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

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Cool. No State of Origin for you either, big boy.

 

[bzparkes]

Cool. No State of Origin for you either, big boy.

Straight from the Adam Kingsley school of "We'd love to get as many of our guys playing origin as possible but gee, it'd be unfortunate if they had a niggle..."

 

[Obeanie1]

In the reports from last Friday’s match sim the “A” team had 3 tall forwards plus both Edward’s and Young in defence which would have left a lack of KPDs on the “B” team to cover 3 KPFs. May have been something similar today leaving a back flanker to cover talls due to lack of a better match-up

Our medium tall defenders can play tall. Ginbey, Hough, Yeo and Bo can play on mobile talls.

 

[jdisc]

Straight from the Adam Kingsley school of "We'd love to get as many of our guys playing origin as possible but gee, it'd be unfortunate if they had a niggle..."

gee

 

[gravy_86]

Our medium tall defenders can play tall. Ginbey, Hough, Yeo and Bo can play on mobile talls.

Yes I agree, my post was a guess at why Bo might have been playing that role in match sim, but I realise now I never mentioned his name so my post comes across like pointless rambling

 

[Obeanie1]

Yes I agree, my post was a guess at why Bo might have been playing that role in match sim, but I realise now I never mentioned his name so my post comes across like pointless rambling

All players need some level of flexibility with their roles in modern footy.

 

[boondy]

Plus in a match sim the b team doesnt have the prime players for each position , and its an opportunity to see how a player may fill a rolen. I remember McGovern and Schofield primarily fwds being turned into defenders when E Mac and Brown were injured . Not that it was a match sim situation but who knows what injuries can force unexpected opportunities in future .

 

[amazingjoshy]

Our two players out of state of origin with injury. Better now than in the game.

An injury is an injury

How does it make any difference if at training or the state game?

 

[Chris_6678]

Plus in a match sim the b team doesnt have the prime players for each position , and its an opportunity to see how a player may fill a rolen. I remember McGovern and Schofield primarily fwds being turned into defenders when E Mac and Brown were injured . Not that it was a match sim situation but who knows what injuries can force unexpected opportunities in future .

Scofield was not play forward before those injuries?

Gov yes but Schoey maybe spent 1 game as a forward.

 

[bzparkes]

Scofield was not play forward before those injuries?

Gov yes but Schoey maybe spent 1 game as a forward.

Yeah, he was actually a winger.

 

[kane249]

Flanker / Winger as he was a good runner

Schofield bulked up after Brown and eMac went down to be able to play as a key back

 

[eaglevision]

An injury is an injury

How does it make any difference if at training or the state game?

Because if it happens now instead of in a month there’s enough time to recover before the season starts…

 

[amazingjoshy]

Because if it happens now instead of in a month there’s enough time to recover before the season starts…

So nothing to do with the state game and more that you're just happy its happened early enough in PS?

Just dont get the angst around the state game

 

[Doashuey]

An injury is an injury

How does it make any difference if at training or the state game?

Would you prefer them to get a 3 week injury in mid Jan or mid Feb??
The risk of playing in the SOO is potential for a season ending injury in a game that will have no bearing on our season as a club. I get why many are reluctant for our important players to take the risk. Some would prefer a minor set back injury in training as a lower risk than a big injury in a SOO game.
But I suspect it is no higher risk than a preseason game.

 

[WCE777]

Starcevich, Baker, Cole and (I think) Hough weren’t playing today which may well explain why Allan was being used as a defender.



Our KPDs are Edwards, Young, Brock, Bazzo and arguably Ginbey. All are fit and all played today

With Barnett and Bailey Williams still in the rehab group it’s our KPF/ruck stocks that are a little skinny at the moment. We’ve got Waterman and Shanahan playing as the main two forwards with Flynn, Reid, J Williams and CDT rotating through the two ruck spots and other KPF spots

All the reporting about B Allan playing matchsim as a KPD would be as Keys reported imo.
Needed another tall to cover 3 KPF's and B Allan was required to cover.

I actually think its a strong endorsement that the coaches have in Bo to perform wherever they play him.

He may play HB if needed when an A grade backman is injured in Starcevich/Ginbey/Hough or he may play wing which he looks to be making a play for between Davis/Duursma/Maric and himself.

I think that's where he may end up until he develops his midfield game where his attacking and speed will be very good assets.

 

[eaglevision]

So nothing to do with the state game and more that you're just happy its happened early enough in PS?

Just dont get the angst around the state game

Wouldn't call it angst. Whilst it’s great there’s another game of footy I do think it’s an unnecessary gimmick and an opportunity for injury at a very strange time of the year a month out from the start of the season.

