Training Report - Wed 21st Jan

Aug 15, 2009
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I know we can get pretty excited by what's going on during preseason but it sounds like we have some REAL potential coming through from our last draft. Not to mention Brand, Heatherley Webster, Willsmore and Sicily whom I've seen and look very good.

Not sure how we're going to keep them all because I have a feeling Sammy and Luke are not leaving us so soon. Along with Burgers I think they want another flag or two and will continue in 2016.

Thanks for jogging my memory - I meant to include Webster & Sicily in my report:

- Webster really looks good. He is a real hard nut with clean skills and looks to have really stacked on the muscle since last year. Could see him playing this year.

- Sicily's marking is first rate, on a par with Gunston, but his kicking this morning was very average. Maybe just an off day because he is usually better than that.
 
Big Boy - Really slimmed down and looks fit and lean. He is dominating training, not so much in the ruck but in getting around the ground and contested marking he is killing them.

I'm getting the feeling they're prepping him to take over the Hale role while Cegs becomes the primary ruck.
 

becalm

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Apr 22, 2014
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Headed down to this morning's session for about and hour and a half. There is a noticeable increase in intensity at training now, it is clear that they are building towards the season. Something else that occurred to me watching today's session is the element of fun that is usually there at training seems to have been put away and now they really mean business.

Now on to my observations of players and I will start with some of the new guys:

Howe - Looks good. Very clean hands and a good accurate kick, very clean. Looks at home out there.

Pittonet - Like Howe, he looks at home. He competes well in the ruck and looks to have good hands as well. Was very clean with his disposal

Hardisty - He actually looks the most likely of all the new guys in my opinion. Very at home in all the drills. He has really clean hands when receiving or picking up from the ground at speed. His kicks are like bullets, low flat and fast and the ball makes a noticeable THUD when it hits the hands of the guy on the other end of his kicks. he has genuine pace and his size makes him hard to tackle. I am reluctant to get too excited about a rookie, but Hardisty is a very likely type. Maybe a faster version of Mitch Hallahan?

Frawley - Defensive work and pace is A grade, disposal is very ordinary, kicking out on the full and missing targets. I reckon it will take him a while to get used to the fact that he now has a team of defenders around him that will actually support him and provide him with back up and he doesn't need to panic.

Now on to some of the others:

Big Boy - Really slimmed down and looks fit and lean. He is dominating training, not so much in the ruck but in getting around the ground and contested marking he is killing them.

Mitchell - Awesome. That is all.

Lewis - Very vocal and forthright in directing the younger guys and very encouraging as well. Real captain material.

Kiwi Kurt - as I have said in previous reports. Kurt is the real deal. He now has the skills to go with his aggression.

Brand - Looks good. Clean hands, good kick and making a real contest (and sometimes winning a contest) when contesting one on one with other big guys.

Langford Jnr walked laps all morning and then boxed.

Whitecross and Suckling competed in drills for the first part and then spent 30 mins running without stopping. Whitey looks super fit and really strong.

Cyril took part in drills and then ran laps for ages.

Lake mostly just did kicking work on the sidelines with a coach.

I got there a bit late so I can't be sure who was and wasn't there but I definitely did not see Spangher or JM-L out there.
Interested in your thoughts about Hardisty's kicking. From earlier reports his kicking was his weakness.
 
I'm getting the feeling they're prepping him to take over the Hale role while Cegs becomes the primary ruck.
I think slightly differently as I see Cegs as a better marking forward option.
I was thinking more along The Agents line of thinking.
Obviously Cegs is able to perform in that role as well, but I think having BB as a bit of a monster forward option, would be a great asset.
 
I was thinking more along The Agents line of thinking.
Obviously Cegs is able to perform in that role as well, but I think having BB as a bit of a monster forward option, would be a great asset.

As in: "Why would we recruit another KPF, when we recruited one last year in BB?"
 

Max Force

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Jul 30, 2013
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With BBs endurance & bigger frame IMO I think he is better from HF to FB. Where as Cegs who I believe to be a very good mark is better suited from the C to FF. I'd like to see Cegs take over from Hale as the goal kicking forward eventually. Hale is a proven & vital player for us & I hope he continues to be this season. One thing for sure is that our ruck division compliments our team.
 

Easy Slips Catch

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Jun 10, 2006
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Hale takes a lot of chest marks. He puts his big frame in the right spots more often than any other big man. Cegs and BB are better pure overhead marks but neither use their bulk as effectively as Haler. Plus not many overhead marks are taken in any game nowadays.

BB is marginal for us, he has elite stamina so we need to exploit that. If Cegs has any improvement left in him he will be Numero uno and BB will play in the games we rest Haler.
 
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