Training Preseason Training Thread - 2026

[Keys]

The below is the OG faux training report from nearly 9 years ago - often imitated but never surpassed

In the absence of Keys I went down for a trundle this morning to check them out on return. Just a few random notes I took down...

• A lot of running work again, clearly a focus even in the heat.
• Duggan looked on and was hitting targets left and right. Set for a huge 2017.
• Giles went up against Vardy in the ruck contests and I'd say that Giles has the inside running at the moment.
• Mitchell looked a class above the other midfielders bar Priddis. Just knew how to find the footy and wouldn't miss a target all session. Shuey was very quiet and seemed to be taking direction from Mitchell. Doesn't bode well for his captaincy credentials, maybe he doesn't want the gig?
• Won't say too much about it in case I was just reading too much into it, but Rioli looked as though he'd enjoyed the Christmas break a bit too much. A few of the coaches pulled him aside and they were having quite an animated conversation before Rioli was sent to do laps for the rest of the session. Good news for Le Cras, I suppose.
• Sheed kicked on his right foot for 80% of the session, I reckon. Nice to see players working on their non-preferred so readily.
• Petrie looked like he was doing a great job 'coaching' the younger forwards in between the drills. Darling in particular seemed to be following him around.
• Gee Venables has some skills. He mainly jogged laps before spending the last half hour or so on set shots - curled a few beauties from behind the boundary line at the end for a bit of fun. Hardly saw him miss a kick.
• What interested me the most was that McGovern split his time between the defenders and the forwards, could be seeing a swingman role in 2017. He was his usual dominant self down back in some match simulation drills before going head-to-head with Mackenzie in a forward role.
• Bayok is very fast - Cripps was in most of the drills with him and couldn't keep up.
• Nelson is pale as buggery and still doesn't really have the body shape you'd expect of an AFL player.
• There was a big bloke who pulled up next to me and I could have sworn it was Suma, but I'm sure I was wrong...
• Masto was the player picked to kick the goal at the end today and nailed it. Celebrations were huge.
• No sign of Cole, Parto or Hill. Couldn't tell you why.

Will upload pics later if I have time. Let me know if you have any questions!

You might wonder why I’ve put this up and stickied it

Because this is the standard all copies should be measured against and it’s a reminder of how high the bar was set

And to hopefully discourage sequels.

If you want to have a crack in my absence, go ahead but if it doesn’t equal the standard set (as judged by me), then expect

• A one week threadban for a first offence
• A two week threadban for a second offence
• A one year threadban for a third offence

Actual training reports, minus discussion, can become found here:

Training - Preseason Training Reports -2025/26

This thread has been setup for training reports only and won’t be open for replies Informative reports from the preseason thread will be copied into this thread so posters have access to the quality work from the likes of LittleFires without wading through pages of general posts

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Mr Q]

2018 premiership had Mark Hutchings in it who was delisted previously

Not everyone has to be a star, you can find handy role players in other teams unwanted ones

Steven Armstrong was also a premiership player who was a former delistee in 2006. Though probably more right place right time in that case.

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Meanwhile their pleb former teammates back home get to train in this

View attachment 2488678

Lovely start to "summer"

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Has good vision and is a good kick off both feet. Give him a chance not every player has to be quick. Sam Mitchell wasn't exactly quick however he made up for that in spades by his vision and kicking.

Agreed but out of the 3 he is still the one I have the least faith in is all

 

[Happy Mastenator]

The new Vic boys getting a 'Welcome to WA' temp at training today.

An underrated selling point of Perth for young players is that after training/gym sessions, when you're looking jacked you can go to the beach while it's hot, have a swim, and then strut, and look and be looked at by hot chicks in bikinis

 

[sharps24]

2018 premiership had Mark Hutchings in it who was delisted previously

Not everyone has to be a star, you can find handy role players in other teams unwanted ones

Exactly. Take Tim Watson, delisted by West Coast Eagles at the end of the 1992 season. Premiership player 1993.

 

[southcoast]

Exactly. Take Tim Watson, delisted by West Coast Eagles at the end of the 1992 season. Premiership player 1993.

One we let get away

 

[Byron_Clanger]

With all the talk of CDT over the last few months the old saying stays true. 'ALWAYS...DRAFT...THE BEST...AVAILABLE...TALENT'

 

[Elite Pete]

With all the talk of CDT over the last few months the old saying stays true. 'ALWAYS...DRAFT...THE BEST...AVAILABLE...TALENT'

That’s impressive and concerning at the same time.

 

[EagleMan87]

That’s impressive and concerning at the same time.

Let's be honest; we all know how shit our disposal has been these past few years.

The fact that we have a few new players who can do better is just good news to me.

 

[THE A5]

The new Vic boys getting a 'Welcome to WA' temp at training today.

