2026 Pre-Season Thread

[Saucery]

So the main big question is can he stay fit? Hopefully the penny has finally dropped for him and he is paying more attention to his preparation etc when not at the club.

When you say "Hopefully the penny has finally dropped for him" is it a well know thing that his preparation is sub-par as I wasn't aware.

 

[mpal6]

When you say "Hopefully the penny has finally dropped for him" is it a well know thing that his preparation is sub-par as I wasn't aware.

When he came back for 2025 pre-season, he didn't come back in shape apparently. ACL wasn't managed well or something from memory, he had swelling etc. Trying to get back to fitness, getting injured again, quad issues etc, it just piled on from there and wiped out 2025.

This off-season the Coleman fitness updates look a bit promising. Hopefully he stays fit n healthy and gets some continuity back for 2026.

 

[Saucery]

When he came back for 2025 pre-season, he didn't come back in shape apparently. ACL wasn't managed well or something from memory, he had swelling etc. Trying to get back to fitness, getting injured again, quad issues etc, it just piled on from there and wiped out 2025.

This off-season the Coleman fitness updates look a bit promising. Hopefully he stays fit n healthy and gets some continuity back for 2026.

I must admit that though his kicking is sublime his tank made him a liability towards the end of games. If he got on top of that he would be minted.

 

[mighty_lions]

Any ideas why Will Ashcroft is doing some individual training thing in Dubai while the boys are hitting the track in Aus? Looks like its some kind of specialist performance/recovery clinic?

Damien Austin was there also so it must be a club sanctioned thing, they have finished it now so didnt really miss anything

 

[Grasshopper17]

Forward line is where I’m more uncertain. Assuming Morris, Allen are verified locked but it’s a bit of a mishmash from there in my opinion. How does resting ruck work (bench, fwd rotate? Bit of both lost likely?), linc and Kai? Cameron and his ability to play a whole season? Then we go into high half forwards/resting mids. Bailey, Rayner even Bruce? Hipwood??? Foresrd line is where I’m most excited but nervous about.

Forgetting for a moment about who he would replace etc, but if Morris, Gallop, Allen, Draper, Andrews, Payne, Lester and Gardiner are all fit, could Eric Hipwood play as a winger?

 

[Saucery]

One of the local sports radio presenters said he had an interview with Fages, he flew up from Launny and when he got there Fages said "Yeah OK I'll give you three minutes", then paused for the face drop and laughed.

He said they then chatted for about 10 mins about Tassie before Fages said we'd better start the interview.

Old mate smiled and said "I suppose I can't ask you anything about Lachie?"

Fagan laughed then went quiet, giving him the thousand yard stare for a few seconds and said, "you'd better bloody not", gave it a few more seconds to sink in then laughed again and said so what's your first question.

So Fagan.

 

[Saucery]

Forgetting for a moment about who he would replace etc, but if Morris, Gallop, Allen, Draper, Andrews, Payne, Lester and Gardiner are all fit, could Eric Hipwood play as a winger?

Athletisism tick, tank double tick, phases and patterns....... Would love to see it trialed during the preseason.

 

[Saucery]

Interesting article from Kane (words I never thought I would put in the same sentence). He believes the Neale situation might be the best out outcome for the club anyway and seems to be indicating that our midfield can be way too offensive at times. He seems to be advocating a more defensive setup with Berry in the middle instead of Neale, or even Annable. However, he goes on to say you can't play Lachie anywhere else so perhaps he is talking about 2027.

Cornes: Now is "perfect" for Lions to cut Neale loose

“I think it’s an absolute win for Brisbane, from a footy point of view."

www.sen.com.au

 

[p4p1]

Tbf he came through the representative stuff playing in VIC TAC Cup and then 2-3 years at least of representing VIC in National Championships. Would have made plenty of mates and felt proud of playing for the Big V. Also the chance of QLD playing a SOO game is speculative at best, so I'd say he felt this was his big chance. I'm sure if the chance to play for QLD comes up, and with a couple more years under his belt in the sunshine state he will be pretty keen.

I read it pretty similarly to you. IIRC he said before/when he was drafted that Brisbane was home and he was a Queenslander etc. I think a super competitive guy wanted the chance to play in what is on paper the highest level of the game and have the honour of being selected by the state and is pissed off he didn't get that chance.

 

[BangyBangy]

Forgetting for a moment about who he would replace etc, but if Morris, Gallop, Allen, Draper, Andrews, Payne, Lester and Gardiner are all fit, could Eric Hipwood play as a swinger?

I guess he could. I don't see how that would adversely affect on field performance. S.K.Warne approves. Keys in the bowl.

 

[Dalions]

Decided to go for a last minute look at training today.

Couple of takeaways:
Pretty much the whole list appeared to do the bulk of the session.
Answerth, Bez and Hippy the main ones doing their own program on the sidelines.
Koby Evans basically doing nothing.
All other draftees there doing the session.
Interestingly Tom Doedee was just an onlooker from off the field just dressed in normal gear.
Hippy and Noah did a lot of running on the sidelines, Hipwood ran 8k in his session I heard. Noah looks very fit and has beefed up in the gym in his upper body during his time out with the Achilles. Bez doing mostly skills training and re-hab stuff.
While Noah has thickened up in the top half a lot of other boys appear to have done a lot of work through their hips and legs (possibly with changes with holding the ball/prior opportunity rules) they have spent a bit of time to strengthen through their hips to try and break out of tackles a little easier to promote the ball.

Was a fairly basic session based mainly around skills and drills.
1 particular drill that I really enjoyed was one where they appeared to be trying to move the ball forward quickly through run, forward handball and quick ball movement by foot, never holding onto the ball for more than a second or so over 2/3 of the field.
Any turnovers and the ball quickly bounced back the other way.
So transition need to be very quick from attack to defence.
To be honest the skills were really good by all listed olayers, Academy/VFL boys were another story. Many of which I didn’t recognise.

