Training 2026 Pre-Season Training - reports, pics etc

[Opium]

Has Wes Walley been sighted today?

And is Elijah doing match-sim.?

Elijah yes.
Can't see Walley.

 

[eaglevision]

Elijah yes.
Can't see Walley.

Walley would be a handy replacement for Motlop if he was going to play at half forward but there are good reasons we told him before the draft that we wouldn’t be selecting him.

Hopefully he works on what he needs to and gets a chance.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

I’ve seen some pointless purposeless shit in my time coming to training hit the running drill they just did was just about the worst. Slow 50m with a break. X about 10. After they have trained for 90 mins. Not the end of the session. Stupid as shit.

Not at all impressed with the drills so far today. Bunch of fluffy shit.

I imagine this is practicing for an end of quarter momentum shift, doing it under fatigue and trying to slow down the game instead of conceding goals in red time like we usually do.

 

[BlueAbroad]

 

[dozzer]

I’ve seen some pointless purposeless shit in my time coming to training hit the running drill they just did was just about the worst. Slow 50m with a break. X about 10. After they have trained for 90 mins. Not the end of the session. Stupid as shit.

Not at all impressed with the drills so far today. Bunch of fluffy shit.

Maybe next time send in a request and i'm sure they'll pander to you......

 

[marcmurphy3]

Good video Terry.

Though I struggled to focus after you mentioned news coming on Harry McKay.

 

[Tjblues]

Training


No sighting

Motlop obvs

Non contact

Pitto
Jagga (only for some drills)

AFL academy

Cody Walker
Lewis houndsome (who is a very big boy)

Light duties

HOF
Newman
Cowan (did far more than the above 2)

Unsure of

48 (Phillips) maybe
47 (possibly Darcy tucker)

Managed minutes

Dean
Chesser
Cottrell

SSP

Didn’t think either WW or Lij stood out massively. Elijah at one point in the match sim completely split the defence open with a kick to Jagga in the middle, but both were fine without being spectacular

McKay walked off post warm up, came back out and did some v light jogging

Cottrell involved and moving well, kicking very high and a bit ordinary but good to see him amongst it

Haynes looks good, as does Florent

Generally skills not the tidiest but a very windy day so not unexpected

Walker would be in the conversation to play Opening round if he was allowed, athletic and impressive though tries to do a bit much with his kicking at times and sprays

Something about Matt Carroll. Looks confident and like he wants a spot in the 23. Provided great run and carry during drills

Ainsworth, Florent and Hayward are all highly competent. Provide direction, move with speed and purpose.

Slight concerns around BCampo. Able to compete physically with pretty much anyone but his kicking at pace or under pressure is almost always lacking in one of direction or penetration.

Surprised but pleased to see Kemp in essentially full training. Looks thicker than previous years

Byrne did some nice things, tidy kick, sticky tackles and took a really nice mark in his hands under some serious heat

Funny moment in front of the stand during match sim where Voss spent 5 seconds screaming at Ison to “lengthen” (move further forward as his team was trying to exit defence). After 1 handball the ball went to Saad who had a run and thumped it 55m straight to Ison who marked exactly where Voss told him to run.

Side note: 4 50m penalties during the 45 mins of match sim. Clearly the tightening of the stand rule is going to take some getting used to.

Session was fine, nothing to write home about. A little bit scrappy but 1 week post break and windy day mitigates that slightly. Out there for 3+ hours again.

** Editing to add that I agree with Kingy about Wilson. Looks very zippy and his kicking was precise and punchy **

 

[Robertio]

Kemp a fair unit now and still has plenty of pace.

 

[Rustica]

Was a ripper day

 

[marcmurphy3]

Lij's body shape looks very different now. Noticeibly leaner.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Is there anything preventing Cody from training with us all year and playing for our VFL side, or is he required to play Coates Talent League?

 

[Opium]

Is there anything preventing Cody from training with us all year and playing for our VFL side, or is he required to play Coates Talent League?

Cody would already be in our best 22. Just a natural footballer with flair. Massive legs on him for a 17 year old. Covers the ground like a gazelle.

 

[Opium]

Billy Wilson is tearing it up in the match sim. Sublime kicking skills and plenty of run.

 

[Lukeblueboy]

I like it alot!
Really wanna hear the lesser likes names coming to the fore.
That’s where the excitement and growth of this team is imo

 

[Opium]

I like it alot!
Really wanna hear the lesser likes names coming to the fore.
That’s where the excitement and growth of this team is imo

Bryne is another who really impressed me. Will play seniors early on if fit.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Is there anything preventing Cody from training with us all year and playing for our VFL side, or is he required to play Coates Talent League?

Google Search

 

[CaptainCharisma]

Is there anything preventing Cody from training with us all year and playing for our VFL side, or is he required to play Coates Talent League?

Would also be curious about this but assuming 1AW and family are based in Echuca so would require setting him up in a place with another senior player or host family.
Also don't know of his school situation (may need to complete year 12 this year?) and might be disruptive to education if he was moved down to Melbourne.

It would definitely be a kick start to his development as a footballer though if we could get him in the club a year early with coaches, players, fitness staff etc.

 

[Opium]

Would also be curious about this but assuming 1AW and family are based in Echuca so would require setting him up in a place with another senior player or host family.
Also don't know of his school situation (may need to complete year 12 this year?) and might be disruptive to education if he was moved down to Melbourne.

It would definitely be a kick start to his development as a footballer though if we could get him in the club a year early with coaches, players, fitness staff etc.

He's completed year 12 already.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

Cody would already be in our best 22. Just a natural footballer with flair. Massive legs on him for a17 year old. Covers the ground like a gazelle.

Agree, and seeing as he has already committed to the club and the club to him I just dont see any value in him returning to the Bendigo Pioneers, he would be far better suited to spend the year at Carlton, learning the way we play and continuing to train in an elite AFL environment. It would be different if he had not finished school as you would not want to deny a kid the opportunity to finish year 12 with his mates, but most of his mates will either be at uni or starting apprenticeships etc so what will Cody be doing Mon-Fri.. Idle hands are the devil's playground.. It would almost be worth telling him to go backpacking in Europe for the year, get it out of his system before he spending the next 15 years as a professional athlete.

 

[agro]

Let’s not kill the kid with senior football already, a mix of Coates, perhaps a game or two at Echuca and a few in the VFL.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Manage Cody, Club & Pioneers while the U18’s Chamipionships are the pinnacle for all players who strive to be drafted and play/compete with and against the country’s best…

 

[gbatman]

I haven't seen Byrne train, I have just seen video footage. He's one I think is extremely likely to be there round 1.

Walker will absolutely dominate the under 18s competition and probably do so to a level that not many have. It will be very much like an AFL ready man against boys if he does play. I get the feeling Andrew, The club and Cody are probably pissed off with the AFL changing the rules and I nearly expect that he will play VFL. Don't be surprised if he plays VFL in a development role, say half back. I haven't heard anything but I bet this is what is on the agenda.

A lot of our players look stronger, more muscular and leaner. Hopefully translates into better football.

One of our biggest issues with our kicking is not that the players are poor kicks, yes there are some who aren't great, but it's more that they haven't got much to kick to forward of the ball. We are putting more good targets forward of the ball and that will improve kicking enormously.

 

[BigFrizz36]

Lachie Cowan has amazingly big calfs. Thought that he was strong last year, could be a brute this year.

 

[Blue__Balls]

Thought we'd gotten rid of all the "division makers" last year

 

[Lukeblueboy]

Bryne is another who really impressed me. Will play seniors early on if fit.

Awesome!
Has he got some wheels about him op?