8 hours ago, DEE fence said:

Feel free to say hello, green lululemon shirt and the giant bike, 1st preseason I’ve watched since Daniel Cross was running around.

are you picket fence's brother or relative?

1 hour ago, daisycutter said:

are you picket fence's brother or relative?

Ouch

1 hour ago, Return to Glory said:

Only if you're feeling lucky. Well, do ya, punk?

I know what you're thinking, punk. Did we lose six or only five close games? In all the excitement of these training reports I plain forgot. Do we feel lucky , punk?

5 hours ago, picket fence said:

Yep, biggest heist of the Draft IMO

I can't stop myself from laughing, if it turns out that we'll.

53 minutes ago, Go Ds said:

I know what you're thinking, punk. Did we lose six or only five close games? In all the excitement of these training reports I plain forgot. Do we feel lucky , punk?

A man's got to know his limitations ...

Ok all — pls see my full training report below largely based on a round-up of individuals I could easily see and felt like watching more than others, but largely I got a good idea of most.

Beautiful day for it at Gosch’s, esp when rain held off. First thing that’s CLEAR = Atmosphere/Vibe has changed dramatically from this time last year and 2yrs previous, the vibe is so much more upbeat, focused & just feels like a lot more is being “coached” rather than just trained, if that makes sense. King’s presence wasn’t felt as much but that’s because he was constantly within earshot of a player, I mean the entire session! Chaplin was def the loudest voice & hearing him give direction and feedback to several players was terrific. Jones ran the rehab group a while & was boisterous, whilst Scarlett’s presence was immense in terms of what he appeared to be passing onto the players, def didn’t feel half baked, it was considered, player specific and just in general he gave a number of tips to our key talks, more so fwds ie leading patterns , how to hold-out in a marking contest, time your wrestling for position in majoring 1/1 etc etc

Ball movement is similar but also very different, much less thinking involved & more fwd momentum, angles etc. Feels like a tweak and honestly the cattle (better kicks) help, as no butchers were out there Trac, Claz and no Viney so it looked super crisp at all times.

Others covered the drills so now here is my player summary;

— Notably missing was Harry & Riv.

— Standouts overall: This one was easy, as there was a definite few that stole the eyes the entire session & they were:

Steele (kicking ELITE in all drills think he missed one kick of the 15+ I saw). From what I saw today he looked like a hybrid of Clarry (inside) and Gus (kicking and IQ). Massively impressed!!!

Leb: (kicking was just phenomenal in the i50 entry drills then again in the middle Of ground sim. Pressure was what also stood out, was huge in every contest and chased hard tackled hard & looks a player who’s grown into his skin and now KNOWS he belongs. He’s Moo Kowal mixed with a bit of Tingay. Best I’ve seen him, might just be an elite mid ala Holmes this year.

Langford (oozes class, looking like the alpha, just knows what to do and when to do it and while kicking was a little off today, his presence is just nothing short of magnetic). Has to play on-ball 70-80% then up fwd as a pinch hitter. With Viney, Steele, Kos, Riv, Len alongside him boy.. it’s drooling time!!!

Mentha (surprise indeed, but he’s got a real presence now, sized up a bit & continually found more of footy than I’ve seen previously commanded the pill and evaded while keeping composure several times). If we weren’t so strong in similar spots I’d lock him in for R1 that’s how much he stood out for us. Everything was one-touch! Looks like a wingman to me.. time will tell!

Culley (sure hands, great 1st step, leap, tackling pressure & seems to already be a player the coaches want others to find, was just class personified & finished everything)

Trelly (just looks wise beyond years and it’s obvious hang big Cus Kos there is having immense impact). Was only player I saw as bit kicker and receiver in the fwd pocket leading drill that went for a long while and he excelled in BOTH roles, they couldn’t catch him as the leader as as kicker he was creative using angles and going long or short, he was just a nightmare cover). Destined for R1, for sure.

JVR (looks to have mature, grown into body even more and is leading at ball carrier well, took a LOT Of one grab marks, had a real presence about him).

Jeffo/Luker (both battled hard all session and yet both look completely different. Luker is a real specimen with beautiful soft vie like hands, but Jeffo was smart, ran hard & got great separation more so than I’ve ever seen before. Really looks to be up-skilling his game w/repeat efforts & got loads of coaching attention as did AJ who was learning got to take ball at highest point in marking drill (solo) then with May giving some 1:1 pressure and wrestling practice — One thing Scarlett told AJ was that he was doing his work WAY too early and that he needs to hold off longer before engaging and use his frame and strength to protect ball drop zone. Luker is HUGE in physique it’s actually intimidating.

Chin/Fritta: (such great leads in small spaces, finish so strong & Fritta got out back a lot whilst Chin lead strong at ball a lot and was rewarded.

Other Notes:

CJ: Quiet today, did a fair bit of running, but looks really engaged and happy — butchered a few by foot but it was a tough session.