By the end of the summer, CDT will start to look like his old man

 

[Deplorable trumpster]

The benefit of the mature age inclusions is that we can have some degree of selection integrity. If players break team rules, don't put in the required efffort/2nd effort, don't chase and tackle and put pressure on, don't commit hard enough to the contest etc we can drop them for a spell in the WAFL for a few weeks. And we have somebody we can bring in who will be able to do a job and not be a liability. Currently the match committee have to choose between integrity and just putting out the best 22 they can based on ability in order to mitigate big losses because the next best player in is another 18 year old rookie.

 

[WCE_2007]

Today'a Training Report from the West.

https://archive.md/AGjN4

Not a bad read but pales in comparison those from LittleFires and Keys

Summery:

Duursma training as a Mid
CDT training as a 3rd Tall Forward
Tom Mcarthy training as a MID
Barnet had knee brace off, slowly progressing
Baily Williams must be hampered by some injury - top speed is walking.
Flynny a bit sore and received some physio work.
Bo Allen, Hutch, Hammer competing for wing spots. Judging by what I've read from all training reports Allen and Hamish are so far looking the best chances for round 1 and are setting standards.
Baker and Harley Reid physical during drills.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

https://archive.md/AGjN4

No.1 draft pick Willem Duursma was recruited for many reasons but near the top of the list was his versatility, with the ability to play in multiple positions.
It appears he will be given the opportunity to play as a midfielder straight out of the gates for West Coast after featuring heavily through the middle of the ground to begin his second week on the training track.

They ain't babying him. Straight in the guts. Also saying CDT played at third tall who'll be roaming up the ground.

 

[LittleFires]

Hot one this morning. When I got there at 9 the players were already well into training - at a guess I reckon they'd already been underway for a good 20-30 minutes to beat the heat. So I did miss a bit of the start today, but still managed to get a few notes down.

The first 30 minutes after I arrived consisted mainly of skill work, including a flow drill involving kicking at speed, handballing in congestion and fast ball movement by foot - these drills involved full contact.

After this came a good 45 minutes of a full-ground ball movement drill, where one bigger team was always attacking and the other team just defending. They went through a few different scenarios but overall there seemed to be a big emphasis on fast ball movement. Any contact in these drills was mostly kept light and they took quite a few breaks in the heat.

When they'd finished up with that, the group was made to do 10 minutes of run throughs through the centre of the ground, before breaking up into smaller groups to work on fundamentals to finish. Most players went inside at 10:50 and the last to leave finished up just before 11, by which time the temperature had reached 35°C.

Details on who did/didn't train:

• I didn't see Starcevich, Allen or Gross today
• Watt was training but once again no Johnson - so 45 on track in total
• Bailey Williams again did very little, only coming out around 9:30 to do some tap work with Nic Nat
• Barnett did his usual run throughs and light skill work with the rehab group, before finishing with some tap work alongside Bailey Williams
• Waterman and Ginbey trained away from the main group for the whole time I was there, doing run throughs, skill work and agility running with the rehab group, which is when Waterman finished. Ginbey did another 20 minutes of laps after that but was all done by 10:15
• Young was with the main group when I first arrived but soon after split off, joining Waterman and Ginbey for their rehab work. Some of the run throughs he and Ginbey got to quite a high pace. Young did some run throughs by himself to finish and was all done by 10.
• Owies trained away from the main group the entire time and did run throughs and light skill work
• Dewar was doing run throughs and skill work off to the side for the start of the session, but joined in for the full ground ball movement drill.
• Duggan and Cripps were again managed through certain parts of the session, running laps or doing sprints instead when they had to sit out, but participated in the full ground ball movement drill
• Duursma and Yeo participated in the first part of the session but I didn't see them at all during the ball movement drill
• Jack Williams and Robertson did most of the session but split off at one stage to join the rehab group - Jack Williams doing run throughs and Robertson helping the rucks with their tap work. Both participated in the full ground ball movement drill
• Brockman was running laps when I arrived but joined in with the rest of the group after and trained fully from what I saw
• Kelly trained fully after being on a separate program last week

A few other notes, especially from the full ground ball movement drill:

• Harley Reid looked sharp during the ball movement work - was busy and kept involved consistently.
• Can see why Duff-Tytler was rated so highly - his skills for a lad of his size are very impressive. Hit Jack Williams inside 50 with a nice kick on the run at one stage, and later drilled a set shot from a tough angle 40 metres out.
• Allan was matched up against Davis on a wing which turned into a good battle
• Dewar, Maric, Baker and Lindsay were playing in defence
• Johnston was again up forward, as was Duff-Tytler who played as a roaming tall
• Jack Williams was sporting a bandage around his head - I overheard him saying that it came after a collision with Yeo
• Johnston, Davis, Graham and Robertson were the last to leave the track, getting a bit of extra skill work in after the rest had gone inside

 

[PRANKSTER666]

Flights booked.

