Training - Monday 9th January, 2012

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

When freak questions something I get worried...he is usually spot on!

[s-t-i-n-g-a 439]

Only joking

[Whispering_Jack 30,640]

I was also interested in the subject of intensity as raised in the OP and I can only surmise that what we are seeing is the transition from the real hard core fitness work of the early part of the pre season to the skills work once the footballs are in play a lot more. I have no doubt that it's all very much pre-planned and can assure all that it's no country club out there.

The main difference I saw from the last few years (and please note what I said in my earlier post about not knowing too much about the specific purpose of the drills) is the additional amount of coaching and training personnel which will only help the club in the long run.

[Juicebox 628]

Any news on how Bail is training?

[rolly 149]

i'm suprised first session back wasn't a 3km time trial. Doesn't take much to setup and complete...give a good idea how they went over the break. Plus they did a 3km time trial before xmas.

maybe saving it for one of the last sessions before heading north for nab cup? sort of as a "look how far you've come" kind of deal

[monoccular 17,573]

Is Strauss some sort of Lazarus? At the time of his injury he wasn't expected to be even running for 6+ months, let alone now- some have posted here or at 'ology that he looks nearly ready to go!

Amazing: credit to his treating practitioners, and of course to James himself. Well done.

[Steamin Demon 392]

Ok I'm back in the office. I'll do my best to give you an insight to what took place today.

I rolled up at 9.45am to the boys being instructed to start a lap of the oval. The boys began a 10 minute stretch session, All conducted by Dave Misson. Once finished the rehab group split and did light flatfooted handballing drills. The group had Bartram, Strauss, Tappy, Jetta, Cook, Jurrah and Jamar. Jurrah did alot of one handed feel for the footy type stuff. He then joined Jamar doing 1/4 pace laps, Others doing laps were Tappy, Jordie Mac and Jake Spencer albeit at greater intensity.

The Main group started by doing fairly simple run throughs and hand ball give and receives. This was done at good intensity but by no means was it taxing. The things I took from this were the cleanliness of the hands especially Dunn, Nicholson and Sylvia. This went for around 15 minutes. They then had what I saw as the midfielders do some contested ball work. The drill had two players (fluoro vests) against three and Neville Jetta as a kind of link player (different colour fluoro vest). The job was to sheperd and work for your team mate until he was in a postion to hit one of our lead up forwards. We done this extremely well with Grimes, Dunn, Nicholson, Sylvia and Jones the standouts.

The lead up forwards is what got me most excited. Our Mids contiually hit them lace out but is was the hands of Mitch Clark, Watts and Tom McDonald that really caught the eye. Tom McDonald out marked Frawley on at least three occasions much to Frawleys displeasure. Clark is going to play a deep lead up forward if training is anything to go by.

I was only there for an hour so thats pretty much all I saw but as it was alluded to by Freak it was not a running fitness session it was more skills/touch session. Our skills for the session were quite clean for this time, Especially the big bucket hands of Clark (One grab every time).

I know a few want to know about the body sizes of some of the boys so I'll list the notables.

Morton - Does look a little bigger but was very quiet and hardly noticed him on the track

Strauss - Had his shirt off at one stage and the boy has put on some considerable bulk

Bate - A little leaner but was one of the biggest amongst the mids.

Jordie Mckenzie - He has bulked up by at least 4 kg's and is alot taller than I thought.

Cook - Looks like a stick insect. 3 years away at least.

Mitch Clark - Big unit and stood out for me the most.

I didn't see Mark Neeld at all and alot of the training was left to Dave Misson and Jade Rawlings. I was trying to take alot in and might have forgotten some stuff, So if you have any questions I'll do what I can to answer them.

[waynewussell 6,237]

Strauss is just getting back into short kicking, both feet. He is running as well as anyone but is probably quite a way from the rigours of match practice. However, he doesn't seem to be timid about training, he is going at it with a full head of steam and is showing no signs of soreness. Bail is doing everything asked of him in the main groups. He is one of those who goes quietly and efficiently about his work. Still in our 'best ball-carriers' group for mine!

[Slartibartfast 17,624]

Any news on how Bail is training?

Rohan trained with the midfielders and did the majority of the session. He had an issue prior to Christmas but is over that now. I left before the end but they were doing a running drill when I left in four groups. He was not included in this and I imagine it was to ensure there is no flare up of his issue. He's fit enough now anyway.

Whilst I don't agree with Freak's concerns I have noticed that the gut running that was part of every session I saw prior to Christmas has not been seen since. I did notice Tom McDonald really sucking in the air when I left. He has been one of the star performers to date and for him to be showing that level of fatigue indicated to me that perhaps the sessions are a lot more tiring than they appear.

It was good to see so many more in the main session today even if some did pull out part way through.

[Deeoldfart 8,061]

Some have mentioned that Jack Grimes is now out of the rehab. group and seems to be close to full training. I'd be very interested to know whether he is training with the mid or defensive group.

[Slartibartfast 17,624]

Some have mentioned that Jack Grimes is now out of the rehab. group and seems to be close to full training. I'd be very interested to know whether he is training with the mid or defensive group.

