Training - Friday 5th December, 2014

[What 18,810]

Petracca will be our new Alan Jakovitch. Serious.

just when i thought i couldnt get more excited about Petracca you go and say this

[ManDee 7,076]

Watched Petracca in the running drill and then kicking, marketing as they started ball skills. He ran pretty well, clearly not yet in the shape of some of the boys but didn't drop out real early like Jamar, Garland and King. Frost also out pretty early.

Petracca seems to have magnificent hands, the ball just sticks, no fumbles. He attacks the ball hard also. He would be a very handy forward pocket, reckon we might see him play 10+ games deep forward this year and be used as a marketing target.

Other things I noticed as some have said before Frost is huge. Viney seems in ripping shape.

Gawn and Harmes were doing a lot of ruck tap to rover vs Stafford and Miller. Plus every couple they would have to sprint to the goal square after a centre tap. Clearly a lot of repeat effort running. Gawn looking really good.

Mackenzie running fast laps, dawesy also. Watts, bail, stretch, spencer doing very little.

Those marketing targets are handy.

Don't you hate spell check sometimes?

[drdrake 3,037]

just when i thought i couldnt get more excited about Petracca you go and say this

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

[jnrmac 18,948]

Unless Dustin Fletcher is around.

He won't be if ASADA have their way,.,,,,

[Courtney_Fish 183]

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

I don't feel good in my tummy!

[1964nowMORE 439]

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

Go watch him train. He's involved, in amongst it, up and about, loving the drills, having a go......already so much more than Sylvia ever did at training. Petracca will be nothing like Col.

[What 18,810]

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

Not sure about that, I have seen Christian string plenty of coherent sentences together

[mrtwister 650]

Not sure about that, I have seen Christian string plenty of coherent sentences together

What's his post-midnight, pre-dawn driving like?

[jabberwocky 2,301]

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

Interesting, how would you compare thier AFL careers so far?

[daisycutter 28,485]

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

what a cruel thing to say or even think..........................mfcss is alive

[Allen Jakovich 516]

Petracca will be our new Alan Jakovitch. Serious. Or Jarman, the fat one.

Woah there chief, steady on...

[Bossdog 2,002]

It is in April that it counts

I know OD....... but at the moment it is December......Posters that get to training can only post what they see at the time and report to us who cant.

I like reading the training reports.....I know that they don't mean a lot in December but I find it good to see who is doing what and when, who is pushing hard and who is not, what player are injured and how the young blokes are going......If the training we do doesn't matter then I suppose that none of the clubs would start in November.

Christmas is just around the corner OD a time for positives............You can do it......

[Matt Demon 1,385]

I just hope he isn't our next Col Sylvia, for some reason everything about him reminds me of Col

Let's wait and see if he kicks his missus up the clacker before we make comparisons.

[ashdemons22 235]

Does anybody else just think 'whatever' when reading about beep tests and so forth? Over the years I have noticed zero correlation between blokes who excel on the training track and players who actually do any damage on game day. Case-in-point Bail and the recently departed Nicholson. I would prefer to see the results of testing on brains, skills and guts

Watching Jack Grimes absolutely obliterated the field in that running test was inspirational to watch. 40+ crowd and all the players and staff giving him a round of applause. What this drill showed is who has heart,who is willing to push through the pain and also who is actually in the best shape right now. I was skeptical about Grimes in the side in 2015 but if I was a player I would walk prouder knowing he is next to me in the side. And I know Roos will have him in the best 22 in 15.

[nutbean 8,837]

Watching Jack Grimes absolutely obliterated the field in that running test was inspirational to watch. 40+ crowd and all the players and staff giving him a round of applause. What this drill showed is who has heart,who is willing to push through the pain and also who is actually in the best shape right now. I was skeptical about Grimes in the side in 2015 but if I was a player I would walk prouder knowing he is next to me in the side. And I know Roos will have him in the best 22 in 15.

Yes.. we need to be fitter

Yes ..we need to be able to run out games

Yes.. We need to make fewer mistakes when fatigued

But being an elite runner does not necessarily make you a good footballer. The knock on Grimes is his disposal and being inspirational in a running test isnt going to fix that. I hope he can improve his kicking as I do like his endeavor.

[AzzKikA 2,369]

Did someone hand Grimes a football at the end of it so he could practice hitting a target by foot when he is that fatigued?

