Training Pre Season - Who's deadset training the house down 2024 style.

[Jewelsbon]

I think that footage is from last week.

I saw training yesterday. Some observations:

* Interestingly, caesar88, it did look like Magor is being played as a defender still. I still didn't notice the squad broken into fwd/mid/defenders but, in the whole field game play drills, Magor was playing as a defender.

* Cleary looked impressive. Seemed to have both more endurance and more power than, say, Mitchell who is a year in front of him. I saw him fend off Matty Roberts when Matty tried to tackle him. And when they were running repeat sprints etc late in the session he was outrunning Mitchell beside him.

* Adams looks really sharp in contested ball situations. Also, don't know if I imagined it, but I thought I sensed a bit of big dog rivalry when Parker was competing directly with Adams.

* Dos looked brilliant with his running - way better than a lot of the other talls (most especially than Ladhams)

* I wondered if Ladhams looked a bit sluggish but it occurred to me that it might have been partly to do with the fact that he was the only player wearing longer, baggy shorts compared to pretty much all the others who were wearing really short shorts (almost like Capper times! but not as tight).

* Errol continues to impress as our hardest working player

* Parker and Florent continue to be working towards full fitness and did not get to participate fully in the training session - but, encouragingly, they did play some simulated game play which suggests they are now not too far off. Braeden also not training with the main group and I don't think he joined any game play stuff yesterday.

* Mills is still a long way off it.

* McAndrew has progressed from a cast to a strap-on brace thing on his arm/wrist. He was working really hard on his running and I was impressed.

* It's hard to tell but I think Francis is fitter than he was this time last year.

* Reid continues to look good and was joined with the main group pretty much the whole time. I enjoyed watching him practising rucking and contesting the ball 1v1 with Amartey. I'm really glad to have him around (despite opining we should have delisted him 6 months ago) even just for sentimental reasons - it's great seeing an 'old hand' continuing to compete and excel.

* Blakey got a heap of ball during the match play. He and Gulden were often used to distribute the ball. Unsurprising given they're among our best ball users.

* Based only on yesterday's training (which is really very little to go on) I think that Hamling has his nose in front of Melican for that second or third key defender role. Could change many times before the season commences. Speaking of Hamling, it was heartening to see him passing on guidance and direction to Snell and Arnold.

* Buller was mostly back with the main group (he was more rehabbing late last year).

* Fox was there participating (I only mention this because I suspect he didn't participate in last week's time trial).

Overall a pretty healthy list. Only ones on the sidelines (at times) were: Mills, McAndrew, Parker, Campbell, Florent, Buller. Maybe I'm missing someone. I think only two of those (Mills, McAndrew) are still a way off playing.

Joel Cochran (195 cm Academy player and 2024 draft prospect) was there training. I thought he was looked an impressive (and strikingly handsome) prospect. He's tall but moves really well and may have some more growing still do. Maybe he can be our pin-up boy player post Buddy and Heeney (not that we're post-Heeney yet).

I clocked a couple of new VFL players. One of them is Pierce Roseby. Formerly of the Swans Academy, more recently played for Frankston. His face looks like an Easter island moai. I imagine he has resigned himself to not becoming an AFL player and so is happy to return to Sydney and play for us in the VFL instead of Frankston.

Maybe I should know this, but who's Dos?

 

[kangle4]

Maybe I should know this, but who's Dos?

Mclean.

 

[SydneyBlood]

Does anyone know why McLean is known as Dos or Dossa? I've never been able to work it out?

 

[bedford]

Does anyone know why McLean is known as Dos or Dossa? I've never been able to work it out?

Haydos , same as Matthew Hayden

 

[SydneyBlood]

Ah, got it. Thanks.

 

[Slingshot Footy]

Does anyone know why McLean is known as Dos or Dossa? I've never been able to work it out?

