I was in Melbourne from Sydney, so I went down to watch. The term "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" came to mind. I was the only person watching other than a Herald Sun photographer looking for the players who were ejected from the MCG at the Cricket. Seriously, get a life - it was after all, only the first and second year players.

There were only nine players there. Apparently it was meant to be eleven but Jack Viney and Jimmy Toumpas couldn't change their flights. Go figure.

I got there at 9.30am and they were already training, they walked off at about 10.40.

Jesse Hogan was doing agility running, then just laps on his own, then sat out the final stages of the training. I asked him how he was finding it and he said "Full on." Looked a bit forlorn sitting there on his own. He had been in Perth with the family over Christmas, so I don't blame him. I know it's been said many times before but up close and personal he is a very big unit. Just hope we get a contract extension out of him when the time comes.

The other eight players were the four rookies headed by Couch and Magner who was leading the group in the running drills closely shadowed by Dom Barry, who was the only other one in the group who looked like he had elite fitness. Couch wasn't keeping up with them which is interesting as he was a stand out last pre season.

The two newest recruits, the rookies, Stark and Clisby were clearly struggling. Not surprising, you wouldn't want to come into this training so many weeks behind. At one stage one of them was passed by one of the coaches doing some of the laps with them. Not a good look.

The group was doing some competitive hand ball games. Looked pretty scratchy but it is first day back. Then a lot of running. You need to see this up close to appreciate how hard these guys are working. It's hard. Magner had a good chuck in front of me. He was busting a gut, thats for sure.

I will try to attach a couple of photos.

I was in Melbourne from Sydney, so I went down to watch. The term "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" came to mind. I was the only person watching other than a Herald Sun photographer looking for the players who were ejected from the MCG at the Cricket. Seriously, get a life - it was after all, only the first and second year players.

There were only nine players there. Apparently it was meant to be eleven but Jack Viney and Jimmy Toumpas couldn't change their flights. Go figure.

I got there at 9.30am and they were already training, they walked off at about 10.40.

Jesse Hogan was doing agility running, then just laps on his own, then sat out the final stages of the training. I asked him how he was finding it and he said "Full on." Looked a bit forlorn sitting there on his own. He had been in Perth with the family over Christmas, so I don't blame him. I know it's been said many times before but up close and personal he is a very big unit. Just hope we get a contract extension out of him when the time comes.

The other eight players were the four rookies headed by Couch and Magner who was leading the group in the running drills closely shadowed by Dom Barry, who was the only other one in the group who looked like he had elite fitness. Couch wasn't keeping up with them which is interesting as he was a stand out last pre season.

The two newest recruits, the rookies, Stark and Clisby were clearly struggling. Not surprising, you wouldn't want to come into this training so many weeks behind. At one stage one of them was passed by one of the coaches doing some of the laps with them. Not a good look.

The group was doing some competitive hand ball games. Looked pretty scratchy but it is first day back. Then a lot of running. You need to see this up close to appreciate how hard these guys are working. It's hard. Magner had a good chuck in front of me. He was busting a gut, thats for sure.

I will try to attach a couple of photos.

If ' Stark and Clisby were clearly struggling ' then it is a worry. I keep reminding myself of Jai Sheenan last year who seemed a coup at the time.

If ' Stark and Clisby were clearly struggling ' then it is a worry. I keep reminding myself of Jai Sheenan last year who seemed a coup at the time.

They've been in our system two minutes and you think it's a "worry" if they're presently struggling with a foreign AFL running program ?

FMD.

They've been in our system two minutes and you think it's a "worry" if they're presently struggling with a foreign AFL running program ?

FMD.

Exactly. Based on pretty simple logic I'd expect them to be struggling at this point.

If ' Stark and Clisby were clearly struggling ' then it is a worry. I keep reminding myself of Jai Sheenan last year who seemed a coup at the time.

You think Jai was a coup.

Everyone last year struggled. Hence we got rid of half the team.

The team is training better this year, which means the young dudes have a lot to catch up.

If ' Stark and Clisby were clearly struggling ' then it is a worry. I keep reminding myself of Jai Sheenan last year who seemed a coup at the time.