XL: Used as a HB to fill Bowser role, think he will do well Just needs to keep learning and adapting but he has a crack has smarts & will grow exponentially, then next year or year following midfield beckons.

Kalani: REAL surprise packet. He’s obv got a boys body but his positioning for marks and hands were terrific as was his composure in the small circle handball/tackle drills — Dare I say a few grabs looked Darcy-lite in the way he takes it and gets free on the sneak!

Salem: looks fit, ready to go & is in a good space. Couple of foot errors but also some good pressure like we saw in 21’ his tackling had bite to it.

Max: was just Max, immense leadership and commitment as well as ability, looks really happy & if I’m guessing I’d say he’s SUPER excited atm as he’s sure what team is capable of but has a cheeky feeling it might be more than many suspect — just my read.

Bill: Struggled a bit today, missed targets but seemed hampered but the hand so who knows but think as a small fwd he will be back in queue if that’s how King sees him..

AMW: Great to see him back and training well? Def rusty but his running power is immense & he’s going to be a great depth player especially with Bowser out and McVee gone. He looked extremely excited to be out there’s

Checkers: Asked him himself when he was due to be back in contact & he was so exhausted from his bike session he could barely breathe let alone talk — but seemed like it was still a bit “wait and see” atm unfortunately!

Kolt: best I’ve seen him by a MILE. Looks much lighter on his feet, making faster decisions & looked quick as result. Hit targets, was loud & didn’t appear in two minds at all which is big. Small things but watching him today he had impact & was a top 10 for me.

Matthews: LOVE this kid, obv rusty and nervous but he got better and better showing his skills and one-touch base which was awesome, feels like a Greene/Weightman hybrid atm but need to see a lot more obv.

Onley: he is so huge, gets ball, good footwork just needs to work on kicking and making faster decisions but oozes belief and class in his movement, I suggest he will look elite in VFL and push for selection late and blossom WOW. Genuine inside/outside combo which is RARE.

May/McAdam: looked as good as two blokes whom ran ALL SESSION could look. May was given loads of “Atta boy” from Reece Conca for his repeat running efforts, McAdam was smiling and looked like he’s not far at all.

My biggest takeaway was how much better the overall vibe was, no fake BS, just real improvement based comms, smooth gameplay & never any silly drills or plasters unsure what is happening. They’re going something constantly, working on things constantly & we just look so much less stagnant due to more freedom but mostly the cattle and it hating 2 biggest egos slowing us down or hogging limelight. VERY different team, but boy it could be one that offers some real good wins/games and imho will be one that gets better all the time. With so many out it’s exciting to see who makes the cut, so many look good but so few open spots! All 3 parts of ground have 9-12 players vying for 5-6 spots and that felt new. Def more clean onetouch play today, better finishing and Melk/Checkers/Mcadam are on sidelines.

Edited 13 hours ago13 hr by Tolstoys Nudge

Clips won’t load they’re tooo big for DL but man there was some class form Trelly/Leb to see!

8 hours ago, harveylangfordisthegoat said:

how does reg ( x taylor) look in the match sims? haven’t heard too much

Looked great as a small def, has a low to ground body mass and uses it to burn out of contest — looks like a R1 starter for mine, has genuine X factor & is a sponge out there!

Edited 14 hours ago14 hr by Tolstoys Nudge

15 minutes ago, Tolstoys Nudge said:

Ok all — pls see my full training report below largely based on a round-up of individuals I could easily see and felt like watching more than others, but largely I got a good idea of most.

Beautiful day for it at Gosch’s, esp when rain held off. First thing that’s CLEAR = Atmosphere/Vibe has changed dramatically from this time last year and 2yrs previous, the vibe is so much more upbeat, focused & just feels like a lot more is being “coached” rather than just trained, if that makes sense. King’s presence wasn’t felt as much but that’s because he was constantly within earshot of a player, I mean the entire session! Chaplin was def the loudest voice & hearing him give direction and feedback to several players was terrific. Jones ran the rehab group a while & was boisterous, whilst Scarlett’s presence was immense in terms of what he appeared to be passing onto the players, def didn’t feel half baked, it was considered, player specific and just in general he gave a number of tips to our key talks, more so fwds ie leading patterns , how to hold-out in a marking contest, time your wrestling for position in majoring 1/1 etc etc

Ball movement is similar but also very different, much less thinking involved & more fwd momentum, angles etc. Feels like a tweak and honestly the cattle (better kicks) help, as no butchers were out there Trac, Claz and no Viney so it looked super crisp at all times.

Others covered the drills so now here is my player summary;

— Notably missing was Harry & Riv.

— Standouts overall: This one was easy, as there was a definite few that stole the eyes the entire session & they were:

Steele (kicking ELITE in all drills think he missed one kick of the 15+ I saw). From what I saw today he looked like a hybrid of Clarry (inside) and Gus (kicking and IQ). Massively impressed!!!

