It was a hot and muggy morning as the boys hit the track and a couple of Demonland Trackwatchers were on hand to bring you their observations from Wednesday's preseason training session at Gosch's Paddock.

DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Present: JVR, Salem (Rehab), Langford, Lindsey, Windsor, Lever, Steele, Turner, Tholstrup, CJ, Langdon, Laurie, Bowey (Rehab), Melksham, Taylor, Matthews, Jefferson, Howes, McAdam (Rehab), TMac, Adams, Heath, Mihocek, Sharp, Fritsch, Sparrow, Trelly, Petty (No Contact Hat), Chandler, Berry, Mentha, Onley, Johnson (Rehab), Henderson (Rehab), Kentfield (No Contact Mask), AMW.

Absent: May (Personal), Viney (Achilles), Gawn (State of Origin), Culley (Broken Arm), Rivers (State of Origin), Pickett (State of Origin), White (Illness), Campbell (Neck)

Rehab (so far): Kentfield, Bowey, Henderson

Others doing warmups.

Kentfield has joined the group doing warmups. Bowey and Henderson handballing to each other.

I’ll update the rehab list after the warmups.

Salem, Melksham, McAdam and CJ all participating in the warmups.

Henderson & Bowey walking laps with footys in hand.

Laurie has peeled off from the warmups to work with a trainer in rehab.

First time I’ve seen Melksham kick a footy in a drill all preseason. Moving well.

McAdam is also back in some of the warm up kicking drills for the first time this preseason.

Split off into a couple of different drills.

1. Most of the players line up to kick to a leading forward running towards the kicker with one defender on his tail and another defender to his side as an interceptor. Immediately after that play another player will kick to that forward who has now tried to get out the back of the two defenders heading towards goal.

2. 4 vs 4 close quarters keepings off handball drill - rucks Heath/Jamar Kolt, Trelly, Windsor vs Langford, Sparrow, Langdon.

3. Lever and Jefferson working with one of the trainers.

4. JVR vs Taylor one on one leading drill. Mentha vs Berry doing the same.

Rehab: Johnson, Salem, McAdam all jogging laps. Bowey & Henderson on the bikes in the shed.

AMW, CJ & Melksham (All in some type of rehab in previous sessions) all participating in the next drill.

Split into 2 groups:

1. 8 vs 8 keepings off kicking drill along the wing between half forward/half back.

2. 7 vs 7 loose ball get on the half forward line trying to get the ball deep inside 50.

Petty still in the fluoro yellow no contact hat. He has been in this hat for the past couple of weeks and missed a few sessions prior to the hat appearing. Ongoing concussion symptoms or reoccurance?

Kentfield in the Batman mask.

Heath now running laps with Salem.

AMW with boots off walking gingerly back to AAMI. 😱

Someone else in the crowd seemed to think it could be a crook gut. Watch this space.

Campbell arrives still with neck brace.

Heath, Henderson & Bowey head back to AAMI.

After participating in all the drills so far CJ is now running laps at a good clip.

Full ground Match SIM/Circle Work.

Can’t see Melksham out there.

GHOSTWRITER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Hendo’s sacrum is healing well but he won’t be in full training for a couple of months.

Luker says his face isn’t as bad as it sounds: a 4-cm crack from his eye socket down. He has no pain and his face looks normal. He’s swapped the no-contact hat for the mask.

Bowser in great spirits. He said his recovery is tracking well and is actually ahead of schedule, hence the high spirits.

Sharpie did his hammy just before Xmas but now back to 100% right as rain (his words).

THIRTY ONE'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Salo having work done on his hammy, running it out.

McAdam and AJ running the boundary. Both participated in the drills.

I think a few might be suffering from training yesterday. AMW looked unwell to me, lots of sitting and looking pale, and disappeared behind the shed at AAMI Park. Melksham wandered off too in the usual direction.

