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Training Saints preseason 2026

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Good Dilena interview.

They want 85+k there opening round.
Playing finals is the clear expectation.

Working through what our footballs department structure looks like for the next 3 seasons.

Want to be seen as disrupters in the league and this aggression is club wide and led by Bassatt.

Super positive how everything will come together this preseason

Indicates we won’t be doing much draft night. Laughs at the reports in the last week but says we don’t have much collateral.

 
Good Dilena interview.

They want 85+k there opening round.
Playing finals is the clear expectation.

Working through what our footballs department structure looks like for the next 3 seasons.

Want to be seen as disrupters in the league and this aggression is club wide and led by Bassatt.

Super positive how everything will come together this preseason

Indicates we won’t be doing much draft night. Laughs at the reports in the last week but says we don’t have much collateral.




The club has done an amazing job to create hype and momentum. It's now getting the rewards that it deserves for a huge amount of work done in nearly every aspect of the club. Almost proud of them. At least until they disappoint me again anyway.

Basset and Lyon have been huge over the last few years and have planned and executed it really well. Being a disruptor is exactly what smaller clubs need to frame themselves as.
 
The club has done an amazing job to create hype and momentum. It's now getting the rewards that it deserves for a huge amount of work done in nearly every aspect of the club. Almost proud of them. At least until they disappoint me again anyway.

Basset and Lyon have been huge over the last few years and have planned and executed it really well. Being a disruptor is exactly what smaller clubs need to frame themselves as.
Dilena saying they want that opening round slot every year as our marquee game.

Only game in Melbourne.
 

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I will be outrageously torqued if we belt the Pies straight up. I am planning to drive to Melbourne from Adelaide to beat having to pay hefty airline prices. Does anyone have an indication when the tickets will be released?

Also, for the Victorian locals, I am staying in Geelong during that entire weekend. Does anyone know if training it to the city is worth the hassle? Many thanks for any wisdom.
Shouldn't be a hassle at all. I'm driving up from Warrnambool and will train it from one of the Geelong stations, done it plenty of times without a problem.
 
Good Dilena interview.
They want 85+k there opening round.
Playing finals is the clear expectation.
Working through what our footballs department structure looks like for the next 3 seasons.
Want to be seen as disrupters in the league and this aggression is club wide and led by Bassatt.
Super positive how everything will come together this preseason
Indicates we won’t be doing much draft night. Laughs at the reports in the last week but says we don’t have much collateral.



I onced asked an ex Saints player why we struggled for sucess for so long and he immediately said its all about their adminisatration and lack of funding. They need to get their off field management and finances in order - well its happened.

Carl Dilena is another brilliant appointment by Bassat and the board, what a great embassador and salesman for our club. It seems the entire club have the right people in place and they are all moving in the same direction. You can really sense something big is building at Moorabbin, hang onto your seats Saints fans.
 
The club has done an amazing job to create hype and momentum. It's now getting the rewards that it deserves for a huge amount of work done in nearly every aspect of the club. Almost proud of them. At least until they disappoint me again anyway.

Basset and Lyon have been huge over the last few years and have planned and executed it really well. Being a disruptor is exactly what smaller clubs need to frame themselves as.
They WILL disappoint again. All football clubs do, the challenge is to build a robust football club for the next decade. Geelong have hardly been out of the top four for a decade but has only won one flag. Nobody would say that their fans have not been disappointed not to win more, but on the other side it would be hard to say that as a club they have not been a strong success.

I am not bullish about our flag chances. I just think the AFL lovechild clubs up north have hoovered up ll the best players and we really dont have the absolute elite quality that Brisbane, GWS, Gold Coast etc.
We saw what happened in the Grand Final. Geelong is a premiership team and were dismanteld by the elite in the Brisbane team who get ANOTHER top 5 pick for free plus Allen and Draper.

So if the goal is a flag, you will be dissapointed.
 
They’ve gotta get Naz away from the microphone 🎤 or at least give him some training. He’s terrible to watch. It’s just not his thing.
 
Thought he looked much more comfortable in this interview. You can see improvement. Still plenty to work on though.
Definitely improving but not sure he’s more comfortable or ever will be. Just hard to listen to.
 

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I think we're pretty well set for mid rotations without trying to turn Wilson into an inside mid. We could always try throwing him in occasionally but I don't think this talents are best utilised there.

Core onball group in best 23:

Nas
Ned
Macrae
Pou
Windy
Garcia
Boxshall
Hall

Options for a spark/burst if needed:

Owens
Sinclair
Ryan
Wilson
Stocker

Depth:

Clark
Dow
Carroll
There's a reason Darcy has bulked up and that is to play in the midfield
 
There's a reason Darcy has bulked up and that is to play in the midfield
The best sides go DEEEEEEP in the midfield.

They have blokes like Wilson Hall Ryan & Sinclair that can roll on ball for 5-10 minutes a quarter and really give you bang for buck.
 
The best sides go DEEEEEEP in the midfield.

They have blokes like Wilson Hall Ryan & Sinclair that can roll on ball for 5-10 minutes a quarter and really give you bang for buck.

Very true. The thing I think we may miss is that it is not just about having 2-3 star midfielders. It is also about rotations through the midfield and being able to put constant pressure on the other side by having the legs to go four quarters at a high standard.
 
