DeeSpencer

K Turner

No Lever. And Adams and Verrell doing their own thing as per usual

Haven’t seen Howes or J Smith. Only briefly saw BBB. AMW did some repeat runs and has spent the time off legs building a solid upper body.

Grundy looked a long way off all session. Positioning and marking aren’t a strong suit, and whilst he got involved with some ground balls with good vigour he didn’t do anything with it. He was probably the biggest individual downside. The tempo is incredibly fast, I’d still like to see more switching and run and carry with forward handballs to open up space. There’s some lovely fast aggressive kicks that pay off but faster long down the line purely for the sake of being faster won’t make us better. I agree Chandler had a strong session with some good positioning, attack at the contest and tackling. Pickett, May, Hibberd, Salem, Petty, Langdon, Melksham were others that looked good. McVee was the big improver. Not sure about top end speed but he looks genuinely quick, and he was scything through traffic with ease with solid disposal. My immediate thought was he’s likely to debut this year. JVR was his typical energetic self, crashed in to some packs and his follow up is exceptional, he has a desire for tackling that we haven’t seen from a tall. Need to see a dry day to see if he can hold a few more. Hibbo and Petty mostly had him covered. Big Kyah contested for a mark with Gus and quickly came down and was back on to the loose ball. Whilst he’s a long way off it’s nice to see the athleticism is as advertised. Was good to see Deak Smith back in training too. K Turner had some moments, he covers ground very easily and looks a natural runner for a tall. D Turner had a great goal saving tackle at one point, he looks super fit and lean. Lockdown back has to be an option for him, and I even wonder if he finds himself stuck in the key back log jam if he can contribute to the midfield. Jefferson (unsurprisingly) got moved out of the way by May a couple of times in match sim and was otherwise quiet. But he did swoop on to a loose ball nicely. In fact that’s probably the standout flash I’ve seen from him - he changed direction and accelerates like a talented player. Burgoyne in full training, moves well, seems clean enough, got in to space a couple of times. But not heavily involved so far. Haven’t seen Howes or J Smith. Only briefly saw BBB. AMW did some repeat runs and has spent the time off legs building a solid upper body. No Lever. And Adams and Verrell doing their own thing as per usual Petty’s copped about 6 injuries in the last 20 minutes. Think he just popped a finger out. SLARTIBARTFAST'S TRAINING REPORT KEV MARTIN'S TRAINING REPORT GEORGE ON THE OUTER'S TRAINING REPORT BITTER BUT OPTIMISTIC’S TRAINING REPORT

Max Grundy Midseason draft Schache T Mc/JVR The young rucks In an ideal world you’d have 3 mature options but we’d be counting on Schache filling the void if both starters went down simultaneously. The danger is both guys cop medium term injuries after the midseason draft, hopefully that isn’t the case

https://www.the42.ie/western-bulldogs-machine-learning-3213937-Feb2017/ About 6 years ago

During the tennis they often spend a bit more time out at Casey. It seems they’re only going to designate certain sessions as open and chose to refer to Wednesday that way. You can try the socials as well as calling and the website, but you might need someone on here to confirm if they don’t call it an open session.

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Adams did a lot of kicking in the rehab drill he was doing with Burgoyne and Verrell. He has a nice consistent left foot. Verrell wasn’t kicking so he might be further away They both did repeat runs with Gus on Monday and weren’t completely disgraced. Obviously a lot of work to do but they might not be that far off typical young talls like Jefferson for endurance. When it’s just the 2 of them and they’re towards the end of a long session they look pretty cooked that’s for sure!

this footage doesn’t do justice to how powerful that don’t argue was. Poor Bill Laurie was thrust in to next week

I don’t think the Crows would stand in his way, but it doesn’t read like a situation where he’ll bounce straight in to VFL and back in to the draft. My guess is he’ll either play local footy with mates or take a break entirely. Then sign with Geelong in the offseason (that’s a joke, or is it)

