TRAINING: Wednesday 20th November 2024

[Demonland 73,140]

It’s a beautiful cool morning down at Gosch’s Paddock and I’ve arrived early to bring you my observations from today’s session.

DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Reigning Keith Bluey Truscott champion Jack Viney is the first one out on the track. 

Jack’s wearing the red version of the new training guernsey which is the only version available for sale at the Demon Shop.

TRAINING: Viney, Clarry, Lever, TMac, Rivers, Petty, McVee, Bowey, JVR, Hore, Tom Campbell (in training guernsey with no number), Woey, Tholstrup (wearing #12), Windsor, Jefferson, Laurie, Turner, Verral, Howes, Sestan, AMW (wearing #45), Adams, Brown, Kentfield

Since these are new guernseys I would say it’s pretty much confirmed that Kolt will wear #12 this year. 

Tom Campbell is a massive unit. Will keep an eye on how he moves. 

Spargo is present but is just in regular training gear and not the red training guernsey. Doing some stationary handball drills with the guys but doubt he will join in on the main session. 

The main group are being taken through some agility annd stretching exercises by one of the trainers. 

Sestan, Howes and Campbell in the rehab group working with a trainer separately from the main group. Walking through high knee lifts and then turning around and bending down simulating picking up the footy.

Someone previously mentioned Sestan and Howes having some hamstring awareness. Campbell might be in the same boat. 

So far not much footy besides the warmup handball and kicking drills. 

Boys now doing sprints from one end of the centre square to the other. 

Now the footys are out. Players running in 3s the length of the square. One with the footy sprinting down the square before kicking whilst the other two sprint beside him. 

Lever, Howes & Sestan doing sprints. They are listed in the order of how fast each can run given whatever ailments they have. Sounds like Lever isn’t far off from returning to full training. 

Tom Campbell jogging around the boundary. Obviously not progressed to a sprint. 

Split into two groups.

One is doing the keeping’s off handball drill in a small circle with the goal of getting a goal. It is fast paced and players have to handball off quickly and as soon as a goal is scored the ball comes immediately back into play and they go again. 

The other is a handball drill with an uneven number and the uneven number is under fierce tackling pressure.

Lever, Sestan & Howes doing fast quarter laps

Campbell is doing grappling with a trainer. 

Windsor is back this session fully participating in all the drills so far. 

They’ve split into 3 groups

1. One on one marking drill

2. two on two ground ball drill

3. ground ball drill with two players. One gets the ball and is immediately hit by a trainer with a bag and so is his buddy who then receives the handball from the first player. 

Back to the keeping’s off handball drill with a different set of players. No one can catch Windsor. Verrall tackling ferociously.  AMW just crunch Viney in a tackle. Almost took him down. 

They just stopped the drill and players were gassed and bending over. Chaplin calls out for them to get up and then says “What do you thinks happening now that fatigue has set in?” “NO TALK”. “You need to communicate”. “Let’s Go Again”

A lot of this session is fast running incorporating sprints or short bursts into the drills. Less focus on skills. All about running and still doing the one percenters even when fatigued. 

TMac running laps at a quick clip now. 

Sestan, despite being in rehab, looks super fit and trimmed down and toned up.

Looks like the boots are off and the runners are on. Sprinting/run throughs time. 

Petty, Rivers & Tholstrup heading back to AAMI. 

Rest of the Squad besides rehabbers are doing sprints through the Centre square. 

Goal kicking practice looks like it is being setup but I need to leave. Demonland out. 

Some individual observations. Due to some of the drills being on the other side of the ground I didn't get to eyeball everyone for the whole session.

JVR - Great set of hands. Gets into good position for one on one marking drills and uses his body well. Uses the ball well in general play. A bit more vocal every preseason.

Judd McVee - just oozes class with ball in hand. Trains like he plays. Very professional. Kid is a gem.

Windsor - Classy, evasive, fast

Viney - First one on the track, last one to leave. Hard nut. Tackles hard. Hard to tackle. Leads by example. Doesn't need to be there yet. Wouldn't be anywhere else.

Lever - obviously getting over a niggle. Not far off returning to full training once the full squad is back. Otherwise looks in good nick.

Spargo - heard that they are being cautious with his return but doesn't look like it will be before Christmas but that is just a guess. Didn't do anything other than stationary warmup stuff with the footy. Not running at the moment.

Oliver - Physically in much better condition than in the preseason last season. Has trimmed down. Looks to be in good spirits and doesn't appear to be in discomfort with ball in hand or with tackling which seemed to be a problem during the season this year. Looks to be back to some of his best work in gathering and dishing off the footy. Good signs.

Laurie - like every preseason I barely notice him so there is nothing much I can report on at this stage.

Bowey - the best user of the ball in the team at the moment. After a disappoint season with injury and form I am very bullish about Jake for season 2025.

Jefferson - does appear to have filled out a little bit. Has a good pair of hands and uses the ball well. Can find the big sticks. Will be interesting to see what he can do this year. Could be anything.

Howes - also seems to have filled out a little bit. Is currently in the rehab group with a little niggle but doesn't seem far off from returning to the main group. In previous sessions this preseason before rehab he was one of the standouts. Should return to the seniors this year.

Rivers - Great to see him out on the track from day one with the 1st to 4th years. Future leader of the club.

TMac - Also good to see TMac out with the rookies. First preseason I can remember that he is out on the park in boots. Still has more to give the club in what could be his last season. Looks fit and is moving well.

Adams - Like others I often confuse him with Petty. The resemblance is uncanny. Not sure how close he is to a debut but spots in a defence are scarce but he is good depth to have.

Hore - will not die wondering whether he gave it his all. Looks in good nick.