Could be totally unrelated but I had a mate named Hayden in high school and he was called Haydos by many as well. Could be an evolution of that or something else entirely

Nicknames aside, it's fantastic to hear that McLean is in prime condition, he just seems to get better every year! I'll sound like a broken record to some but he deserves to be in the leadership squad off work ethic alone.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Mclean.

Thank you. In a million years I would never have guessed that

 

[Callipygian]

Thank you

Out of curiosity with Cochran, was he training with the forwards or defenders?

Cochran's billed as a key defender. From what I saw though of his involvement in training, I couldn't really tell. He wasn't involved in the game play stuff, only some drills in the second half of the session and I wasn't especially watching him. He spent a fair while standing on the sidelines with Brett Kirk. Brett Kirk later went and spent a long time chatting with two older blokes who I think I saw took Joel away afterwards (his dad and a mate?).

Tom Harley wasn't around (as he quite often is) but Leon Cameron was there. I think all the coaches were there.

Dos is McLean. I think, like others already said (and has been discussed on this board previously):

Hayden -> Haydos -> Dossa -> Dos

But when he's around the other players actually call out to him "Dos! Dos! Dossa!" That kind of thing.

 

[bedford]

I think that got worked out , great effort to put that up and going to training, but maybe just say McLean as not everyone gets the nicknames .

 

[cygnet18]

Anyone been at training this week & able to shed light on what's been happening?

 

[Ticky009]

 

[Donza]

Anyone been at training this week & able to shed light on what's been happening?

James Jordan is about to explode.

He's trained a unit block in Mascot down

 

[WillHayward]

Confirmed that the NSW building regulator is seeking to extradite James Jordon back to Victoria to prevent further home collapses.

 

[bedford]

All i know is that the Chad might explode and with that and the new recruits it's takes pressure of Errol

 

[Nuggetz]

**** me, it's soo hard not to get hyped for this season already. Far out.

 

[Nuggetz]

After reading all our pre-season positive hype, I might explode

 

[Nuggetz]

This article was soo good. For those who can't read it:

Jordon killed it, impressed with his speed, silky hands and kicking. MVP of the match sim & his nickname is JJ.
Adams ran rings around the others early on in the session.
Gulden workrate gone to another level.
Chad looked great.
Heeney spent more time in the middle.
Ladhams & Will Green were both strong.

BUT the most impressive bit was the lift in intensity with quicker handballs and speed through the corridor being observed.

**** me. I cannot wait for this season!

 

[mtooler]

Yeah read the article and very hard not to get overly excited.

 

[Nuggetz]

McKirdy on twitter: Taylor Adams

3

Taylor Adams

Age

31

Ht

181cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

24.9

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.4

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

4.8

5star

CL

5.0

5star

D

20.4

5star

K

12.4

5star

HB

8.0

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

5.9

5star

CL

5.9

5star

D

18.2

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

3.0

5star

CL

2.2

4star

pretty impressive through the centre and looks as quick as ever.

He'll be playing with a chip on his shoulder. He lead the intensity from the start, "That shift was led by Adams who was running rings around some of his new teammates early in the session."

This is great to hear.

 

[Nuggetz]

Who do I contact on bigfooty to get the eggplant emoji reaction because it's needed.

 

[sataris]

Who do I contact on bigfooty to get the eggplant emoji reaction because it's needed.

Chief but if you summon the big man, you'd best be prepared for the consequences.

 

[RUNVS]

Thank you

Out of curiosity with Cochran, was he training with the forwards or defenders?

Why are you asking the umimportant question. We need to know just how handsome he is NOW.

 

[Kiama Chris]

The thing that pleases and excites me most is the effort and intensity that seems to be happening across the whole list. When someone comes off second best you can see the disappointment. Love it!
Fantastic that Adams and JJ are ramping up the pressure. That can only bring good things.
Hopefully as we train, so shall we play.

 

[Punts]

Not sure where Gus plays if Adams and JJ are locks for round one

 

[Donza]

Not sure where Gus plays if Adams and JJ are locks for round one

Tramway oval.