Jai Sheehan played some good football at Casey and I, like many, were surprised he was not continued with not withstanding the many rumours about his mental attitude.

Thanks for the report.

Thanks for your report Its Time. To think that this was my only opportunity until next month that I've had to catch up with a training session and I missed it!

Thanks for your report Its Time. To think that this was my only opportunity until next month that I've had to catch up with a training session and I missed it!

If you had to miss one, this was the one to miss. 9 1st & 2nd year players mainly running laps and no Viney or Toumpas.

Exactly. Based on pretty simple logic I'd expect them to be struggling at this point.

Exactly. What I don't understand is why the drafts aren't held before pre season training starts. Teams have a whole season to work out what drafting and trading they have to do, it shouldn't be necessary to leave it for so long. When you see the last recruits coming in so late and see how much they are struggling because they are in some cases two months behind the rest of the group, you have to wonder why the system is set up the way it is. It must be a hell of a shock to the system to come in at the beginning anyway but to come in two months after everyone else must be a shocker. Think about it, two weeks would be bad enough.

On a lighter note. Dom Barry is a great looking athlete and was hanging on to Magner in the running drills pretty well. At one stage he decided to put the foot down and just took off leaving everyone else for dead. He's pretty light but he reminds me of Lewis Jetta and weight is no problem for him.

Apparently, Dom Barry is being hosted by someone who owns a cafe or a restaurant and who is not only looking after his diet and nutrition but also teaching him the finer points of cooking.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Fills me with confidence that, unlike one recently departed player, he won't weight roughly what he weighs now in five years time.

Exactly. What I don't understand is why the drafts aren't held before pre season training starts. Teams have a whole season to work out what drafting and trading they have to do, it shouldn't be necessary to leave it for so long. When you see the last recruits coming in so late and see how much they are struggling because they are in some cases two months behind the rest of the group, you have to wonder why the system is set up the way it is. It must be a hell of a shock to the system to come in at the beginning anyway but to come in two months after everyone else must be a shocker. Think about it, two weeks would be bad enough.

On a lighter note. Dom Barry is a great looking athlete and was hanging on to Magner in the running drills pretty well. At one stage he decided to put the foot down and just took off leaving everyone else for dead. He's pretty light but he reminds me of Lewis Jetta and weight is no problem for him.

It gives teams a chance to have multiple prospects on their "permission to train" list for closer inspection prior to the draft, thereby letting them make more informed drafting decisions at this late point of the entire drafting process.

I think that a higher success rate of rookie selections is a good thing for the competition.

The National Draft used to be held earlier but was transferred to a later date to allow the year 12 students - which will be most of the likely picks - to finish their studies without the added distraction of the draft. Presumably all subsequent drafts are delayed by the National Draft.

It gives teams a chance to have multiple prospects on their "permission to train" list for closer inspection prior to the draft, thereby letting them make more informed drafting decisions at this late point of the entire drafting process.

I think that a higher success rate of rookie selections is a good thing for the competition.

Yes what a great idea having potential key position player /back-up ruckman Hannath on our 'permission to train list' only to have him taken under our noses by Freo due to the fact that we had no picks in the pre-season draft.

<insert facepalm image here>

The National Draft used to be held earlier but was transferred to a later date to allow the year 12 students - which will be most of the likely picks - to finish their studies without the added distraction of the draft. Presumably all subsequent drafts are delayed by the National Draft.

Didn't know that. Makes sense but leaves the new players a long way behind. It must be a double shock to the system to face the massive work load and to be a couple of months behind everyone else. Even worse for rookie draft picks.

Didn't know that. Makes sense but leaves the new players a long way behind. It must be a double shock to the system to face the massive work load and to be a couple of months behind everyone else. Even worse for rookie draft picks.

Perhaps it's time for the AFL/AFLPA/AIS/feeder leagues/etc to approve/design some base 'AFL entry level' fitness programs and provide some support staff to manage that 'competition transition' for those players who nominate for the drafts. A more formalised approached should provide the players with a greater understanding of and comfort-level with their requirements. Perhaps this already occurs to some degree.. I've not really seen it detailed.