 

[Keys]

Chatting to LittleFires towards the end of the session, it became apparent I’d missed near on half of today’s outing through a combination of them starting early and me arriving late

There was a handful of players training away from the main group who were doing full ground ball movement exercises- predominantly they were contested with one team focusing on moving from D50 to F50 and the other defending the ground with players switching between offensive and defensive roles

It was contested to an extent but not truly combative like you’d see in a full scale match sim.

Clear focus on moving the ball quickly through the middle and kicking long into F50 as forwards pushed back hard into the open space ahead of the ball

The session finished with just over 20 players doing some 75/100m sprints which was pretty brutal in the heat. Then some low intensity skill work as the players drifted off - Kelly, Newton and Watt the last to leave


Some random observations:

• Davis and Allan were matched up against each other on the fat side wing (closest to where I was sitting so easier to watch) and had a good tussle. Davis probably had the better of it slightly continuing his impressive early preseason form
• Maric played in defence and was a clear conduit out of the back half often being involved two or three times in possession chains. Did turn it over once (which he was not happy about as he redeemed himself with a solid tackle moments later) but was mostly attacking and reliable
• CDT showed his mobility and skills on the run a couple of times which was impressive for a big man. Kicked a nice set shot goal from a tight angle as well
• Harley was consistently involved and looks to be really enjoying himself. Baker nailed him after Reid showed the ball to the rest as he ran into an open goal. Later on there was a solid collision between Davis, Reid and Allan with Davis coming off a little worse for wear - Harley stopped what he was doing to check on him and didn’t move off until he knew Davis had shaken it off. Just a little thing but he seems far more settled this year
• Dewar was off to the side when I arrived but joined the main group soon after playing out of defence
• Jilliams was the same although he did a lot of running before joining the others. Definitely work being done on his fitness and he’s moving pretty well
• I saw Lindsay flub a couple of short passes so he’s not infallible
• Hewett looked good for the most part but did get caught in a tackle from Harley
• Kelly was playing through the midfield in the drills and did all the training whilst I was there
• Newton and Champion looked lively as small forwards
• Ginbey again ran the boundary for long lengths of time
• Waterman, Young and Robertson only did some running and minor skill work
• Barnett and Billiams didn’t do anything but stand talking to Nic for a bit and left not long after I’d arrived
• Forwards took a couple of good grabs but wasn’t sure if it was Shanahan or Archer

Not a full report given how much I missed, but I’m sure LittleFires will have something a bit more comprehensive

 

[LittleFires]

https://archive.md/AGjN4

They ain't babying him. Straight in the guts. Also saying CDT played at third tall who'll be roaming up the ground.

Also this on Barnett

Fourth-year ruckman Harry Barnett is slowly progressing after he sustained a partial tear to his posterior cruciate ligament during the off-season, having started pre-season in a brace but he now just has his left knee heavily strapped.

A partial PCL tear would explain his slow start to the preseason.

They also explained how Bailey Williams was barely training but didn't provide a reason why.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

They also explained how Bailey Williams was barely training but didn't provide a reason why.

He'd combust out there

 

[ghostbat12]

• I saw Lindsay flub a couple of short passes so he’s not infallible

 

[ghostbat12]

Also this on Barnett



A partial PCL tear would explain his slow start to the preseason.

They also explained how Bailey Williams was barely training but didn't provide a reason why.

maybe he has a lot on his mind....am hoping like its a 6yrs @$1m headache....

 

[woosha24]

• I saw Lindsay flub a couple of short passes so he’s not infallible

Delist. How much longer can Lindsay be debated?

 

[WCEConnor23]

I like all the positional changes, bar Dewar playing in defence. All of his best football has come playing either wing or half forward. I feel like playing defence is a waste of his talents.

He's probably the most talented small/medium forward we have on our list.

 

[FKASC]

• I saw Lindsay flub a couple of short passes

Sack Clarke

 

[TY24]

Meanwhile their pleb former teammates back home get to train in this

View attachment 2488678

Melbourne is not a real place

 

[Truly Lazuli]

Today'a Training Report from the West.

https://archive.md/AGjN4

Not a bad read but pales in comparison those from LittleFires and Keys

Summery:

Duursma training as a Mid
CDT training as a 3rd Tall Forward
Tom Mcarthy training as a MID
Barnet had knee brace off, slowly progressing
Baily Williams must be hampered by some injury - top speed is walking.
Flynny a bit sore and received some physio work.
Bo Allen, Hutch, Hammer competing for wing spots. Judging by what I've read from all training reports Allen and Hamish are so far looking the best chances for round 1 and are setting standards.
Baker and Harley Reid physical during drills.

Summery is right, it's f#cking hot!