Leb: (kicking was just phenomenal in the i50 entry drills then again in the middle Of ground sim. Pressure was what also stood out, was huge in every contest and chased hard tackled hard & looks a player who’s grown into his skin and now KNOWS he belongs. He’s Moo Kowal mixed with a bit of Tingay. Best I’ve seen him, might just be an elite mid ala Holmes this year.

Langford (oozes class, looking like the alpha, just knows what to do and when to do it and while kicking was a little off today, his presence is just nothing short of magnetic). Has to play on-ball 70-80% then up fwd as a pinch hitter. With Viney, Steele, Kos, Riv, Len alongside him boy.. it’s drooling time!!!

Mentha (surprise indeed, but he’s got a real presence now, sized up a bit & continually found more of footy than I’ve seen previously commanded the pill and evaded while keeping composure several times). If we weren’t so strong in similar spots I’d lock him in for R1 that’s how much he stood out for us. Everything was one-touch! Looks like a wingman to me.. time will tell!

Culley (sure hands, great 1st step, leap, tackling pressure & seems to already be a player the coaches want others to find, was just class personified & finished everything)

Trelly (just looks wise beyond years and it’s obvious hang big Cus Kos there is having immense impact). Was only player I saw as bit kicker and receiver in the fwd pocket leading drill that went for a long while and he excelled in BOTH roles, they couldn’t catch him as the leader as as kicker he was creative using angles and going long or short, he was just a nightmare cover). Destined for R1, for sure.

JVR (looks to have mature, grown into body even more and is leading at ball carrier well, took a LOT Of one grab marks, had a real presence about him).

Jeffo/Luker (both battled hard all session and yet both look completely different. Luker is a real specimen with beautiful soft vie like hands, but Jeffo was smart, ran hard & got great separation more so than I’ve ever seen before. Really looks to be up-skilling his game w/repeat efforts & got loads of coaching attention as did AJ who was learning got to take ball at highest point in marking drill (solo) then with May giving some 1:1 pressure and wrestling practice — One thing Scarlett told AJ was that he was doing his work WAY too early and that he needs to hold off longer before engaging and use his frame and strength to protect ball drop zone. Luker is HUGE in physique it’s actually intimidating.

Chin/Fritta: (such great leads in small spaces, finish so strong & Fritta got out back a lot whilst Chin lead strong at ball a lot and was rewarded.

Other Notes:

CJ: Quiet today, did a fair bit of running, but looks really engaged and happy — butchered a few by foot but it was a tough session.

XL: Used as a HB to fill Bowser role, think he will do well Just needs to keep learning and adapting but he has a crack has smarts & will grow exponentially, then next year or year following midfield beckons.

Kalani: REAL surprise packet. He’s obv got a boys body but his positioning for marks and hands were terrific as was his composure in the small circle handball/tackle drills — Dare I say a few grabs looked Darcy-lite in the way he takes it and gets free on the sneak!

Salem: looks fit, ready to go & is in a good space. Couple of foot errors but also some good pressure like we saw in 21’ his tackling had bite to it.

Max: was just Max, immense leadership and commitment as well as ability, looks really happy & if I’m guessing I’d say he’s SUPER excited atm as he’s sure what team is capable of but has a cheeky feeling it might be more than many suspect — just my read.

AMW: Great to see him back and training well? Def rusty but his running power is immense & he’s going to be a great depth player especially with Bowser out and McVee gone. He looked extremely excited to be out there’s

Checkers: Asked him himself when he was due to be back in contact & he was so exhausted from his bike session he could barely breathe let alone talk — but seemed like it was still a bit “wait and see” atm unfortunately!

Kolt: best I’ve seen him by a MILE. Looks much lighter on his feet, making faster decisions & looked quick as result. Hit targets, was loud & didn’t appear in two minds at all which is big. Small things but watching him today he had impact & was a top 10 for me.

Matthews: LOVE this kid, obv rusty and nervous but he got better and better showing his skills and one-touch base which was awesome, feels like a Greene/Weightman hybrid atm but need to see a lot more obv.

Onley: he is so huge, gets ball, good footwork just needs to work on kicking and making faster decisions but oozes belief and class in his movement, I suggest he will look elite in VFL and push for selection late and blossom WOW. Genuine inside/outside combo which is RARE.

May/McAdam: looked as good as two blokes whom ran ALL SESSION could look. May was given loads of “Atta boy” from Reece Conca for his repeat running efforts, McAdam was smiling and looked like he’s not far at all.

My biggest takeaway was how much better the overall vibe was, no fake BS, just real improvement based comms, smooth gameplay & never any silly drills or plasters unsure what is happening. They’re going something constantly, working on things constantly & we just look so much less stagnant due to more freedom but mostly the cattle and it hating 2 biggest egos slowing us down or hogging limelight. VERY different team, but boy it could be one that offers some real good wins/games and imho will be one that gets better all the time. With so many out it’s exciting to see who makes the cut, so many look good but so few open spots! All 3 parts of ground have 9-12 players vying for 5-6 spots and that felt new. Def more clean onetouch play today, better finishing and Melk/Checkers/Mcadam are on sidelines.

