Banter Preseason general discussion - The Reigning Premiers Edition

[SloppyJoe]

Mark LeCras going in for more surgery on his wrist. Hope it isn't something that affects his quality of life going forward

It's the reason why he so often went the bump rather than the tackle.

 

[DanWCE]

It's the reason why he so often went the bump rather than the tackle.

Yeah I felt a little bad for all the abuse I yelled at the TV towards him watching those weak tackle efforts. Now it all makes sense. I guess the sheer knowledge, smarts and skills he had meant we were better off playing him at 90% than someone else at 100%.

 

[FKASC]

Stevie Simpson a cheeky chance for R1 I reckon

 

[WCErevival]

Stevie Simpson a cheeky chance for R1 I reckon

Could take Mastens spot on the wing

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

The intraclub will indeed be interesting but good luck getting any worthwhile news out of the club from it

All anyone, including media, has is a date (Feb 22) with no location or start time. They aren’t open and there’s no live or delayed stream

I heard Colin Young ask Brad Sheppard the same question and he responded at 8.30am friday at Lathlain.

 

[Obeanie1]

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Well the new facility is coming on. Can’t wait til it’s finished

Anyway. Training.

As others have said it was a very low key session with no contact work at all and only some fairly generic ball movement drills followed by goal kicking practice. Not much to report back with other than concentrating on who was or wasn’t training

No shows :
• Naitanui - guessing he was at the ninja academy where he’s said he trains on Wednesdays
• Brooksby - I don’t think I’ve seen him at training this year possibly because he’s being a ninja with Nic or perhaps he’s done a Burrows. More likely the former
• Brander - unawares of any issues with pig so no idea why he wasn’t out there
• Duggan - departed early last week and a non starter today despite training on Monday.
• O’Neill - truth be told he was actually there but might as well have been a no show as he didn’t even last until the stretches were complete before leaving. I’m assuming this wasn’t the plan as he did put a GPS tracker on and I’ve no idea why they’d need him to wear one walking from one side of the oval to the other and back

Partial shows :
• Cripps was walking laps on the outer oval as he gets over a toe injury. No surprise with that as the club has all but admitted he will miss the opening round(s)
• Kennedy - also walking laps as the club pulls his training loads back a little. No way of knowing if this is just to manage an older body or if there’s been a setback of some sort
• Shuey - kept JK and Cripps company. Hopefully nothing serious
• Ainsworth - did rehab work away from everyone else. Still not handling the ball too much with his left hand to protect the finger he had operated on. Seadog this is the young guy in the bucket hat you couldn’t recognise. Spent several minutes with Shuey at the end of the session discussing his kicking and footwork

It’s hard to know how serious or otherwise the injuries, if any, are to the above players because
a) the club medicos seem to be ultra cautious to avoid risks during preseason so will pull a player at the slightest hint of a problem and
b) the club is notoriously coy when discussing injuries so if there is a concern with a player don’t hold your breath waiting for any info

Everyone else did the full session including players who had previously been managed like Venables, Yeo, barrass, gov, redden, Cameron, Edwards, Waterman and Williams.

A few random thoughts/observations:
• Barrass is noticeably leaner and is covering the ground better as a result. Looks far more mobile that previous seasons
• I had reservations about how soon Venables would be ready to play but after seeing him do nothing but a bit of running before today he was moving well. At one stage he gathered a half volley pass at bootlace level at 3/4 pace without breaking stride.
• Had a brief chat with the AFL’s WA based reporter, Travis King, at the end of the session. Nice fella, especially for a journo
• Gov might be sitting out contact work but he’s getting his fair share of running in so fitness isn’t going to be an issue for him
• Early on Schofield was jogging a couple of laps of the MCG with Nicoski as company. If you gave them a tin cup each you’d be forgiven for thinking they were a pair of hobos

That’s about it

Waterman back in full training is good to hear after rolling his ankle a few weeks ago.

 

[Balls In]

Schoey and Nicoski are indeed a pair of hobos. Nothing wrong with that, hobos are the US equivalent of waltzing Matilda. + which team ever won a GF without a hobo or two?

