damienjr

His strengths/weaknesses were well documented in the lead-up to the draft. I saw most of them on display at training yesterday. He is tall. Almost the same height as JVR. Almost 2" taller than Tracc. Although not super quick, he was able to run 40-50m to receive a handball from a player who had just marked and kick it 30m to another leading player. He has a good level of fitness. He loves a contest. He has a penetrating left foot that can hit targets 40-50m out. Some missed as the session wore on. Lovely one-grab mark, although I did not see him take a contested mark. His quiet demeanour gives him an air of self-confidence and a knowing that he belongs. If by chance we sadly lose Christian, Harvey will be well qualified to take over that role. Throw in 2 first-round picks, and I feel that we will be OK.

So any observations made by track watchers on players, whether good or not so good, are distorted by "confirmation bias"? Or does this only apply to comments regarding Tracc?

What I saw at training yesterday: this kid has it all. He beat Tracc in a one-on-one contest to the loud applause of his teammates. I will go as far as to say he is much further advanced than what Tracc was when he was drafted.

Hey Kev, I don't think it was petulance that the track watchers observed here. Like what you saw in JVR, it was his body language. Yes, he was committed in all training drills and had arms around other players' shoulders. Simply put, he just did not seem happy. As opposed to Clarry, who did seem content. That is all that we noticed. Nothing more, nothing less. It could be any or all of what you have mentioned: he wants to keep a low profile, mend/create bridges, and try to gain trust again. Time will tell.

Of course it's speculative. Like you and other track watchers, you report on what you see and observe. What we observed here in Mansfield and are being criticised for is no different from the comment you made about JVR last week - "Looked a bit bored, am worried about his training and application". Aren't you rumour mongering about JVR? I don't think so, but you get what I mean.

Yes, I had a similar thought watching him today.

Yes, Mentha was there with no number on his back. Did you manage to get down to training? If so, what were your thoughts on some of the training drills?

Just observations. Nothing to worry about.

Yes, they were. That said, Tracc's an interesting one.

The main focus of this morning's training was transition speed. Ball movement was the main focus. There was very little contested work except for a one-on-one marking drill and a two-man ball contest. Player 1 would mark the ball and immediately look left and right to handball to player 2 running by. Player 2 would then kick 20-30m, either laterally or straight ahead, to player 3. The kicking and handball skills were outstanding given the speed the players were travelling and the slippery conditions of the ground. Chocco took this drill and was quiet for the whole duration—a give-away that he was most pleased. Having said this, the players were not yet fatigued, as it was in the first half hour of training. Next, there was a lot of running around the centre square, then running between 50m mark to 50m mark. Standouts were Sharp and Brown. Clarry and Tracc at the back. Aiden J in the middle and not out of place. Last major exercise was a transition drill from one end of the ground to the other with players at high speed connecting with handball and kicking. While it was performed at a high level, it was obvious the players were more fatigued and targets were missed. Not many mind you. Player watch: Jefferson - is a very confident man now and looks imposing. Didn't put a foot wrong in the drills. Fullerton - impressed with his ground ball skills. McAdam - on the rowing machine. Not sure whether he is injured or is just underdone still. Fritsch - running laps. appears to be quad related. Rivers - no sign of him. Langford - similar height to JVR. We are going to love him. Mentha - struggling with fitness which is understandable. Does have some size about him. Kentfield - foot skills a bit iffy. Johnson - does everything pretty well without being exceptional. He is pretty fit. Clarry - certainly does not look like an athlete, but great to see him out there and happy. Lever, Spargo, Lindsay, Campbell - rehab. Finished training with the team signing autographs and having photos taken with over 100 kids. They were off then to Bright.

Our contested possessions need a bit of work. IMG_8112.mov

Kossie has slimmed down quite a bit.

Soulless.

Not sure Essendon were as silly as everyone believes. We traded our F1 and 28, 40, 46, 54 and 65 for that pick and they still picked up their man Kako.

Obviously, JT thinks that AJ is a better fit for the club than RA. Its that simple. As for your second sentence, your declaration makes you look ridiculous.

It will be interesting to see where Tholstrup fits into our best 22. I really rate him, and he is a point of difference from the other Mids/Forwards. He reminds me of a taller Ginnivan that would compliment Langford/Trac in the forward line. That said, where would he fit in? As a high forward transition role competing with Chin? Not sure about that.

Who is this interviewer? Her voice inflection is off the charts.

Picket Fence is Chris from Camberwell.

Lock in Smith if he makes it to 6.

Go away and educate yourself. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-draft-western-bulldogs-dom-milesi-helps-unpack-how-much-work-goes-into-tracking-down-draft-prospects/news-story/7edfc0f463b359dec74c5a98d8b553c6

SWYL was merely relaying information he had heard. The only thing a SWYL will say in response to your little "question" is an opinion that is not particularly related to the material that was conveyed to him. But why must he answer at all? Have a lie down.

Does Mick Stinear harbour any ambitions in coaching at AFL? level? He has been very successful at VFL and AFLW and I recall Daisy Pearce rave about how good he is after our premiership.

I bet you would not be saying this if it was us.

One recovered, and the other will do also.

Query about his kicking technique. Seems to kick the ball from a high drop, similar to Trac. A bit of Frostball about him also, without as many errors. As mentioned in another post, he is a very modern day footballer - run and carry. That said, I think I prefer Lindsay's all-round game. I like the comparison to Josh Kelly, even Judd McVee.