Training 2026 Pre Season & Training Reports

[Chadwiko]

Seeing the Saints and Essendon first day photos from the same day terrifies me. And those clubs are hardly elite.

We don't even need to look at other clubs for comparisons.

Compare the strength and conditioning of our AFLW team to other AFLW teams. It's night and day!

 

[amaz199]

It was never gonna happen immediately though, was it. There's a trend, and trends like this continue until they are consciously halted. Mayyybe one of Barlow/Littlejohn will raise the issue before Christmas?

It can happen very quickly. Some of the boys look like they have the body to gain muscle quite quickly, for others it will be more difficult.

But without knowing what they are told or how they coach themselves, it's impossible to know what the club or players reckon is 'enough'. The eye test gives me some considerable concern though.

It's so easy to fall into going through the motions because we're coming from a low bar.

 

[Passmore]

 

[Shinboner1]

Yeah, who is this? It's easy being big when you're a midget, which makes Wilber's shape all the more bewildering.

he's not that short mate

 

[kool kangas]

We don't even need to look at other clubs for comparisons.

Compare the strength and conditioning of our AFLW team to other AFLW teams. It's night and day!

The other difference seems to be that our womens team take strength and condition training more seriously than our guys..

 

[zoomba23]

It can happen very quickly. Some of the boys look like they have the body to gain muscle quite quickly, for others it will be more difficult.

But without knowing what they are told or how they coach themselves, it's impossible to know what the club or players reckon is 'enough'. The eye test gives me some considerable concern though.

It's so easy to fall into going through the motions because we're coming from a low bar.

Mate, it's second nature for this group

 

[Themanbun]

It can happen very quickly. Some of the boys look like they have the body to gain muscle quite quickly, for others it will be more difficult.

But without knowing what they are told or how they coach themselves, it's impossible to know what the club or players reckon is 'enough'. The eye test gives me some considerable concern though.

It's so easy to fall into going through the motions because we're coming from a low bar.

Unfortunately due to the CBA, the club is not allowed to explicitly or implicitly monitor players during their off season and aren't allowed to even let them report in on their progress unless it's injury rehab. They can give general training and conditioning guides, but these need to be approved by the AFL and AFLPA, and they have strict restrictions such as mandatory rest period followed by pre conditioning, and then the program itself must have alternating days of rest and conditioning.

There are provisions in the CBA to put in place requirements for pre Christmas training if players don't meet reasonable fitness standards in November, but AFAIK those standards aren't super high. If they then fail to meet those standards post Christmas, they can sanction them with a salary penalty.

It's why the Daicos' and Sheezels of the world seek out good S&C coaches and do proper programs tailored to them.

All the work that puts you ahead of your peers is done well before the club is even allowed to address it.

 

[Chadwiko]

It's why the Daicos' and Sheezels of the world seek out good S&C coaches and do proper programs tailored to them.

All the work that puts you ahead of your peers is done well before the club is even allowed to address it.

Remember a few weeks back when there was the photos floating around of Petracca and Merrett training independently at Arden St?

It's no coincidence that some of our hardest working/best conditioned players were also there, led by Harry Sheezel.

Make him Captain. Get it done.

 

[Krakouer Bonar]

Its amazing how many nuffies are now strength and fitness experts because its November.

 

[Themanbun]

Remember a few weeks back when there was the photos floating around of Petracca and Merrett training independently at Arden St?

It's no coincidence that some of our hardest working/best conditioned players were also there, led by Harry Sheezel.

Make him Captain. Get it done.

View attachment 2474583

I'd like Parker or X to co captain with him before a proper handover in a year or 2. Someone to be the stick so to speak.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Unfortunately due to the CBA, the club is not allowed to explicitly or implicitly monitor players during their off season and aren't allowed to even let them report in on their progress unless it's injury rehab. They can give general training and conditioning guides, but these need to be approved by the AFL and AFLPA, and they have strict restrictions such as mandatory rest period followed by pre conditioning, and then the program itself must have alternating days of rest and conditioning.

There are provisions in the CBA to put in place requirements for pre Christmas training if players don't meet reasonable fitness standards in November, but AFAIK those standards aren't super high. If they then fail to meet those standards post Christmas, they can sanction them with a salary penalty.

It's why the Daicos' and Sheezels of the world seek out good S&C coaches and do proper programs tailored to them.

All the work that puts you ahead of your peers is done well before the club is even allowed to address it.

This is intended as a genuine question from someone who's done a little bit of distance running at an amateur level but SFA serious sessions in the gym - how much can you actually improve your strength in 2 months while maintaining your cardio baseline?