Trained with the defensive group. He looked good, but then again, he always has.

[Theo 276]

i'm suprised first session back wasn't a 3km time trial. Doesn't take much to setup and complete...give a good idea how they went over the break. Plus they did a 3km time trial before xmas.

Jack Trengove told me last Friday that they will be doing a time trial this Friday at Princess Park.

Training will also move to Casey when the tennis gets underway.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Ok I'm back in the office. I'll do my best to give you an insight to what took place today.

I rolled up at 9.45am to the boys being instructed to start a lap of the oval. The boys began a 10 minute stretch session, All conducted by Dave Misson. Once finished the rehab group split and did light flatfooted handballing drills. The group had Bartram, Strauss, Tappy, Jetta, Cook, Jurrah and Jamar. Jurrah did alot of one handed feel for the footy type stuff. He then joined Jamar doing 1/4 pace laps, Others doing laps were Tappy, Jordie Mac and Jake Spencer albeit at greater intensity.

The Main group started by doing fairly simple run throughs and hand ball give and receives. This was done at good intensity but by no means was it taxing. The things I took from this were the cleanliness of the hands especially Dunn, Nicholson and Sylvia. This went for around 15 minutes. They then had what I saw as the midfielders do some contested ball work. The drill had two players (fluoro vests) against three and Neville Jetta as a kind of link player (different colour fluoro vest). The job was to sheperd and work for your team mate until he was in a postion to hit one of our lead up forwards. We done this extremely well with Grimes, Dunn, Nicholson, Sylvia and Jones the standouts.

The lead up forwards is what got me most excited. Our Mids contiually hit them lace out but is was the hands of Mitch Clark, Watts and Tom McDonald that really caught the eye. Tom McDonald out marked Frawley on at least three occasions much to Frawleys displeasure. Clark is going to play a deep lead up forward if training is anything to go by.

Thanks steamin,

I was at Vic Park walking the dog as usual.

Essendon was going through the very same routine.

They looked extremely sharp. A lot better than what I saw before Xmas.

If the Dees were as sharp, then I'd be pretty happy at this stage.

I'm just hoping they were a lot sharper ( I hate the Dons with a passion)

[rjay 25,087]

Jordie Mckenzie - He has bulked up by at least 4 kg's and is alot taller than I thought.

Saw him at training last Friday and thought the same thing.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Whilst I don't necessarily agree with Freak's analysis, everyone was pretty excited about training and had a lot of "faith" in the football department when Bailey came on board, but we now know how that all turned out.

[daisycutter 29,737]

Saw him at training last Friday and thought the same thing.

Yeah. Not sure about the 4kg (but a solid bod) but definately looked taller up close today.

I thought Jurrah also looked taller today, standing by the russian there wasn't a lot of height difference (body mass a diff issue though)

And finally, the Master looks to have slimmed down but to a weight/body shape that looks just right. Fingers crossed for a breakthrough year

[Footynut 302]

Whilst I don't necessarily agree with Freak's analysis, everyone was pretty excited about training and had a lot of "faith" in the football department when Bailey came on board, but we now know how that all turned out.

In terms of concerns about the intensity of the running during training I can say that the training session is really only 1 component of the day's work for these guys.

Prime example: I was running the Tan this morning and saw James Sellar putting in a hard hard effort up Anderson St Hill. I'm not sure how far he had already run or ran after I saw him but we should know players are doing a lot more than the training sessions on the oval. I have seen him there regularly during the off season and he seems to continually punish himself.

Neeld also mentioned to me that there are 47 individual programs running at the moment and every player has specifics to complete daily around running or weights etc. It is very specific and scientific. Far more to fitness than meets the eye.

[Matt Demon 1,482]

Mitch Clark looks like he's added some muscle, he looks a lot more solid through the chest and arms. He was looking pretty powerful today on the lead.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

In terms of concerns about the intensity of the running during training I can say that the training session is really only 1 component of the day's work for these guys.

Prime example: I was running the Tan this morning and saw James Sellar putting in a hard hard effort up Anderson St Hill. I'm not sure how far he had already run or ran after I saw him but we should know players are doing a lot more than the training sessions on the oval. I have seen him there regularly during the off season and he seems to continually punish himself.

Neeld also mentioned to me that there are 47 individual programs running at the moment and every player has specifics to complete daily around running or weights etc. It is very specific and scientific. Far more to fitness than meets the eye.

I realise this and I am not questioning the training (I was there today for most of the session and I wouldn't know what is and isn't good), however I am also wary of the blind faith shown by some supporters.

[monoccular 17,573]

Steamin Demon - I think this is the first time I have seen anyone mention Dunn, the forgotten man maybe?

You mention clean handling - any other positives for him, as surely this must be his "crossroads season". Now Lynden is not the only one of course, one must add Bate and possibly Bartram, with other more skilled taggers maybe emerging.

You also mention Tom McDonald out marking Frawley on a few occasions. Are we going to have an embarrassment of tall forwards, not that I would be complaining :-)

[Footynut 302]

I realise this and I am not questioning the training (I was there today for most of the session and I wouldn't know what is and isn't good), however I am also wary of the blind faith shown by some supporters.

