Training Saints preseason 2026

[hangdog]

The sign (and old grain bin) is in the Southern Riverina region of NSW.

Great area. We used to travel to Cootamundra to play footy against the Blues and it was the most looked forward to weekend of the season. They were great hosts and the after match pub session was always brilliant.

 

[saintmike65]

Surely Carroll would be more a flanker than a lockdown? I don't think I've ever seen him lockdown on a player before and I feel like his speed, kicking, and burst is more suited to rebounding. Good height at 188cm too so can do a bit of intercepting without having to be too accountable

When building my best 23s its always that Nas replacement at HB that I have no clue who it might be to fill in whether its Clark/Hastie so I feel like there's definitely a hole there

I can defo see a backline in this sort of mould:

Stocker Howard Wilkie
Sincs JSOS Carroll
Tauru - I/C

LOC as a mid screams Steele replacement as that big-bodied defensive mid who can tag. I still hope he asserts himself as a lockdown defender and that this midfield stuff is still to just develop his offensive game. Probably hints at releasing Windy as a ball-winning mid, and Boxshall to remain on a wing with Wood pushing forward - as you reported too

Not sure where Wood fits in the forward half...already have Owens, Sharman and Phillipou as hybrid size plus 3 smalls & King/Marshall/Keeler/Caminiti as talls.

 

[Rogue Warrior]

Not sure where Wood fits in the forward half...already have Owens, Sharman and Phillipou as hybrid size plus 3 smalls & King/Marshall/Keeler/Caminiti as talls.

I’m hoping he’s back on the wing. His height and aerial ability is a real point of difference that we missed last year with him having to play forward.
His ability to get back and intercept and then sneak forward in transition and hit the scoreboard had him in AA squad contention in 2024.

 

[Moquo]

Elvis is their PT from what the guys sending codes over the number stations have been telling me.

Elvis left when we stopped ordering peanut butter by the pallet load, and Carroll pinched his smokes

 

[akaifu]

Not sure where Wood fits in the forward half...already have Owens, Sharman and Phillipou as hybrid size plus 3 smalls & King/Marshall/Keeler/Caminiti as talls.

Several players who we'd assume should be best 23 will be on the fringes next year - that's just the reality of having good depth

I was just going off what Joff reported which was Wood training forward

I still think his best position is wing though so we'll see I guess

 

[SaintsofSteel]

I’m hoping he’s back on the wing. His height and aerial ability is a real point of difference that we missed last year with him having to play forward.
His ability to get back and intercept and then sneak forward in transition and hit the scoreboard had him in AA squad contention in 2024.

Mason had to play forward a lot more than wing, but he didnt look the same player this year. I dont know whether its age or the couple of bad knocks he received, but he seemed to lose a bit of his edge. Thats not writing him off, but just to suggest he wasnt at the same level he had been in past years.

Thats the beauty of the depth we now have, players like Wood, Butler and Hill will have to fight for their spots as we have kids coming through putting pressure on them.

People have seen Liam Ryan as another automatic inclusion, I beg to differ. I know Im an outlier and he is capable of spectacular things, but he goes missing in games far too often for me. He is another who should be made to work hard for his position in the side, rather than be gifted games because he is new tradee. He has the tools we need in a small forward, but I want to see him as hungry as he has ever been now he has landed.

 

[akaifu]

 

[Mystifly]

I went to quite a few VFL matches last year, and my biggest knock on O'Connell was his running patterns, and that was why he was put behind the ball as a lockdown to develop. When he moved into the midfield he wasn't necessarily playing a LOCkdown role, but was playing as that bigger bodied mid, which we didn't have any of in the magoos.

He is a born leader with his hard edge and is one of the most vocal on the field, so having those guys around the ball will set a standard of what is expected from the rest of the team. I can definitely see him playing midfield though, as he was showing really good signs towards the end of the season for the Zebs.

 

[CursingFijian]

Jack Carroll

 

[CursingFijian]

Alix Tauru

 

[CursingFijian]

[PLAYERCARD]Dougal Howard[/PLAYERCARD] v Sam Flanders

 

[stfan]

I can't remember but he scored a few goals so I assumed he was camping up front when not running end to end. From memory one was a contest but the others were being on the end of others getting the ball to him. His game was overshadowed by Boxshall straight arming Paddy Cripps but he looked really good.

