Thanks to the Casey/Berwick brigade for the reports. It's all encouraging and most appreciated.

Reading all the feelgood stuff about the team's direction was reminiscent however, of the some of the times I attended pre season training in the good old days at the end of the Daniher era. I specifically remember one session at Trinity College on Australia Day 2007. The boys looked so good that day and I left in an upbeat mood thinking we were on the brink of success. After all, we had just finished above every other Victorian team in the competition, we had a good mix of mature players and young talent and they all looked so enthusiastic. We all know what followed.

I'm not denigrating the group or their efforts or the observations of those who have posted about the mood of the players but rather, I think we should keep things in perspective. There are 16 other clubs training the house down ATM and it's some months away before we will really be able to tell whether the development work being put into the players now is going to bear fruit in the coming season. I suspect that in a number of instances, it might take a little longer.

That said, I'm really interested in observations on two of our newly rookied players - Robert Campbell and Dan Nicholson because my information suggests that they (along with Howe) are the recruits most likely to be on show in the NAB Cup in February.

That said, I'm really interested in observations on two of our newly rookied players - Robert Campbell and Dan Nicholson because my information suggests that they (along with Howe) are the recruits most likely to be on show in the NAB Cup in February.

Do you have any further mail on Dan Nicholson WJ ?

Even at the stage Green is in his career, this experience I believe would have a great benefit.

Chip too.

lets not forget the russian!

To be honest, i think Green's got it in the bag

i was also at casey today..

boys are looking good.

scully killed it out there today, was first in the sprints and was first at the ball.

im really liking Cameron Johnston, wouldn't surprise me if this kid found himself in the team for the nab cup.

watts looked lazy and it just wasn't his day..

moloney was good very motivating and was very vocal and was helping the younger blocks out.

blease is looking very good and sharp.. looking forward to this kid

jamar was taking good strong marks and looks set for another big season

i just cant seem to like anything about spencer, fell over during the first sprints (greeny was pissing himself laughing) and just seemed to get beaten in everything he did. was holding his 'area' alot and seem to be in alittle bit of pain and did give the hammy a little niggle as he grabbed it straight away

overall, the boys are looking fit and ready to go

Edited December 10, 201014 yr by armstrong35

Do you have any further mail on Dan Nicholson WJ ?

Some very glowing reports from people in amateur circles. Of course, it's a long time since a player like John Hendrie took the step up from the VAFA and seamlessly fitted into the Hawthorn team and times have changed immensely since then. However, my contacts know their footy and reckon that if he accepts the higher pressure training regimen and the workload associated with it then he might surprise everyone and step up very quickly.

At the other end of the scale I'm interested in Campbell's rehabilitation from a player whose knees were shot to overcoming the injury and the infection incurred as a result. I'm interested in how he has basically reinvented himself and what role he might possibly play in the club's ruck set up.

Well whoever was worried about Trengove looking unfit/slow etc, can rest easy now that he's tearing it up.

He was obviously just taking time to adjust to his new body, as mentioned in one of the training threads.

Although he was in the fat group when they returned from pre season as his BMI was too high (not that it was saying much as Gysbert was in there too)

Although he was in the fat group when they returned from pre season as his BMI was too high (not that it was saying much as Gysbert was in there too)

Don't you mean skinfolds not BMI. If it was done on BMI Moloney would be king of the fat group from now until 2015. Trengove looked like he had high skinfolds when he returned, but also looked very strong so if high skin folds early in preseason is the price to pay for added bulk I'm not disappointed.

Sorry skinfolds.... its not that big of deal really I'm not too sure how they work but over 70??? is considered fat group I believe and Nathan Buckley played is whole career at that level so who knows

I don't think its the added bulk more a couple of beers and burgers... Gysbert had them and he certainly didn't had bulk

Edited December 10, 201014 yr by Wolfmother

watts looked lazy and it just wasn't his day..

That's a bit of a concern.

It is very interesting reading different reports of training and seeing some conflicting observations of how people trained, their effort level, their motivation of other players etc.

That's a bit of a concern.

No it's not.

One observation from one person at one training session.

One swallow does not a summer make.

No it's not.

One observation from one person at one training session.

One swallow does not a summer make.

No, it's a concern because he has looked lazy many times over the past couple of years (at training and in games).

No it's not.

One observation from one person at one training session.

One swallow does not a summer make.

Damn straight!

He will always look laconic, that's how he moves. Give the kid a break FFS.

No, it's a concern because he has looked lazy many times over the past couple of years (at training and in games).

Wow, must have been watching different games.....

No, it's a concern because he has looked lazy many times over the past couple of years (at training and in games).

It's not a concern for me because I have no idea of the quality of the information. Doesn't strike me as being particularly high though. And people have a tendency to see what they want to see, or turn up with pre-conceived notions about a player's behaviour, then just write that rather than really observing anything.

