Training Saints preseason 2026

[MOLTEN GANGLANDS]

You could perhaps be a little more insensitive. Yes my wife is Jewish Israeli and many of our friends are. Devastated. Shaken. The violent madness now on our shores. But yeah, they'll just forget their murdered family members. Will just blow over.

my condolences

 

[JimmyR20]

Worth remembering re Collard vs Milne in the conversation about his potential.

Collard is 20.

Milne didn't play his first game before 21.

 

[Jackbenimble]

Always will have until he hits the gym properly

Just spat my coffee all over my phone

 

[CaptainRisky]

Worth remembering re Collard vs Milne in the conversation about his potential.

Collard is 20.

Milne didn't play his first game before 21.

And Collard was absolutely gifted all his games , he did nothing what so ever to deserve being called, I hope the kid makes it but i don't think he has the same drive Milney had to succeed.
Time will tell

 

[StCicatriz]

And Collard was absolutely gifted all his games , he did nothing what so ever to deserve being called, I hope the kid makes it but i don't think he has the same drive Milney had to succeed.
Time will tell

i dont think thats fair. he had some very good VFL games

 

[Mavefromdelburn]

i dont think thats fair. he had some very good VFL games

Did he?
Averaged like 8 touches, 2 tackles and less than a goal a game in the VFL? (Acknowledging that stats clearly don't do him any favours here considering he plays the hardest position on the ground imo, and in a very poor Sandy team).


Regardless, he's clearly very talented and I do hope he makes it. Would be huge for us if he could take the next step.

 

[The Punter]

i dont think thats fair. he had some very good VFL games

Yeah, and if a bloke kicks 2 goals in an AFL game, I don't think getting a game the next week is having it being "gifted".

 

[CaptainRisky]

Yeah, and if a bloke kicks 2 goals in an AFL game, I don't think getting a game the next week is having it being "gifted".

Go watch the goals he kicked and then come back to me , Jo Goose handballs

 

[saintkildaman]

Go watch the goals he kicked and then come back to me , Jo Goose handballs

Kicked some quality goals too whilst showing big improvements with his defensive pressure, remember him having a number of quality tackles and chases. If he did nothing whatsoever, he wouldn’t have remained in the team for 8 consecutive rounds.

 

[SaintWrld]

Go watch the goals he kicked and then come back to me , Jo Goose handballs

His first 3 games in round 2, 3 and 4 were actually really good, the rest of his games were quite average and yes, probably gifted.
Plenty of talent, just hope the application improves, it seems he has improved heaps in this aspect so far this pre season.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

And Collard was absolutely gifted all his games , he did nothing what so ever to deserve being called, I hope the kid makes it but i don't think he has the same drive Milney had to succeed.
Time will tell

We mostly had heavy injuries in the games he played in.
I think he's had enough AFL time for him to realize where he needs to get to, without giving him too many games.

When he played in 2024 he was a deer in the headlights.
In 2025 he contributed a bit , especially earlier in the year. He was noticeably better than 24.
( 5 goals in 3 games not to be sneezed at ).
Even in his last game against GWS only got his hands on it 4 times, but he put through 2 goals.

Wait ...i just found something really weird.
In that GWS game in August. Collard is credited to 2 goals, and Keeler to 1.
If you look here, the goal after Pou's in the first quarter ( hover the mouse over the line ) is credited to Collard.
But in the highlights here...its Keeler. ( Around 1 minute in. ). His second is around the 4 minute mark.

Videos

The Giants and Saints clash in round 24 of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

www.saints.com.au

So ...to me the AFL official stats are wrong. Its 2 to Keeler, 1 to Collard .

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Yeah, and if a bloke kicks 2 goals in an AFL game, I don't think getting a game the next week is having it being "gifted".

Lance had a stretch of 8 games where he kicked 1 goal this season. He was dropped a couple of times in that run and did nothing at VFL level to earn his spot back. He is clearly being gifted games.

He started quite well in the first few weeks and had a decent final game but he couldn't get near it for most of the season.

I personally don't see much evidence of this special talent that is talked about but clearly Lyon loves him and thinks there's big potential in Lance. I don't mind them giving games to a kid that they rate in a season where we clearly weren't going to make finals, but he's going to have to deliver a lot more next year.

 

[The Punter]

Go watch the goals he kicked and then come back to me , Jo Goose handballs

They were worth six points, weren't they? It's not how, it's how many.

His goal to ice the Port Adelaide game was full of merit after a tough contested mark. I thought there were games this year that he had earned, and considering our issues with scoring (which weren't as bad this year as previous years), we can't afford to choose while also begging for score.

 

[The Punter]

Lance had a stretch of 8 games where he kicked 1 goal this season. He was dropped a couple of times in that run and did nothing at VFL level to earn his spot back. He is clearly being gifted games.

