Training Pre season training

[g_TRAIN]

I think it will be a toss up between Windy and Garcia for that last mid spot. That's not a dis on Windy but a positive on how Garcia is imposing himslf on the selectors to choose him.

Yeah I could see that being the case. (when we're full strength)

Long term they both have a spot though.

 

[Cairnsman]

Having a star player as a captain gives the club relevance and marketability. Having a player that other supporters don’t even know as captain makes the club irrelevant.

If Byrnes is ever Captain, it means the name of the club as been changed to the Tassie Saints...I'm sorry I should have used a sarcasm emoji

 

[mad-saint-guy]

I'd have the onballer pecking order like this heading into 2025:

Steele
Morecrae
Phillipou
Windhager
Clark
Garcia
Jones
Dow
Carroll
Hall
Boxshall

The first five fit players start, with a sixth potentially getting a go as sub. I don't think Windy has anything to worry about. He's still very young and has been pulling his weight in the seniors from the get go. With a better run with injury he should improve significantly. I also don't agree that he's limited to being a defensive player - in his first season he was bursting out of traffic and pulling basketball tricks to evade the opposition. It's almost to his detriment that he turned out to be one of the most effective taggers in the sport.

 

[Joffaboy]

I think injury has held him back so far. His stats stack up next to most good mids at the same age and could be a bolter at some stage. Pretty sure he's tracking near identical to Jack Steele at the same age. I'd take another Steele.

TBH, I would use him as a tagger again this year. With Macrae, Carroll, Hall, and Garcia adding to a currently fit Phillipou, Clark, Jones and Dow, plus Steele, we might have a halfway decent midfield that is at least competitive with the better midfields.

If we can tag out a Cripps, or an Oliver or a Butters for example, it will give the midfield even more of a chance. He has shown that he can also get his own ball as well (as Stocker showed when he tagged). Of course the opposition has the ability to tag ours as well, which would actually be an improvement as I dont think many have bothered to tag. It would mean we are at least improving in the mids I suppose.

 

[Joffaboy]

I'd have the onballer pecking order like this heading into 2025:

Steele
Morecrae
Phillipou
Windhager
Clark
Garcia
Jones
Dow
Carroll
Hall
Boxshall

The first five fit players start, with a sixth potentially getting a go as sub. I don't think Windy has anything to worry about. He's still very young and has been pulling his weight in the seniors from the get go. With a better run with injury he should improve significantly. I also don't agree that he's limited to being a defensive player - in his first season he was bursting out of traffic and pulling basketball tricks to evade the opposition. It's almost to his detriment that he turned out to be one of the most effective taggers in the sport.

Personal preference and I agree with your first 5 but then mine is

Garcia
Carroll
Dow
Jones
Hall
Boxshall

I am a big wrap for Carroll from what I have seen, but other track watchers absolutely think Hall is ahead of him.

To have a fit Jones, who looked very good in the back half of 2024, so far down the list is a good sign. There is no a single mid on that list I would call a dud.
If we can get Macrae back to AA form, with help for Steele, and have a Phillipou jump up to A grade standard, all of those mids on the list are good solid citizens who can fill out the midfield well without being a superstar.
Add Sinclair, Travaglia, Hill and Wilson coming of the half back and flanks, we have a pretty decent middle of the ground.

Ohh I am getting excited, must be the post Christmas pre season of hope.

 

[Mav3rick]

I would be trying Byrnes down back as a successor to Webster. I recon he can do that job and also be involved in our run out of defence,.

I like it, especially if we want to play Travaglia on a wing we probably don't have a spot for him. Doesn't hurt to have a defender who can run all day either given the way small forwards roam up the ground these days ie. Geelong and Hawthorn

 

[Mav3rick]

I’m very confident about those two, not so with JVE!

Not to be a dick because I want them to succeed, but what makes you so confident? We're not even into real practice matches yet let alone professional games, how on earth can you be so confident draftees who have literally done nothing will succeed?

 

[Mav3rick]

What are people’s thoughts on Windhager. Looked great early but been slightly exposed as one dimensional and lacking weapons?

Thought his explosiveness and attack on the ball stood out early in the year last year. I still have high hopes he can be a quality all-around midfielder and hopefully perfect running mate with Phillipou

 

[austinnn]

If he's done it once, hopefully it's an indication he is capable of doing it more regularly.

Daniel Healy says "You're goddam right!"

 

[SteeleSaints]

Personal preference and I agree with your first 5 but then mine is

Garcia
Carroll
Dow
Jones
Hall
Boxshall

I am a big wrap for Carroll from what I have seen, but other track watchers absolutely think Hall is ahead of him.