Awesome report mate, thanks.

23 minutes ago, Tolstoys Nudge said:

Ok all — pls see my full training report below largely based on a round-up of individuals I could easily see and felt like watching more than others, but largely I got a good idea of most.

Atmosphere/Vibe has changed dramatically from this time last year and 2yrs previous, the vibe is so much more upbeat, focused & just feels like a lot more is being “coached” rather than just trained, if that makes sense. King’s presence wasn’t felt as much but that’s because he was constantly within earshot of a player, I mean the entire session! Chaplin was def the loudest voice & hearing him give direction and feedback to several players was terrific. Jones ran the rehab group a while & was boisterous, whilst Scarlett’s presence was immense in terms of what he appeared to be passing onto the players, def didn’t feel half baked, it was considered, player specific and just in general he gave a number of tips to our key talks, more so fwds ie leading patterns , how to hold-out in a marking contest, time your wrestling for position in majoring 1/1 etc etc

Ball movement is similar but also very different, much less thinking involved & more fwd momentum, angles etc. Feels like a tweak and honestly the cattle (better kicks) help, as no butchers were out there Trac, Claz and no Viney so it looked super crisp at all times.

Others covered the drills so now here is my player summary;

— Notably missing was Harry & Riv.

— Standouts overall: This one was easy, as there was a definite few that stole the eyes the entire session & they were:

Steele (kicking ELITE in all drills think he missed one kick of the 15+ I saw). From what I saw today he looked like a hybrid of Clarry (inside) and Gus (kicking and IQ). Massively impressed!!!

Leb: (kicking was just phenomenal in the i50 entry drills then again in the middle Of ground sim. Pressure was what also stood out, was huge in every contest and chased hard tackled hard & looks a player who’s grown into his skin and now KNOWS he belongs. He’s Moo Kowal mixed with a bit of Tingay. Best I’ve seen him, might just be an elite mid ala Holmes this year.

Langford (oozes class, looking like the alpha, just knows what to do and when to do it and while kicking was a little off today, his presence is just nothing short of magnetic). Has to play on-ball 70-80% then up fwd as a pinch hitter. With Viney, Steele, Kos, Riv, Len alongside him boy.. it’s drooling time!!!

Mentha (surprise indeed, but he’s got a real presence now, sized up a bit & continually found more of footy than I’ve seen previously commanded the pill and evaded while keeping composure several times). If we weren’t so strong in similar spots I’d lock him in for R1 that’s how much he stood out for us. Everything was one-touch! Looks like a wingman to me.. time will tell!

Culley (sure hands, great 1st step, leap, tackling pressure & seems to already be a player the coaches want others to find, was just class personified & finished everything)

Trelly (just looks wise beyond years and it’s obvious hang big Cus Kos there is having immense impact). Was only player I saw as bit kicker and receiver in the fwd pocket leading drill that went for a long while and he excelled in BOTH roles, they couldn’t catch him as the leader as as kicker he was creative using angles and going long or short, he was just a nightmare cover). Destined for R1, for sure.

JVR (looks to have mature, grown into body even more and is leading at ball carrier well, took a LOT Of one grab marks, had a real presence about him).

Jeffo/Luker (both battled hard all session and yet both look completely different. Luker is a real specimen with beautiful soft vie like hands, but Jeffo was smart, ran hard & got great separation more so than I’ve ever seen before. Really looks to be up-skilling his game w/repeat efforts & got loads of coaching attention as did AJ who was learning got to take ball at highest point in marking drill (solo) then with May giving some 1:1 pressure and wrestling practice — One thing Scarlett told AJ was that he was doing his work WAY too early and that he needs to hold off longer before engaging and use his frame and strength to protect ball drop zone. Luker is HUGE in physique it’s actually intimidating.

Chin/Fritta: (such great leads in small spaces, finish so strong & Fritta got out back a lot whilst Chin lead strong at ball a lot and was rewarded.

Other Notes:

CJ: Quiet today, did a fair bit of running, but looks really engaged and happy — butchered a few by foot but it was a tough session.

Kalani: REAL surprise packet. He’s obv got a boys body but his positioning for marks and hands were terrific as was his composure in the small circle handball/tackle drills — Dare I say a few grabs looked Darcy-lite in the way he takes it and gets free on the sneak!

Salem: looks fit, ready to go & is in a good space. Couple of foot errors but also some good pressure like we saw in 21’ his tackling had bite to it.

Max: was just Max, immense leadership and commitment as well as ability, looks really happy & if I’m guessing I’d say he’s SUPER excited atm as he’s sure what team is capable of but has a cheeky feeling it might be more than many suspect — just my read.

AMW: Great to see him back and training well? Def rusty but his running power is immense & he’s going to be a great depth player especially with Bowser out and McVee gone. He looked extremely excited to be out there’s

Checkers: Asked him himself when he was due to be back in contact & he was so exhausted from his bike session he could barely breathe let alone talk — but seemed like it was still a bit “wait and see” atm unfortunately!

