Bigman’s Training Reports

[AFC979810]

Great to hear that Nank looks in fine form. Really want to see him in our best 23 in 2026. Adds some X factor.

 

[conVINCEd]

Love your work, bigman.

I like that they’re trying Cook in a new position to give him every chance.

I love that we’ve got Curtin in the centre clearance crew.

Would really like us to move Hinge onto the wing, enabled Curtin to focus on being a midfielder while retaining a long-kicking left footer for that wing spot.

Plus I’d like Bond to come in as our lock-down defender to release the shackles from Michalanney.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Love your work, bigman.

I like that they’re trying Cook in a new position to give him every chance.

I love that we’ve got Curtin in the centre clearance crew.

Would really like us to move Hinge onto the wing, enabled Curtin to focus on being a midfielder while retaining a long-kicking left footer for that wing spot.

Plus I’d like Bond to come in as our lock-down defender to release the shackles from Michalanney.

Agreed.

We should be trialling our A team missing key players (in the B team) to try different combinations, so we have backup options come the season.

 

[1970crow]

Agreed.

We should be trialling our A team missing key players (in the B team) to try different combinations, so we have backup options come the season.

Instead we get a false sense of confidence that our systems work because an AFL team beats up on an SANFL team. I’ll never understand why we don’t sometimes run AFL backline against the AFL forward line. And flip the midfields around, so the forwards get to play ahead of both clean and dirty entries.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Instead we get a false sense of confidence that our systems work because an AFL team beats up on an SANFL team. I’ll never understand why we don’t sometimes run AFL backline against the AFL forward line. And flip the midfields around, so the forwards get to play ahead of both clean and dirty entries.

Pretty sure last year we did often play our A forwards against defenders.

I understand why they want to keep the A team together for some sessions, but they should be mixing it up more for different scenarios.

 

[rabidcrow]

Don't get me wrong, we've always had a "make decisions to win the next game, not the long-term" mentality. But last year they turned it into a catchphrase. They had this whole thing about how they had gotten ahead of themselves previously, focusing too much on the finals, and had lost sight of the task in front of them. So now they were only ever focusing on the next match.

Somehow, the obvious solution of focusing on both was lost to them.

The number of our players who played all games or missed one or two was similar to all other clubs that played finals. Consistency is a key reason teams finish near the top.
One of our key issues remain that our best young players are a couple years younger than other teams. Gold Coast and Freo have risen on the back of 2017-2019 drafts. We are rising on the back of 2020-2023 drafts and had an unfortunate pairing of X factor players out

 

[Scorpus]

Unfortunately for Nank I just can't see who the club would replace in our defense so that he can play half back

 

[1990crow]

Unfortunately for Nank I just can't see who the club would replace in our defense so that he can play half back

Could be a build towards 2027 thing to replace Laird.

 

[Apsaalooke]

Unfortunately for Nank I just can't see who the club would replace in our defense so that he can play half back

Laird 23rd man, transitioning to SANFL Crows, Westies then back to Kenilworth where it all started.

 

[Fud#3]

Just imagine having a game plan where you attack down the middle of the ground and get it into our forward line as fast as you can.
You would think that would be a winning move.

The 'around the boundary' game plan seems very risk adverse
It appears that we are always too afraid of a turnover

I'm no AFL coach, but do you think that might be because other coaches congestion the middle of the ground defensively because they know it's dangerous when they just let teams "attack down the middle of the ground and get it into their forward lines as fast as they can"?

 

[BRL121]

Could be a build towards 2027 thing to replace Laird.

He's not a back pocket. Bond would be a better Laird "replacement".

 

[Fud#3]

He's not a back pocket. Bond would be a better Laird "replacement".

I prefer him as a tagging mid or Starcevich type.

 

[Scorpus]

Could be a build towards 2027 thing to replace Laird.

Laird 23rd man, transitioning to SANFL Crows, Westies then back to Kenilworth where it all started.

Seems optimistic to me. I don't expect Laird to retire this year

 

[1990crow]

Seems optimistic to me. I don't expect Laird to retire this year

I don't either, but 2027 he shouldn't be automatic.

 

[Mostyn]

Seems optimistic to me. I don't expect Laird to retire this year

You'd assume Laird is getting at least a year's extension, if not two.

 

[AFC979810]

Unfortunately for Nank I just can't see who the club would replace in our defense so that he can play half back

Would prefer him a bit further up the ground.

 

[arrowman]

You'd assume Laird is getting at least a year's extension, if not two.

He turns 33 at the end of 2026. I wouldn't assume an extension, certainly not 2 years.

 

[Fud#3]

Would prefer him a bit further up the ground.

I think wing can be his spot, he's got decent speed, evasion and is good overhead

 

[Huntercrow]

I think wing can be his spot, he's got decent speed, evasion and is good overhead

Hopefully his brain fades in the past season are sorted.

 

[1970crow]

Pretty sure last year we did often play our A forwards against defenders.

I understand why they want to keep the A team together for some sessions, but they should be mixing it up more for different scenarios.

I don’t. What’s the point of practicing your transitions against a non-competitive opponent? You want the transition to break down so you can test your defensive function in general play. Playing against a side that you’d thump by 30 goals teaches you nothing whatsoever.

 

[1970crow]

Unfortunately for Nank I just can't see who the club would replace in our defense so that he can play half back

Same with Cook, training in a role with a 5 man depth chart.

 

[1970crow]

Seems optimistic to me. I don't expect Laird to retire this year

I expect Laird to have his hand up for leadership group this year.

 

[1970crow]

You'd assume Laird is getting at least a year's extension, if not two.

He won’t get 2, he was rested this year, but 100% he’s getting one. If Tex could t get 2 after an AA year, Laird is zero hope.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I don’t. What’s the point of practicing your transitions against a non-competitive opponent? You want the transition to break down so you can test your defensive function in general play. Playing against a side that you’d thump by 30 goals teaches you nothing whatsoever.

The main team should spend some training sessions playing together for transitions learning game plans... but imo should be mixed up with strongest forwards v defenders for other sessions too.

Also, all players on the fringe should have sessions with the A team so they are ready for when they are called up. We should also have our ruckmen swap teams.

 

[cmndstab]

The main team should spend some training sessions playing together for transitions learning game plans... but imo should be mixed up with strongest forwards v defenders for other sessions too.

Also, all players on the fringe should have sessions with the A team so they are ready for when they are called up. We should also have our ruckmen swap teams.

I would say that we should be spending roughly 50% of our training with A vs B teams, and 50% of the time with even teams. And the performance of fringe players in those even teams should have an impact on who is in the A team next time.