Petty - has been training with the defenders but as I mused the other day I am not sure whether it is due to lack of senior defenders at this early stage of the preseason. We will get a better picture in the new year. Looks in good nick and is not rehabing. Was in a moon boot at this stage last season I think so it will be great for him to get a full preseason under his belt.

Tholstrup - Very vocal, hard as nails. Looks like he is loving being out there. Good user of the footy. Looks like he will be wearing #12 this season.

Woey & Brown - Like Laurie I didn't really notice either of them. Like what I see from both of them but I'm not overly bullish on either of them as more than depth. Happy to be very wrong.

Turner - one of the standouts of this preseason for mine. Excellent pair of hands. Has definitely filled out. Attacks the ball with ferocity and uses it well. Looking forward to him taking his game to the next level.

Kentfield - A big unit. Needs to work on his fitness but this is his first full preseason at the level. Will be a fixture at Casey so hopefully he hones his craft there. Is a long way off at the moment.

AMW - Another stand out. Attacks the ball and the man fiercely. Tackles hand and rarely looses a one on one when the ball hits the deck. Should be a more permanent fixture in the ones this season.

KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Great day for it. The drills were done at a high skill level. The boisterous vocals continued, as was the running to the sheds side when the drills/sims finished.  

The drills seemed to emphasise handball, tackling and fighting through the tackle, working in crowded areas, and releasing the receiver into space. 

The sims had a very compressed field, forcing them into short kicking and defending those short kicks. Looks like we are going to use a high press at times. Goody was giving regular instructions about how he wants them to defend those short hit ups. A bit of zoning the centre and quick close down, if the ball is delivered to the boundary side. 

AMW is training well ground balls tackling positioning.

Bowey is starring.

 Rivers is building.

 Verrall is making a few mistakes when rushed, though never two in a row as he continues to learn.

Hore must be a chance for the big dance.

Chaplin, was instructing JVR with his leading patterns and body work to create separation. Troy was happy with what he was creating. 

Jefferson was getting some explosive leads happening. 

McVee is hitting his straps, lovely mover and delivery. 

Turner is impressive, he has a bit of X-factor happening. 

Laurie is having a mass of involvement. Getting to many contests.

Windsor was a touch low key. 

Kentfield has the occasional fumble, though showing some agility at the ground ball.

Woey is a bit inconsistent with the disposals, he is looking strong and big.

Tholstrup working on getting separation and moving off the defenders blind side. 

 Brown looking a bit bigger, moving well and getting plenty of involvement. 

Oliver is going about second gear, having to work with plenty of pressure and minimal space, that what Viney puts onto him when they match up (got away from him a few times).

Had a chat to Richardson about tonight's draft. He reckons they usually know what the other clubs are probably going do. Tonight they are relying on hope, as they are unsure who will go where, but are very happy to be getting the two high picks.

WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Jack Viney first out. Ollie is here. Tom McD ready. Tom Campbell has a club strip!

22 players out warming up at the moment

Spargo ready to resume rehab running

Rehab group Sestan, Spargs, Campbell, Lever, Howes involved in handball keeping’s off

Interesting that Windsor is with the backs in the current exercise, along with 4, 25, 35, 45, 27, 26 & 17

Kolt is flying, with the occasional ball handling fumble. His running and link work at top speed is terrific. I don’t see him as a nibbler clone. Nibs could wear an opponent like a glove, and run each way all day. Kolt is a more penetrating kick, a regular goal scorer, better contested mark, and probably a touch quicker. Which makes it all the more impressive that ANB reached such a highly respected level across the competition.

Just watched the handball, burst through tackle group. It was full on, very physical. Several excellent, tough tackles. Jonesy was in control with Choco looking on. Riv, Marty, Ollie, Roo & Jud were in this group. Riv applied several crunching tackles. Ollie was right into it as one who broke through the tackle. He ribbed Roo a few times and I don’t think Roo enjoyed it. Marty was another who stepped out of tackles to move the ball on.

Clarry is miles ahead of post-Christmas, opening of 2024 season. Fitter, Lighter looking (more muscle) and happier by comparison. He has the opportunity to reach his own peak fitness (2021) before round 1. Is on track!

I didn't notice Kynan as much today, mainly because I seemed to be on the opposite side of the ground on most occasions. He is certainly putting in full effort in every session. I place him in the group of young improvers... Brown, Verrall, Kentfield, Jefferson, Adams & Sestan. We will learn more about this group when the full list returns and they are doing full match sim.

Who has not appeared at training yet?

Gawn, May, Petracca, Billings, Langdon, Melksham, McAdam, Fullarton, Kossie

FRITTA AND TURNER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

A pleasant day at training, for me that is, not the players who were working hard and with some aggro i might add.  Some of the tackles lasted somewhat long.

Viney first out having shots on goal.  I reckon heaven for Viney would be footy all year round.

Campbell has his team strip and was running the boundary.  Also did that strengthening exercise where the trainers lies on top of you and you have to get up.  Then they swap over.  Looks happy to be here and has the look of someone who wouldnt be out of place in Game of Thrones wielding an axe.

Lever doing that weird stretching exercise again.  The last time I tried anything like that I was actually tripping over.  Spent most of his time running.

Howes and Sestan, who both had niggles last time, moved freely running the boundary.

TMc was in the drills and running very well for November, with some pace.

Turner looking really strong in the contest.

Spargo still doing rehab.

Loved AMW in the contest.

Petty and Hore very good at reading the flight of the ball.  Marty always looks taller than I expect.

Clarrie moving very well and no sign of a sore hand.  Breaks the tackles with those magnicient hips.

Roo doesn't like to get beaten.