Training Saints preseason 2026

[magd2992]

Please stop suggesting Will Phillips as a lockdown medium defender

Send him to the Doggies. They need a key position back in case their 175cm KPD Connor Budarick breaks down.

 

[gringo2011]

Really need more midfielders to stand up and be counted. If Nas is shut down, then what do we have? back to long bomb down the line? To me, we need the whole midfield group to shoulder the load and not rely on Nas to do it all for us. Flanders, Macrae, Windhager, Hall are the 4 inside/outside mids + Nas, with the supporting cast come from the following list:

1. Youngsters (mids): Garcia, Boxshall
2. Younsters (hybrid): Philipou, Wilson, Travaglia
3. Mid-career: Dow, Carroll, Henry, Brynes (TBC), Philips (TBC)

For the 1st time, we now have enough numbers / depth in the midfield. Just need cream to rise to the top. VFL side will be fun to watch next year.

Hall likely to play a fair bit on-ball too.

 

[Joffaboy]

For reference this is Billy Richardson. But he is 195cm.

View attachment 2473938

Lol, the guy in no.55 was not 195cm

 

[Sarcoidevo]

It’s Billy Hartung mate

Billy Wellhung ...... thats what he would tell you

 

[stavro#4]

Channel 10 news just showed JSOS on the bike in the gym

 

[Joffaboy]

I was keen on him early on when north seemed to be leaving him out but just hasn't really come on. Brodie was dominating VFL at GC at least. He might make it as a role playing battler but not holding my breath.

Freeing up Windy from the lockdown position

 

[SainterinSydney]

They should have bit the bullet and traded Merrett

 

[Nutsngum]

They should have bit the bullet and traded Merrett

He's at a wedding. It's really a non story.

 

[saintmike65]

Lol, the guy in no.55 was not 195cm

I wasn't at training so didn't see the guy...Billy Richardson was picked up by our VFL side, so thought it must've been him

 

[saintmike65]

Hall likely to play a fair bit on-ball too.

We can only hope!

 

[Joffaboy]

I wasn't at training so didn't see the guy...Billy Richardson was picked up by our VFL side, so thought it must've been him

Yeah no worries. They were calling him Billy and Bill, not Will so can understand the confusion.

Old mate StFly is threadmarking all training reports in this thread again, so if you miss a report or want to relive my greatness ( or the other lesser trackwatchers ) just go to the threadmarks tab at the top of the thread and click.
Thanks to StFly and the other mods for the initiative.

 

[saintmike65]

He was a short guy, could be him.

Billy McGee-Gallembertie perhaps?

 

[Joffaboy]

They should have bit the bullet and traded Merrett

Nope, did the right thing, eff those poo and wee w***ers

 

[Windtagger]

Crazy seeing photos of Steele in the Red and Blue.

 

[stavro#4]

 

[hangdog]

finishing 7th and 8th will now mean you don’t get a bye while the top 6 do.

Why should 7 and 8 have such a disadvantage and also run the risk of getting knocked out of the finals when they earnt the right after 22 games.

I really can’t get around it.

I'm certain there's been polls about wildcard round in the past that showed it wasn't popular.

Edit: Found a more recent one instead

 

[stavro#4]

Dilena said the club would put the offer out to Sheeran who visited the club last year, but it remained a long shot.

“There was a glimmer of hope he if he was flying back through Melbourne on the Friday and we were playing on the Friday night it could be a chance.

“But it might be tougher given we are Sunday night.”

The Saints will not immediately replace departed football boss David Misson as they assess the needs of the football departmen

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

I know it’s been 8 years, but Paddy Dow was number 3 in the National Draft. How can it be? He must have some real chops somewhere. Injury? (I mean before the disastrous infection involving multiple knee surgeries and a broken collarbone - talk about a horror run)

Played alot of Vfl for Carlton fc

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

As others have said, CBD and inner city likely to be very expensive.

I just had a look at Glen Waverley, which is walking distance to a train station that on trainline that goes to the MCG.

Two hotels there for $329/360 for two nights total (ie Sat and Sunday nights).

The area around the station and hotel has a large number of restaurants and bars.

It is 30 minutes by train to Richmond (MCG), and Flinders St is the stop after that.

PS dudeintheswamp

If you just want the room to sleep in, there are plenty of basic/budget options.
Agoda & Bookme have good deals on decent places too.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Very unfair on the teams that finish 7th and 8th. They didn't have much of a chance from there to start with. Now they have to foof around while teams 1st though 6th have a bye to recuperate.
Might as well just run with a final 6.

Possibly the one good thing about a wildcard round, is if your team has had a bad run with injuries but manages to be fit for that final.

 

[tony74]

Dilena said the club would put the offer out to Sheeran who visited the club last year, but it remained a long shot.

“There was a glimmer of hope he if he was flying back through Melbourne on the Friday and we were playing on the Friday night it could be a chance.

“But it might be tougher given we are Sunday night.”

The Saints will not immediately replace departed football boss David Misson as they assess the needs of the football departmen

Defensive coach probably will probably be announced before the end of the week.

 

[hayes]

Dogs and Sydney could have knocked out Gold Coast and Hawks this year. Dogs had better percentage than both and only one game behind. GC had a bullshit fixture designed to get them into finals so probably would have been fair if they did get taken out by the Dogs. Swans started terribly but were playing well late. That momentum might have carried them further than a faltering GC or an inexperienced Hawks.

Dogs were flat track bullies. Had the chance at home against an interstate team to play finals and they showed the kind of team they were. If they played us every week they would’ve made it that’s for sure.

 

[Rogue Warrior]

Defensive coach probably will probably be announced before the end of the week.

Will we see Lenny back as a line coach?
Or we welcoming some new blood into the mix?

 

[stfan]

They should have bit the bullet and traded Merrett

Training was for 1-4 year players....how many seasons do you think Merrett has played?

Just like at St Kilda, where many of our older players were absent as well

 

[Mat Mann]

Defensive coach probably will probably be announced before the end of the week.

Any chance he's related to one of the players?