Training Saints preseason 2026

[gringo2011]

They’ve got to get a game first. We’ll have enough forwardline options to easily field two teams, if everyone happened to be fit and available.

King
Marshall/TDK
Keeler
Caminiti
Sharman
Owens
Wood
Pou
Higgins
Hall
Ryan
Wilson
Hill
Butler
Henry
Collard

Now obviously some of those guys could also play wing, rotate on ball, or maybe one will play Nas’s old role off HB, but as many as 16 blokes who could stake legitimate claims for a spot up forward would be by far the most forwardline depth we’ve had in my 35 years following the club.

Pretty much the same number of options I counted a couple of days ago for the midfield/wings, so we’re going to have a crazy amount of competition for spots up forward and in the midfield, if we happen to be healthy for a change.

In a total flip from a couple of years ago, I can easily see our backline being potentially our weakest link now.

Really just Sincs, Wilkie, SOSOS, Tauru and then a lot of meh, inexperience and uncertainty, from my perspective.

It’s going to be fascinating to see how that area pans out, and in particular who replaces Nas and Webster.

Backline also gets Howard back, Caminiti looks like he'll need to stay back too. Tauru, Barrat, Hastie, Clark, Stocker, LOC, Fincher, Trav all developing.

To me the ideal is rotating Flanders and Nas so that we always have one behind the ball and one on ball.

We had one of the most reliable defences in footy with Nas, Sincs, Wilkie, Battle, Stocker, Webster and Howard. If Trav or Hastie can take Nas' spot to free him up (or Flanders) then replace Webster with LOC or Tauru, JSoS takes Battle's spot. Howard or Hammer as the big stopper. Wilkie the conductor and we are back to a pretty solid set up.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

Jack Higgins with a big offseason playing PlayStation

Channeling vintage Banger with the height of that 'do

 

[aussierulesrules]

I also managed to get down there yesterday and was impressed by Henry's shape. He looks much fitter then any point last year.

That’s great to hear. If they all happen to have relatively full preseasons and/or be fully fit and in form, we’re going to have a huge list of recruits or “virtual recruits” for next season.

TDK
Flanders
SOSOS
Ryan
King
Pou
Henry
Howard
Dow

Plus a long list of kids whose performance/output could really spike, with another preseason under their belts. Eg:

Wilson
Garcia
Tauru
Keeler
Trav
Boxshall
Hastie
Collard
LOC

That’s almost half our list!

 

[BrutThough]

That’s great to hear. If they all happen to have relatively full preseasons and/or be fully fit and in form, we’re going to have a huge list of recruits or “virtual recruits” for next season.

TDK
Flanders
SOSOS
Ryan
King
Pou
Henry
Howard
Dow

Plus a long list of kids whose performance/output could really spike, with another preseason under their belts. Eg:

Wilson
Garcia
Tauru
Keeler
Trav
Boxshall
Hastie
Collard
LOC

That’s almost half our list!

The talks on that list are especially exciting and can make a big difference. It's going to be a completely different team and style of play having quality tall players again.

 

[SainterinSydney]

I also managed to get down there yesterday and was impressed by Henry's shape. He looks much fitter then any point last year.

This may sound nuts, but Henry playing peak will be a big reason we go deep into September

 

[SaintWrld]

This may sound nuts, but Henry playing peak will be a big reason we go deep into September

I’ve always thought the same, if he can become our bobby hill, that is the icing on top that pushes a top 6 list into a potential premiership. People forget how good he actually was for freo the year we traded for him, multiple 30 disposal games

 

[Joffaboy]

I also managed to get down there yesterday and was impressed by Henry's shape. He looks much fitter then any point last year.

There are so many who look physically different from last year. We have all seen the likes of Hugo and Wilson but even Trav has got some definition going in the arms and he is running seems stronger and not like a yearling.
This is why I mentioned I thought the training dynamics had changed a fair bit. This time last year and the year before, it was just running running running. The two sessions I have seen is straight into drills and ball work, forward entry positioning and short field min contact match sim or transition work. Then at the end of the session there is perhaps 10 minutes repeat 200's and some laps.

To me this signifies what we have been working towards, draftees who have been matured over 2 plus year of intensive physical training and endurance through running. Game time was Lyon drilling his full defensive game.
Now we move on with a physically built team with four players coming in who are not skinny either.
The team you see next year is one that will physically chalkenge the established teams. If they can match them in skills is another matter.
Thats my initial take on 2026 pre season anyway.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Backline also gets Howard back, Caminiti looks like he'll need to stay back too. Tauru, Barrat, Hastie, Clark, Stocker, LOC, Fincher, Trav all developing.

To me the ideal is rotating Flanders and Nas so that we always have one behind the ball and one on ball.

We had one of the most reliable defences in footy with Nas, Sincs, Wilkie, Battle, Stocker, Webster and Howard. If Trav or Hastie can take Nas' spot to free him up (or Flanders) then replace Webster with LOC or Tauru, JSoS takes Battle's spot. Howard or Hammer as the big stopper. Wilkie the conductor and we are back to a pretty solid set up.

Yeah I guess the one potential ace we could have up our sleeve back there would be if we could free up either Wilkie or Tauru to be the “4th tall”, playing on someone much smaller, and just aiming to mostly intercept and rebound.

The Gilbert/Goddard/Fisher/Enright type role.

For that to happen we’d either need Howard to stay fit (not holding my breath), or for Hammer to stay back there (which doesn’t sound like it’s necessarily in our plans), or maybe even Keeler to move back there. Don’t think Barrat will be ready.