Oscar Allen and Sam Draper looked pretty fit and took part in full training.
Oscar Allen presented really well and got a lot of the ball in drills and really seemed to be pushing himself, diving for marks and all sort of things putting in the hard yards. Was wearing no 30 for some strange reason and a few of the boys were wearing other numbers as well.

 

[Grasshopper17]

Decided to go for a last minute look at training today.

Couple of takeaways:
Pretty much the whole list appeared to do the bulk of the session.
Answerth, Bez and Hippy the main ones doing their own program on the sidelines.
Koby Evans basically doing nothing.
All other draftees there doing the session.
Interestingly Tom Doedee was just an onlooker from off the field just dressed in normal gear.
Hippy and Noah did a lot of running on the sidelines, Hipwood ran 8k in his session I heard. Noah looks very fit and has beefed up in the gym in his upper body during his time out with the Achilles. Bez doing mostly skills training and re-hab stuff.
While Noah has thickened up in the top half a lot of other boys appear to have done a lot of work through their hips and legs (possibly with changes with holding the ball/prior opportunity rules) they have spent a bit of time to strengthen through their hips to try and break out of tackles a little easier to promote the ball.

Was a fairly basic session based mainly around skills and drills.
1 particular drill that I really enjoyed was one where they appeared to be trying to move the ball forward quickly through run, forward handball and quick ball movement by foot, never holding onto the ball for more than a second or so over 2/3 of the field.
Any turnovers and the ball quickly bounced back the other way.
So transition need to be very quick from attack to defence.
To be honest the skills were really good by all listed olayers, Academy/VFL boys were another story. Many of which I didn’t recognise.

Oscar Allen and Sam Draper looked pretty fit and took part in full training.
Oscar Allen presented really well and got a lot of the ball in drills and really seemed to be pushing himself, diving for marks and all sort of things putting in the hard yards. Was wearing no 30 for some strange reason and a few of the boys were wearing other numbers as well.

Sounds like our injury list might be a little shorter than it was this time last year, when half the list it seemed like had surgery of some sort!

The conditioning aspect you've mentioned is interesting. In the past, at this time of year you and others have made comment about how much leaner the players have looked. Now you're of the view that we are bulking up. You could be right as to the rationale for this. It could be a reflection of the maturity of the list, and their ability to accommodate that extra body mass, when maybe their younger bodies would struggle.

It could also be a reflection of the physical punishment we expect our guys to cop, with every team trying to lift to take on the reigning champs, and will need to be able to embrace, week after week, for 23 (hopefully 26 or 27!) games of footy this year.

Death, taxes, and Dalions spying on preseason training for us. Thankyou mate.

 

[Dalions]

Sounds like our injury list might be a little shorter than it was this time last year, when half the list it seemed like had surgery of some sort!

The conditioning aspect you've mentioned is interesting. In the past, at this time of year you and others have made comment about how much leaner the players have looked. Now you're of the view that we are bulking up. You could be right as to the rationale for this. It could be a reflection of the maturity of the list, and their ability to accommodate that extra body mass, when maybe their younger bodies would struggle.

It could also be a reflection of the physical punishment we expect our guys to cop, with every team trying to lift to take on the reigning champs, and will need to be able to embrace, week after week, for 23 (hopefully 26 or 27!) games of footy this year.

Death, taxes, and Dalions spying on preseason training for us. Thankyou mate.

It may have just been a figment of my imagination as well.
Sometimes the boys do look a little thicker earlier in the preseason and lean up before games begin.

 

[Lace Out]

Hopefully Tom D was looking on in civvies because he has been flying so much he has actually already completed the pre-season and is just waiting for games

 

[scoman]

Hopefully Tom D was looking on in civvies because he has been flying so much he has actually already completed the pre-season and is just waiting for games

Maybe he has trained the house down so had a meeting with Springfield notables about a new build?

 

[Jack Richards]

Any news on Taj Hayes?

 

[ULittleBeauty]

Maybe he has trained the house down so had a meeting with Springfield notables about a new build?

Fages said TomD is unfortunately unlikely to play AFL again, has lost all confidence in his body.

 

[dlanod]

Fages said TomD is unfortunately unlikely to play AFL again, has lost all confidence in his body.

Where did he say that?

 

[Nathan Barley]

Any news on Taj Hayes?

We drafted him

 

[ULittleBeauty]

Where did he say that?

At one of the Melbourne FootyFeast sessions. The other interesting snippet was Coleman is likely to play up forward.

 

[T Rick]

At one of the Melbourne FootyFeast sessions. The other interesting snippet was Coleman is likely to play up forward.

I understand the money thing but if that is the case I wonder why the Club hasn't negotiated some sort of exit arrangement. Seems a bit silly for him to stay on the list.

 

[Dalions]

Any news on Taj Hayes?

He was training but looked to be struggling to keep up at times

 

[braddsey]

At one of the Melbourne FootyFeast sessions. The other interesting snippet was Coleman is likely to play up forward.

The TomD item is a pretty big thing to drop at a paid footy panel event.

 

[dlanod]

The TomD item is a pretty big thing to drop at a paid footy panel event.

Could be an innocuous comment like "he needs to get confidence in his body back" that's been taken out of context.

 

[mpal6]

I understand the money thing but if that is the case I wonder why the Club hasn't negotiated some sort of exit arrangement. Seems a bit silly for him to stay on the list.

Full recovery under a professional environment vs left to your means. I think Doedee would've preferred to stay on. Even if he's not going to play another game - staying on for 12 months will give him good runway to prepare for life after footy.