Good Dilena interview.

They want 85+k there opening round.
Playing finals is the clear expectation.

Working through what our footballs department structure looks like for the next 3 seasons.

Want to be seen as disrupters in the league and this aggression is club wide and led by Bassatt.

Super positive how everything will come together this preseason

Indicates we won’t be doing much draft night. Laughs at the reports in the last week but says we don’t have much collateral.



The good news I see is that opening round will not be Spud's round. A wise decision to start the season off with a bang and not a solemn tribute
 

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Alt speculation attendee - Traininf 10/11/2025 New
i was there today but wont spoil the reports from the regulars with my inferior one,but a couple questions before i take the dog out for a walk

1.who is 48 and 49?they were calling out the name joey a lot,i guess one is a joe
2.collard wearing 23,was it henry or tex wearing 4?bloody good size so im thinking tex as i wouldnt have a clue what he looks like
3.flanders on his own with a coach or running laps,any issues?found his shorts btw


took a few more notes,will mention them if theyve been left out by the regular guys,glad i got down there,enjoyed it,cleary was sitting in the stands,so maybe something on 7 news tonight

update,henry was wearing 4,so no tex,geez he looks like a squirt on the tele,he is a good size,him and lance must have swapped training tops today,henry did some drills and ran laps on his own
 
Last edited:
Addendum - Training 10/11/2025 New
Just to clear something up...player wearing #55 isn't Will Phillips, it's Billy McGhee-Gallambertie.

Of the players that missed significant football this year, Mattaes looked very fit and moved extremely well this morning, as did Liam Henry.
Max King didn't do much but still good to see him out there for a bit of a runaround.
Players to put on size are Tauru, Keeler, Armstrong, Said, Wilson, Travaglia, Garcia, O'Connell ...Phillipou looks to have more muscle instead of puppy fat.
As Tony mentioned Monday, our new defensive coach will be named by the end of the week.
 
Just to clear something up...player wearing #55 isn't Will Phillips, it's Billy McGhee-Gallambertie.

Of the players that missed significant football this year, Mattaes looked very fit and moved extremely well this morning, as did Liam Henry.
Max King didn't do much but still good to see him out there for a bit of a runaround.
Players to put on size are Tauru, Keeler, Armstrong, Said, Wilson, Travaglia, Garcia, O'Connell ...Phillipou looks to have more muscle instead of puppy fat.
As Tony mentioned Monday, our new defensive coach will be named by the end of the week.

Billy Jean Prawn Gamberi could be a cult hero
 
Just to clear something up...player wearing #55 isn't Will Phillips, it's Billy McGhee-Gallambertie.

Of the players that missed significant football this year, Mattaes looked very fit and moved extremely well this morning, as did Liam Henry.
Max King didn't do much but still good to see him out there for a bit of a runaround.
Players to put on size are Tauru, Keeler, Armstrong, Said, Wilson, Travaglia, Garcia, O'Connell ...Phillipou looks to have more muscle instead of puppy fat.
As Tony mentioned Monday, our new defensive coach will be named by the end of the week.
Is max kicking a ball yet?

Wouldn’t be far off.
 
i was there today but wont spoil the reports from the regulars with my inferior one,but a couple questions before i take the dog out for a walk

1.who is 48 and 49?they were calling out the name joey a lot,i guess one is a joe
2.collard wearing 23,was it henry or tex wearing 4?bloody good size so im thinking tex as i wouldnt have a clue what he looks like
3.flanders on his own with a coach or running laps,any issues?found his shorts btw


took a few more notes,will mention them if theyve been left out by the regular guys,glad i got down there,enjoyed it,cleary was sitting in the stands,so maybe something on 7 news tonight

update,henry was wearing 4,so no tex,geez he looks like a squirt on the tele,he is a good size,him and lance must have swapped training tops today,henry did some drills and ran laps on his own

Just as;

There's no harm or foul for any track goer to give their 2 cents, even if it's differing viewpoints of others there also, as it gives those not able to go or hold interest further context as to who impressed whom, with what did people notice or speculate and the differing views of "X player was poor whilst Y surprised me".

So if you do feel that you have anything to add, or an alt thought or instance from attending training just pop it in, and if it's a benefit or alternative to what someone else stated or in line with it, it'll be added to the list of "this might hold interest to people who wish to read just training updates" for thread watchers.

Every little bit helps the unfortunate feel involved, so you won't be spoiling anything.
 
i was there today but wont spoil the reports from the regulars with my inferior one,but a couple questions before i take the dog out for a walk

1.who is 48 and 49?they were calling out the name joey a lot,i guess one is a joe
2.collard wearing 23,was it henry or tex wearing 4?bloody good size so im thinking tex as i wouldnt have a clue what he looks like
3.flanders on his own with a coach or running laps,any issues?found his shorts btw


took a few more notes,will mention them if theyve been left out by the regular guys,glad i got down there,enjoyed it,cleary was sitting in the stands,so maybe something on 7 news tonight

update,henry was wearing 4,so no tex,geez he looks like a squirt on the tele,he is a good size,him and lance must have swapped training tops today,henry did some drills and ran laps on his own
Mate, report away. The more the merrier.
 

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Training Saints preseason 2026

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