Xcuse the tangent but * I love that Schoey is a premiership player!! This list is full of selfless types like him at the periphery of our best 22 who could leave and get more regular games but who choose to be here. This was a major factor in our flag.

 

[Avalor]

It's the reason why he so often went the bump rather than the tackle.

In the GF, there were a couple of instances like that, where he went the bump and not the tackle.
BTW, I watched the replay last night again, this time the triple m version - it's much more complete than the other versions, especially after the contest. I recommend a watch of it.

 

[RanaNaved]

Might take a punt and head down next Friday for the scratchie now that Royal Eagle has leaked the details.

Anyone else going? I don't want be the only one causing a scene

 

[Seadog]

Looking forward to seeing Oscar Allen in the intraclub, he has a basketball background.

I was interested to see Petrucelle bouncing the ball through his legs constantly at training, leads me to believe he has a basketball background as well.

 

[Avalor]

Xcuse the tangent but **** I love that Schoey is a premiership player!! This list is full of selfless types like him at the periphery of our best 22 who could leave and get more regular games but who choose to be here. This was a major factor in our flag.

Schoey is the goods. I was surprised by how big he actually is - seeing him walk down the tunnel in the GF, I thought, wow, look at the shoulders on him, the broadness of his back. JK too, they're monsters.

 

[Chappy McChap]

Xcuse the tangent but **** I love that Schoey is a premiership player!! This list is full of selfless types like him at the periphery of our best 22 who could leave and get more regular games but who choose to be here. This was a major factor in our flag.

HE was a major factor in our flag.

 

[avishka5]

Has the naming rights to Lathlain been given to Brownes?

 

[Avalor]

Has the naming rights to Lathlain been given to Brownes?
View attachment 619979

Interesting pick up.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Prefer Pauls Iced Coffee myself.

 

[Boohemian]

Willie is looking small.

 

[Brolga]

Willie is looking small.

Looks bigger when things get heated and the pressure goes up.

 

[Brolga]

Should have said:

Stands up at the big moments.

 

[Eastcoasteagle]

How's Rotham been training? Just saw his video on eagles app, one I've been excited about his development as was one of the better defenders in his draft years. Living in Vic hard to see his wafl form, but by all reports has been playing on talls rather than hbf.

 

[Avalor]

How's Rotham been training? Just saw he's video on eagles app, one I've been excited about his development as was one of the better defenders in his draft years. Living in Vic hard to see his wafl form, but by all reports has been playing on talls rather than hbf.

I like him a lot too. i hope he has a good run at it this year and makes his debut. A prototype player who is ready to go up a level, I believe.

 

[squashface]

Willie is looking small.

Not the first time someone has told me that

 

[Brolga]

So how many do you think will go watch the WAFL Eagles play?
Great way to see the up and coming players close up.

Does Eagles membership give you ground access or will you need to cough up the $15 each time?
Are there going to be clubrooms for members at Lathlain Park when it is fully up and running?

I think the stand alone reserves team will add as much as the MCG sized oval did to our armamentarium.

 

[dodgie]

Rotham just lacks opportunity I think. Being behind McGovern and Barrass as the primary tall, he's also behind the Goat Schofield. I also think he's trying to play as that defender that can suit up on the third tall or the smalls, aka Sheppard's spot which he'll never be able to take. Then he's also got Nelson and Watson most likely in front of him for games on the smalls.

To stay on the list I think he'll need to dominate as a tall in the WAFL

 

[Dark Sharks]

Never really boarded the Rotham train myself.

Don't like the way we took an athletic rebounding/attacking flanker and tried turning him into a key defender.

I'll be watching him closely this year in the WAFL to see how his development is actually tracking. Clearly earmarked as the Schofield replacement.

 

[garlic munchers]

37 days away.

My word that has gone quick.

But long enough for those wise men in the east to have forgotten how good we were last season.

Not sure there has been a less hyped Premier come into a new season since 1999.