Kolt: best I’ve seen him by a MILE. Looks much lighter on his feet, making faster decisions & looked quick as result. Hit targets, was loud & didn’t appear in two minds at all which is big. Small things but watching him today he had impact & was a top 10 for me.

Matthews: LOVE this kid, obv rusty and nervous but he got better and better showing his skills and one-touch base which was awesome, feels like a Greene/Weightman hybrid atm but need to see a lot more obv.

Onley: he is so huge, gets ball, good footwork just needs to work on kicking and making faster decisions but oozes belief and class in his movement, I suggest he will look elite in VFL and push for selection late and blossom WOW. Genuine inside/outside combo which is RARE.

May/McAdam: looked as good as two blokes whom ran ALL SESSION could look. May was given loads of “Atta boy” from Reece Conca for his repeat running efforts, McAdam was smiling and looked like he’s not far at all.

My biggest takeaway was how much better the overall vibe was, no fake BS, just real improvement based comms, smooth gameplay & never any silly drills or plasters unsure what is happening. They’re going something constantly, working on things constantly & we just look so much less stagnant due to more freedom but mostly the cattle and it hating 2 biggest egos slowing us down or hogging limelight. VERY different team, but boy it could be one that offers some real good wins/games and imho will be one that gets better all the time. With so many out it’s exciting to see who makes the cut, so many look good but so few open spots! All 3 parts of ground have 9-12 players vying for 5-6 spots and that felt new. Def more clean onetouch play today, better finishing and Melk/Checkers/Mcadam are on sidelines.

Leo that was an effusive, engaging, and entertaining report. Big expansive writing at its best. The drums are beginning to beat. Dare we dream of a glorious reversal of Demon fortune this coming season?

8 minutes ago, Tarax Club said:

Leo that was an effusive, engaging, and entertaining report. Big expansive writing at its best. The drums are beginning to beat. Dare we dream of a glorious reversal of Demon fortune this coming season?

Leo hahahaha nice!

Who knows.. I think it’s possible & my daughter (currently best junior in the country btw 😉) and I have always felt our biggest weakness was a mid girl that could hit targets so let’s see.. either way finishing 8-13 with some exciting moments will be an achievement and that’s ENTIRELY possible imho —- Midfield of Max, Kos, Riv, Steele, Viney, Langford, Culley is no “meh” group

1 hour ago, Tolstoys Nudge said:

Ok all — pls see my full training report below largely based on a round-up of individuals I could easily see and felt like watching more than others, but largely I got a good idea of most.

Beautiful day for it at Gosch’s, esp when rain held off. First thing that’s CLEAR = Atmosphere/Vibe has changed dramatically from this time last year and 2yrs previous, the vibe is so much more upbeat, focused & just feels like a lot more is being “coached” rather than just trained, if that makes sense. King’s presence wasn’t felt as much but that’s because he was constantly within earshot of a player, I mean the entire session! Chaplin was def the loudest voice & hearing him give direction and feedback to several players was terrific. Jones ran the rehab group a while & was boisterous, whilst Scarlett’s presence was immense in terms of what he appeared to be passing onto the players, def didn’t feel half baked, it was considered, player specific and just in general he gave a number of tips to our key talks, more so fwds ie leading patterns , how to hold-out in a marking contest, time your wrestling for position in majoring 1/1 etc etc

Ball movement is similar but also very different, much less thinking involved & more fwd momentum, angles etc. Feels like a tweak and honestly the cattle (better kicks) help, as no butchers were out there Trac, Claz and no Viney so it looked super crisp at all times.

Others covered the drills so now here is my player summary;

— Notably missing was Harry & Riv.

— Standouts overall: This one was easy, as there was a definite few that stole the eyes the entire session & they were:

Steele (kicking ELITE in all drills think he missed one kick of the 15+ I saw). From what I saw today he looked like a hybrid of Clarry (inside) and Gus (kicking and IQ). Massively impressed!!!

Leb: (kicking was just phenomenal in the i50 entry drills then again in the middle Of ground sim. Pressure was what also stood out, was huge in every contest and chased hard tackled hard & looks a player who’s grown into his skin and now KNOWS he belongs. He’s Moo Kowal mixed with a bit of Tingay. Best I’ve seen him, might just be an elite mid ala Holmes this year.

Langford (oozes class, looking like the alpha, just knows what to do and when to do it and while kicking was a little off today, his presence is just nothing short of magnetic). Has to play on-ball 70-80% then up fwd as a pinch hitter. With Viney, Steele, Kos, Riv, Len alongside him boy.. it’s drooling time!!!

Mentha (surprise indeed, but he’s got a real presence now, sized up a bit & continually found more of footy than I’ve seen previously commanded the pill and evaded while keeping composure several times). If we weren’t so strong in similar spots I’d lock him in for R1 that’s how much he stood out for us. Everything was one-touch! Looks like a wingman to me.. time will tell!