He started quite well in the first few weeks and had a decent final game but he couldn't get near it for most of the season.

I personally don't see much evidence of this special talent that is talked about but clearly Lyon loves him and thinks there's big potential in Lance. I don't mind them giving games to a kid that they rate in a season where we clearly weren't going to make finals, but he's going to have to deliver a lot more next year.

• He has been gifted games
• Not all his games have been gifted
• Everyone needs to improve
• There is proper competition for spots in 2026
• We need a pressure forward (I stipulate here that not everyone agrees with me on this point)

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Go watch the goals he kicked and then come back to me , Jo Goose handballs

I was wondering how he managed two goals from just 4 touches against GWS.
So checking out the highlights. One was a nice goal. The other one....was kicked by Keeler. :/

 

[thekizzler]

They were worth six points, weren't they? It's not how, it's how many.

His goal to ice the Port Adelaide game was full of merit after a tough contested mark. I thought there were games this year that he had earned, and considering our issues with scoring (which weren't as bad this year as previous years), we can't afford to choose while also begging for score.

The bolded point proves CaptainRisky literally has no idea what he is talking about.

What The Punter said in his most recent post is bang on.

 

[gringo2011]

Lance had a stretch of 8 games where he kicked 1 goal this season. He was dropped a couple of times in that run and did nothing at VFL level to earn his spot back. He is clearly being gifted games.

He started quite well in the first few weeks and had a decent final game but he couldn't get near it for most of the season.

I personally don't see much evidence of this special talent that is talked about but clearly Lyon loves him and thinks there's big potential in Lance. I don't mind them giving games to a kid that they rate in a season where we clearly weren't going to make finals, but he's going to have to deliver a lot more next year.

Probably helped that Butler missing meant that there was no-one else.

 

[Mystifly]

I thought that Collard looked disinterested and lazy in the VFL for probably 90% of matches he played in. It wasn't until the last or second last game when they had him play higher up the ground that he started to make an impact and get involved. He is probably only ahead of Said in the pecking order due to talent, not from output. We should all be extraordinarily excited for Flyin Ryan's affect on him, they've known each other for a while and have a great relationship from what we can see.

 

[JimmyR20]

My point being.

At the same point of their careers most didn't even know Milne's name.

Yet some are willing to write off this kid.

It is very early in his story.

 

[beside the seaside]

Really keen to see how Pou goes this year. A bit of a forgotten man after an injury interrupted season. How's he been looking in training track watchers?

 

[John2010362340]

Went to training yesterday, few observations below.

Rehab:
Pou (looked fine and moved well, i feel they're just protecting him from himself a little at this point)
Hastie
Henry
Ryan
Dodson(Huge)
Stocker
TDK( on occasion and joined in some drills)
King wasn't out.

Drills:

Plenty of kicking and ball movement drills.
The standout drill for me and one I've not see them do before is a kicking drill.

Harvey stands in square that would be 1 meter by 1 meter and 30m kicks can not hit him outside the square. Couple of standouts:
Sinclair (Harvey didn't move once)
Owens ( Surprising)
Byrnes.

Boys moved into a transition drill. 3 teams
Skills weren't great in this drill as the purpose of it is to squeeze the team with the ball. Couple of Standouts:

Trav (Used his legs well to breakaway and kick to advantage)
Sharman (Won every one on one that went to him, he is quality and actually looking forward to seeing him play next to some big bodies)

Few other observations:
TDK is a supreme athlete, super quick and a few inches taller then Marshall.

Marshall I think if we move the ball as well as we can, he'll get on the end of a few marks inside 50. He moves well and will hopefully benefit from an a full pre season.

Wilson, Quick strong and i can see him kicking at least 25 goals this season. He just knows where to run to get on the end of it.

Banfield/Box both look like real types and have the possibility to provide the team with enormous flexibility.

Windy/Flanders both don't fumble, Flanders really does give Neale vibes hope he's half as good.

Nas He'll have so many shots on goal this year he's just that good.

Garcia he's as competitive as anyone i've ever watch train. Up there with Roo in terms of intensity.

Howard, we will win a lot more games if he stays healthy.

That is all that stood out for me.

 

[saintskit]

Will tomorrow's training be normal with drills and match sim ect. Or is a gimmick for the kids?

 

[BrutThough]

Will tomorrow's training be normal with drills and match sim ect. Or is a gimmick for the kids?

Wednesday is typically a lighter day but they should still be doing plenty of drills and a small amount of match sim. Some of the senior players might not do much though.

 

[Mr_R0b0t]

And Collard was absolutely gifted all his games , he did nothing what so ever to deserve being called, I hope the kid makes it but i don't think he has the same drive Milney had to succeed.
Time will tell

Player development is neither linear nor constant. Every young player have their own window development, some develop early, some peak later. Michael Tuck played 50 games in the reserves to commence his extraordinary career.

