Training Pre-Season Training '25 - '26

[ghostdog]

Thought I'd start this for any discussion about pre-season training stuff, because I chanced upon the post below on social media: McGrath apparently leading junior players through a session. Redman and Langford also there, but no Merrett.

Nguyen, Kako, El Hawli, Johnson among the juniors there.

 

[Cold Sober]

Has anyone been injured yet.

 

[Dons4days]

Has anyone been injured yet.

Aside from the coach?

 

[thebigboy]

Nguyen, Kako, El Hawli, Johnson among the juniors there.

Those 4 seem to be training together as well. They were running laps at Windy Hill last Friday morning

 

[ghostdog]

Those 4 seem to be training together as well. They were running laps at Windy Hill last Friday morning

Great signs

 

[Maxabillions]

Looks like we’re finally scooping up the dog shit on side oval.

 

[ghostdog]

 

[rumply]

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Assume that was planned long ago and this isn't a reaction to all the injuries?

Read that AFLW team also had 4 ACLs this season. 8 in a club in a season!! That's got to be a record

 

[dank420_]

Assume that was planned long ago and this isn't a reaction to all the injuries?

i wouldn't assume that

 

[ghostdog]

 

[fairbump_playon]

Ooof turns out he’s a star ️

I really do want him to succeed. We need to start getting some wins out of these high picks. If Perkins and Tsatas can be salvaged and Reid gets healthy, life looks a lot better

 

[ghostdog]

Ooof turns out he’s a star ️

I really do want him to succeed. We need to start getting some wins out of these high picks. If Perkins and Tsatas can be salvaged and Reid gets healthy, life looks a lot better

His kicking looks good here. I'd really like to see some contact training, or drills where he has to absorb the contact and then dispose.

 

[MiguelM]

Sped up like a Benny Hill clip!

 

[jctrout]

interesting seeing how they've corrected the kicking action by taking the high back lift away from him. Reminds me of the advice Fevola got about the one-hand drop technique, just cutting out the unnecessary parts of the technique to bare bones. Tsatas definitely got the low direct penetration over 30m now. Good on him for putting the effort in!

 

[joey_jo_jo]

One thing you have to give tsatas credit for is he really is willing to put in the work (from memory Scott heaped praise on him for this at start of the season).
Hope it all clicks for him next season.

 

[astrowizzle]

I still believe there's a excellent player in there

Of he can maintain that moving action that's 1000% better than it was. He has great hands.

Needs to put on a few more kg but

 

[Blind Turn]

His kicking looks good here. I'd really like to see some contact training, or drills where he has to absorb the contact and then dispose.

This is the issue with him for sure. When the heat is on he seems to fall back into bad habits, ballooning his kicks or messing up his ball drop. The problem is that most of his possessions are taken under pressure in the heat of the contest. If his spread into space was equally as good we might see the benefit of the time put into his kicking when he gets some time to settle out in space. However, if every kick he gets is through congestion we might still see the frustrating errors. They need to be working on his spread from the contest as much as his kicking.

 

[ant555]

Watching this for the first time.
Fact is his little short kicks at an easy pace have never been a massive issue. Even the 30 meter ones at half pace. The issue has always been he loses the timing when he tries to kick long or on the run at speed.
In the video you can still see the little pause in his kicking action that makes a difference when he tries to kick the ball harder or at speed.
Also watching it he is not really working on a weakness as such. Everyone knows he is very clean at ground level and is good with his hands. I would have liked to see him working with the bags and picking the footy up and clearing out under a bit of pressure as you mentioned.

Not having a crack Ghosty just commenting on the video

 

[ghostdog]

This is the issue with him for sure. When the heat is on he seems to fall back into bad habits, ballooning his kicks or messing up his ball drop. The problem is that most of his possessions are taken under pressure in the heat of the contest. If his spread into space was equally as good we might see the benefit of the time put into his kicking when he gets some time to settle out in space. However, if every kick he gets is through congestion we might still see the frustrating errors. They need to be working on his spread from the contest as much as his kicking.

Agree. This vid shows promise though, and if anything, I love the kid's work ethic.

 

[cobra land]

This is the issue with him for sure. When the heat is on he seems to fall back into bad habits, ballooning his kicks or messing up his ball drop. The problem is that most of his possessions are taken under pressure in the heat of the contest. If his spread into space was equally as good we might see the benefit of the time put into his kicking when he gets some time to settle out in space. However, if every kick he gets is through congestion we might still see the frustrating errors. They need to be working on his spread from the contest as much as his kicking.

I think that once he gets the confidence in his own ability to play at the highest level these issues will hopefully be a thing of the past .

He's a young kid who is playing in the most contested part of the ground with a lightish frame and just wondering if you're good enough against the star quality that's in there, it would be daunting.

He hasn't got the poise just yet to hold onto it a fraction longer and not just flick out or boot it forward, when he builds that confidence I think we will see a different player.

FWIW, you gotta love his work ethic and his pick up of the ball below the knees is elite..

 

[jmoo wan]

**** yeah!!! Tsatsis carving it up on the training track!!

how good is preseason!

 

[joey_jo_jo]

**** yeah!!! Tsatsis carving it up on the training track!!

how good is preseason!

Its the best time of the year!

 

[Duckworth]

Its the best time of the year!

It's the most wonderful time... of the year. Sorry Christmas.

 

[fairbump_playon]

It's the most wonderful time... of the year. Sorry Christmas.

It’s ok, Christmas is part of preseason