Training Training reports 2024

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I don't think the Wardlaw possession stats are accurate.
I thought no tackles was weird... maybe they have accidentally swapped some players around or something?

Omg I just noticed that they gave Robbie Hansen jnr 0% disposal efficiency. That's hilarious, but surely it can't be right either.
 
I thought no tackles was weird... maybe they have accidentally swapped some players around or something?

Omg I just noticed that they gave Robbie Hansen jnr 0% disposal efficiency. That can't be right either.
Its written up by a dude at home on the couch watching kayo. There's not exactly a whole lot of data integrity going on there.

Champion Data step up for the next round of preseason matches.
 
AFL
Ralph: Amid chaos at North Melbourne, Nick Larkey can be a beacon of hope
It’s been dark times at North Melbourne both on and off the field in recent years, but a locked-down goalkicking machine could be the one to lead them into the light, writes JON RALPH.



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Nick Larkey is the hero North Melbourne needs right now.

Fresh from a five goal haul against premiers Collingwood in last week’s pre-season tune-up, he could be hawking his services to rivals as footy’s biggest free agent of 2024.

Instead, after sacrificing his free agency rights last June to sign a new five-season deal, his loyalty still has rival list managers shaking their heads in amazement.

Sydney and Essendon went extremely hard at the North Melbourne full forward, with Sydney several times raising their offer significantly as they sought a Lance Franklin replacement.

Western Bulldogs defender Aaron Naughton got a 10-year offer from the Swans too, which helped leverage his own eight-year Dogs extension.



Larkey was firing early in the pre-season. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
But Larkey could have backed up the truck and escaped Victoria’s worst-performing side.

In 2019 Larkey played 17 games and the Roos won nine of them.

But in total he has a meagre 20 total career wins in 94 games – and just 11 in his last 63 games.

And yet the Swans never even got a meeting with Larkey.

As he told the Herald Sun’s Glenn McFarlane last year, he did his list analysis in meetings with Roos officials Todd Viney and Brady Rawlings as he sought detail on their vision for the future.

But as he dealt exclusively with the Roos, he also believed in repaying the faith of a club that chose him when every other team overlooked him as the No. 73 pick in the 2016 national draft.

Like Patrick Cripps at Carlton, subject to so many rival offers he has rebuffed, he saw the virtue in doing the hard yards to find on field success at a single club rather than jumping ship to an immediate contender.

For his reward, a player who kicked an outstanding 71.24 last year is being paid very well by North Melbourne.

This year given the Roos huge cap space he is likely to earn well in excess of his annual seven-figure salary in a front-ended arrangement similar to Ben McKay’s deal at the Roos.

But the Roos will hope the loyalty of Larkey and Jy Simpkin (also signed last year to 2029 in a commendable move) is contagious as they bank cap space for their young stars.


Larkey has continued to dominate even despite the Roos’ struggles. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma can sign extensions past 2026 from round 6 onwards, while Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw last year extended to 2026 but will one day sign massive long-term deals.

In a week where the Roos sacked No. 8 draft pick Tarryn Thomas, their spectacular success with such a late pick in Larkey is another reminder they cannot survive on high-end picks alone.

Larkey’s best mate Zurhaar is a rookie success (and will hopefully recommit this year), while ruckman Tristan Xerri is a pick 72 and father-son pick Bailey Scott was taken at pick 49.

At a club where free agency acquisitions and big trades have been in short supply, those mid-season, summer rookie and late-draft successes are even more vital than at rival clubs.

Thanks to Larkey and Simpkin’s early commitment North Melbourne has 20 players out of contract but only Zurhaar as an early-season priority signing.

It has an administration and football department finally freed from distraction over Thomas’ ongoing sagas for the first time in what seems like forever.

And it has footy’s most innovative 21st-century coach in Alastair Clarkson with the Hawthorn controversy mostly behind him and keen to play a hard-charging “Northball” brand.

As a new season approaches it feels like the fog over Arden Street is finally lifting.

It is fitting that the recipient of that on field improvement – and express-paced ball movement – could be full forward Larkey after his own loyalty when so many clubs came so hard at him.
 

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I didn't get to watch a lot of the first half. Everyone is saying Wardlaw was amazing but obviously his stats are pretty grim from a high % CBA midfielder (9 touches with 66% efficiency in a half and no tackles/marks). What was he doing that got such a positive reception? I assume it must have been something that doesn't show on the stat sheet.

From that sheet it also seems as though Powell was clearly the best of the three 'seconds' midfielders, which is interesting and not what I'd have expected going into the game. Amazing for him, though.

So I just watched the first half. Paying almost exclusive attention to wardlaw.

9 touches seems about right. No tackles was incorrect. 66% efficiency seems about right.

What the stats don’t tell you is how dogged and missile like he was. There were about 5-6 instances when he “almost” won a clearance with explosive manic attack on the footy. Some of these drew audible gasps from the commentators. There were a few instances where he ended up with the footy and play ended and disposal didn’t counts

Kicking wise one of his kicks was a mung helicopter. 2 were short to 50/50 on the run that didn’t come off. The rest was effective.

One thing that stands out when you watch him behind the play is that he struggles running from contest to contest. Frightening to think what he’ll be like with a 20-25% fitness increase in a few years. At the moment this aspect of his game reminds me of cunners.
 
