Training Pre Season - Who's deadset training the house down 2024 style.

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Agree. I have no issue with players having to force their way in. I think it's important.

An important mark of a successful club is depth. If you want to play for a club who are in the premiership window you have to bide your time, fight through the depth of other talented players competing for your spot and make the most of any opportunity. The alternative is to go play for Norf or West Coast and become a walk up start in a string of defeats.

I wonder if we'd have finished minor premiers in 2014 if we'd gifted games to an underdone Mitchell that year? Would Mitchell have perservered to become the player he did? We had an incredibly strong midfield, Mitchell wasn't fully fit and he had to force his way in. He did that in 2015 after undertaking his first full pre-season, playing 19 games for us in 2015 and a whopping 26 games in 2016 as we topped the ladder again.

The other downside of being in a premiership window is good players can ask good money. Our salary cap was maxed, with a host of players on top coin. Mitchell had to decide between more finals with his teammates in 2017 or more money with Hawthorn. He chose cash.

Geelong is one Club where some existing well paid players opted to take less so a good player could be recruited.

It would be possible to run the argument that Mitchell’s well paid teammates chose cash rather than help retain a valuable underpaid player.

 

[Joycerama]

Very Clever.

And accurate

 

[bedford]

Horse only rated him after he literally bashed the door down in the NEAFL and he had no choice. In my opinion, he set a very high standard for him to become a regular, albeit in a very strong midfield. His treatment of Darcy Cameron was even worse. Cameron was the dominant NEAFL ruck yet only got one AFL game for us as a forward no less, even whilst we were in the middle of a ruck crisis.

To be fair, this is nor unique to Horse. All coaches have their favourites. They're only human and picking a team has always been a combination of objective, subjective and emotional factors. How often do we hear selections made on "gut" feelings or the premise that a player has never let me down etc? Hence why I will not be surprised if Fox (Mr Dependable) or Roberts (big preseason wraps from coaching staff) get picked before Sheldrick. And you know what? I'm fine with that.

Cameron was frustrating and always injured , he suits the Filth more than us , he's no world beater . The biggest mistake was not playing Nank in the 16 GF as he would have rag dolled Boyd

 

[bedford]

Just trying to start all nice & positive.

Then you went backwards Ted

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

I have a couple of questions for Tedeski

1. Which player do you reckon will have a cracking season and surprise us all?
2. How is Sunnybrook Farm treating you.

 

[Tedeski]

Then you went backwards Ted

Yes, very rapidly.

 

[Tedeski]

I have a couple of questions for Tedeski

1. Which player do you reckon will have a cracking season and surprise us all?
2. How is Sunnybrook Farm treating you.

1. Sheldrick.
2. I was kicked out around the time we recruited a 31year old club savior
who failed to finish out his previous 2 seasons at one of our main rivals, which in turn made me too negative for the Farm.

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Do most on here think Ramps is no longer a lock to take on the number 1 or 2 tall forward and is more a 3rd tall / medium defender? Seems to me that if Roberts is to play instead of Melican, Blakey will get the role on the number 2 tall.

 

[tombomb]

Do most on here think Ramps is no longer a lock to take on the number 1 or 2 tall forward and is more a 3rd tall / medium defender? Seems to me that if Roberts is to play instead of Melican, Blakey will get the role on the number 2 tall.

I think there is significant question mark about Rampe, and then the flow on that could have to Blakey. I don't think we should have Blakey having to man a really dangerous player.

It doesn't need to be resolved yet though.

 

[ShireSwan]

I'd agree if the real forward line gameplay hadn't mimicked this for the last half a decade (probably longer to be honest.)

Yeah....a fleeting moment of optimism on my part, we have done that for a good decade now.

 

[Mister B]

Yeah....a fleeting moment of optimism on my part, we have done that for a good decade now.

One day maybe. One day.


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[ShireSwan]

This year will be no different to last. Starting the season with injuries to a core part of the ground. Midfield Mills, Parker and now Adams for the reported 3-4 weeks. ( which we all know is 6 in Swans speak ) Back line decimated last year mids this year. Talent put us back in the finals race last year when we got a few back but so did a s**t load of luck. This year likely not to be as lucky. Melbourne will play Oliver perhaps on limited minutes with Petracca and Viney but will smash the starting mids we wheel out here.
Expect to be 0-2 in the blink of an eye.

Wow, personally I'd be backing Sheldrick, Rowbottom, Warner and Jordon to have a real crack. Throw in stints from Heeney, Papley, Roberts....and with Grundy and a revitalised Ladhams added to the mix. We do need Warner to play the role of 'see ball, get ball' again, not the fringe dwelling Warner of last year.

I think it's a time to be optimistic.
If the other three injured mids come back and offer support through the middle and back end of the season allowing for depth and injuries (god forbid we actually rotate players to avoid wear and tear)....we are a real chance IMO. My biggest concern is if Logan is up to taking a big step forward which we need.