TRAVY 14'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Notes from today's session:

T-Mac - how do we go past him.  Looks great never beaten.
Salem - not quite ready, looked ok but the pulled out and did run throughs. At a good pace though.
CJ - looks to be almost at full training again
Laurie - barely missed a target all training, could the King era suit him?
McAdam - no where near it.
Melksham - looks to be fully training
Lindsay - will be a smart user big year incoming i think
AMW - agility and speed looking good, power and drive to come.
Petty - looks to be moving well, always hard to tell with his lethargic demeanour.
Mihocek - will prove to be a great pick up, pulls the young key fwds a side and runs them through moments and patterns.
Fritsch- looks fit and training with intent.

Mainly a skills session today, ball movement much more dynamic, and a clear emphasis on sling shot footy and get out the back for goals. Fwds pushing up high mixing up in congestion, trying to lose their opponents and work back hard.

FRITTA AND TURNER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

An energy sapping day at training, even I was parched. Standing under a shady tree is hard work.

Nearly all those present took part in the warm up drills.

Kentfield had the mask on and was looking good, like phantom of the opera.

There is an obvious concentration on quick ball movement and quicker decision making. I heard Kingy yelling this out.

Kalani White I believe has glandular fever. TC still in a brace. Some players would drift over to the trainers/medical team, point to some part of the body, get some treatment, join back in or wander off to the sheds. Bowey moving well, the obvious limp is gone.

Just watching Salem run the boundary tightens my hamstrings.

Melky moving well, but at his stage of his career, in case of Brodie breakdown, break glass.

AMW back to the sheds early, feeling ill.

Lever very vocal.

Taylor still learning where to run.

Onley obviously has the body, kicking lets him down. Might surprise round 1.

KEV'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

Some thoughts about the training in the balmy conditions, with no wind.

They are not close checking or tackling, in the sims. The first lot were 8 minutes × 2 sessions of set plays from the half-back area. Then they did a 15 minute hit out.

A little congestion to start, though they easily break the lines and get the ball moving quickly without the usual pressure. There was space everywhere. They hugged the boundary most of the time. The backs would switch with ease and the runners found separation and made the easy kicks. I was quite amazed to see our change in game style. Previously we had been looking for that central corridor, we were fighting to make space and get separation. It was a day with plenty of space and skilled kicking.

Latrelle dominated, running forward to back and forward again. Really good tank, with a burst of speed as he steps, shimmies and sells the fake, definitely a starter. Nice kick as well.

Steel sits back in the central area acting as a defensive mid. Made quite a few re-entries and links.

Fritta was played on the wing in a few of the proceedings.

JVR hands seem to be in a better position. Hoping it translates to cleaner marking. Looking good.

The forward line is no-longer playing “ring a ring a rosie”. Much more about making leads, then getting back and going again. Though I have seen some drills where the forwards get in the way of back men so separation can occur when the area is congested.

Interestingly, we can change it up (open or congested style).

Some of the structured stuff had them getting front and centre as the big tapped the high ball. We struggled to read it well. They then hope for an “out the back” lead.

They played with more freedom and gave each other space. The ball moved quickly

At the end of the sims, they separated into groups of marking, I think low ball gets, and goal kicking. Goaling was much more structured then the old just let them have shots. Latrelle and Mentha seemed to have a licence to strut there stuff from hard on the boundary. The rest with set shots inside the 40 meters. The other lot marking from over the bag.

Plenty of players finishing with doing fast and numerous laps.

J.Rivers working hard on Taylor's positioning and decision-making.

King with forwards of JVR, Jeffo, Miochek and Fritsch, just talking to them at the end.

Last to leave was King.

Lots of the board and associated Admins were also down. They have been regular attendees of preseason, including Guerra.

Milkshake held of forward line together last year. I know he is old in footy years but I have seldom seen players on our forward line in as good condition as him. He might play a lot more games than some think.

Thanks to all for the reports. Intraclub tomorrow will be interesting.