Sorry my comment wasn't directed at you at all. More for Freak.

Agree on your point of blind faith.

Simply pointing out there is often more too it than meets the eye.

[waynewussell 6,237]

Where will the improvement come? Well, we have added a very good player to the list... Clark! We will get back at least one proven 200 gamer (barring injury)... Grimes. We will get more out of some players because of natural development... Trengove. We will get more from players who the previous coach didn't rate or didn't play in the right position... Bate. Ok, this last one is just a theory, but here is what Bate offers the midfield. He has near elite endurance (see all training reports to date). He has a big, strong frame (good for blocking at the stoppages). He is a booming kick (and is developing above average opposite side skills). He is a proven goalkicker. Her is still relatively young. He has been given a lifeline, I hope he takes it!

[rjay 25,087]

Yeah. Not sure about the 4kg (but a solid bod) but definately looked taller up close today.

I thought Jurrah also looked taller today, standing by the russian there wasn't a lot of height difference (body mass a diff issue though)

And finally, the Master looks to have slimmed down but to a weight/body shape that looks just right. Fingers crossed for a breakthrough year

Jordie Mc is not a skinny kid any more and will be one of the solid bodied mids. I remember him as a very effective kick in season 2010 but maybe lack of confidence in his body led to the over use of handball in 2011.

Liam is deceptively tall and will give any opposition defence real problems with Clark, Watts, Howe, Petterd and co. sharing the load. He like Bate the year before suffered from the expectation of being the focus (the pea) going forward, yet he still kicked 40 goals in what was considered by many as a poor season or at best average. Let's see what happens if he has a good year.

The Russian is just a big unit. An injury free year from him will set us up well.

[jockreynolds 0]

A few of the reports of training during the week have mentioned a slight drop in intensity compared with the sessions prior to the break.

Perhaps this is due to the absence of some of the more senior players who I believe are entitled to a longer break under the CBA?

Well Brad Green has tweeted that he's back:

"Back in Melbourne Town, after spending Christmas and New Year with family and friends in Tas.. The season is just around the corner"

It will be interesting to see whether there's a step up in intensity from Monday onwards as the senior players return and the team begins the run up to the first practice matches and the NAB Cup.

I'll give ya the tip mate - after my festive season I'm not quite as sharp as I was before Christmas either!

Good to hear that young Jordie Mckenzie has bulked up a bit and that the forwards seem to be sticking some marks - looking good dees. looking good for Season 2012

[Whispering_Jack 30,640]

My afternoon and evening were busier than I thought they would be but happily most of the above posters have well and truly covered much of what transpired at training so just a few random observations from me:

The first thing I noticed was Lynden Dunn's moustache. It's still there and it still looks frightful. Lynden was working with the forwards and there's definitely going to be plenty of competition for places in that division.

I remember the first training session I attended in the new year of 2011 and finishing up waxing lyrical about one Tom Scully training the house down at Casey Fields. Nobody stood out in that manner today but, strangely enough, the player who replaces him IMO (because I'm assuming that if Scully stays we can't afford him), Mitch Clark looked the goods as a tall forward who can take a grab and is mobile as well. Not as mobile or as fast as Jack Watts or Tom McDonald for that matter but it's clear that our combination of tall forwards augmented by the likes of Jurrah, Green, Petterd, Dunn and Howe provide us with plenty of potent forward line options. Even the small forward stocks look good with Davey freshening up for a new season and Sam Blease looking fast and enterprising with his move forward. Where do we fit them all?

Perhaps, the likes of Watts and Howe might find themselves as part of the midfield at some stage?

I've been happy with the development of the defence and I think it can only get better with the re-inclusion of Grimes and Strauss. It's been remarked already that the latter is well advanced on where we all thought he would be but what I did notice as well is that he has bulked up a bit more and this should hold him in good stead for when he returns not too deeply into the season. James Sellar lends a bit of extra size which will come in handy when we come up against the bigger and stronger forward lines.

Getting to the midfield, I would suggest that we're going to be relying in the same olds but Jordan Gysberts looks a little stronger and Rohan Bail looks like putting his hand up for a spot. I watched Dan Nicholson closely and I reckon he's been working hard on his disposal by foot. We're not going to be first world in terms of midfield quality for a while but if Jack Trengove continues to make strides and Jack Grimes is given a go in this area (he was taken out of defence and placed in the midfield for that ill-fated game last year v the Crows) we could surprise. It will be of interest to see how differently Mark Neeld organises the midfield structures compared to his predecessor as this could be the crux of our midfield improvement. It would have been great to have been able to retain Scully (on a reasonable contract) but that was not to be. We won't necessarily have a star studded midfield like Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn or Carlton but we might be able to make up for it with some true blue collar workers in this area.

And of course, I missed the new kids on the block although I somehow doubt that any of them will be instant candidates for a senior guernsey.

All in all, I left feeling reasonably confident that a better season awaits in 2012. Same as this time last year but I'm more confident in our ability to kick higher scores if that makes any sense at all.