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

All this doom and gloom, you’d think we were Port fans.

One important fact not to underestimate is the natural improvement of our young fellas eg Blakey, Rowie, even Hayward. That builds massive momentum.

And how about having a fit Heeney at our disposal- we know he has carried injuries for like forever and now he’s all set for a massive showing, as is Jmac assuming he’s recovered from his injury. We also have Paps and Joel fit and firing.

And look at JJ and Grundy- both coming in hot:

So we lost Adams, Mills and Parks, big losses for sure but our sum is bigger than the parts, always has been.

Let’s get behind em.

I like fast players.

 

[SGBeach]

Wow, personally I'd be backing Sheldrick, Rowbottom, Warner and Jordon to have a real crack. Throw in stints from Heeney, Papley, Roberts....and with Grundy and a revitalised Ladhams added to the mix. We do need Warner to play the role of 'see ball, get ball' again, not the fringe dwelling Warner of last year.

I think it's a time to be optimistic.
If the other three injured mids come back and offer support through the middle and back end of the season allowing for depth and injuries (god forbid we actually rotate players to avoid wear and tear)....we are a real chance IMO. My biggest concern is if Logan is up to taking a big step forward which we need.

worth noting that all of Gus, Rowbottom, Warner, Gulden are a year older and collectively (if not each individual) should improve on last year, and should improve a lot from when they made the Granny,, add Jordan to mix too. And yep, our ruck situation can only help.
To me Gus is that see ball get ball player which (along with Rowbottom playing his role - sorry to bang on about this) will allow Warner to set himself up to break lines and be the bloody dangerous attacking player he his. Then theres Gulden, Campbell and JMac (with another pre-season) with their foot skills delivering inside 50.
Im backing Logan to kick 40+, and if Amartey (who just completed his very first pre-season) can stay fit, Ill back him to kick 40+. Then theres the 3rd tall/2nd ruck - Mclean, Reid, Ladhams.
I reckon how well our tall forwards do will be determined by how well our midfield performs.

And yep,, plenty to be optimistic about

 

[Ticky009]

I've changed my team 4 times now lol. Sheldrick's gone from interchange to starting to sub. lol

 

[Dan87]

Warner looks insane this year he'll be doing it all himself this year anyway

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Im backing Logan to kick 40+, and if Amartey (who just completed his very first pre-season) can stay fit, Ill back him to kick 40+. Then theres the 3rd tall/2nd ruck - Mclean, Reid, Ladhams.
I reckon how well our tall forwards do will be determined by how well our midfield performs.

You've hit the nail on the head here. In Logan and Amartey, we have 2 forwards who are very strong on the lead and in McLean, Ladhams and Reid, 3 who are very strong over head. It's down to our midfield to be clean and judicious in their delivery as whichever 3 we pick will be very hard to defend if given good supply.

I also think Buller has alot of potential. Watching him in the VFL, he has a big tank, covers alot of ground, good hands and is a reliable set shot. He's also a serviceable ruck. I wouldn't be surprised if WC or Freo come after him when his contract expires at the end of this season.

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

Still amazed wce, in particular, did not pick up Jack Buller. He would easily be best 22 at wce. I reckon Jack is a very decent player.

 

[Wolfgang West]

Still amazed wce, in particular, did not pick up Jack Buller. He would easily be best 22 at wce. I reckon Jack is a very decent player.

You base this on 1 game and 4 disposals ?

 

[bedford]

You base this on 1 game and 4 disposals ?

You base this on 1 game and 4 disposals ?

To me he might have a better upside than Amartey

 

[Donza]

You base this on 1 game and 4 disposals ?

To be fair.
That's near BOG at the eagles at the moment.

 

[Donza]

To me he might have a better upside than Amartey

I reckon he's more versatile than Amartey.

Has more to his repertoire

 

[Wheresbuddy]

I reckon he's more versatile than Amartey.

Has more to his repertoire

I would not be surprised if any one of Buller, Reid or Ladhams takes Amartey's spot at stages throughout the season. Amartey is injury prone and still trying to build consistency.

 

[Kolah]

Silver lining is guys like Heeney & Sheldrick who likely have wanted to show their ability in the midfield, now have a solid 1 month opportunity to perform. They should be fired up to showcase their skills & prove they can play a midfielders role in the team. 1 month of these guys going nuts before the cavalry arrives.

Imagine Heeney/Sheldrick/Rowbottom lifting to another level in the midfield & then Parker & Adams adding to that depth when they return. That would be amazing.

Add Grundy to that midfield. Jordon has to be considered too,
.


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[Grand Uncle Horace]

You base this on 1 game and 4 disposals ?

Nope. Just from watching him in the ressies. He is a decent contested mark and pretty mobile and likes to apply pressure.

So you have written off a big bloke who played one senior game when he had no pre season and came in via the MSD?

Tough call