Culley (sure hands, great 1st step, leap, tackling pressure & seems to already be a player the coaches want others to find, was just class personified & finished everything)

Trelly (just looks wise beyond years and it’s obvious hang big Cus Kos there is having immense impact). Was only player I saw as bit kicker and receiver in the fwd pocket leading drill that went for a long while and he excelled in BOTH roles, they couldn’t catch him as the leader as as kicker he was creative using angles and going long or short, he was just a nightmare cover). Destined for R1, for sure.

JVR (looks to have mature, grown into body even more and is leading at ball carrier well, took a LOT Of one grab marks, had a real presence about him).

Jeffo/Luker (both battled hard all session and yet both look completely different. Luker is a real specimen with beautiful soft vie like hands, but Jeffo was smart, ran hard & got great separation more so than I’ve ever seen before. Really looks to be up-skilling his game w/repeat efforts & got loads of coaching attention as did AJ who was learning got to take ball at highest point in marking drill (solo) then with May giving some 1:1 pressure and wrestling practice — One thing Scarlett told AJ was that he was doing his work WAY too early and that he needs to hold off longer before engaging and use his frame and strength to protect ball drop zone. Luker is HUGE in physique it’s actually intimidating.

Chin/Fritta: (such great leads in small spaces, finish so strong & Fritta got out back a lot whilst Chin lead strong at ball a lot and was rewarded.

Other Notes:

CJ: Quiet today, did a fair bit of running, but looks really engaged and happy — butchered a few by foot but it was a tough session.

XL: Used as a HB to fill Bowser role, think he will do well Just needs to keep learning and adapting but he has a crack has smarts & will grow exponentially, then next year or year following midfield beckons.

Kalani: REAL surprise packet. He’s obv got a boys body but his positioning for marks and hands were terrific as was his composure in the small circle handball/tackle drills — Dare I say a few grabs looked Darcy-lite in the way he takes it and gets free on the sneak!

Salem: looks fit, ready to go & is in a good space. Couple of foot errors but also some good pressure like we saw in 21’ his tackling had bite to it.

Max: was just Max, immense leadership and commitment as well as ability, looks really happy & if I’m guessing I’d say he’s SUPER excited atm as he’s sure what team is capable of but has a cheeky feeling it might be more than many suspect — just my read.

Bill: Struggled a bit today, missed targets but seemed hampered but the hand so who knows but think as a small fwd he will be back in queue if that’s how King sees him..

AMW: Great to see him back and training well? Def rusty but his running power is immense & he’s going to be a great depth player especially with Bowser out and McVee gone. He looked extremely excited to be out there’s

Checkers: Asked him himself when he was due to be back in contact & he was so exhausted from his bike session he could barely breathe let alone talk — but seemed like it was still a bit “wait and see” atm unfortunately!

Kolt: best I’ve seen him by a MILE. Looks much lighter on his feet, making faster decisions & looked quick as result. Hit targets, was loud & didn’t appear in two minds at all which is big. Small things but watching him today he had impact & was a top 10 for me.

Matthews: LOVE this kid, obv rusty and nervous but he got better and better showing his skills and one-touch base which was awesome, feels like a Greene/Weightman hybrid atm but need to see a lot more obv.

Onley: he is so huge, gets ball, good footwork just needs to work on kicking and making faster decisions but oozes belief and class in his movement, I suggest he will look elite in VFL and push for selection late and blossom WOW. Genuine inside/outside combo which is RARE.

May/McAdam: looked as good as two blokes whom ran ALL SESSION could look. May was given loads of “Atta boy” from Reece Conca for his repeat running efforts, McAdam was smiling and looked like he’s not far at all.

My biggest takeaway was how much better the overall vibe was, no fake BS, just real improvement based comms, smooth gameplay & never any silly drills or plasters unsure what is happening. They’re going something constantly, working on things constantly & we just look so much less stagnant due to more freedom but mostly the cattle and it hating 2 biggest egos slowing us down or hogging limelight. VERY different team, but boy it could be one that offers some real good wins/games and imho will be one that gets better all the time. With so many out it’s exciting to see who makes the cut, so many look good but so few open spots! All 3 parts of ground have 9-12 players vying for 5-6 spots and that felt new. Def more clean onetouch play today, better finishing and Melk/Checkers/Mcadam are on sidelines.

Maaate sensational report, thanks

P.F

1 hour ago, Tolstoys Nudge said:

Ok all — pls see my full training report below largely based on a round-up of individuals I could easily see and felt like watching more than others, but largely I got a good idea of most.