To have a fit Jones, who looked very good in the back half of 2024, so far down the list is a good sign. There is no a single mid on that list I would call a dud.
If we can get Macrae back to AA form, with help for Steele, and have a Phillipou jump up to A grade standard, all of those mids on the list are good solid citizens who can fill out the midfield well without being a superstar.
Add Sinclair, Travaglia, Hill and Wilson coming of the half back and flanks, we have a pretty decent middle of the ground.

Ohh I am getting excited, must be the post Christmas pre season of hope.

If Hunter can finally improve his running and get some continuity he will be the first change mid, otherwise he wont be getting a game. I would be getting games and midfield minutes into the future like Garcia and others.

 

[hayes]

What are people’s thoughts on Windhager. Looked great early but been slightly exposed as one dimensional and lacking weapons?

Doesn’t look like there’s a lot of damage to his game at least by foot. I think if he’s going to make it he can’t just be a decent contested ball winner which he’s already shown, he needs to be one of those 12-13+CP per game type of players. Either that or he needs to start breaking out of stoppages more otherwise he’s just another boring type mid which we’ve specialized in for the last decade.

 

[tomjoad]

Tiz the season for optimism though.

...cautious optimism

 

[Verdun66]

No actual ball work yet? Drills etc? Or is it just working out who has come back as ‘fat as bush pigs’ to coin Tim Watson’s phrase?

Seems they did a run, bit of gym work maybe?

 

[Dazb86]

Is Macrae a chance at taking out your BnF this year?

 

[Saints4ever]

Is Macrae a chance at taking out your BnF this year?

Will be a valuable recruit and really excited to have him.
I can see him being top 5 all things going well.
Can’t see him winning it.

 

[The Cobra]

Will be a valuable recruit and really excited to have him.
I can see him being top 5 all things going well.
Can’t see him winning it.

Don’t know where he will finish but will be dominate in the midfield (subject to any injuries) - book mark it!

 

[Saints4ever]

Don’t know where he will finish but will be dominate in the midfield (subject to any injuries) - book mark it!

Agree 100% Dogs pushed him out before his time.

 

[BigMonty]

Agree 100% Dogs pushed him out before his time.

Macrae also has a point to prove. Never discount the human factor of wanting to shove it up someones arse crack

On SM-S916B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[sasaint]

Is Macrae a chance at taking out your BnF this year?

He’s a dead set certainty to win the Norm Smith this year.

 

[Parkysp]

Doesn’t look like there’s a lot of damage to his game at least by foot. I think if he’s going to make it he can’t just be a decent contested ball winner which he’s already shown, he needs to be one of those 12-13+CP per game type of players. Either that or he needs to start breaking out of stoppages more otherwise he’s just another boring type mid which we’ve specialized in for the last decade.

I agree. I went down a Lenny Hayes YouTube highlights rabbit hole tonight mainly because of the Windy discussion.

I really believe Windy has so many similar attributes. I know his mentality is there. I've heard it from too many different sources so the triangulation of data makes me believe it. Can he make it though on a physical skill level? Please footy gods make it so.

The cross over highlights of Lenny and Harves . Geez they deserved to be premiership players.

 

[BarkerFan]

Is Macrae a chance at taking out your BnF this year?

looks like he was top 3 in WBD bnF on 5 occasions. If he gets back to his best, that will guarantee plenty of midfield time and then he would surely be right up there.

Certainly having a point to porove may be the motivation to get back to his best, and indeed it is not really clear if he really dropped off or if was just not afforded the same opportunities in his best role.

 

[akaifu]

A lot of the time when Windy played mid this year, it was as the second mid behind Steele which is a lot of responsibility for a kid

I feel like with Macrae coming in and Pou overtaking him, it relieves pressure and hopefully allows him to really nail down his contest work rather than having to focus on a variety of things at once and not really becoming very good in any of them

If he can really elevate the contested ball-winning side of things, then it sets him up to develop into a ball-winning pig given his elite two-way running ability on the outside - Lachie Neale mould (high standards but Neale was a late pick too with similar attributes)

Complements Pou and Travaglia perfectly

 

[jwint43]

Acres as steak knives still kills me.
Giving player away after 3-4 years of development is insane. McEvoy comes to mind.

It's in the past now, but giving away a 1st, second + Acres for Hill because he nominated us was absolutely crazy. Acres didn't even want to go back to WA, the club just basically disrespected him by throwing him in. Hill is a good player but he only came to us because we could offer the most money, it was a purely financial decision. Acres has since grown into a very good player and we gave away 10 and 23 also. Desperate list management that hopefully is a thing of the past.