[timD 994]

Grimes has been shackled by so many things at this club: the club feuding, the playing group, his on-field role; his off-field role. This is the first year of his footballing life that is not this way. I have my doubts that he can make it. That said, nothing would make me more pleased than to see his cut the game apart. And if there is a single player on the list with the character to do so, it's Jack Grimes.

[Wiseblood 24,636]

Does anybody else just think 'whatever' when reading about beep tests and so forth? Over the years I have noticed zero correlation between blokes who excel on the training track and players who actually do any damage on game day. Case-in-point Bail and the recently departed Nicholson. I would prefer to see the results of testing on brains, skills and guts

True, although it's good to hear players doing well as it indicates they are injury free and already having a good pre-season. If Grimes is winning a running test like that then I think we can be pleased that he is injury free and moving well. It's all we can really take out of it at this point in the year anyway.

[drdrake 3,037]

Interesting, how would you compare thier AFL careers so far?

Go back to the hype around Col Sylvia when he was drafted, big strong forward midfielder, great hands, good kick, everything I've heard about this kid just reminds me of Col Sylvia, the only difference his body is sound.

[Ruffles 356]

I went along today and arrived during the beep test. On the whole quite a long training day with some pretty entertaining contact/tackling and ball movement drills. Most went pretty hard in the contact drills

- it was great to see the competitiveness, though I did cringe with some of the tackles as we don't want any injuries yet..! Jetta got up cradling his arm after one but shook it off thankfully.

Other things I noticed include:

• Garlett struggled in the beep test and some of the running, however in the full length 5 vs 5 (I think?) he burnt off Bail and kicked a beauty inside 50.
• Hogan's just good at everything ...
• Gawn did tap to rover work with Harmes for a while, then lots of laps and bike. Also did some running, kicking, marking drills with Kent.
• Watts, Dawes and Kent also did lots of laps and bike work
• Trengove was there today with his cast, pushing himself around on some kneeling tricycle contraption. He was shouting encouragement to all the boys out there.
• Vandenberg is quite a tall, solid unit but being first day might've done half the drills. Too early to tell much. Didn't see White.
• Dawes looks very fit and lean, probably that diet but I wouldn't want him losing much too much more! Running well though.
• Petracca is so solid through the legs and hips. In one of the full length drills he had the ball and busted through one tackle and stood up in the second to pass to a team mate.
• Didn't see much of Brayshaw today, did some laps with Kent early.
• Hogan, King and Jamar did some speccie marks over a pad. Jamar is also looking in great shape, had a bit of spring, though he did tire during the running.
• Spencer was there early but then disappeared.
• Terlich and Vince were continuing rehabbing.
• McKenzie ran a lot of laps and then did time on the bikes.
• Bail seemed to be on lighter duties today, not joining in all drills.
• Neal-Bullen has been impressive with his running. Kept up with all our better runners during the beep test, only beaten by M Jones and Grimes. Toump pushed himself pretty hard.
• Salem lay some good tackles during contact drills. You can't hold Jones and Viney back either, it's like they're out to hurt their opponents.
• Garland was struggling to keep up, he's clearly still building up from his low base but hopefully gets a good run at it.
• There was also a drill involving a ruckman trying to tap to a team mate while another midfielder was tagging/defensive. Tyson was a class above in this drill, read the ball beautifully.
• Cross hasn't lost any speed, constantly running through all drills. Lumumba also impressive, leading and pushing people.
• JKH has definitely put on muscle but running really well too. Hopefully we'll see much more of him next season!
• The new fellas did some ball pick up drills towards the end with Byrnes, who would randomly pass a ball on the ground, low or high around the semi circle. I think the idea was if you fumble you go to the end. Neal-Bullen spent a bit of time at the end ... Stretch looked good as did Petracca.

[Grimes Times 1,278]

Gee this "Demonland Group Think" Grimes disposal issue is getting tired.

Talk about a whipping boy.

I admit his disposal is not great but hes not on his own and IMO is getting singled out.

Last season his Effective Disposal % was 78.0% compared to others below it stacks up pretty well.

Jones 73.6%

Watts 80%

Tyson 72.6%

Vince 64.7%

Garland 78.9%

Jetta 87.7%

Dunn 79.5%

I might be biased and you can make statistic work many ways but Grimes disposal is no worse than many others.

I can see pass the odd missed target and take him for what he is.