Beautiful day for it at Gosch’s, esp when rain held off. First thing that’s CLEAR = Atmosphere/Vibe has changed dramatically from this time last year and 2yrs previous, the vibe is so much more upbeat, focused & just feels like a lot more is being “coached” rather than just trained, if that makes sense. King’s presence wasn’t felt as much but that’s because he was constantly within earshot of a player, I mean the entire session! Chaplin was def the loudest voice & hearing him give direction and feedback to several players was terrific. Jones ran the rehab group a while & was boisterous, whilst Scarlett’s presence was immense in terms of what he appeared to be passing onto the players, def didn’t feel half baked, it was considered, player specific and just in general he gave a number of tips to our key talks, more so fwds ie leading patterns , how to hold-out in a marking contest, time your wrestling for position in majoring 1/1 etc etc

Ball movement is similar but also very different, much less thinking involved & more fwd momentum, angles etc. Feels like a tweak and honestly the cattle (better kicks) help, as no butchers were out there Trac, Claz and no Viney so it looked super crisp at all times.

Others covered the drills so now here is my player summary;

— Notably missing was Harry & Riv.

— Standouts overall: This one was easy, as there was a definite few that stole the eyes the entire session & they were:

Steele (kicking ELITE in all drills think he missed one kick of the 15+ I saw). From what I saw today he looked like a hybrid of Clarry (inside) and Gus (kicking and IQ). Massively impressed!!!

Leb: (kicking was just phenomenal in the i50 entry drills then again in the middle Of ground sim. Pressure was what also stood out, was huge in every contest and chased hard tackled hard & looks a player who’s grown into his skin and now KNOWS he belongs. He’s Moo Kowal mixed with a bit of Tingay. Best I’ve seen him, might just be an elite mid ala Holmes this year.

Langford (oozes class, looking like the alpha, just knows what to do and when to do it and while kicking was a little off today, his presence is just nothing short of magnetic). Has to play on-ball 70-80% then up fwd as a pinch hitter. With Viney, Steele, Kos, Riv, Len alongside him boy.. it’s drooling time!!!

Mentha (surprise indeed, but he’s got a real presence now, sized up a bit & continually found more of footy than I’ve seen previously commanded the pill and evaded while keeping composure several times). If we weren’t so strong in similar spots I’d lock him in for R1 that’s how much he stood out for us. Everything was one-touch! Looks like a wingman to me.. time will tell!

Culley (sure hands, great 1st step, leap, tackling pressure & seems to already be a player the coaches want others to find, was just class personified & finished everything)

Trelly (just looks wise beyond years and it’s obvious hang big Cus Kos there is having immense impact). Was only player I saw as bit kicker and receiver in the fwd pocket leading drill that went for a long while and he excelled in BOTH roles, they couldn’t catch him as the leader as as kicker he was creative using angles and going long or short, he was just a nightmare cover). Destined for R1, for sure.

JVR (looks to have mature, grown into body even more and is leading at ball carrier well, took a LOT Of one grab marks, had a real presence about him).

Jeffo/Luker (both battled hard all session and yet both look completely different. Luker is a real specimen with beautiful soft vie like hands, but Jeffo was smart, ran hard & got great separation more so than I’ve ever seen before. Really looks to be up-skilling his game w/repeat efforts & got loads of coaching attention as did AJ who was learning got to take ball at highest point in marking drill (solo) then with May giving some 1:1 pressure and wrestling practice — One thing Scarlett told AJ was that he was doing his work WAY too early and that he needs to hold off longer before engaging and use his frame and strength to protect ball drop zone. Luker is HUGE in physique it’s actually intimidating.

Chin/Fritta: (such great leads in small spaces, finish so strong & Fritta got out back a lot whilst Chin lead strong at ball a lot and was rewarded.

Other Notes:

CJ: Quiet today, did a fair bit of running, but looks really engaged and happy — butchered a few by foot but it was a tough session.

XL: Used as a HB to fill Bowser role, think he will do well Just needs to keep learning and adapting but he has a crack has smarts & will grow exponentially, then next year or year following midfield beckons.

Kalani: REAL surprise packet. He’s obv got a boys body but his positioning for marks and hands were terrific as was his composure in the small circle handball/tackle drills — Dare I say a few grabs looked Darcy-lite in the way he takes it and gets free on the sneak!

Salem: looks fit, ready to go & is in a good space. Couple of foot errors but also some good pressure like we saw in 21’ his tackling had bite to it.

Max: was just Max, immense leadership and commitment as well as ability, looks really happy & if I’m guessing I’d say he’s SUPER excited atm as he’s sure what team is capable of but has a cheeky feeling it might be more than many suspect — just my read.

AMW: Great to see him back and training well? Def rusty but his running power is immense & he’s going to be a great depth player especially with Bowser out and McVee gone. He looked extremely excited to be out there’s

Checkers: Asked him himself when he was due to be back in contact & he was so exhausted from his bike session he could barely breathe let alone talk — but seemed like it was still a bit “wait and see” atm unfortunately!

Kolt: best I’ve seen him by a MILE. Looks much lighter on his feet, making faster decisions & looked quick as result. Hit targets, was loud & didn’t appear in two minds at all which is big. Small things but watching him today he had impact & was a top 10 for me.

