TRAINING: Monday 1st December 2025

47 minutes ago47 min

The team is back from their Community Training Camp and it is the first time that the whole squad is together at Gosch’s Paddock. A couple of intrepid Demonlanders braved the 4 seasons in one day on the first day of Summer to bring you their observation of the morning's session.

DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Present: May, JVR, Salem, Langford, Lindsay, Windsor, Lever, Steele, Turner, Gawn, Tholstrup, Culley, CH, Langdon, Laurie, Melksham, Taylor, Jefferson, Howes, Rivers, McDonald, Mihocek, Heath, Campbell, Sharp, Fritsch, Sparrow, L Pickett, Petty, K Pickett, Chandler, Berry, Mentha, Johnson, Kentfield, Onley & White

Rehab: Viney, McAdam, Bowey, AMW, Henderson & Matthews

Absent: Adams

Rain is starting to come down so it’s a great opportunity to work on that wet weather footy.

Lindsay (#5), White (#34), Berry (#38) & Heath (#27) don’t have numbers on their guernseys yet. Steele (#9) is still wearing number 46.

Rookie recruit Riley Onley is a big boy. As tall as Lever and built much bigger.

Kalani White is very tall and skinny but moves like an athlete.

The squad has broken up into 4 smaller groups for some warm up drills.

Ball dribble out by assistants to 3 players. One collects the ground ball handballs quickly to the next guy who handballs quickly to the next guy.
4 on 4 close quarters keepings off handball
7 on 3 ball movement up the wing. 3 defenders constantly swapping each time.
Goal kicking practice.

The sun is back out and the ball and field is drying. So much for that wet weather footy practice.

Bowser running laps. Doesn't look too far away from resuming training with the main group.

In the Shed doing rehab is McAdam on the rower. Viney, Matthews & Henderson are on the bikes. All moving at a fast pace.

JVR off to the rooms to get what looks like his bottom lip stitched up. Apparently his tooth went through his bottom lip.

AMW & Mihocek have joined in on the rotation of drills.

Onley has come from the ground with a knock to the nose ….. and he’s back on.

Mihocek doesn’t miss a set shot …. And having just said that just missed one. He previously kicked about 5 in a row on a slight angle 30-35 metres out.

The squad has now split into 4 groups for another 4 small drills.

3 vs 3 have to run to starting in the middle of two poles in the ground and have to run towards them and then run around the pole and back to the middle to collect the ground ball before the other team.
1 vs 1 ground ball get. Player that doesn’t get the ball has to tackle the other one.
1 v 1 high ball marking contest.
1 vs 1 ground ball rolled in front of one player who collects it while the other guy tries to tackle and the guy with the ball has to break the tackle by karate chopping the arm of the tackler.

First time I’ve seen Disco this preseason. He has such strong sure hands in marking contests.

Heath is very strong in body on body marking contest and can take a grab.

Kozzy’s evasive skills are sublime but ya’ll knew that already.

JVR is back out and running laps.

Full ground match SIM.

Both Windsor & CJ getting a lot of the ball off half back.

As a side note when we traded in CJ I had a lot of Hawthorn mates claimed that CJ was not a good disposer of the footy. They claimed he had no issues getting the footy but didn't know what to do with it once the ball was in hand. So far I have observed that he has very clean foot skills. Let's see how he goes when the full pressure of match day is at hand. Currently I am quietly impressed.

Turner & Petty in defence as are May, Lever & TMac. Turner, Petty & May were on one team and TMac & Lever were on the other team.

Mihocek is taking part in the match SIM which is the first time I have observed him taking part in the contact drills at training.

Jefferson (others have reported that he is recovering from concussion so not taking part in contact drills), AMW & JVR running laps.

Viney, McAdam, Henderson & Matthews all doing weights and strength training in the shed.

Rain coming down hard again.

Heath playing forward on TMac

Berry playing off half back.

Kozzy everywhere in the middle.

Latrelle playing forward but finding his way up the ground. Got the ball on the wing and followed the ball all the way to the forward line. Disposal fantastic.

For the weather watchers the sun is back out.

New drill. End to end. 10 vs 5 up the middle of the ground.

This drill involves moving the ball quickly by hand and foot up the ground. When the ball goes deep into the forward line the assistants kick the ball to themselves up the field to the back line and all the 15 players on the field have to gut run from the forward line to the back line to do it again and then they switch out with another 15 players. A lot of running and fast ball movement. It's almost impossible for the 5 players to defend but the fast ball movement and gut running seems to be the main focus of the drill. Players are gassed when they take a break.

