard he has worked this pre season. Corns may need to eat his words.

Jackson and Reidy rucked almost 100% of the time. Both rucked well, Jackson just manages to do a little more around the ground.

Voss leads well and can take a mark. His goal kicking was pretty good. Players such as Young and Bolton hit him up perfectly. He will probably not get a game over Jackson, Amiss and Tracey yet he looks good.

These tall forwards feed off Young and Bolton. Bolton is such a beautiful player. He is too nimble and smart. He's the a chef who serves everything up on a platter for his team mates.

Banners kicking was terrible. He turned it over a few time and missed an easy shot on goal. Kicking the belly of the ball.

The ball use was average at first but picked up as the sim went on.

The player I noticed most was Erasmus. He really stepped up and was creative. He must take Fyfes spot with this opportunity. It's his time to build on his wafl finals last season.

Walker and Wagner look excellent. Both rebound brilliantly. Moose is ready to rock and roll. Chapman and Clark ditto.

Luke Ryan looked sore and thankfully recovered to do some bike riding.

On a final note. It is hard to report on the new draftees as I'm still figuring out who they are. It's harder in person with 36 players running around in a game style that is contested and congested it is definitely a contest driven approach by JLO.

Thanks for the training report. Re: Narkle the club said this just before they headed off for break:
“He had a navicular injury at the start of last year, and it's been something we've been managing with him coming into our program because we do have a high-speed running program.

We'll look for him to be doing on-field running later this week and transitioning into footy."

Any idea who that bloke is with the headband? Is he another train-on with Dudley?

 

[Superkoops]

I pretty much fully agree with your whole training report and had v similar key notes except for this one part! Erasmus has awful decision making and it is so frustrating to watch. The thing is when Fyfe or Matty J hold on to the ball for 100 years it's because there is no open option or they are trying to draw opposition towards them. And that's how they often get great forward movement handballs to their open runners.

Erasmus just holds holds holds and then makes a shit decision anyway (or gets caught holding the ball, which I saw twice in match sims today). I know they are different positions, I know Coops is smaller but at this stage I'm putting Coops > Erasmus already. In fact, Bruce has easily surpassed Erasmus in my mind. Superior decision making skills, fantastic use in close, again just smaller body.

It's a shame because Erasmus can actually tackle well and kick very nicely both feet when he's not under pressure to think - I genuinely wonder if he needs a sports psychologist and soon. Who knows, I did miss the fourth quarter so maybe that was full of his good moments, sadly I just don't see it yet.

Curious what others thought?

He makes good decisions at WAFL. Struggled with the step up to AFL. You can see he is aware of the need to get the ball moving quicker but also feels the pressure not to turn it over. If he can adjust to the pressure and tempo then I think he will be fine. That is the big IF. Don’t think a psychologist is what he needs. He needs confidence in himself and the coaching staff. At the moment he comes on for short stints as sub or in the Essendon game was make or break for him as an inclusion and was inexplicably subbed off.

Hopefully he is challenged to step up with a run of games at the start of the year. I have seen no issue with his decision making or disposals at WAFL.

 

[2big2strom]

Building on what kingo has already posted, here's some of my key take aways from today:

• The boys were very very vocal and loud today. They were here to train and the intensity was easily double that of December. It was interesting to see who maintained the vocals through out, some different players (I'm not including the leadership team in here) like Clarke, Karl Worner, Treacy were some of the loudest.
• TTHD noms - Treacy & Pat Voss (always run to the next drill, head up, running tall, everything they do is going at full pace). Serong - this guy, winning every bloody clearance and having shots on goal with ease. When you consider we haven't really had much chance to see Serong & Brayshaw & Young all fire at the same time (due to injuries, niggles) it's pretty bloody exciting.
• Davies' hat report: you guessed it, none.
• Darcy doing sprints, he's fast as **** boyy. And he is doing it with so much enthusiasm, if he's on, we are on.
• Swittas burst is gonna be so much fun combined with Bolton & Noddy.
• Ollie Murphy & Riddle are still in that awkward fumbly giraffe stage (and yet, still look cleaner with the ball than Delean)
• I can't stress enough how huge chappy is
• OMac is putting in a good fight to not be depth
• **** me Bolton is class, between him and Treacy our Pav prayers are gonna be answered and then some. Words cannot do it justice to describe how good he is, his running patterns and his ability to create space for others and the ball is insane. I love that this was picked up by others today too - it means I'm not just getting hyped over nothing.
• He also sat behind the stoppage a few times to release the ball. Him streaming through the centre with ANYONE looks ****ing good, him streaming through with Brayshaw nearly had me crying.
• I am a massive banners fan, I love the underdog he represents, I love the grit and fight he has put in to become a utility for this team and club. He is major wharfie vibes through and through. But this may be the year he's left behind based on skills alone (Karl, Narkle, Bruce are who I see taking over him). His kicking is woeful.
• Dogga needed a lot of instructions from other players on where to go. Anyone know if this normal? This was when playing in a fwd structure with Amiss and Nicholls so didn't seem like a new position to me? Didn't need as much direction when rucking - no other player got shouted at this much by his whole team, lol.
• Narkle & Dudley were in mids group a lot in the drills. As was Bruce. But I did notice Narkle back in defense during a quarter of the match sim. Lovely footy skills and tap to set up a goal on display from Dudley. As mentioned before the break, hopefully Dudley can get some fitness in over pre season. I'm definitely warming up to him
• Good to see Ryan came back out later and do some time on the bike, he got absolutely cleaned up by Amiss, looked rough.

