Training 2026 Preseason Thread

[Sneh]

Have we won by 10 goals yet

 

[Jamurp]

Very ‘fold the club’ areas with North Melbourne, grim.

Glad to hear we looked okay today, no idea how we managed to lock Kozzie down, one of the few reasons I kept watching us last season.

 

[SSSSSS]

Who's the bloke in the Batman mask?

 

[Bluelegs]

Who's the bloke in the Batman mask?

Luker Kentfield

 

[SSSSSS]

Luker Kentfield

Liked the look of him but I also just kinda like Batman.

 

[Sneh]

Luker Doncic

 

[Bluelegs]

Liked the look of him but I also just kinda like Batman.

He finished off his VFL season well last year. Few of us were hoping he'd get a call up.

 

[TheBoss]

For the draft watchers, how was Latrelle in 2024?

He already looks comfortable at this level and I am just trying to figure out how Port let him slip through their NGA.

 

[PerfectFooty]

I watched the game after work on delay, so please enjoy my scribbling as the match unfolded

JVR using speed!? running away taking the advantage
quarter 1, seem to be first to the ball, slick at ground level, defence setup really well
sparrows kick across ground to cj to open up the ground, very good
Howes had a good first quarter
Moose has looked okay in the ruck, had a great hitout against Xerri in one early centre throw up, as i write another great one down to Pickett late clear out the front
Good intent by Jefferson late to put the heat on and tackle
First to the ball really making north panic, giving away frees
Rush kick from Kolt out of defence turned back over the Larkey

nice intercept at half back from kolt
noticably trying to hit targets at and around the 50 arc
kolt second efforts to win the ball from a spill from a dangerouns inside kick in defensive 50, good
great pressure in the forward 50, Kentfield absolutely bowled someone over
giving the hanballs and generating more run
a lot of short quick kick ins before anything longer, might be to do with the new shorter timing on kick ins

WE WIN THE DEFENDING SCENARIO!!!

half time, haven't noticed intra club heros Windsor or Jefferson a lot
jvr should have makred jeffersons kick, but pickett with elite crumb
handballs coming through the middle our weighted forward to advantage, pickett goal starts with Linsday's kick taking the advantage, k pickett getting three follow up plays
Salem looked in board, but just a meh kick
k pickett never giving up on that ldu tackle
impressive crashing the pack mark my moose in the third, good following switch that gives k pickett a shot
the two little bounce pats by k pickett to himself, taking the piss this quarter
kentfields desperation to win the footy is noticable as is his leap
Defending okay while looking more fatigued, but still using the space when it opens up naturally
Sharp's rundown tackle was fantastic
idk how coleman-jones didn't give away front on contact
L pickett has to be a lock for round 1
moose does well to back into packs and put his body where it needs to be for the team
xerri very frustrated, Heath hasn't won hands down, but as troubled him
Langford has been quiet around the wing


Taylor on the ground, like his attack at the mark. Wanted to come out and make a statement
Nice goal from Kolt, flushed it
Harvey Langford has entered the chat, forward tap from Moose was great
Xerri is going to lose his shit seeing Moose just drift forward uncontested
jvr seems more agile?
Langford has had a good final quarter playing more in the guts

WE WIN THE ATTACKING SCENARIO!!!
Sad day for north where they lost so hard they lost three times over

 

[schmuttt]

Kozzy obviously a level above anyone else on the ground. Thought our unheralded talls (Kentfield and Heath) were pretty good, as were our tall backs. Liked Tholstrup at half back, made a couple mistakes but that role suits him so much more than half forward. Steele was solid and I liked Chandlers game also, used it well.

Windsor was unsighted but not too worried as he has shown he can play good footy at AFL level, Jefferson and JVR though I thought were pretty poor without much pressure at all - if they're not going to play well against a horrid opposition like that in years 4-5 respectively I'm not sure if they ever will.

 

[Crimson Azure]

I'm not gonna say we're winning the flag just yet.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Kozzy obviously a level above anyone else on the ground. Thought our unheralded talls (Kentfield and Heath) were pretty good, as were our tall backs. Liked Tholstrup at half back, made a couple mistakes but that role suits him so much more than half forward. Steele was solid and I liked Chandlers game also, used it well.

Windsor was unsighted but not too worried as he has shown he can play good footy at AFL level, Jefferson and JVR though I thought were pretty poor without much pressure at all - if they're not going to play well against a horrid opposition like that in years 4-5 respectively I'm not sure if they ever will.

I thought JVR was just alright, Jefferson I'm agreed

 

[PerfectFooty]

North board is very entertaining reading as you'd expect, just as praccy game last year

 

[Daemon]

Not reading today's comments and halfway through watching the game impressions:

• JVR looks great slimmed down
• Ball movement is very fun and entertaining, didn't give a crap if we lose every week of we play like this
• Pickett cousins = fun
• Defense looks shaky but understandable being pretty inexperienced
• Good endeavour for a praccy. Not giving up.
• Heath looks a good ruck and Xerri sucks not being able to just monster other rucks. Love the change.
• Just love how attacking we are
• We are the best team in the world and can't be beaten

Stay tuned for final siren impressions

 

[Daemon]

Oh and we have Zorro on our team. How can we lose with Zorro?

 

[space_cowboy]

Oh and we have Zorro on our team. How can we lose with Zorro?

Great nickname. Hope it sticks.

 

[Sneh]

I'm not gonna say we're winning the flag just yet.

Coz Norf are?

 

[Crimson Azure]

Coz Norf are?

It will be a scintillating grand final.

 

[Daemon]

End game impressions without reading thread:

• We still suck at goal kicking
• Koz is worth absolutely every cent. Superstar
• Mask of Zorro should be rotated between all players each week just to add mystique to the team (I still don't know who this player was)
• Quick ball movement isn't always pretty but by crikey it's fun, and more importantly gives opportunities
• 1:1 defenders aren't great. Really miss a May type. Team defense is still relatively strong.
• Latrelle is raw but exciting
• Heath just might be the best trade we got from last year (and Steele was handy too). Inspired.
• Trac/Oliver/Viney who? Centre looks great.
• Umps are massively trigger happy. Put that bloody whistle away. Got the rub of the green today on some iffy calls.
• It's just so nice to play with freedom and not the stifling boring Goody way.
• We are never losing again.

Most positive I've been for footy for a long time. Thanks sKing.

 

[Charlie_s123]

Just watched the highlights. I don't want to wish too hard but I'm hoping for a 2018-esque kind of building year. Looked pretty bloody fun tbh (oppo notwithstanding).

 

[Daemon]

the melts on the North board are hilarious

This is my next stop after catching up on this thread. What a great night.

 

[Bluelegs]

Just watched the highlights. I don't want to wish too hard but I'm hoping for a 2018-esque kind of building year. Looked pretty bloody fun tbh (oppo notwithstanding).

Love the rebuilding years where we make a prelim.

 

[MartinPrince]

Latrelles bounces and evasiveness is exciting to say the least, but the hitting of targets inside 50 especially to Batman at the end wow!

 

[MartinPrince]

I'd be pretty livid if I were a North fan, it's the same old stuff under Clarko (4th year?). People say it's just a sim or praccy game but that kinda effort can be a membership killer.

 

[mrmonkey]

Only seen a bit of the first quarter. Really liked what I saw ball movement wise. Not sure what to expect from north though. They were horrible against us last year and then pumped us round 2. I do agree that for teams that have struggled for some time you'd want to see something exciting in these games even if it's just sims.