Training - Monday 3rd December, 2012 @ Casey Fields

[The Oracle 145]

I didn't see any reports so can only assume the boys didn't have any major training yesterday but the club has this on its website:-

Training Times

Upcoming open training sessions:

Monday 3rd December - 9:15am - Casey Fields

All other training sessions are closed sessions.

They're off to Darwin later on in the week so this could be a good opportunity to catch up with the team before their trek north.

[old dee 23,872]

Anyone go to Casey today?

Any news?

[demonwithin 46]

Got down there for about 90 mins this morning. Hopefully if I forget anyone others that were there may post.

Without going any further the highlight by far was seeing Mitch doing some 1/2 pace run throughs for about 30 mins and then kick to kick with Dawes for about 20 mins. Was using both feet with his kicking. Even better was when he was finished he stayed out on the track to watch the guys do a full length training drill. Itching to join in he was.

The only player i couldn't see out there was Grimes but everyone else was out doing something.

Evans, Dawes and Hogan did laps as did Dunn. Sylvia and Trengove with Gillies and two others did about 80% of the work I saw.

The new draftees were doing 3/4 pace run throughs on the far side of the ground before they joined in some of the ball work drills. They along with Tynan and Barry then went to athletics track for fitness training.

Plenty of those 150 - 200 m sprints with the majority of the group doing those. Standouts Mc Donald, Nicholson, Howe, Jones, Watts, Blease (relative to where he has been) Magner.

Couple of full length kicking drills with fast ball movement with hands to carry the ball some beautiful foot skills on display from Jimmy Toumpas and Dom Barry doing this drill that got Neeld excited. Toumpas looks like an absolute jet. Everything he did looked athletic, smooth and with control. His kicking was superb.

Then some full length drills where basically it was "chaos calls" by the coaches and working really hard on transition from defence to attack or vice versa. Guys i noticed included Howe, Jones, Taggert, Blease and Jetta.

Viney was involved in everything to today but was really blowing hard afetr the 200m sprints. looked quite distressed however motored on for the rest of the 90 minutes I saw.

Jack Hannath trained the whole session.

Any questions happy to try and answer

They were still hard at when I left.

[jane02 3,749]

Thanks for the report. I really enjoy reading what you guys observe and feed back to us. One day, sometime soon, I am going to get down and have a look at the boys but until then, please keep up the excellent reporting. It just makes me even more excited about 2013 and makes me feel even more positive than I am already am!

[Biffen 12,947]

Sounds like they are being flogged on the track .

Hopefully we wont be flogged in games anymore .

Great to hear we have someone who can kick it .

Thanks for the news.DFW

[Jinty060 66]

I was at Casey from 9.15 to midday and they were still at it as I left. Just doing their final kick to kicks, I guess.

Everyone was there and participated in something except Grimes. He was just walking around the ground when I got there but had a heavy bandage on his left leg (I think left). He wan't there long and spent the rest of the time in the gym.

Also noticed Dunn in the rehab or others group but by the end was also heavily bandaged on one leg. So much happens at these sessions it's hard to keep track of everything.

Trengove doesn't look right. The other week he looked like he had just got out of a sick bed. He was very quiet again today. and he looked very slow when he had to chase.

Jordie Mc looked sharp and a lot quicker than I had seen him before.

Tappy disappeared after the sprints and I don't recall seeing him anytime later.

Evans continues to just run but a smooth runner he is. Ditto for Toumpas.

Jetta was good in the drills

Big Maxy Gawn did quite a bit of running and is looking good.

Taggert fumbled a lot

I was keen on seeing Gillies and Pedersen to get some idea whether they are first 22 or not but I couldn't see alot of them in the drills.

Hannath looks good. Good ball handling skills and kicked some good goals in the drills. I like him.

This session was not as good as the last Casey session, not as crisp but then the drills were different.

[nutbean 8,838]

Great to hear we have someone who can kick it .

breaks your heart when you see a Dee streaming out of the centre and look up and then kick it to....the opposition. It will be a pleasure to see some lace out on the chest stuff ( to our people of course)

[beelzebub 23,383]

Thanks Totally Mad.

Welcome to the boards.

[Whispering_Jack 30,673]

Thanks Totally Mad.

Welcome to the boards.

I concur and with a name like Totally Mad, you'll be quite at home around here!

Cheers

[jabberwocky 2,301]

I concur and with a name like Totally Mad, you'll be quite at home around here!

Cheers

Melbourne supporter and Demonlander, stating the obvious.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Great to see we have a couple of Good Kickers.

