Training 2026 Training Reports

[Karanicolas]

Recent round 1 returns for LDU

25- 20 disposals 2 goals 5 clearances

24 - 29 disposals 2 goal assists 6 tackles 8 clearances

23 - 32 disposals 1 goal 10 clearances

22 - 27 disposals 9 tackles 5 clearances

He started 2025 slowish but I wouldn’t have thought LDU’s early season form was an issue

LOL!! Can’t argue with the facts.

 

[HumphreyBBear]

How about LDU? Haven't heard much about him lately..

He's quite a good player, Rod.

 

[Gasometer]

Simpkin

 

[DuckYeah]

All depends how we broke up. Certainly stood by the rehabs and from memory we told him in his draft year when he went down to focus on recovery as we planned to draft him.

Second chance is a nice story I guess.

When a player has belief, or knows in their own ability and then a club tossed you out, you can become disjointed. I guess its a similar circumstance to Mason. All us knew he could play, we all knew Flyn can play… so I guess it depends on the intrinsic nature.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Official request that we start referring to Brayden George as "George2" or something.

 

[Psi-Roos]

Official request that we start referring to Brayden George as "George2" or something.

Something like George B could be a go.

 

[RooInNorthLondon]

Saracens rugby team here in England had a sports science guy who incorporated some Tai Chi forms and elements of Pilates into individual training regimes for players with a history of soft tissue injuries. They saw significant improvement in his time (he is in USA now at some College). I am always surprised more teams do not try this. If players have balance/core imbalance issues contributing to injuries this could improve things.

 

[maddiemelb]

You’ve already had the awesome club shots but here’s a few extra for anyone interested!

 

[giantroo]

Any issue or just loading?

Loading.

 

[giantroo]

I'm not a psychotherapist but at a guess

The athlete, a [Age]-year-old male, presented with acute-onset pain in the posterior right thigh during the final phase of high-intensity sprinting drills. The patient reported a "popping" sensation followed by immediate functional limitation. There was no direct contact or external trauma involved.

Low grade hammy strain.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Low grade hammy strain.

Eulogies premature...

 

[zoomba23]

Eulogies premature...

Not exactly premature, just misplaced. At this rate, there will be a squeeze point where we decide he isn't worth the trouble anymore. Probably at the end of the year. Any strain/minor injury for him is a hammer blow at this point. Any long term injury is the Reaper's axe

 

[Ura]

As a group of supporters where do we see Duurs fitting I. This year if he breaks into best 23. Role and stats.

If he averages 15 and 1 it would be a massive year for him. I honestly love the ball in his hands in big moments so how to see that.

 

[zoomba23]

As a group of supporters where do we see Duurs fitting I. This year if he breaks into best 23. Role and stats.

If he averages 15 and 1 it would be a massive year for him. I honestly love the ball in his hands in big moments so how to see that.

Lead-up forward who gets a couple of shots at goal per game. Something similar to what he did in his second game. Which was in the neighbourhood of the stats you've given.

Best outcome for him as it stands would be a Zurhaar injury

 

[speedy]

Reports suggesting Dawson, Goad & Whitlock all struggled is not great.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Reports suggesting Dawson, Goad & Whitlock all struggled is not great.

Whitlock is not a forward

But due to our inept list management is being played out of position

Dawson always seems lost other than the Darcy game

 

[Passmore]

Reports suggesting Dawson, Goad & Whitlock all struggled is not great.

Goad was schooled by one of the premier ruckmen in the comp. X will put more seasoned players to the sword this year.

Whitlock moved well. Showed some class on occasions. Needs to get stronger. Work in progress. Looks like a natural forward.

Dawson got towelled by Darling. Had the lesser VFL types under control.

 

[kanga kanga kanga]

Goad was schooled by one of the premier ruckmen in the comp. X will put more seasoned players to the sword this year.

Whitlock moved well. Showed some class on occasions. Needs to get stronger. Work in progress. Looks like a natural forward.

Dawson got towelled by Darling. Had the lesser VFL types under control.

Fair enough, xerri is a weapon.

Can’t expect much more from Whitlock at this stage

I’m not to worried about Dawson losing to one of the most underrated forwards of the last decade and a 300+ gamer, in his 2nd year.

 

[Passmore]

Fair enough, xerri is a weapon.

Can’t expect much more from Whitlock at this stage

I’m not to worried about Dawson losing to one of the most underrated forwards of the last decade and a 300+ gamer, in his 2nd year.

There’ll be a moment, maybe not this year or next, when Goad sits X on his arse. But he needs to get stronger. For the time being, he can learn off the best.

 

[Makeshift Park]

Lead-up forward who gets a couple of shots at goal per game.

But a Zurhaar injury aside, who drops out of our forward line to accomodate him?

Larkey and Curtis are all locks. Zurhaar too.
Then there’s one of Trembath and Darling, and at least one of Banch and Dovaston.
Leaves one on-field position.

You could minimise Powell and Jy’s forward rotations, but then does Tommy get selected at all? If there’s confidence that Wardlaw, Parker, LDU, Sheeze and FOS are enough midfielders to run out a game, I suppose that’s one option.

In the long run, I guess he’ll take Parker’s spot, but it’s impossible to see a fit and firing Parker get dropped early this season.

Otherwise the closest like-for-like position-wise is Bull. But it’d be quite the statement to see him dropped for Duurs.

 

[zoomba23]

So who drops out of our forward line to accomodate him?

Larkey and Curtis are all locks. Zurhaar too.
Then there’s one of Trembath and Darling, and at least one of Banch and Dovaston.
Leaves one on-field position.

You could minimise Powell and Jy’s forward rotations, but then does Tommy get selected at all? If there’s confidence that Wardlaw, Parker, LDU, Sheeze and FOS are enough midfielders to run out a game, I suppose that’s one option.

In the long run, I guess he’ll take Parker’s spot, but it’s impossible to see a fit and firing Parker get dropped early this season.

Otherwise the closest like-for-like position-wise is Bull. But it’d be quite the statement to see him dropped for Duurs.

Hence why I said the best case scenario for him is a Zurhaar injury.

He'll have to just put in and hope. He's more talented than Zurhaar for sure, so if he puts in, things will move for him, but at the moment Zurhaar works harder and comes off as less of a diva, though they're both lacking defensively.

I'd be ok with a Powell omission for Duursma if Duursma is showing hunger in the 2s/pre-season training.

Parker is another factor, as you say; he's at an age now where the game might catch up to him at any moment. I mean it already has outside the stoppage, but he definitely did enough last year to keep his spot

 

[Shinboner1]

Reports suggesting Dawson, Goad & Whitlock all struggled is not great.

What do you expect when they've basically played 0 games of afl and development isnt our strong point.

 

[spicerFanClub]

Goad got beaten when X was there, but gave Darling a bath in turn. Was impressed with his ball handling, including a passage where he scooped up the ball easily at his feet and handed it off. Looks bigger, cleaner and better skilled that last year. Was lagging behind the other big men later in the drills, so clearly has a bit to work on in his tank.

A good observation amongst the despair in comments around Goad getting towelled - he is up against the best/second best ruck in the competition. Also need to consider how long it took X to hit his stride against Goldy.

 

[DuckYeah]

How about LDU? Haven't heard much about him lately..

Dont you worry about LDU. Will be next level this year

 

[Passmore]

If Duursma can build on today, it'll be more a matter of fitting on players around him, not vice versa.