Training Preseason Training Thread - 2026

[Keys]

The below is the OG faux training report from nearly 9 years ago - often imitated but never surpassed

In the absence of Keys I went down for a trundle this morning to check them out on return. Just a few random notes I took down...

• A lot of running work again, clearly a focus even in the heat.
• Duggan looked on and was hitting targets left and right. Set for a huge 2017.
• Giles went up against Vardy in the ruck contests and I'd say that Giles has the inside running at the moment.
• Mitchell looked a class above the other midfielders bar Priddis. Just knew how to find the footy and wouldn't miss a target all session. Shuey was very quiet and seemed to be taking direction from Mitchell. Doesn't bode well for his captaincy credentials, maybe he doesn't want the gig?
• Won't say too much about it in case I was just reading too much into it, but Rioli looked as though he'd enjoyed the Christmas break a bit too much. A few of the coaches pulled him aside and they were having quite an animated conversation before Rioli was sent to do laps for the rest of the session. Good news for Le Cras, I suppose.
• Sheed kicked on his right foot for 80% of the session, I reckon. Nice to see players working on their non-preferred so readily.
• Petrie looked like he was doing a great job 'coaching' the younger forwards in between the drills. Darling in particular seemed to be following him around.
• Gee Venables has some skills. He mainly jogged laps before spending the last half hour or so on set shots - curled a few beauties from behind the boundary line at the end for a bit of fun. Hardly saw him miss a kick.
• What interested me the most was that McGovern split his time between the defenders and the forwards, could be seeing a swingman role in 2017. He was his usual dominant self down back in some match simulation drills before going head-to-head with Mackenzie in a forward role.
• Bayok is very fast - Cripps was in most of the drills with him and couldn't keep up.
• Nelson is pale as buggery and still doesn't really have the body shape you'd expect of an AFL player.
• There was a big bloke who pulled up next to me and I could have sworn it was Suma, but I'm sure I was wrong...
• Masto was the player picked to kick the goal at the end today and nailed it. Celebrations were huge.
• No sign of Cole, Parto or Hill. Couldn't tell you why.

Will upload pics later if I have time. Let me know if you have any questions!

You might wonder why I’ve put this up and stickied it

Because this is the standard all copies should be measured against and it’s a reminder of how high the bar was set

And to hopefully discourage sequels.

If you want to have a crack in my absence, go ahead but if it doesn’t equal the standard set (as judged by me), then expect

• A one week threadban for a first offence
• A two week threadban for a second offence
• A one year threadban for a third offence

Actual training reports, minus discussion, can become found here:

Training - Preseason Training Reports -2025/26

This thread has been setup for training reports only and won’t be open for replies Informative reports from the preseason thread will be copied into this thread so posters have access to the quality work from the likes of LittleFires without wading through pages of general posts

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Bender_]

Good through traffic.

Sounds a bit pedestrian to me.

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

Zac Butters trajectory. Injury prone and sits in the forward line for years before breaking out as a mid

I'm just happy if he stays fit at this stage.

 

[ArdentEagle]

That photo of Archer looks photoshopped....Must have put on 10kgs+ of pure muscle.

 

[THE A5]

That photo of Archer looks photoshopped....Must have put on 10kgs+ of pure muscle.

I’m not surprised by archer’s transformation. Seen his brother? Even skinner and he got big pretty quick

 

[Bender_]

I told you campaigners Archer was looking huge when I went to the first open training session. He's massive.

 

[We_The_West]

I told you campaigners Archer was looking huge when I went to the first open training session. He's massive.

No training report, didn't happen....

 

[Ilkka Sinisalo]

Haha we have a red head

Are you guys in ****ing preschool

I believe he prefers the term “fire crotch”

 

[jdisc]

I told you campaigners Archer was looking huge when I went to the first open training session. He's massive.

massive?

do you know what else is massive?

 

[FKASC]

massive?

do you know what else is massive?

The odds he’ll kick a behind

 

[Eastcoasteagle]

Pretty much what Keys said. Hasn’t been a big standout just yet but importantly he’s largely been in full training. He’s been moving well and his fitness looks good - finished in the top half of 1st-4th year players in the MAS running test.

Fingers crossed he can finish the pre-Christmas block fully healthy and then really build a bit of momentum in January/February into the start of the season. Really excited by his potential and he’ll have an important role to play in our midfield next year.

I recall in the commentary of the colts grand final - Claremont vs SD when he was playing as an underager. Commentators said he ran one of the best Yo-Yo runs in the entire colts, I also watched him 3 to 4 times that year for WA and he covered the ground so well and was everywhere.

In his u18 year, he looked a totally different player (barring the Vic metro game), a shell of his prior year. I reckon that foot issue really has set him back in his tank and football in general, so it's great to hear him having a good preseason.
Feels like he could have a big second half of 2026.

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

No training report, didn't happen....

In the absence of a training report....

 

[Cuzz09]

Archer looks like a Bracchiosaurus there.

Bodes well

Also... any Malakai news?

 

[FKASC]

I recall in the commentary of the colts grand final - Claremont vs SD when he was playing as an underager. Commentators said he ran one of the best Yo-Yo runs in the entire colts, I also watched him 3 to 4 times that year for WA and he covered the ground so well and was everywhere.

In his u18 year, he looked a totally different player (barring the Vic metro game), a shell of his prior year. I reckon that foot issue really has set him back in his tank and football in general, so it's great to hear him having a good preseason.
Feels like he could have a big second half of 2026.

Hopefully not another underage champion who is never the same after a draft year injury.

 

[bzparkes]

Archer looks like a Bracchiosaurus there.

Bodes well

Also... any Malakai news?

No news is good news

 

[FKASC]

No news is good news

He’s on the rookie list. Probably be lucky to hear anything at all from the club about his injury

 

[ziad]

He’s on the rookie list. Probably be lucky to hear anything at all from the club about his injury

Check with Passlows Funerals. Hope the kid is fine!

 

[BSD]

You def just jinxed Champion.

Who else should i jinx ? Cole and Duggan maybe .

 

[gravy_86]

Who else should i jinx ? Cole and Duggan maybe .

Talking about King Cole like that

 

[jdisc]

Archer looks like a Bracchiosaurus there.

Bodes well

Also... any Malakai news?

he could be in the ICU and the club would still say it's 4-5 weeks

 

[Keys]

Who else should i jinx ? Cole and Duggan maybe .

This is a pretty poor post and well below your already low standards

 

[The Gtrain]

I’m not surprised by archer’s transformation. Seen his brother? Even skinner and he got big pretty quick

What club does his brother play for though.........

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Reckon big Arch could be ruck ready sooner than expected?

View attachment 2494192

That has to be photoshopped. No way that is Archer

 

[squashface]

This is a pretty poor post and well below your already low standards

That poster had a massive whinge about "disrespecting" Cripps by putting him on the Rookie list yet regularly posts absolute dross about Cole and Duggan who are premiership players, some of our hardest workers and even our captain in Duggan's case.

 

[Doashuey]

That poster had a massive whinge about "disrespecting" Cripps by putting him on the Rookie list yet regularly posts absolute dross about Cole and Duggan who are premiership players, some of our hardest workers and even our captain in Duggan's case.

Yeah he is a complete flog. Probably set the record for least number of days with an account to find his way to my ignore list. Sounds like an early call is a good call.

 

[beagles]

That has to be photoshopped. No way that is Archer

Looks like he and Harley have been working out with Starcevich. Both look ripped