I hope Neeldy reinforces to the specialist coaches to keep your hands off.

[jnrmac 20,188]

I was at Casey from 9.15 to midday and they were still at it as I left. Just doing their final kick to kicks, I guess.

Welcome to 'Land. Thx for the update...

[Tim 3,472]

I was at Casey from 9.15 to midday and they were still at it as I left.

Thanks for the report, TM. Like your Brett Ratten avatar, too!

[640MD 3,430]

Cheers to all for the reports on training, Got to see one session last year

might get to one this year,,, thanks again

[tappysquads 618]

I popped down for a while, few things I noticed....

As stated, clarky was running well, and still looks a massive unit.

Gillies looks a lot thinner already. Could be a steal.

Nicho and tmac push each other real hard in the running. Nicho was sick and coughing his guts up but pushed through.

Barry was lucky it wasn't windy, would of blown away. But his skills where very sharp. Got told of for pulling up short in a 200. Great to see nothing gets missed with so many coaches on the ground. Raising the bar.

Despite all our recruits,I am most excited about Howe this year. Was burning jones in the running, is a standout in most drills, such a smooth mover. I really believe he could be anything.

When viney and tappy where running together, viney surprisingly still looked rather solid. Both large units. Bit of grunt.

Every run of the 200, the boys where giving there times to be recorded, impressive and shows how structured and detailed our pre seasons have become.

Dawesy was taking it very easy. I would like a massive pre season from him after disappointing year last year.

Watts was in the fourth pair of running with mckenzie. Worked hard and as others have said, is a great trainer. Never misses a target in the drills.

I assumed the tall kid in the hat doing handball drills was the kid who didn't get drafted. If so he is a rather large unit, with very very clean hands in marking and handball drills. But then during the 200s he began barking orders at players such as chip which made me think it might not have been him, unless he is one very confident kid. Whoever it was they looked real good.

Was disappointed to see Sylvia train the way he did. Takes it half assed and never looks serious.

Rodans skills and delivery to forwards again was sublime. Big fan.

Pedo started as a defender on the leading forwards in one drill.

[DeeVoted 583]

I managed to sneak down there for a quick look. Not a bad morning to be training, overcast, light breeze, both stands packed (with seats), could do with a few more to view training, as the players would feel inspired with the extra support.

It was touch and go, if the spectators out numbered the coaching staff. I considered stripping down for a bit of a hitout with the boys, but felt a slight twinge in the hammy while bending over to untie the shoelaces.So thought better of it.

I will try to put another view out there, rather than repeat what was already been posted

The previous posts on training are right on the mark. (Do we miss FNQ? his missus must have got him back in line,nowhere to be seen). A good 1st up post by TM, I too thought the skill level was down on the last trip out to Casey. I was asking myself, was I now marking them too hard?

The reality was, they were fumbling, missing targets under or no pressure when doing simulated game drills. Not every player, but I was disappointed to see some old habits still lurking with some players. Overall it was a good hit out with lots of running.

One drill I hadn't seen before, apart from passing to a leading player, they had a drill where they deliberately 'shanked?" a kick ,when I 1st seen a ball that had been kicked forward, it was wobbling along the grass, I quickly looked back to see what dork kicked that!. Then I realised, they were practising handling a bouncing ball and picking it up and the run.

I got there as they were running 10 x 200? mtr spints (in pairs) after they got to the end, they would all walk back to the start, and off they went again. (TMac and Nicho and Howie stood out) there were a lot more not that far off their pace. Except one. Anyone care to guess?

Jimmy "totone" Toumpas looks fit,nice built, but he was blowing hard, from running laps, he looked like his race had been run.

Nicho wasn't well, after the repeat sprints, he looked cooked, and ready to keel over, he was having his pulse monitored and looked about to pass out. He looked like he wanted to continue with the rest of the drills, but he didnt. He might have a virus, as I heard him say he had headaches etc.

I liked the look of Jack Hannath, I hope he gets a spot. Sylvia trains like plays (at least he was involved), seems to do no more than he needs to.I was watching him closely, I wasn't all that impressed with some of his efforts. He should be setting an example.

Mitch Clark, was running laps, and heard him say later,he was happy with his progress. Howe and Chunk love getting stuck into each other with barbs to each other. Howe taking set shots on goal?? I hope he plays midfield,and let others take set shots. He is great on the run, but misses a lot from a set shot. (I was trying to spot what he does different on the run to having a set shot on goal,I couldn't spot any major) Must be a head thing with him. Nobody seemed to be too worried about it. I thought one of forward coaches might have had him practising one on one.