As an aside...this is why Powell is way ahead of Phillips. Will can't do that. No chance.
💯, can't spread offensively and is a liability anywhere other than the contest. Got torched a number of times in the intra club. I'd bet the house he's in the VFL round 1.
 
As an aside...this is why Powell is way ahead of Phillips. Will can't do that. No chance.

No one in the team hits packs like wardlaw. Not Phillips, not powell, not ldu, Simpkin, sheezel, Lazz etc.

Powell is ahead of Phillips at the moment.

Phillips is top 3 clearance player in the team, ahead of Powell.

Phillips, Powell, Lazz, ldu, Simpkin wardlaw, etc all get torched at times.

Phillips and wardlaw are the weakest runners of the group. Powell a little ahead.

I think Phillips, Powell and Lazz all play round 1.

Incidentally, Phillips plays for a full game he gets 26 touches and 12 clearances.
 
No one in the team hits packs like wardlaw. Not Phillips, not powell, not ldu, Simpkin, sheezel, Lazz etc.

Powell is ahead of Phillips at the moment.

Phillips is top 3 clearance player in the team, ahead of Powell.

Phillips, Powell, Lazz, ldu, Simpkin wardlaw, etc all get torched at times.

Phillips and wardlaw are the weakest runners of the group. Powell a little ahead.

I think Phillips, Powell and Lazz all play round 1.

Incidentally, Phillips plays for a full game he gets 26 touches and 12 clearances.
Yeah, the clearance stats against the pies was a bit of an eye opener. Phillips needs to be best 22 I think, and Powell & Lazz seem locks.
 
No one in the team hits packs like wardlaw. Not Phillips, not powell, not ldu, Simpkin, sheezel, Lazz etc.

Powell is ahead of Phillips at the moment.

Phillips is top 3 clearance player in the team, ahead of Powell.

Phillips, Powell, Lazz, ldu, Simpkin wardlaw, etc all get torched at times.

Phillips and wardlaw are the weakest runners of the group. Powell a little ahead.

I think Phillips, Powell and Lazz all play round 1.

Incidentally, Phillips plays for a full game he gets 26 touches and 12 c

No one in the team hits packs like wardlaw. Not Phillips, not powell, not ldu, Simpkin, sheezel, Lazz etc.

Powell is ahead of Phillips at the moment.

Phillips is top 3 clearance player in the team, ahead of Powell.

Phillips, Powell, Lazz, ldu, Simpkin wardlaw, etc all get torched at times.

Phillips and wardlaw are the weakest runners of the group. Powell a little ahead.

I think Phillips, Powell and Lazz all play round 1.

Incidentally, Phillips plays for a full game he gets 26 touches and 12 clearances.
Can't survive the modern game without leg speed or elite endurance. No room in the midfield for blokes that can't run. His lack of speed is what holds him back from playing anywhere else on the park.
 
No one in the team hits packs like wardlaw. Not Phillips, not powell, not ldu, Simpkin, sheezel, Lazz etc.

Powell is ahead of Phillips at the moment.

Phillips is top 3 clearance player in the team, ahead of Powell.

Phillips, Powell, Lazz, ldu, Simpkin wardlaw, etc all get torched at times.

Phillips and wardlaw are the weakest runners of the group. Powell a little ahead.

I think Phillips, Powell and Lazz all play round 1.

Incidentally, Phillips plays for a full game he gets 26 touches and 12 clearances.

I think Will is a pure inside mid which can rotate with wardlaw
 
Why does the myth that will is slow persist? He's absolutely not slow at all
Not a lot of demonstrated pace at senior level I guess?

You don't see him bursting out like LDU or receiving and bounding along like Bailey. He typically covers a small distance then offloads.

It's not a problem but doesn't prove his leg speed either way.
 

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Not a lot of demonstrated pace at senior level I guess?

You don't see him bursting out like LDU or receiving and bounding along like Bailey. He typically covers a small distance then offloads.

It's not a problem but doesn't prove his leg speed either way.
It’s all well and good to ‘test’ fast. But if it isn’t apparent in actual games, it counts for s**t.

As I see it he has pretty good acceleration, but no top end speed.
 
It’s all well and good to ‘test’ fast. But if it isn’t apparent in actual games, it counts for s**t.

As I see it he has pretty good acceleration, but no top end speed.
For a player of Will's type, I want to see him get from contest to contest, with enough time and energy to impact that contest. I'm happy to trade the acceleration to get to each contest and the stamina to get to most contests for top end speed
 
It’s all well and good to ‘test’ fast. But if it isn’t apparent in actual games, it counts for s**t.

As I see it he has pretty good acceleration, but no top end speed.
One of the reasons he wins so many clearances is he gets to the ball first.

That wouldn't happen if he was slow.
 
I thought no tackles was weird... maybe they have accidentally swapped some players around or something?

Omg I just noticed that they gave Robbie Hansen jnr 0% disposal efficiency. That's hilarious, but surely it can't be right either.
Well you would have thought his goal at least registers as an effective disposal LOL
 
Return Of The Jedi Episode 6 GIF


Live stream of Will Phillips' agent.
 

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