Demonland

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All the houses are ash from the past quarter century of preseasons.

He laid some bone crunching tackles today too. He has come to play.

It was a beautiful sunny morning for a preseason training run out at Gosch's Paddock and a couple of Demonland Trackwatchers were in attendance to bring your their observations on the last session of the first week of the 2026 campaign. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS It’s a beautiful morning for some preseason training. PLAYERS PRESENT: Kozzy (first session of the season), Salem (first session of the season), Lindsay (No #5 today), Chandler, Fritsch (first session of the season), Bowey, Howes, Johnson, TMac, Adams, Kentfield, JVR, Windsor, Langford (#4), AMW, Heath, Sparrow, Berry, Jefferson, Culley (No #13 today), Henderson, Kolt & Mentha Jr PLAYERS MISSING: Max, Lever, May, Melksham, Langdon, Turner, Mihocek, CJ, Campbell, Steele, Viney, Laurie, McAdam, Rivers, Sharp, Petty Players going through some warm up short sprints REHAB: AMW & Henderson Hand balling drill running fast in waves of 3 spread out and hand balling to the guy on either side ahead of him running towards goal. Full length ground Match SIM drill Some nice skills on show. And just as I say that a couple of howlers. Got to love the preseason. Greatest time of the year. Henderson has joined the Match SIM drill so AMW the only rehabber. Jogging laps. Lots of very quick ball movement. Kozzy ELECTRIC wearing the pink vest as the swingman playing for both teams in the middle. Skills sublime. Interestingly Fritsch playing more on the wing/half back as a link player on the wing utilizing his kicking skills. Could just be for lack of numbers and personnel as the two key (only) forwards at either end are JVR/Jefferson & Kentfield/Heath. Split into 3 different groups for drills and rotating the groups through each one Jared Rivers kicking the ball high up to a one on one contest. Some good matchups. TMAC/JVR, TMac/Heath, Lindsay/Langford. Keepings off handball drill with 5 on 2. One on one tackling drill. Windsor doing some work away from the 3 groups with a trainer testing out something with his lateral movement. Doesn’t look too concerned. Windsor rejoined one of the groups but a few minutes later returned to the same trainer on the boundary with what looks like some complaint with the legs/foot/ankle. Physio twisting Windsor foot to test out the ligaments in the ankle. Windsor back with the main group. Watch this space. 5 (red) on 5 (yellow) handball keeping’s off drill with ferocious tackling with 3 pink vest players in the mix one at either end of the drill area and one in the middle playing both sides. Jonesy and Chaplin taking control of this drill while King watches on. Henderson and Johnson running laps together. As are Mentha Jnr and Oscar Berry. Almost end to end (from half back) drill Red vs Blue bibs. When red are attacking the order of the day is very quick ball movement with lots of forward hand balling to players running. When Blues bibs have it’s a lot slower and more controlled movement of the ball back to the other end. Windsor being used as the link man at half back. Kolt substituting with him when Windsor resting. Ending the session with sprints up and down the Centre Square. That’s a wrap on the first week of Preseason Training for the 2026 Season. We’ll be back next week. 📆 Monday, November 17 ⏰ 10:00am - 11:30am 📍 Gosch's Paddock 🏃‍♂️ Session type: Training BLWNBA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Pickett’s ball movement is sublime, some very fancy footwork. Tholstrup definitely looks leaner; agree with previous observations. Chaplin: “as soon as the ball comes back (into the forward line) we move with speed! Move with intensity.” Current exercise is a full ball movement exercise. Fritsch just slotted a pearler from the boundary. Jefferson with a lovely pass to JVR who was sprinting at full pace. JVR looked far quicker to an I’ve previously noticed, though I doubt the offseason has made any difference. Chandler’s kicking has stood out for me, some lovely passes that have hit targets in the f50. Constant encouragement from the line staff to “get to the cones”. McDonald being used as a linking player outside of the D50 along the win. Being told to “get forward”. JVR looks remarkably more confident marking. Taking quite a few nice marks at full stretch. Encouragement, leadership and voice from XL is astounding for such a young player. JVR continues to impress with his pace, led most laps comfortably for his running group. Heath already looks fully integrated and one of the boys already. Langford wearing #4; also looks slimmer than last season. TOM DYSON'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Home from Goschs and loved the buzz around the group, couple of quick observations from me; Before training had really gotten underway, Kingy looked like he had spoken to just about every assistant coach in a meaningful way. Don't want to overanalyse but it really does seem he is taking a collaborative approach at least initially which is nice to see. There seemed to be an emphasis today on disposal under pressure and disposal with a general intent of speed on the ball. The whole ground match sim looked to prioritise fast ball movement through the corridor or quick switches from wing to wing and the quality of disposal throughout this was i thought pretty good. Windsor looked very good in the guts and he looked even better running and carrying with pace on the ball. Kozzy did what Kozzy does, ultra impressive as per usual. You would have all seen the sparrow run down tackle on the socials but that really was chef's kiss, and given how quick leb was moving today it was an extra impressive effort. Oscar Berry might be a surprise packet next year, his footy iq in tight surprised and he had a great defensive stop in the handball keepings off drill. It was a very basketball esque rejection and the thud echoed around the whole ground. Definitely a watch and see how he goes for Casey early. I echo what has been posted throughout the week about kolt. He looked fast and explosive and he had an air of focus and slightly less jocularity then in previous years. I really hope this both continues and translates into on field form. Rooey looked more adept aerially and seemed to be flying for marks more confidently. Monnez was doing his runs along the boundary but was looking longingly at the main group like he badly wanted to get stuck in to the match sim. Backing him in to lock down a spot in the backline next year and fingers are well and truly crossed no more injury trouble. I also feel the need to reiterate that Max Heath is a behemoth of a man! Was a beautiful morning to watch the lads and it's got me feeling very excited for whats to come!