The match sim with even numbers started really ugly, it was pretty much a lowlight reel of last years end of season. Couple of Woey turnovers off half back. JJ stagnating with the ball. Melksham getting run down. ANB getting it at half forward then getting run down by Melksham! Fritsch was the meat in a Sparrow and one other big collision. He had to go off but came back on. Tracc was tended to at the next break. Then Tommy Mc (who was racking up touches) was having his knee assessed. Gawn reads the ball in the air so much better than Grundy. But Grundy did get on the lead once or twice. Once fatigue opened it up a little the ball started to move end to end with some nice passages of play. Personally id like to have seen the coaches pause it at the start and redirect the focus on how to play uptempo against elite pressure. Ie. More switching, more movement, more handball link ups (all the small drills they’ve been training before the match sim) Pickett was busy through the midfield. Viney seemed to be playing more on a flank. Sestan had a few kicks pushing toward the wing/half back from a half forward start. He laced perfectly weighted kicks to T Mc and Grundy and a lovely inside ball to Petracca that set up a scoring opportunity. He looked completely spent after every repeat effort. I wonder if a haircut and training in a white hat rather than a dark hat would help a little! But if he can develop as an athlete the skills are there.

Lever very busy. Schache (playing on grass) looked great until he was spoiled by Bowey JVR loves an untimely fumble but he’s like a Labrador out there, just involved in everything That last set really belonged to Blake Howes. Probably had 8 touches in 5 minutes. Spoiling/out marking talls, lacing kicks, linking up.

Full ground match sim drill with a focus on moving the ball as fast as possible. Spare man in white bib going both ways. When it was Tracc it was humming. Since then it’s been Laurie - less humming as he hunted wide for kicks and didn’t power both sides, and Kossie - quick but more chaotic

COMPILATION OF ALL OF DEESPENCER'S POSTS FROM TRAINING Petty on laps. Haven’t seen Oliver or Hunter. BBB not in the main drill. Gus is. Harmes in the green hat playing full forward. Full ground match sim drill with a focus on moving the ball as fast as possible. Spare man in white bib going both ways. When it was Tracc it was humming. Since then it’s been Laurie - less humming as he hunted wide for kicks and didn’t power both sides, and Kossie - quick but more chaotic Lever very busy. Schache (playing on grass) looked great until he was spoiled by Bowey JVR loves an untimely fumble but he’s like a Labrador out there, just involved in everything That last set really belonged to Blake Howes. Probably had 8 touches in 5 minutes. Spoiling/out marking talls, lacing kicks, linking up. The match sim with even numbers started really ugly, it was pretty much a lowlight reel of last years end of season. Couple of Woey turnovers off half back. JJ stagnating with the ball. Melksham getting run down. ANB getting it at half forward then getting run down by Melksham! Fritsch was the meat in a Sparrow and one other big collision. He had to go off but came back on. Tracc was tended to at the next break. Then Tommy Mc (who was racking up touches) was having his knee assessed. Gawn reads the ball in the air so much better than Grundy. But Grundy did get on the lead once or twice. Once fatigue opened it up a little the ball started to move end to end with some nice passages of play. Personally id like to have seen the coaches pause it at the start and redirect the focus on how to play uptempo against elite pressure. Ie. More switching, more movement, more handball link ups (all the small drills they’ve been training before the match sim) Pickett was busy through the midfield. Viney seemed to be playing more on a flank. Sestan had a few kicks pushing toward the wing/half back from a half forward start. He laced perfectly weighted kicks to T Mc and Grundy and a lovely inside ball to Petracca that set up a scoring opportunity. He looked completely spent after every repeat effort. I wonder if a haircut and training in a white hat rather than a dark hat would help a little! But if he can develop as an athlete the skills are there. SLARTIBARTFAST'S TRAINING REPORT DEMONWHEELS' TRAINING REPORT KEV MARTIN'S TRAINING REPORT GEORGE ON THE OUTER'S TRAINING REPORT DEESPICABLE'S TRAINING REPORT OLD DEE'S TRAINING REPORT