And to wrap up, pessimists are gonna hate this but anyone got some tips on where to get my flagmantle 2025 tattoo? Preferably before the season starts for maximum effect.

Heave ho

 

[Spirit Level]

Was Sturt out there? Guy needs a full preseason or will be back to square one (again)

 

[2big2strom]

Was Sturt out there? Guy needs a full preseason or will be back to square one (again)

yeah he was out there. mostly on the far side (ARC side) so hard to see him. had some really good passages of play, linking up between mids and fwds. as usual, fantastic kicking skills.

 

[Dockeroo]

Poor old Banfield. When you aren’t getting much love on the pre season training thread, where nearly every player on the list is talked up as a possible future AA, you know that your stocks are really falling with the freo faithful!

 

[TheLastCall]

As long as it wasn't Ryan injuring Jye

Jye bulked up over the summer, doesn't know his own strength yet. Might be some sore defenders playing on him this year.

 

[anchor man]

Jye bulked up over the summer, doesn't know his own strength yet. Might be some sore defenders playing on him this year.

I saw the photos on the FFC site.He certainly look much bigger than previously.
Juat a prediction from me.
Cooper Simpson to be the real smokey of the competition this season.Not because of the number of possessions, but how he uses them.He is Class, with a capital C.
Skilled by foot and hand, has the step to confuse and makes good decisions.

 

[Arcassius]

Jye bulked up over the summer, doesn't know his own strength yet. Might be some sore defenders playing on him this year.

 

[King Huskii]

I pretty much fully agree with your whole training report and had v similar key notes except for this one part! Erasmus has awful decision making and it is so frustrating to watch. The thing is when Fyfe or Matty J hold on to the ball for 100 years it's because there is no open option or they are trying to draw opposition towards them. And that's how they often get great forward movement handballs to their open runners.

Erasmus just holds holds holds and then makes a shit decision anyway (or gets caught holding the ball, which I saw twice in match sims today). I know they are different positions, I know Coops is smaller but at this stage I'm putting Coops > Erasmus already. In fact, Bruce has easily surpassed Erasmus in my mind. Superior decision making skills, fantastic use in close, again just smaller body.

It's a shame because Erasmus can actually tackle well and kick very nicely both feet when he's not under pressure to think - I genuinely wonder if he needs a sports psychologist and soon. Who knows, I did miss the fourth quarter so maybe that was full of his good moments, sadly I just don't see it yet.

Curious what others thought?

I can't say I recall every Erasmus decision but for the most of it his ball movement was fine. I found most players in the first quarter a little rusty.

 

[Lach72]

Reidy

Luke Ryan just had his ribs hit hard by Amiss in a marking contest. He's left the field in a lot of pain.

I said “up for grabs” Luke not “break your ribs”

 

[Vimal Anand]

Bolton .. was having biggest impact . When the play was on opposite side and I could not recognise players due to distance, I could still see Bolton with the movement he makes. A number of goal set up and goal by himself.
Serong was also huge.
Voss looked to have improved his overhead marking but need to see it against AFL opposition.
Players were very happy. They were having a lap around oval by carrying Carr before going back, saw a few of us still near the fence they all came and gave a lot of time to take selfie

On SM-S918B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Arcassius]

Well, i've put my annual Serong for brownlow, Freo for premiers multi on. All downhill from here fellas

 

[King Huskii]

Well, i've put my annual Serong for brownlow, Freo for premiers multi on. All downhill from here fellas

I better book my flagmantle tattoo for end of September only to have to cancel it prior to September each year

 

[freo84]

The lid is off!

 

[Arcassius]

I better book my flagmantle tattoo for end of September only to have to cancel it prior to September each year

Just commit (and leave space to put in the year later)

 

[King Huskii]

Just commit (and leave space to put in the year later)

The last digit

 

[wakojako]

I saw the photos on the FFC site.He certainly look much bigger than previously.
Juat a prediction from me.
Cooper Simpson to be the real smokey of the competition this season.Not because of the number of possessions, but how he uses them.He is Class, with a capital C.
Skilled by foot and hand, has the step to confuse and makes good decisions.

All this frothing over Simpson. He has the tools to succeed but isn't close to making a consistent appearance in the b22. He needs to bulk up more and most importantly, learn how to find the ball. Excited to see what he will do with more midfield time at Peel this season. Carr is much more of a smokey player to choose.

 

[theGav56]

All this frothing over Simpson. He has the tools to succeed but isn't close to making a consistent appearance in the b22. He needs to bulk up more and most importantly, learn how to find the ball. Excited to see what he will do with more midfield time at Peel this season. Carr is much more of a smokey player to choose.

Did you get to training? Tell me more about Carr and how he's going.