Anything happening today?

Yep . Todays was at Goschs

would love a report if anyone managed to get there?

would love a report if anyone managed to get there?

Actually, NO, if anyone did turn up to training today, please keep it to yourself, don't tell anyone on here anything. I'm sick of training reports, we get them basically 3 times a week. Enough already.

Just kidding Mdemonski, of course we'll love a report!

Yep been refreshing for last hour. Thread got my hopes high that a report might be submitted already lol.

Patiently waiting for one of our Goschs Paddock reporters. Take it away guys

Well for the first opportunity i ventured down the paddock

I have to preface anything with a disclaimer . I struggled to recognise half of them lol.

I also tips me hat to seasoned reporters as how the hell do you guys spot everything !!

I might add some detail later when home but some impressions i took away.

We're far better but have some work cut out.

Things i noticed. Trenners just walked and ran laps. He is either very focussed or a bit forlorn. I dont think hes happy on the sidelines.

Dawes is much cleaner with hands than some had given me to believe. Hes sharp and switched on.

Rodan is up and about. Masterstroke addition i think.

Tommy is a much better kick now but his action is very contrived. When it becomes natural hell be far better.

Watts is poised. If only they all kicked like Jack.

I didnt sense truckloads of energy ...but thats extremely subjective.

Skills on both sides for many im affraid need work. 2m astray and its a turnover.

Im really impressed with Jonesy now.

And thrn theres the other one. Be not a bit surprised if Matt starts in middle. He LOOKS like he should.

Other things might come to mind when home.

Do yourself a favour. Study the faces and numbers as this is a different mob lol

Now over to better scribes.

BB

Let me guess. Not a lot of journos hanging around the paddock today.

There must be a bigger story somewhere else.

LOL

Hardly anyone there really. AFL photographers. Maybe 2-3 dozen onlookers. About it though lol

Gotta love preseason and the hope that it brings!!

The real test as always will be when we are put under the extreme pressure..

- will our skills hold up?

- will our gameplan hold up?

- can we execute both of the above.

small steps is the key this year - improvement in our players and also increased level of competitiveness....

cannot wait!!

Theres palpable improvement . We Look more like a team of footbsllers and less like a TAC outfit

Skills on both sides for many im afraid need work.

These same words keeping popping up in the training threads ... it's making me nervous

Ventured to training today...9.30 start 11.10 finish in hot conditions. I'll report more later

but it was a solid session with various drills and no competitive match simulations.

No Hogan, Davey or Barry. Rodan hurt his elbow/wrist late in the session and

left the oval into the tent . He looked sore after being pushed to the ground by Howe.

more later in detail

Maybe barry has gone up north? Any chance he'll get a gig Friday night given all the withdrawals?

I was there for an hour today and agree with majority of BB 's report.

I went to watch four players but only two were there while I was in attendance.

If Ability was all that was necessary then Watts and Sylvia would win Brownlow's

Both have superb skills and physical development.

They both look in very good condition and trained very well today IMO.

Watts must be close to the best kick in the team.

Like BB I thought Dawes was good today I did not see him miss a mark and of the ones I saw they were one grabs.

Guess what

"the boys trained the house down"

Only joking.

They looked good but everyone looks good until you play in a real game.

The NAB game will be interesting.

Did anyone notice any secret injecting rooms?

Oh - you said Gosh's paddock, not Windy Hill.

They're flying.

Maybe barry has gone up north? Any chance he'll get a gig Friday night given all the withdrawals?

Barry Flash and Jetta are at the indigenous camp..by all accounts. Shame I was curious to watch Barry..ah well

Hope Barry gets a run then. Not bad to be drafted and straight into an exhibition game.

Good luck to the boys, as all 3 have been training hard according to the reports.

They're flying.

flying high?

some addendum.

Terlich seemed none worse for wear.

Missed the Rodan incident.. then I again I probably missed much !! lol ( need better glasses )

Couch seemed quite good,, might be one trying to break in.

I ventured this commentary to a fellow watcher, if only Sylvia would play to his obvious abilities. Then again he could be the perfect sub, comes on for a 20 min cameo He actually looks fit, didnt seem restricted in any manner, so who knows what we will get this year.

I liked Byrnes. not sure hell play the fwd possie even though he trained there. Could be interesting if Flash pops up Shanon might get a gig in the middle, watch this space I guess. Also be interesting to hear reports on the intra ( coming up )

Dunne will be pushing to cement a position me thinks.. who budges though . Speaking of who would make way, Im not sure where Fitzy fits in though he looks in great shape. Potted some nioc ones on his own late in the piece, seemed to be a member of Trenners forlorn club though !!

some addendum.

Terlich seemed none worse for wear.

Missed the Rodan incident.. then I again I probably missed much !! lol ( need better glasses )

Couch seemed quite good,, might be one trying to break in.

I ventured this commentary to a fellow watcher, if only Sylvia would play to his obvious abilities. Then again he could be the perfect sub, comes on for a 20 min cameo He actually looks fit, didnt seem restricted in any manner, so who knows what we will get this year.