PS Matt Suckling regarded as one of the best kicks in the comp went at 78.8%

[The Chazz 4,077]

Go watch him train. He's involved, in amongst it, up and about, loving the drills, having a go......already so much more than Sylvia ever did at training. Petracca will be nothing like Col.

Is Petracca having "that" preseason that we always knew Colin needed to be a star?

[nutbean 8,837]

Gee this "Demonland Group Think" Grimes disposal issue is getting tired.

Talk about a whipping boy.

I admit his disposal is not great but hes not on his own and IMO is getting singled out.

Last season his Effective Disposal % was 78.0% compared to others below it stacks up pretty well.

Jones 73.6%

Watts 80%

Tyson 72.6%

Vince 64.7%

Garland 78.9%

Jetta 87.7%

Dunn 79.5%

I might be biased and you can make statistic work many ways but Grimes disposal is no worse than many others.

I can see pass the odd missed target and take him for what he is.

PS Matt Suckling regarded as one of the best kicks in the comp went at 78.8%

Disposal efficiency % is a horrible stat to quote in isolation.

inside mid percentages are always going to be lower as they rush kicks out of stoppages.

Backmen in the main should have a better % as they do a lot of chipping backwards to unmanned teamates

Watts efficiency doesnt surprise as he gets a lot of kicks where has time to dispose of them.

Grimes is a whipping boy as he tends to turn over a bit when there is no pressure on at all.

He should not be on his own and singled out. I am not critical when balls are turned over under pressure. But three players come to mind who turn it over and miss targets under relatively little or no pressure. TMac, Terlich, Grimes. There are others.

People kept quoting Bartrams d/e% which wasnt bad - but he would make horrible clangers ( almost momentum killers) under no pressure at all. Did two against Stkilda a few years back which swung the momentum of the game.

It is not the qty of kicks that miss the target- it is when you do them, where you do them, and under how much pressure you are under when you do them.

[Wrecker45 3,378]

Gee this "Demonland Group Think" Grimes disposal issue is getting tired.

Talk about a whipping boy.

I admit his disposal is not great but hes not on his own and IMO is getting singled out.

Last season his Effective Disposal % was 78.0% compared to others below it stacks up pretty well.

Jones 73.6%

Watts 80%

Tyson 72.6%

Vince 64.7%

Garland 78.9%

Jetta 87.7%

Dunn 79.5%

I might be biased and you can make statistic work many ways but Grimes disposal is no worse than many others.

I can see pass the odd missed target and take him for what he is.

PS Matt Suckling regarded as one of the best kicks in the comp went at 78.8%

Grimes problem is the 22% ineffective disposals seem to go out on the full or hit the opposition on the chest. The other players above seem to just miss their target.

I am very confident he will be forced into the midfield next year and prove a lot of people wrong.

[The Devil Inside 2,147]

Good afternoon interested supporters, including those interstate and overseas, the PC Police and the lemon suckers

I was there again, most have covered the drills and observations already, including Grimes' win in the beep test, which I didn't think was unusual as he is one of best trainers when fit

A point on Garlett, there was another instance were he was running across field to the right, turned on a sixpence and put a ball down somebody's throat, didn't catch who, on the left, how he saw him I have no idea, leading to Roos shouting 'great vision'

The kicking and movement drills seemed very good, but Ben Mathews told me the coaches thought they were 'ordinary' today and the players were told as much, so high standards

Interesting bit in one of the contested drills, Dunny put his knees into Viney on the ground and then scragged him, was just about to get interesting when Jack Grimes stepped in to separate them, some of the hits today were meant to hurt, Toumpas got Nev Jetta a beauty as well

The new rookie Mitchell White is another big unit, did bits and pieces of the training

Aaron Vandenberg, the other new rookie, only arrived late in the morning, brought out by Shannon Byrnes obviously just to get a taste, didn't do anything

There were some new toys on display today, a camera on a pole, so they can get above ground vision, Roos showed a bit of interest before training started, there will be pic on Twitter Demonpk, later

There was also some strange looking devices being trialled, they are like an oven glove you put on your hand, helps lower your core temperature somehow, looking at using them in Maroochydore and Darwin, pic as well

Spoke to Max King, who is a really good kick, got him fit now, weighs in at about 94k now, they want him eventually up around the 100k mark, thinks he is still growing height wise as well

Jack Trengove was out there as well, with his trike, pic on Twitter later

Spoke to Chris Dawes to confirm he is on an individual program for him, answer is yes, being slightly older and 100k they are doing it slightly different

Any questions feel free