He, like Bowey, is not required to attend these sessions because they fall outside the 1st to 4th year bracket. Bowey missed the first session but has been at the next two. While we always applaud the enthusiasm and commitment of the more experienced players who choose to attend, we should not hold it against those who are not there. During the offseason, players are given programs to maintain their fitness, and some even exceed the expectations set for them. We also do not know whether they were doing extra gym sessions at the time, and they can certainly be forgiven for taking an extra couple of days of rest and relaxation, provided they show up on Day One in super good nick and raring to go. Of course he could also have an injury. 😱

I know it’s become a bit of a running joke at the expense of the old guard, and maybe a cheeky dig at Trac, but I honestly don’t remember seeing soccer balls used in past preseasons. From what I recall, the soccer sessions have always been a light-hearted recovery activity in the first session after a game, not a replacement for proper training or skill work. I’m sure other clubs have their own equivalent fun drills too. If King pulls out the frisbees for a post–Round 1 frolf session, I’ll have to start upgrading the server immediately.

Agree. His kicking in this role this morning was fantastic albeit under little to no match day like pressure.

That’s a wrap on the first week of Preseason Training for the 2026 Season. We’ll be back next week. 📆 Monday, November 17 ⏰ 10:00am - 11:30am 📍 Gosch's Paddock 🏃‍♂️ Session type: Training

Ending the session with sprints up and down the Centre Square.

Windsor being used as the link man at half back. Kolt substituting with him when Windsor resting.

Almost end to end (from half back) drill Red vs Blue bibs. When red are attacking the order of the day is very quick ball movement with lots of forward hand balling to players running. When Blues bibs have it’s a lot slower and more controlled movement of the ball back to the other end.

Henderson and Johnson running laps together As are Mentha Jnr and Oscar Berry.

5 (red) on 5 (yellow) handball keeping’s off drill with ferocious tackling with 3 pink vest players in the mix one at either end of the drill area and one in the middle playing both sides. Jonesy and Chaplin taking control of this drill while King watches on.

Windsor back with the main group. Watch this space.