I liked Byrnes. not sure hell play the fwd possie even though he trained there. Could be interesting if Flash pops up Shanon might get a gig in the middle, watch this space I guess. Also be interesting to hear reports on the intra ( coming up )

Dunne will be pushing to cement a position me thinks.. who budges though . Speaking of who would make way, Im not sure where Fitzy fits in though he looks in great shape. Potted some nioc ones on his own late in the piece, seemed to be a member of Trenners forlorn club though !!

Just a note on Fitzy, Clark 'may' be back for Rd 1, if Neeld wants another tall, enter Fitzy, he'll get runs in the NAB Cup for sure, by the way he has had Chronic Fatigue and has diabetes assume the regime he has to adhere to is pretty serious, but if you speak to him, away from the footy field and training track he is one 'different' laidback individual, switches off as soon as he can, so may look disinterested or forlorn

More detail now that i am home!

As I said before no Barry and Hogan.Jetta or Davey there today. Viney and Toumpas only did make 25 mins to a half hours training then both left together.

Longer drills were mainly ball movement around the ground...changing sides etc but done as one would expect at high intensity. Kicking was better today even though the breeze picked up during the morning. Close in drills were usual smaller groups working on tackling or clearances from ball ups or throw ins. Guys were moving from one smaller group to another and so it was spread around a bit.

Weather was warm and mabye this led to 11.10am finish but I'd say that this was always going to be the length of training. Interesting that there actually is minimal drinks breaks considering the work load.

Everything involved footys today as one would hope at this time of the year and after watching training at Casey 2 months ago it is noticeable that a few players have bulked up a little eg.Jack Watts

Some observations I had...

1. Chris Dawes looks as fit as anyone

2. Trengove ran timed laps after walking about 5 and whilst he is in rehab he looks fit

3. Nathan Stark did 3 of the worst kicks I've ever seen at training with no pressure!

4. Byrnes looks a treat around goals snapping them through left right and centre

5. Watts looks like he SHOULD be there

6. Rodan was pushed to the ground by Howe during a drill and hurt either his wrist or elbow? He came off went into the tent an took no further part. After he ws helped to get off his jumper and GPS he still was turning his wrist and moving his elbow around?

That's about it.....basically a good solid session for this time of the year...

... it is noticeable that a few players have bulked up a little eg.Jack Watts ...

Need to take care with this sort of info from now on!

Good report - well above the call of duty to get there on a day like today!

some addendum.

Terlich seemed none worse for wear.

Missed the Rodan incident.. then I again I probably missed much !! lol ( need better glasses )

Couch seemed quite good,, might be one trying to break in.

I ventured this commentary to a fellow watcher, if only Sylvia would play to his obvious abilities. Then again he could be the perfect sub, comes on for a 20 min cameo He actually looks fit, didnt seem restricted in any manner, so who knows what we will get this year.

I liked Byrnes. not sure hell play the fwd possie even though he trained there. Could be interesting if Flash pops up Shanon might get a gig in the middle, watch this space I guess. Also be interesting to hear reports on the intra ( coming up )

Dunne will be pushing to cement a position me thinks.. who budges though . Speaking of who would make way, Im not sure where Fitzy fits in though he looks in great shape. Potted some nioc ones on his own late in the piece, seemed to be a member of Trenners forlorn club though !!

Will get poached by the Collingwood cheersquad if he keeps that up.

I only saw the second half.

Lots of guys not out on the track then - the indigenous guys, Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Tapscott, Bail, old Macdonald, McKenzie, Sellar, Taggert, Jamar, Gawn, Spencer and probably more. I presume most of them were off getting supplements.

Only training with the goal posts, likely the point posts have been vandalised by soccer fans, they seem to enjoy things like that.

Some pretty shocking kicking by almost everyone in a kick the ball out of the backline drill late. Stark (I actually dont mind the look of him and when he kicks it fluently its fine, when he sprays it its unbearable), Kent, Nicholson, Tynan, Couch all making errors. Likely some impact of long session on a warm day. Matt Jones also with some really poor misses, I'm not convinced about him.

Towards the end Fitzy and Pedo had some ruck work practice. Pedo much stronger, Fitzy with extra reach.

Also after the main group finished Frawley, Pedersen, Watts and Troy Davis (another who can't kick) practiced their body work in a one on one jack in the pack style drill. Got a coach to kick it up and too turns trying to mark and spoil. Frawley and Pedersen were clearly superior but when Watts trust his positioning he isn't easily overpowed.

Fitzpatrick practiced kicking snaps for goal, which I guess is fair enough but I'd be worried more about him making the easy ones first.

Gillies trained well. And I'm now on the Lynden Dunn bandwagon. It's hard to tell if he'll transfer it into games but at least at training he is running hard and kicking very well. In a drill designed to replicate ball movement from the backhalf he was the standout along with Watts and Strauss. Those 3 are pushing hard to secure the spots around Frawley, McDonald, Garland.

Main points of session:

I'm happy we will know the game plan and no doubt we look fitted and a much more balanced list but the footskills aren't going to be elite overnight.

Agree about Byrnes looking handy, seems to enjoy himself out there.

My only concern about Dawes would be if we have stripped him a little light to be a monster forward. That said I think he'll play up the ground and will benefit from moving well. He seemed to be everywhere there today. That said he stood out without the starting rucks or Clark or Hogan.