Pretty sure he was running end to end Wood like and just timed it well to get two easy goals from the result of a lot of hard running

 

[Moral Decay]

Biggest thing nobody has commented on from my report is Carroll with the backs and LOC in the mids.
Maybe JC a Webster replacement. LOC seemed alot more filled out as well.

What are the various Carroll vs Stocker attributes.
................................... 22 vs 26
...............................188cm vs 184
Legs speed (?) will be a big deal as Stocker looks slow and truck like.
Contest?
Reading the flight?
Disposal?

 

[SaintsSeptember]

What are the various Carroll vs Stocker attributes.
................................... 22 vs 26
...............................188cm vs 184
Legs speed (?) will be a big deal as Stocker looks slow and truck like.
Contest?
Reading the flight?
Disposal?

Injury Status.

Carrol. ( will be 23 before Stocker is 26 ), seems to be able to win a few more clearances.
His first game ever must be amongst his best . ( Dean Polo syndrome ).

I liked aspects of his game, but he seems to spend more time injured than Max King.

 

[Joffaboy]

Not sure where Wood fits in the forward half...already have Owens, Sharman and Phillipou as hybrid size plus 3 smalls & King/Marshall/Keeler/Caminiti as talls.

We have prepared to a change of winger with the draftees we have picked up over the past couple of years. Wood has been tremendous over the 5 years, but he is getting near the end. Been a fantastic get for a DFA. When he retires I really hope he stays around the club in some capacity.

 

[Joffaboy]

Several players who we'd assume should be best 23 will be on the fringes next year - that's just the reality of having good depth

I was just going off what Joff reported which was Wood training forward

I still think his best position is wing though so we'll see I guess

TBF, there really wasn't a scope for wingers with the half field drills being conducted. He was spreading wide but so were many others.

 

[Sully111]

I really hope this kid makes it.

 

[akaifu]

I really hope this kid makes it.

He will mate, he will

Just needs time

 

[saintmike65]

What are the various Carroll vs Stocker attributes.
................................... 22 vs 26
...............................188cm vs 184
Legs speed (?) will be a big deal as Stocker looks slow and truck like.
Contest?
Reading the flight?
Disposal?

I'm very much in the stocker is slow camp & surprised so many have him best 23.
Carrol has some good attributes, however watching him at training last season I'm concerned about his durability.
He seemed to leave training early too often, plus he missed a fair bit of footy at Cartlon.

 

[Mr_R0b0t]

I went to quite a few VFL matches last year, and my biggest knock on O'Connell was his running patterns, and that was why he was put behind the ball as a lockdown to develop. When he moved into the midfield he wasn't necessarily playing a LOCkdown role, but was playing as that bigger bodied mid, which we didn't have any of in the magoos.

He is a born leader with his hard edge and is one of the most vocal on the field, so having those guys around the ball will set a standard of what is expected from the rest of the team. I can definitely see him playing midfield though, as he was showing really good signs towards the end of the season for the Zebs.

Great summary Mys, I do know RTB really rates him

 

[SainterinSydney]

He will mate, he will

Just needs time

He is like a blonde Pou. You can see he is confident and will leave no stone unturned. As I said previously, Lenny loves him.

 

[Darrian Barnett]

Stocker is slow, but he's tough and an incredible read of the footy.

So many highlights of him leaving his man to make a goal saving, bone crunching tackle

 

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

doubled his muscles mass, still skinny as fek but good effort

 

[saintmike65]

Wouldn’t surprise me if McLachlan joins the board in the next few years.

A flourishing career at Tabcorp and a few years separation from being the CEO of the AFL.

Heir apparent to Bassett??

 

[Diehard Saint]

Heir apparent to Bassett??

Hopefully not just yet.
Give Bassat some more time to see some of the fruits of his labours.

I’m probably nowhere near it, but Gil seems a bit like a smooth mover for me, Bassat more the don’t-give-a-continental scrapper.