There are very few people who I would take the word of in the absence of seeing things with my own eyes. If I believed everything everyone on Demonland said, I'd have died of MFCSS years ago.

Damn straight!

He (Watts) will always look laconic, that's how he moves. Give the kid a break FFS.

Exactly! As opposed to TJ who looked lazy, and was.

'Clint Bizkit' date='11 December 2010 - 08:36 AM' timestamp='1292016990' post='389733']

That's a bit of a concern.

He trained OK. I watched him in the handball drill. He has good skills and moves well, but I recall some interesting advice to Jack by David Neitz - 'work on your first couple of steps and your last couple of steps.' I think he beat Greeny in a goalkicking contest.

The good news is he's out there training - like most of the team. All the recruits were at the ground yesterday, incl Lawrence and Evans from WA. A couple could get a run in the NAB cup - the best bets would be Howe, Nicholson, Mcdonald and Campbell. Very important comment from one of the players in an earlier thread - that boys are at the same point of in their preseason that it took them to get to in February at the start of this year.

I'm not sure if they were playing up the the crowd, but there was a lot of noise coming from the players during the kicking drills. This is the second time I've watched training this year. On both occasions they worked on a drill where the ball is kicked to the forward line and punched away rather than marked (simulating a contested possession). The ball is picked up by one player and handballed to a guy running forward and shooting for goal. They can also do a variation of this drill from the opposition kickouts. It's all done at high speed and perhaps they are copying some of the tactics that brought the premiership to Collingwood in 2010.

Damn straight!

He will always look laconic, that's how he moves. Give the kid a break FFS.

I rate your judgment about as highly as your use of the word "laconic".

Nasher, from what I have seen of what Watts live at games and at training he has looked lazy. Yes, he does have Brent Girgic / Travis Johnstone lackadaisical way of moving but there have been many times when he just hasn't worked hard enough.

Lucky it is only December.

It's not a concern for me because I have no idea of the quality of the information. Doesn't strike me as being particularly high though. And people have a tendency to see what they want to see, or turn up with pre-conceived notions about a player's behaviour, then just write that rather than really observing anything.

There are very few people who I would take the word of in the absence of seeing things with my own eyes. If I believed everything everyone on Demonland said, I'd have died of MFCSS years ago.

MFCSS can be fatal?

I may as well have my two cents worth on Watts as Ive seen a bit of him this pre season. His skills and his poise are second to none and he looks great on the training track but when it comes to the real stuff I think what he's lacking Is the aggression and the ability to get himself into the contest at the right times. I'm not concerned about him getting muscled out of position or pushed off the ball as hes still a light weight for his size. He just needs to have a bit more of the 'see ball get ball' attitude. Anyway I'm sure It will come to him and I think It will be more fair on the kid that we reserve judgement at least till the end of next season.

Damn straight!

He will always look laconic, that's how he moves. Give the kid a break FFS.

Have you got any idea what laconic means??

Edit: Sorry CB, just saw your comment. Where is Freddy64 when you need him.....

MFCSS can be fatal?

Stole the words out of my mouth WJ...

Have you got any idea what laconic means??

I used to make the same mistake myself. The dictionary definition is "using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise," but some of us mistakenly used the word as a synonym for "lazy" or "laid back". Others have used it to suggest a player might be frightened to get too involved in the action. I think that stems from some of the old time footy commentators using the word in the context of someone being silent or a quiet player. Jack Dyer was one of those commentators and I for one miss blokes of his ilk even if they butchered the language at times.

As far as Jack Watts is concerned, if he appears lazy or, if you like "laconic", I don't believe that adequately reflects him as a footballer. I would agree if someone said that he might lack confidence in his ability but that and laziness or fear for that matter, are entirely different things. I recently watched a replay on iQ of the North game in round 22 and some of things he did were quite effortless and amazing for someone 196 cm tall. At other times however, he looked unsure of himself. I think we have little worry about in this regard. He'll get all the confidence he needs as his body grows and he matures with experience. The same can be said of Liam Jurrah (and in time also the newly recruited tall forwards). I think they will also get a boost with the presence of an extra seasoned big man in the line up.

I think it's not only fair to use laconic in that sense, but that it's generally accepted.

... in the sense that he does things without seemingly much effort.

He exerts a concise amount of energy to execute a task.

The word is often used in this sense.

As DD DDC mentioned, Neita has personally spoken to Watts about his "first few steps" and his "last few steps".

More specifically, that he needs to "break" hard to get distance on his man, and then he needs to really attack the ball when he gets to it (in the air or in the ground).

He still manages to get by without going that hard because he reads it well and is so fast.

Imagine how good he'll be when he attacks it ferociously...