 

[evans1863]

All the reporting about B Allan playing matchsim as a KPD would be as Keys reported imo.
Needed another tall to cover 3 KPF's and B Allan was required to cover.

I actually think its a strong endorsement that the coaches have in Bo to perform wherever they play him.

He may play HB if needed when an A grade backman is injured in Starcevich/Ginbey/Hough or he may play wing which he looks to be making a play for between Davis/Duursma/Maric and himself.

I think that's where he may end up until he develops his midfield game where his attacking and speed will be very good assets.

Really hope this is the case mate. I still have really high hopes that Bo Allan will come good. I feel like we absolutely need him to given the strength of the 2025 draft and our decision to trade down.

It won't be a problem if he doesn't make it as a mid and becomes another player like Ginbey, but we need him to be a B+ talent at least wherever he ends up.

 

[amazingjoshy]

Wouldn't call it angst. Whilst it’s great there’s another game of footy I do think it’s an unnecessary gimmick and an opportunity for injury at a very strange time of the year a month out from the start of the season.

There's opportunity for injury in any PS game, or game sim, or training session too

The guys playing probably miss a training session or two so workloads no different

Have no issue with our guys playing and will be disappointed if they miss

 

[evans1863]

There's opportunity for injury in any PS game, or game sim, or training session too

The guys playing probably miss a training session or two so workloads no different

Have no issue with our guys playing and will be disappointed if they m

I agree with this point in general. Players can even get injured at home too in bizarre circumstances like making a cup of tea.

It strangely does feel like players get injured more in games that don't directly involve the club they play for though. The amount of soccer players who come back injured from international duty seems disproportionate to the amount of injuries picked up for the club they play for, even in international friendlies which are usually slow and completely pointless.

It would be shit if we were to lose one of our stars in a game like this, no more or less shit than it would be if we lost them to injury in one of the pre-season friendlies though.

 

[wafooty2]

All the reporting about B Allan playing matchsim as a KPD would be as Keys reported imo.
Needed another tall to cover 3 KPF's and B Allan was required to cover.

I actually think its a strong endorsement that the coaches have in Bo to perform wherever they play him.

He may play HB if needed when an A grade backman is injured in Starcevich/Ginbey/Hough or he may play wing which he looks to be making a play for between Davis/Duursma/Maric and himself.

I think that's where he may end up until he develops his midfield game where his attacking and speed will be very good assets.

Agree. It's not a bad thing. Always good to have some versatility and be able to play in a variety of positions. Now we have a liitle more depth a spot in the side is becoming much harder. If Allan has some versatility his opportunities to secure a spot in the side will increase.

I still feel like long term Allan will end up a defender. Time will tell.

 

[Keys]

Anyone from West Coast who plays SOO will be rested from the unofficial scratch match against Fremantle played in the week following

So it’s a practice match or SOO with little difference to risk of injury between those games.

If Starcevich and Baker are fit to play, which I hope they both are, then I have no issue with them playing

 

[Boohemian]

How much longer can the SOO be debated??

Anyone from West Coast who plays SOO will be rested from the unofficial scratch match against Fremantle played in the week following

So it’s a practice match or SOO with little difference to risk of injury between those games.

If Starcevich and Baker are fit to play, which I hope they both are, then I have no issue with them playing

This pretty much kills the argument against SOO on the basis of avoiding unnecessary injuries. Plenty of opportunity for injuries in the lead up to the season proper. Football is a game of attrition and injuries are just a reality of contact sports.

 

[Cuzz09]

Flanker / Winger as he was a good runner

Schofield bulked up after Brown and eMac went down to be able to play as a key back

and something something fwd pocket v dogs in 2016 elim final

 

[EaglesWings83]

Hey everyone, I have been a long time reader and now a first time poster. A couple of months ago a fella on YouTube posted a video on his First Use page about West Coast midfield structures.

I was wondering if people who watch the match sim at training can maybe please have an eye on how the midfield structures are looking. Positioning, body contact, movement, connection, reading the play, one touch etc to maybe please comment on any observations surround this. Thanks.

 

[flyinghi64]

Wouldn't call it angst. Whilst it’s great there’s another game of footy I do think it’s an unnecessary gimmick and an opportunity for injury at a very strange time of the year a month out from the start of the season.

It does scream of "We really don't want to do SOO but we need to shut a few people up so lets have it say on Valentines day on the eve of the season when teams are trying to get their squad sorted and hey let's let WA take it on."

Just a lot of Really?'s going on with this one, oh and it seemed pretty rushed.