Just got back from a very light training session.

I arrived at 10am as the players were starting short kick to kicks.

Shortly after Roos and Misson arrived and the group started some stretching exercises.

They then went for a jog around the oval..Then formed up in the centre which was followed by loud cheering and a round of applause.

They then split up into 4 groups of about 6 or 7. These groups appeared to be assimilating a defensive pattern where someone took a mark and one player in the orange vest stood the mark and they hand balled to each other until someone from the next group was able to break clear for a pass in the open.

Some times this happened straight after the mark and others took about 5 handballs first.

This was really the only training that happened.

Roos walked around various players and spoke to them 1 on 1, Bails, Grimes, Dawes, Terlich, Watts.

Frawley was missing, so I asked Misson whether he was OK. His response was 50-50.

Terlich never partook in training, he walked a couple of laps then sent back to the club.

There was a group doing so runs along the Boundary. Dawes, Nicho, Grimes, Cross, Jamar, Bail.

I asked Crossy whether it was just a "General Soreness" group. He responded it was and was surprised that a lot more wasn't in the group.

Training ended at 11:15am so nothing else to report.

Love the sound of that drill. The guy on the mark is occupied with a footy. The kicker will wait (occupied with the footy) until the option comes.

You go look at training, juniors to seniors, VAFA etc.... it absolutely doesn't make sense when you have players at the end of the line doing nothing. Or setting up these half field drills, and the poor forward/backs don't see it because the man with the whistle in his hand is pedantic about the stoppage and wants it repeated 4 times.

We have this "game sense" bulldust at junior level; but you hardly see a tackle bag, or contact drills, or tackling technique, or ground ball work at all. We still train like its Tom Hafey footy. Kick long, mark.

Allan Jeans famously catergorised footy at (a) in dispute; (b) they have it and © we have it. Training at most levels is all about 'c'. And even then it is 1970's 'c' work.

Training is 30 years behind where it should be at juniors, in the VAFA...you name it.

Any idea what the applause was for?

Love the sound of that drill. The guy on the mark is occupied with a footy. The kicker will wait (occupied with the footy) until the option comes.

You go look at training, juniors to seniors, VAFA etc.... it absolutely doesn't make sense when you have players at the end of the line doing nothing. Or setting up these half field drills, and the poor forward/backs don't see it because the man with the whistle in his hand is pedantic about the stoppage and wants it repeated 4 times.

We have this "game sense" bulldust at junior level; but you hardly see a tackle bag, or contact drills, or tackling technique, or ground ball work at all. We still train like its Tom Hafey footy. Kick long, mark.

Allan Jeans famously catergorised footy at (a) in dispute; (b) they have it and © we have it. Training at most levels is all about 'c'. And even then it is 1970's 'c' work.

Training is 30 years behind where it should be at juniors, in the VAFA...you name it.

I played years of junior and amateur footy.

I never once practised fending off or baulking. Two techniques for when you get the ball under pressure and have to get it out.

Despite playing in the ruck and CHF/CHB I rarely as ever practiced tackling, contested marks or hit outs.

So many individual skills drills that can be really important. Roos this year has hired a ruck coach and seemed very big on fundamental skills like tackling and marking technique.

Could be Riley debuting for the club this week?

Any idea what the applause was for?

Guessing either Salem getting a full game, or Riley debuting as a sub.

Or who knows, maybe someone re-signed?

My guess is someone may have been promoted to the final squad.

If Terlich doesn't come up. It may well be Riley who gets promoted.

My concern is if Frawley doesn't come up who do we put in at FF,

Perhaps Gawn gets the job at FF changing with. Jamar.

One thing I didn't mention.

JKH didn't take part in training. He walked a couple of laps with Terlich then disappeared.

I played years of junior and amateur footy.

I never once practised fending off or baulking. Two techniques for when you get the ball under pressure and have to get it out.

Despite playing in the ruck and CHF/CHB I rarely as ever practiced tackling, contested marks or hit outs.

So many individual skills drills that can be really important. Roos this year has hired a ruck coach and seemed very big on fundamental skills like tackling and marking technique.

Funny you mention this, my boy started Footy this year, he is lucky to have family that have played at AFL or at state league levels, the first thing they taught him was fending off and giving a little push to create space for himself.

Any idea what the applause was for?

Has anyone worked out the reason for the cheers yet?

Riley debut most likely.

Has anyone worked out the reason for the cheers yet?

Paul Roos signed up for another 3 years?

Love the sound of that drill. The guy on the mark is occupied with a footy. The kicker will wait (occupied with the footy) until the option comes.

You go look at training, juniors to seniors, VAFA etc.... it absolutely doesn't make sense when you have players at the end of the line doing nothing. Or setting up these half field drills, and the poor forward/backs don't see it because the man with the whistle in his hand is pedantic about the stoppage and wants it repeated 4 times.

We have this "game sense" bulldust at junior level; but you hardly see a tackle bag, or contact drills, or tackling technique, or ground ball work at all. We still train like its Tom Hafey footy. Kick long, mark.

Allan Jeans famously catergorised footy at (a) in dispute; (b) they have it and © we have it. Training at most levels is all about 'c'. And even then it is 1970's 'c' work.

Training is 30 years behind where it should be at juniors, in the VAFA...you name it.

The VAFA club I played for a couple of years back was constant match simulation, 3-4 groups as described above, rotating through at high intensity with contact, if there was a half or full ground drills nobody was ever still, if you played Seniors then Sunday recovery was compulsory, as was Monday video and statistical analysis with your line coach, pre-season was six months of constant fitness assessment and re-assessment, plus specialist sessions such as tackling technique.

This was a suburban VAFA club a couple of rungs down, no doubt the successful private school clubs go even harder. I would say VAFA training programs are barely a few years behind AFL, let alone 30.

My guess is someone may have been promoted to the final squad.

If Terlich doesn't come up. It may well be Riley who gets promoted.

My concern is if Frawley doesn't come up who do we put in at FF,

Perhaps Gawn gets the job at FF changing with. Jamar.

Im not sure we need another tall resting at FF with Jamar Chippy. I'd love to see us trying to find a player with genuine pace over the first 20 or so who can mark overhead on a lead. Then we just need to learn to pass it properly to him.. or find players who can

We have Dawesy and hopefully Hogan next year. Not sure if Hulk is the answer but i reckon this is a must (quick lead up target) as an alternative to bombing it on top of a bullocking Dawesy and the Russian 80% of the time as we seem to have done for decades now. Plugger hasnt got a son playing by any chance has he?

Frawley was missing, so I asked Misson whether he was OK. His response was 50-50.

Probably means they've chopped off his foot or something.

Sounds like the cheers indicate the mighty Pig Dog is getting a call up this week

Well deserved if thats the case

Cant wait to see him smash some Tiger heads

Funny it was mentioned that Jeans was the one behind the comment: you have it, they have it. And ball is in dispute. That was our own Norm Smith who invented that saying.