The 4 unsighted Kozzy, Petty, Hunter and Oliver . Lots of players in different numbers making it confusing. Brayshaw mostly doing some kick to kick and repeat jogging with Adams and Verrell. May and Harmes were in more drills then pulled out for light stuff. Burgoyne, Deak and Joel Smith on light duties. Joel did some solid repeat sprints. AMW on the watt bike. For a solid period they split in to 3 groups. Group A did a drill from the half forward flank working through token pressure 4 on 1 to then hit up 2 leading forwards v 2 defenders with another defender dropping back covering leading lanes. Some good hit up kicks in this. The other 2/3rds rotated through a bigger drill using about half the ground. A long kick out of the backline went to the 2 rucks (Max and Grundy had some good marking contests) from which the emphasis was on super quick transition back inside 50 and using the switch or diagonal as much as possible. T Mc, Brown, Schache, JVR all prominent. It wasn’t even numbers or full pressure but the speed on the ball from the mids/backs/high half forwards was really impressive. Some nice kicks to leads and up over the defenders too. JVR had a ball bounce off his hands and Jefferson arced across from his own lead, swooped on the crumb to gather it in the air, straightened and finished with ease. It was a bit like a taller right footed Fritsch with the touch of class. Kynan Brown looked comfortable mixing it in traffic and like he has some zip in close. Kye Turner looks a similar size to our other tall backs, seems to have good athleticism and didn’t do anything that stood out too much. But the defenders weren’t tasked with any true competitive drills. I noticed a couple of very clean Bill Laurie moments and he’s certainly changed his shape. Howes had a beautiful spearing kick to Ben Brown’s chest at one stage too. Slartibartfast‘s Training Report Kev Martin’s Training Report Tough Kent's Training Report

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I'd hate to tell people how to tip but....A lot of Dolphins tips for a line that's now swung 11 or so points since the Tua injury.

Cowboys, Jags, 49ers

JJ started the year in very good form, yes, his reluctant slow plays were frustrating but: 1. He replaced Brayshaw, let’s not pretend they were looking for Robbie Flower out of him. 2. We lost our CHF with McDonald down. Without a lead up target it’s hard to pull the trigger on quick kicks to smalls 3. The backline lost a lot of bounce with Salo out/down on form and Lever not intercepting at his best 4. He copped a pretty nasty injury and then lost a bit of zip/change of direction (neither were his strong suit to begin with) Three of those issues should be fixed and he has all summer to work on moving the ball on faster. From what I saw of one training session he was doing just that and looking good doing it. He’s had an elite tank for a couple of years now but his frame has been that of a strong kid more than a man. He’s only just turned 22, he’s only entering the age and game range where he can use more power and acceleration I’d still back him to retain his spot wing and Hunter will get used in versatile roles.

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Isaac Smith is still a great runner and Gary Rohan has excellent chase down tackling but the Cats didn’t sprint their way to a flag. The thing we need is less guys with suspect mobility - busted Lever, Tracc with a broken leg, Salo with no groins, Ben Brown, Gawn rucking 80% without an ankle. Talls really being able to cover the ground and pressure should be a big step forward on last year. Even in first halves when Ben Brown could move we looked like a great side, once he was cooked at half time we couldn’t score. If JVR can establish himself as a mobile and physical presence we’re looking better, even if he doesn’t do much with the ball. Apart from that we can get bounce from half back with Salem, Bowey, Rivers. We can pressure with Pickett, Nibbler, Spargo and who knows Fritsch might chase a guy once in his life. Could do with some more outside run which Hunter hopefully helps with. A healthy JJ, Sparrow, Harmes and Gus should all fight for midfield spots. Grundy hopefully provides some inside burst too whilst holding up in the ruck. I think we’ll miss Bedford and Hunt to an extent. We didn’t really replace either of them. Bedford would’ve been good depth especially if Pickett goes on ball more, and Hunt’s defensive spread was undervalued. Even if you didn’t like him in the best 22 he could provide 10-15 solid games that help you win in May and June. Taj Woewodin might be a chance to be a depth defender with so toe who can give us a bit of what Hunt did. Is Chandler good enough forward cover? Can Andy MW take a big leap despite an interrupted summer? Does slimmed down Bill Laurie suddenly run twice the speed? Is Ollie Sestan so good that we have another mobile marking target and the smalls can work around him (unlikely but that’s the joy of the offseason).

I think WJ is more alluding to the situation of having too many developmental players in one position of the ground, especially given list spots are very limited these days. You don’t really want to put 2-3 years in to Kye Turner only to find out he’s still behind Disco and Adams, who are battling it out for a spot behind Petty, Lever and possibly still May. On the other hand we took 4 very raw players in the drafts which indicates the club are pretty confident with our mature players. And Burgoyne isn’t exactly a ready to go option either. JT also indicated the best young talents don’t last long in midseason drafts. This last list spot looms as a developmental option one way or the other. So it makes sense to not be too worried about positions. And key defenders are super valuable. If you can get one that you rate I don’t think you worry about having too many.

His legs look mostly the same to me. He’s possibly even leaner in the hips and waist but he’s been heading that way for a couple of years. Probably a bit more muscular in the shoulders - he’s had many summers spent rehabbing shoulder injuries, don’t think that was the case this year

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