What kind of weekly commitment - in terms of hours - is required to achieve significant improvements to your strength in that time?

 

[hoffseason gains 01]

didnt see Goad in there?

 

[King Corey]

Its amazing how many nuffies are now strength and fitness experts because its November.

What do you think of our S&C standards?

 

[Themanbun]

This is intended as a genuine question from someone who's done a little bit of distance running at an amateur level but SFA serious sessions in the gym - how much can you actually improve your strength in 2 months while maintaining your cardio baseline?

What kind of weekly commitment - in terms of hours - is required to achieve significant improvements to your strength in that time?

In 2 months? Significantly, particularly if you're young and particularly if you're an athlete who only does compound lifts once a week during the season for recovery reasons. During season your strength sessions are almost purely maintenance because of the recovery demands of playing footy.

The main thing though is not gaining excess body fat during that period. Which means tracking what you're eating. 8 weeks of overeating can add a heap of body fat and it means you're playing catch up from there. If you go in carrying an extra 2-4kg of useless body weight then all of that power and acceleration work you do at the start of pre season is heaps less effective, and then you're put on a calorie deficit at the start of pre season as well, meaning your ability to train intensely drops.

Of the elite players I know most aim to maintain their aerobic stuff at best and use the off season to improve their power to weight ratio instead. But they are older.

Younger blokes will probably also see improvements in their 2km or 1km repeats in addition to improving strength and power.

 

[Disco Dew]

The main thing though is not gaining excess body fat during that period. Which means tracking what you're eating

Excuse me sir, I track what I eat but continue gaining excess body fat. What the **** is up with that?

 

[Themanbun]

Excuse me sir, I track what I eat but continue gaining excess body fat. What the **** is up with that?

MyFitnessPal seems to know when I've blown out. Always hits me with "How was lunch, TheManBun? You didn't record it."

You and I both know I overate.

 

[King Corey]

Excuse me sir, I track what I eat but continue gaining excess body fat. What the **** is up with that?

Coffee and big spoon of Nutella.

Tracked both of them into my mouth.

 

[King Hansen]

JK - BOG yesterday

 

[Disco Dew]

MyFitnessPal seems to know when I've blown out. Always hits me with "How was lunch, TheManBun? You didn't record it."

You and I both know I overate.

I should really get back into using that and doing a proper job of things.
I’ve let myself go pretty poorly this winter…

 

[Disco Dew]

Coffee and big spoon of Nutella.

Tracked both of them into my mouth.

There was a time KC when life was incredibly stressful with 4 young kids and an ill wife where I would clear out the kitchen cupboard of an evening and then resort to the big jar of Nutella… bloody hell it was good. I was peak (not peak?) Dew back then…

 

[Passmore]

JK - BOG yesterday

He's had the best off season out of the whole squad.

 

[Disco Dew]

He's had the best off season out of the whole squad.

Hopefully he can start kicking goals in season

 

[Tas]

This is why Sheezel should be Captain.

Not even kidding; the kid handles his strength and conditioning like a professional, and it's the kind of standard you want your leaders to be setting.

View attachment 2474558

It shouldn't be optional. We have relied too much on individuals taking it upon themselves to address deficiencies. It has to be something that is driven club wide and if there are players that don't give a shit then they should be given the arse, contract or no contract. I'd rather have an amateur grade player that is trying than someone skilled that isn't trying.

 

[Makeshift Park]

In 2 months? Significantly, particularly if you're young and particularly if you're an athlete who only does compound lifts once a week during the season for recovery reasons. During season your strength sessions are almost purely maintenance because of the recovery demands of playing footy.

The main thing though is not gaining excess body fat during that period. Which means tracking what you're eating. 8 weeks of overeating can add a heap of body fat and it means you're playing catch up from there. If you go in carrying an extra 2-4kg of useless body weight then all of that power and acceleration work you do at the start of pre season is heaps less effective, and then you're put on a calorie deficit at the start of pre season as well, meaning your ability to train intensely drops.

Of the elite players I know most aim to maintain their aerobic stuff at best and use the off season to improve their power to weight ratio instead. But they are older.

Younger blokes will probably also see improvements in their 2km or 1km repeats in addition to improving strength and power.

Interesting stuff, thanks.

I haven't played footy since high school so I really have no idea what a good offseason fitness program for a young AFL player would look like. But all this talk about our post-offseason preparedness does make me kinda curious. Particularly around how you structure recovery days while also building power AND endurance AND speed.

 

[year of the roo]

Easy to forget that it was only JK's first preseason with us last year, and it was very interrupted. I'm not sure his ceiling is super high, but I do know that he'll almost certainly have a better 2026 on the back of a much better off-season.