So just let the kid play.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Thanks Joffa

Lovely day. Banfield and Fincher still in their old numbers. Still cant believe we got Banfield over WC.
WA members what are his supposed flaws in his game because at pre season, he liiks like he was built for AFL?
Some big numbers out there 51, 53, 54 and 55. Maybe VFL players. 51 is a big lad.
Good to see McLobster out there. Clark in the fluro cap.
Umpires here today.
Armstrong is a large lad indeed. Henry out with the main group.
King and TDK out, over to the rehab group.
Player out with a busted wing, maybe a VFL player.
Will wander over to watch rehab.
Only Max and Barrat in rehab, TDK in with main group.
Dodson Pou and another player joins the rehab group. Pou looks fine, said he feels great except for the stiches in his gob., McLobster over there too, also looks fine, would say on modified programs.
Hard running repeat 50's for the group.
Wasn't Barrat but Said in rehab group.
Main group breaks into two for ground ball work.
Pou running laps, as is Dodson., Liam Ryan with the main group.
Group comes together tight. Lots of yelling and cheering.
TDK and Henry join rehab.
Round the other side now to watch the ball drills. Flanders positioning is elite.
Now into three groups, I will stay with the one I m watching. Banfield good turn of pace and evasive skills
Stocker, TDK and Henry running laps
Ryan has subline kicking skills.
Wilson to Coops lovely leap and finishes.
I wonder about Paddy Dow. Nice neat player but just doesn't do it for me. Maybe he isn't just the nice shiney toy.
Delivery into the forward line nice, but I 'll wait and see until contact comes into training in rhe New Year.
So 51 is Billy Richardson, VFL player..
Max in rehab doing a lot of ground ball gets with a,sharp turn .
Keepings off ball drill reds v bibs, spirited when the defence breaks up the attack. Wilson with a great spoil.
Naz straight into the rooms with the doctor. Looks like a little nick, slight limp possibly a tight hammy or calf, precaution ( heres hoping). No panic. Snuck a look in the rooms, Naz stretching like a hammy or calf, doubt its anything major. Hopping on one foot, precaution I reckon. Looking at the trainer, intimating ankle. Naz back with it strapped ( I assume) crisis averted. Doing run throughs with boots on.
Big play ends up with Ryan huge cheer and they all get around him .
Rehab group still out, so much for Max behind schedule. Looks stronger every time I see him.
Naz put in cotton wool up the race into the gym. Back out with runners on doing laps. Guy is so competitive wants to do match sim but trainers say no.
Half ground drill reds v bibs. Ball up and positioning work, getting the ball to the outside to attack the goals.
Naz running like his life depends on it around the boundary.
From halfway taking it to the open side, then back through the midfield. Boxshall and Wilson good. Stocker doing a lot of coaching positional work (hand injury so no ball work) with the back 6. Working hard with Armstrong Hastie and Richardson. Hastie great pickup through the guts to Wilson who hits up Roh. Wilson running like Dangerfield through the guts.
Group moves to other end. Armstrong to Flanders in the guts, congested backline, hits Higgo on the tit with a 50 metre bullet.
Hammer back for bibs.
So for the Ryan worriers, while the group breaks for a drink, he is running repeat 200's.
Boxshall takes a bounce coming out of the 50, gets collared by Hastie
Just heard Tauru may have an injury. Dont know what. Looks ok, sore ankle only. No worries.
Actually it was Banfield who got caught, Boxy just takes a great contested mark.
Good spirited session, Hastie, Flanders, Hugo, Carroll, Boxy, Higgo, all looked good. Hammer doing good things in defence for bibs.
Full ground sim with umpires. Tauru back with the bibs. Banfield forward for reds. Loser team needs to do 10 push ups. Back to 80's training.
Tauru and Trav big spoils in defence.
Players blown in the heat. Lancey runs his guts out to break up an attack. Trav looks more and more assured with ball in hand.
Banfield cops a spray for not looking inside. Carroll again good off half back. Doogs straightens up the defence. Also good, Sincs, Dow, Windy, Hall. Sounds like everyone is great, but these reports are getting harder and harder to find a player who would look out if place or is a list clogger.
Worse case scenario bottom six ( excluding recruits), Lance, Armstrong, LOC, Dow, Ronnie, Stocker? Not one of those are incapable of an AFL career. A couple of years back they would have been automatic choices in seniors.
All the Brains Trust know who I am. Will need to wear a disguise next time..
Running now.
Last report pre Christmas
Adios Amigos.

Thanks Joffa for that in-depth report.
Just one thing
How the hell did you get Barrat & Said mixed up.
Oh yeah? The moustaches ?