Another potential left-field option for that role could be Mason Wood. With his size, attributes and skill set I don’t see why he couldn’t be very effective in an intercepting/rebounding/delivering role across HB.

We have so many legitimate options for the wings, midfield and flanks now, that it wouldn’t surprise me at all if we went with a bit of a left-field option as the main replacement for Nas across half back.

 

[CaptainRisky]

Do you reckon rtb might have taken up building pallet furniture as a senior hobby??
There can be no other plausible explanation

 

[aussierulesrules]

The talks on that list are especially exciting and can make a big difference. It's going to be a completely different team and style of play having quality tall players again.

Yeah we were getting smoked in contested marks almost every week this year, and not having that structure you want also limits the way you can play, and we were really vulnerable to long kicks down the line (by either team), so we could be a completely different team next year.

Pou is also excellent overhead and has those long arms, so if he’s back consistently that will also make us stronger in the air.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Brendon Goddard speaks well
Never forgive him for leaving to play with Essendon fc. rabble though.

 

[sasaint]

In a total flip from a couple of years ago, I can easily see our backline being potentially our weakest link now.

Really just Sincs, Wilkie, SOSOS, Tauru and then a lot of meh, inexperience and uncertainty, from my perspective.

How quickly people forget that we were crying out to have Dougal Howard around to cover the oppositions talls. I still think he will be a required player.

 

[ESPN8 The Ocho]

Slightly different view to Joffaboy

My thoughts watching the guys yesterday was: those that needed physical development, showed it.

Those already physically developed looked either the same, or slimmer.

Mitch, in particular, seemed to have slimmed down.

I might put Dodson and Pou in that category too, though for them it might just be a case of losing puppy fat.

I get the impression that, by and large, the team has reached physical maturity and change from here on (like Mitch) is driven by needs.

 

[Moquo]

Where are you farming Moquo? Doing the alpacas?

Not doing the alpacas, but a few of my neighbours are! We are out Yarra Valley way

 

[aussierulesrules]

How quickly people forget that we were crying out to have Dougal Howard around to cover the oppositions talls. I still think he will be a required player.

He comes under the “uncertainty” banner. His body might be cooked (saw someone say earlier in the year that his back and knee/s are no good, plus the repeated soft-tissue injuries he had this season), so like say Hunter Clark, I’m not confident that he’s someone we can really bank on being consistently available.

Would be very handy if he is though. Potentially freeing up Wilkie or Tauru to play mainly an intercepting/rebounding role.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Slightly different view to Joffaboy

My thoughts watching the guys yesterday was: those that needed physical development, showed it.

Those already physically developed looked either the same, or slimmer.

Mitch, in particular, seemed to have slimmed down.

I might put Dodson and Pou in that category too, though for them it might just be a case of losing puppy fat.

I get the impression that, by and large, the team has reached physical maturity and change from here on (like Mitch) is driven by needs.

I reckon Caminiti & Keeler can still get stronger
Then there is Barrat, Tauru & Trav etc. that will take awhile to become so.

 

[CaptainRisky]

This may sound nuts, but Henry playing peak will be a big reason we go deep into September

Yes you are right LOL
He would be great to get back to his best , i'm not worried if he has put on any size or not as that wasn't the problem last year , his knee was so if its 100% he will be very valuable

 

[ESPN8 The Ocho]

I reckon Caminiti & Keeler can still get stronger
Then there is Barrat, Tauru & Trav etc. that will take awhile to become so.

Caminiti: he’s not going to change much from now, that is one strong rig he’s packing.
Keeler: maybe, but he’s got a big barrel chest, too much more risks his mobility.
Barrat: has barely changed from his first appearance last year, what you see now is probably what you see in a few years. I swear he was born sporting a moustache.
Tauru: has not changed much either. He’s got a rangy build.
We might see a stronger version but I think that rangy build is more important to him than muscle mass.
Toby: will probably be the one who develops most, particularly in the upper body.

 

[Vacuous Space]

Brendon Goddard speaks well
Never forgive him for leaving to play with Essendon fc. rabble though.

BJ wanted to stay. Pelchen wanted the compo pick.

 

[gringo2011]

Not doing the alpacas, but a few of my neighbours are! We are out Yarra Valley way

Nice part of the world.

 

[aussierulesrules]

BJ wanted to stay. Pelchen wanted the compo pick.

Yeah he bled red white and black and it’s pretty obvious that us low-balling him and him realising we wanted him gone broke his heart.

 

[Diehard Saint]

The talks on that list are especially exciting and can make a big difference. It's going to be a completely different team and style of play having quality tall players again.

How long will it take for them all to gel though?

 

[gringo2011]

How long will it take for them all to gel though?

New toys can reinvigorate a list as much as it takes time to gel. Hopefully we get more from the recruits than we lose in cohesion.

 

[CaptainRisky]

Love the sight of Collard looking bigger

Bigger , what sort of glasses are you wearing, he looks no different whats so ever IMO

 

[Joffaboy]

Slightly different view to Joffaboy

My thoughts watching the guys yesterday was: those that needed physical development, showed it.

Those already physically developed looked either the same, or slimmer.

Mitch, in particular, seemed to have slimmed down.

I might put Dodson and Pou in that category too, though for them it might just be a case of losing puppy fat.

I get the impression that, by and large, the team has reached physical maturity and change from here on (like Mitch) is driven by needs.

Really great you see things differently. Nothing better than different points of view. We all have our opinions and bias and more pre season opinions the better for our fans who can't get to see what is shaping up as we go forward.

Maybe with differing opinions and views we can strike somewhere near what is actually going on