Training 2026 Off-Season & Preseason reports and discussion

[TONYC3163]

For training Thursday, where are people parking? Can you do the at Dingley Centre?

 

[grumbleguts]

I only suck up to one person(s) in life ….. BF mods my wife as we all know happy wife happy life.

My wife said "You haven't listened to a single word I've said for the last 20 minutes have you?"

I thought... funny way to start a conversation.

 

[Dewnior]

Nah we need a WB. But we should make it Dangerfield. Please someone touch him up this year. Looking at you fin. Just crunch him good and proper this Easter.

I'd actually like to see Humphrey clean him up in R0

 

[MrPremiership]

For training Thursday, where are people parking? Can you do the at Dingley Centre?

Yes you can. Ample parking for regular training sessions.

 

[grumbleguts]

Then one of the other mids would have been freed up and done the same thing.

Done what? Whinged for a non-existent free kick every time the grass was green and getting one?

 

[The Spirit of Cricket]

I've never understood fully why Sam doesn't roll with Finn as a hard tagger more often, he really is very effective at this. Probably the best pure tagger in the league.

Of course Sam's not alone in this, most AFL coaches seem very reluctant to utilise a tagger these days.

prevailing theory among most coaches seems to be that tagging takes too much away from the offensive and defensive structure of the midfield, so it isn't worth hindering the production of a damaging player.

i've heard Sam say similar at some point, probably in a presser after a game vs Collingwood or Port. think the current meta is too fast to get cooked on the spread like that in most instances, especially given our midfield isn't exactly blessed with pace.

will be interesting to see how the new rules impact the viability of a tagger. less stoppages, more burst rotations seems like it'll make taggers even less in favour, but what the heck do i know?

 

[peetoo]

Another 'Dangerfield' would have stepped up??

Stratts went OK on danger playing as a forward

 

[Simon Crawshay]

prevailing theory among most coaches seems to be that tagging takes too much away from the offensive and defensive structure of the midfield, so it isn't worth hindering the production of a damaging player.

i've heard Sam say similar at some point, probably in a presser after a game vs Collingwood or Port. think the current meta is too fast to get cooked on the spread like that in most instances, especially given our midfield isn't exactly blessed with pace.

will be interesting to see how the new rules impact the viability of a tagger. less stoppages, more burst rotations seems like it'll make taggers even less in favour, but what the heck do i know?

I get the argument but from a simplistic point of view letting Finn clamp down hard on a player like Butters is like sacrificing a Pawn for the oppositions Queen.

I can see how that doesn't help you win a game of footy TBH.

 

[wahawk]

Stratts went OK on danger playing as a forward

Stratts didn’t play in the prelim though

 

[Dewnior]

I get the argument but from a simplistic point of view letting Finn clamp down hard on a player like Butters is like sacrificing a Pawn for the oppositions Queen.

I can see how that doesn't help you win a game of footy TBH.

I think you either omitted the apostrophe 't' after 'can' or forgot the orange font in your 2nd sentence.

 

[Alite]

prevailing theory among most coaches seems to be that tagging takes too much away from the offensive and defensive structure of the midfield, so it isn't worth hindering the production of a damaging player.

i've heard Sam say similar at some point, probably in a presser after a game vs Collingwood or Port. think the current meta is too fast to get cooked on the spread like that in most instances, especially given our midfield isn't exactly blessed with pace.

will be interesting to see how the new rules impact the viability of a tagger. less stoppages, more burst rotations seems like it'll make taggers even less in favour, but what the heck do i know?

Cheers Spirit. I like the analysis, though I see it differently. A tagger who ADDS to production on the counterpunch is the goal. Think Sean Burgoyne at Port of old or Toby Bedford of today. These guys win games when it counts. Ask Clarko how many games Sam Mitchell played well in finals. Why? He was heavily tagged. Fortunately others had the talent to set up to take the distribution role.

Finn Manginess is primed for this role. And with the 23rd man rule now allowing a full game, he can dog a player all day and use his running power to counterpunch on the link up to out number our opposition.

Butts is not a proven stopper. He will need to learn the role if that is what Sam wants.

I think taggers will be back big time this year and Big money players will be found out as not worth the coin.

 

[number23]

[PLAYERCARD]Chris Scott[/PLAYERCARD] had three taggers in his team and one of them took care of Duke and that was it. A pawn sacrificed for a Queen while theirs ran around unimpeded.

 

[HawthornHawk]

I've never understood fully why Sam doesn't roll with Finn as a hard tagger more often, he really is very effective at this. Probably the best pure tagger in the league.

Of course Sam's not alone in this, most AFL coaches seem very reluctant to utilise a tagger these days.

Similarly to how the Cats strategized with theirs last year- suspect Finn was being wound up for the tagging role in finals. Problem was he suffered that shocking injury in the first game he went back to tagging.

 

[To the Hawk]

I've never understood fully why Sam doesn't roll with Finn as a hard tagger more often, he really is very effective at this. Probably the best pure tagger in the league.

Of course Sam's not alone in this, most AFL coaches seem very reluctant to utilise a tagger these days.

It will be interesting with Day back and firing.

If Finn tagged last season oppo would just sacrifice the player to Newcombe, create a 2v1 and free up another mid.

It's the damaging half-backs that often did what they wanted (some putting up career highs in possessions and metres gained against us) which frustrated me last year.

In a way we were lucky Ash just butchered it in the final v GWS.

For all the good things our small forwards do, we regressed in stoping transition from our F50 and ability to lock the ball in our forward half last year. Strengths of our 2024 run.

Finn training forward I think is really interesting in that regard.

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

First day back in 2026.

 

[Manila_Hawk]

Thanks Pinoy Hawk ... your photos are always much appreciated.

You must have a good camera

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

I spot the salmon shorts!

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

Thanks Pinoy Hawk ... your photos are always much appreciated.

You must have a good camera

Just my personal iphone mate

Butsy won the 6 minute time trial by the way.

 

[bigmaxi]

I spot the salmon shorts!

Nice pins

 

[Pinoy Hawk]

Hard to attach videos.
Anyway …

 

[TONYC3163]

First time visit to training. More time on my hands (don’t ask) and Dingley is 20 mins away

 

[SSSSSS]

Hard to attach videos.
Anyway …

Gee it looks like Butsy dominated. Love Ginni running alongside him with some encouragement and most likely some shit talking.

Ramma ran hard too by the looks of it. Looking very fit.

 

[unitedhawk2]

First time visit to training. More time on my hands (don’t ask) and Dingley is 20 mins away

We can never have too many track-watchers. Look forward to your reports...

 

[JZedd]

Would love more Harry Morrison's at the club. So dependable.

Let's not go too far lol... cough cough.

 

[Newmo89]

No shows: [PLAYERCARD]Mabior Chol[/PLAYERCARD]

The squad started with the six minutes time trial after the main warm up.

Players who didn't partake in the running were:
Day, Nairn, Dear, Hardwick, Weddle, Impey, Barrass and Blanck.

Sam Butler won his group in the six minutes time trial and beat [PLAYERCARD]Karl Amon[/PLAYERCARD]'s record of the furthest run in six minutes, falling agonisingly short of the 2km mark.

Harry won his group, holding off a late Max Ramsden surge to win his group.

Cam Nairn and Will Day were training away from the main group. Daysy looked strong in his running, while his overhead marking in the forward line was a real highlight.

Greaves continues to look very comfortable with the ball in hand and his field kicking, despite the breeze, was of a consistent high standard.

Watson and Weddle had some time through the middle during midfield stoppages, as did MacDonald.

Will McCabe & Cody Anderson spent some time with the medical team before running by themselves.