Matthews: LOVE this kid, obv rusty and nervous but he got better and better showing his skills and one-touch base which was awesome, feels like a Greene/Weightman hybrid atm but need to see a lot more obv.

Onley: he is so huge, gets ball, good footwork just needs to work on kicking and making faster decisions but oozes belief and class in his movement, I suggest he will look elite in VFL and push for selection late and blossom WOW. Genuine inside/outside combo which is RARE.

May/McAdam: looked as good as two blokes whom ran ALL SESSION could look. May was given loads of “Atta boy” from Reece Conca for his repeat running efforts, McAdam was smiling and looked like he’s not far at all.

My biggest takeaway was how much better the overall vibe was, no fake BS, just real improvement based comms, smooth gameplay & never any silly drills or plasters unsure what is happening. They’re going something constantly, working on things constantly & we just look so much less stagnant due to more freedom but mostly the cattle and it hating 2 biggest egos slowing us down or hogging limelight. VERY different team, but boy it could be one that offers some real good wins/games and imho will be one that gets better all the time. With so many out it’s exciting to see who makes the cut, so many look good but so few open spots! All 3 parts of ground have 9-12 players vying for 5-6 spots and that felt new. Def more clean onetouch play today, better finishing and Melk/Checkers/Mcadam are on sidelines.

1 hour ago, Tolstoys Nudge said:

Checkers: Asked him himself when he was due to be back in contact & he was so exhausted from his bike session he could barely breathe let alone talk — but seemed like it was still a bit “wait and see” atm unfortunately!

A bit of a worry this, it goes back 4 months now. At the very least, you would have thought that there'd be a clear timeline by now. He's missing a lot of training and match sim.

Something I noticed today during the match sim was Reg (Xavier Lindsay) being coached on where to stand against his man and when/how to move to defend, and Kalani being encouraged to chase, at which point he chased a bit late and ran halfway across the ground chasing one player after another. Both are still only kids as far as AFL goes and are still developing. Reg looks somewhat closer than Kalani.

Maysie was leading Tom Couch (who has definitely not missed leg day) on the first of the sprints around the oval but after a bit was lagging. He's doing heaps of running and doing some of the drills.

Meanwhile, outside a well-known venue nearby as training was winding down at Gosch’s….

I was thinking about why I like going to training, and it really comes down to being able to see the players as people. I've been overseas or interstate for most of 20 years. I've not seen a game in person since either 2010 (maybe) or 2007 (definitely). The players became somehow abstract, figures I saw on the tv. Now at training I see them stuffing up or doing something well and always busting a gut, trying to be/do better. They are just people. Well paid men, men with elite fitness and skills but still people.

11 hours ago, Demonland said:

May and McAdam still running laps.

11 hours ago, Demonland said:

Matthews has left the field and is running laps

The grass on the periphery of the field must be wearing out 😮

11 hours ago, Rooooooooooo said:

Im a bit worried about trellys tackling strength

Struggling to run down and bring bigger teammates to the ground

Needs work on core and hip strength imo

Trelly has been involved for about a month - give the boy time

11 hours ago, Rooooooooooo said:

xav Taylor looking a bit stuck at times. Wants to take the game on but is unsure how to

As above re Trelly - just starting off.

13 hours ago, Go Ds said:

Rubbing? He better not also get his wrist in a brace. 😂😂😂

I just hope he’s not doing too much frotteurnising with his team-mates!!

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by hardtack

What a Hell of a day at Gosh’s, huge thanks to Demonland, Ghostwriter, Dee Fence, Tolstoy Nudge, Roooooo, Ditcha, Trident22, Dee Spencer, thirty-one, Harvey Wallbanger, Fritta and Turner, Simmo0911, Great Sage, DannyZ, WayneWussell, Kev, Earl Hood, all posters and. Special comments. That was so entertaining and informative series of reports and updates and loved the team rundown by Tolstoys Nudge and hope the filming went well GW looking forward to seeing that. A great read indeed put me right there in the picture

9 hours ago, monoccular said:

The grass on the periphery of the field must be wearing out 😮

They move the boundary line regularly to avoid that. And the trainers will put down cones to move the running line inside or outside the boundary to avoid the grass wearing out. The ground is in very good condition

Yesterday’s training was consistent with other sessions but most pleasing to me was seeing Tommy Matthews joining drills. He has fan favourite written all over him. Accepting he was under little pressure his skills were very good and he was clean with his hands and particularly his kicking. Also notable is his ability to kick longer than his size might suggest.

23 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

They move the boundary line regularly to avoid that. And the trainers will put down cones to move the running line inside or outside the boundary to avoid the grass wearing out. The ground is in very good condition

Yesterday’s training was consistent with other sessions but most pleasing to me was seeing Tommy Matthews joining drills. He has fan favourite written all over him. Accepting he was under little pressure his skills were very good and he was clean with his hands and particularly his kicking. Also notable is his ability to kick longer than his size might suggest.

I’m hoping he could be of a similar mould to Jamie Elliott