The new recruits are not taking part in this drill. Latrelle, Taylor, Onley, Berry & White.

Jefferson & JVR are taking part in this drill.

Lindsay has been very impressive in the ball movement drills. Elite disposal. Same goes for Langford.

CJ has joined the new recruits doing 100m sprints along the boundary. And after that they were jogging half laps from goal posts to goal posts.

HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Jed Adams the only absentee.

Further to the other reports Viney, Henderson, Matthews and McAdam in what I would describe as "full rehab". Matthews getting special treatment related to his knee, so perhaps he is the furthest away from playing. Given Viney and McAdam are both achilles - hard to say about return dates. Henderson also hard to predict.

Bowey running laps (but does not look far away) and Jeffo in and out as described above. JVR got a knock to the lip - went back to AAMI for some patchwork - and after that resorted to running.

Pleasing aspects for me - Mihocek, Heath and Steele did the entire session unhampered and CJ did most of it.

Trelly Pickett is a gun - not just his skills - but the running capacity, confidence and willingness to join in. Pencil him in for Round 1. Windsor everywhere, when the ball needed to be moved.

I reckon Taylor will take a little while - in defence. Early call, but maybe not a lock for Round 1.

Onley a good size and moved smoothly - all the draftees and CJ did quite a bit of running towards the end - obviously still building their bases. AMW looking better and better - let's see if he does full sessions from January.

The word is that they will stay at Gosch's through until Friday 19 December. Training was scheduled for 10 am but they were out early and finished up around 12 pm.

All the old boys doing good old boys' stuff, i.e. including TMac and Melky in that group. Lever moving freely. May - an interesting watch.

SLARTIBARTFAST'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Trelly looked really really good with his running and skills. Those having issues with using pick 12 need not worry I reckon.
Lindsay is starting to look really good, he was involved and skillful.
The full ground drills were significantly different to last year. Last year the focus was on ball movement and little if any contact. This year is was match practice with the ball being fully contested.
There is no luvy dovey stuff at training this year. There is good spirit but no whopping and hollering at the slightest opportunity. Very business like.
Culley very good.
Windsor and CJ the "go to" players out of the backline.
Kentfield a good chance to be this years bolter, moves well, good endurance, strong hands and a beautiful kick. I'm excited.
It might just be me but Vines looks like the weight of the world is off his shoulders looking so much more relaxed this year.
Did I mention Trelly?
Oscar Berry looks like the first B rookie from a BB background that looks like he could make it.
Sparrow in everything.

That is all......

ALEX NO FANCY-NAME'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

First time at a training session (other than kids' clinic) so don't really have any insightful insights to share.

CJ has been mentioned a few times; I liked the footwork and evasion, but was especially impressed with his delivery of the ball, he got it out of the back line and it kept going.

It was great to watch Kozzie (and Latrelle and Ricky) kicking goals at the end of the session. Worth the price of admission!

Final comment, I enjoyed watching the match sims, flowing footy without umpire interference, and no administrative 50s!

Another final observation, on the way out I was going to take a photo of the Melb Victory training for my "other" son, and was told by their staff that photography was prohibited. I couldn't be bothered arguing the point, but if you're part of a league trying to build a supporter base I am not sure this is the best attitude.

GHOSTWRITERS PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

It looks as though my threats to burn down the MCG if the players continue to come out too early were taken seriously. Not a soul to be seen yet.

I met Latrelle!!! What an awesome boy he is. Kozzie smiled and pointed towards him, as if to say have at him 😅 Latrelle is NOT shy. He’s so friendly and loves a chat.

I also met Tommy Matthews. He’s a live wire! A lovely guy.

Of course I met Riley too. He’s a little more reserved. Taller in person than in pics.

Everyone is here. And omg they are looking fit af. Seriously, even the ones who already looked great look even better. The camp was a roaring success by all accounts. It’s obvious they’re still on a high. The energy is electric.

Shane’s running laps. He’s running really well. Both AMW and Melky had some white cream massaged into their kneecaps by Pete the physio. Pete says it’s routine, nothing to worry about.

Rooey’s on the boundary spitting out blood. Must’ve copped a hit to the mouth. Quite a bit of blood coming out. Now he’s being taken back to the rooms.

Tommy Mathews is rehabbing his knee injury. He said he expects to be running “well before Chrissy.”

Vines has an achilles issue (not serious) which is why he’s not training.

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