Everything else has been posted already, so I won't repeat that.

Overall a good training session,they look fitter, lots of chat to encourage each other. I am not sure where Flash is at, He kept trying, but, something is not right when him. If he was injured he would have been in the rehab group,but he wasn't.

Fitzy was being played at FF in one of the drills, so from that I would suspect, he might get a gig up there. Neeld was right onto him when he took a pass from Viney,and took a chest mark, Neeld yelled out to him, then indicted hands out in front of his face.

He then went back and had a shot from 45mtrs on a 45% angle hit the top of the goalpost. (nearside) So perhaps if Clark needs a fill in, Fitzy might be our man.

I hope that covers it for those that couldn't make it.

[Frenzy Mckenzie 61]

A big thankyou to all who get to training and write these reports. I've said this before, but being a Melbourne lad currently exiled to Perth, surrounded by WC and Freo supporters, these updates are an absolute godsend. Will be back early February just in time for season proper - definitely looking forward to having a few jars in the franky grey smith with any of you MCC/MFC members come game day!

[Nasher 33,617]

Howe taking set shots on goal?? I hope he plays midfield,and let others take set shots.

I disagree with this - I hope he plays midfield too (and he will) but I think nailing those set shots is essential to taking the next step as a player for Howe. He's a midfielder who can go forward and be a marking threat, so he needs to be able to turn that in to damage on the scoreboard. Some of those misses last year were easy and were real momentum killers; it's definitely a part of his game that needs improving and when it does he'll be a real danger to opposition sides.

Thanks (to you and others) for the great reports; they mean a lot to many of us.

[angrydee 842]

Couldn't survive the off season without the reports. Thanks all

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Fitzy was being played at FF in one of the drills, so from that I would suspect, he might get a gig up there. Neeld was right onto him when he took a pass from Viney,and took a chest mark, Neeld yelled out to him, then indicted hands out in front of his face.

He then went back and had a shot from 45mtrs on a 45% angle hit the top of the goalpost. (nearside) So perhaps if Clark needs a fillin Fitzy might be our man.

Interesting to read that Pederson was being played in defence. Any chance our forward line might be Clark, Fitzgerald and Dawes, rather than Clark, Pederson and Dawes?

[hardtack 10,627]

Interesting to read that Pederson was being played in defence. Any chance our forward line might be Clark, Fitzgerald and Dawes, rather than Clark, Pederson and Dawes?

Is that F Scott, or perhaps Patrick Fitzgerald or Gerald Fitzpatrick? ;-)

[satyricon 267]

Whenever you are watching training or reading these reports, remember one thing.....Neeld loves versatility.....so Pedersen in the backline, Howe in the middle, Fitzy at full fwd

I am never surprised when I go and actually make a point of looking for some of the changes

[Jinty060 66]

Pedersen played both ends during the day. He looks a bit short for either role but did take one good overhead mark when forward and appears to be an OK kick. Fitzy, in my view, is probably more a stand in for Clark should he not be ready for the main gig. I can't see Clark, Dawes & Fitzy playing forward together......too cumbersome for my mind.

I thought Hannath was the pick of the other talls when playing up forward. Kicked a boomer of a goal from a long way out and snapped another almost over his shoulder. Moves well but a bit light for a genuine ruckman at this stage but early days yet for him.

[hayz 27]

I went down to training yesterday and was really impressed with Viney. He just kept pushing himself. The way he was running around in with the number 7 on his back too he reminded me of a young Scott West.

Toumpas and Barry have great skills and neeld kept praising their skills. It was nice to see a lot of the boys kicks hitting targets in the drills. Even spencer was drilling it into the forwards which made neeld quite happy.

I was most impressed with Howe, Viney, Jones, Watts, Frawley, Nicholson and McDonald.

I am undecided about how pederson will go for us but I think Gillies will be in our best 22 and a very handy pick up.

I also agree that trengove seems a bit slow and I hope he can get some pace back by next year coz he struggled to chase taggert at one point and was burned off quite easily. Need was really happy with Rory's effort though. Davey kept coming last in the sprints but he did at least seem to keep pushing himself and not give up.

Overall I was pretty happy with what I saw!

[Hannibal 5,814]

Pedersen played both ends during the day. He looks a bit short for either role ...

Pedersen's height (193cm) for the role he'll be playing (third tall forward or back) is fine.