Training Saints preseason 2026

[aussierulesrules]

If Adelaide could go from bottom 4 to top of the ladder off the back of lesser recruits than we’ve just gotten in (Peatling and Neal-Bullen), plus a full season from Thilthorp, then I don’t believe top 4 is out of the question for us- if all the planets aligned (especially a serious drop in injuries to what we’ve had the last 5 years, including King playing most games)- but yeah, an awful lot would have to go right for us to improve that much in one go.

A return to the 6th we were in Ross’s first season back would be a much more likely type outcome, if a lot fell into place.

The scope for serious improvement is definitely there though, off the 4 new recruits, guys potentially returning from injury, and with so many young ones a legitimate chance of having real breakout years.

Then there’s the fact we hopefully won’t have to protect our backline as much, if we’ve got more height back there again, so we could also have a more attacking gameplan, which could also help.

 

[Joffaboy]

The club has set expectation. No outs or excuses. We should aim for top 4.
However we have done absolutely zero as at today.
We have developed the list over 3 odd years, we have been asked to be patient. Now is not the time to temper expectation, we aim for a tilt, we aim to be a serious football team, we aim to win flags ( not one but ongoing).
Qe should aim to have the Hawthorn attitude, we should be competitive for at least half of every decade with a serious threat fir a flag.
But we need results. Until then we have done nothing, we have achieved nothing.

 

[MordySaint]

The club has set expectation. No outs or excuses. We should aim for top 4.
However we have done absolutely zero as at today.
We have developed the list over 3 odd years, we have been asked to be patient. Now is not the time to temper expectation, we aim for a tilt, we aim to be a serious football team, we aim to win flags ( not one but ongoing).
Qe should aim to have the Hawthorn attitude, we should be competitive for at least half of every decade with a serious threat fir a flag.
But we need results. Until then we have done nothing, we have achieved nothing.

My expectations are top 6.

I don't want to fall into the finals on a limp sail like we have done in recent finals campaigns.

Entrenched in the top 8 all year with solid, consistent efforts.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Guys with scope for improvement.

Elite potential- Nas, Hall, Phillipou, Wilson, King, Flanders, TDK

A grade potential- Windhager, Owens, Caminiti, Henry, Sharman

Growing with unlimited ceiling- Keeler, Tauru, Garcia, Dodson, Boxshall

Known quantity baseline players- Wilkie, Sinclair, Marshall, Ryan, Macrae, Snags, JSOS, Hill, Wood, Butler, Howard

Who knows types- Travaglia, Dow, Clark, Carroll, Stocker, Byrnes, LOC, Said, Banfield, Fincher, Barrat, Hastie, Collard, Armstrong, Mc Donald

It's hard to imagine that we won't get massive improvement from this list at some point. Get 4 A grade or above, half a dozen B graders and some soldiers and you have a top 8 list. Get beyond that and you are in the hunt for a flag.

Yeah it’s hard to see things not really clicking into gear sometime soon. Such a big group of very talented 25yo and unders, and with really only Nas who’s gotten really close to his full potential so far, so logic would suggest it’s only a matter of time before a bunch of others in that age range really step it up.

And if a whole bunch of them click at one time, and that happens to coincide with a decent injury run overall, then you can have a huge leap forward.

Like we saw in 1997 for instance, or 2004.

 

[beside the seaside]

I see Phillipou as the key cog. If he does something similar to Nas last year then suddenly our midfield looks bananas with Flanders going in there and the TDK and Marshall combo. That then opens up top four calculations.

 

[Joffaboy]

If Adelaide could go from bottom 4 to top of the ladder off the back of lesser recruits than we’ve just gotten in (Peatling and Neal-Bullen), plus a full season from Thilthorp, then I don’t believe top 4 is out of the question for us- if all the planets aligned (especially a serious drop in injuries to what we’ve had the last 5 years, including King playing most games)- but yeah, an awful lot would have to go right for us to improve that much in one go.

A return to the 6th we were in Ross’s first season back would be a much more likely type outcome, if a lot fell into place.

The scope for serious improvement is definitely there though, off the 4 new recruits, guys potentially returning from injury, and with so many young ones a legitimate chance of having real breakout years.

Then there’s the fact we hopefully won’t have to protect our backline as much, if we’ve got more height back there again, so we could also have a more attacking gameplan, which could also help.

This, we have recruited four top line players, so far ( touch wood) our injuries are small, our draftees have developed, we have the likes of Pou, Henry, Tauru, King, as virtual new players with full preseasons ( well King is modified) and a very favourable draw.
We are primed to leap up the ladder. A huge disappointment if this group can't do this with all this in favour.

 

[pebblesofsand]

If Adelaide could go from bottom 4 to top of the ladder off the back of lesser recruits than we’ve just gotten in (Peatling and Neal-Bullen), plus a full season from Thilthorp, then I don’t believe top 4 is out of the question for us- if all the planets aligned (especially a serious drop in injuries to what we’ve had the last 5 years, including King playing most games)- but yeah, an awful lot would have to go right for us to improve that much in one go.

A return to the 6th we were in Ross’s first season back would be a much more likely type outcome, if a lot fell into place.

The scope for serious improvement is definitely there though, off the 4 new recruits, guys potentially returning from injury, and with so many young ones a legitimate chance of having real breakout years.

Then there’s the fact we hopefully won’t have to protect our backline as much, if we’ve got more height back there again, so we could also have a more attacking gameplan, which could also help.

Top 4 is achievable but needs one highly improbable thing to happen.

Max King playing at least 15+ games @ 2.5 goals a game.

 

[aussierulesrules]

This, we have recruited four top line players, so far ( touch wood) our injuries are small, our draftees have developed, we have the likes of Pou, Henry, Tauru, King, as virtual new players with full preseasons ( well King is modified) and a very favourable draw.
We are primed to leap up the ladder. A huge disappoibtment if this group can do this with all this in favour.

Yes, well as long as the injuries part stays about where it is now.

Even if we get hit hard by them for a 6th straight year though (and last year only Essendon and Carlton had more best 22 players miss games than we did), we could still be confident of being significantly better. Given our depth options this year won’t be as young and inexperienced as they were last year, we don’t seem to have a glaring depth weakness this year (unlike last year, with Cordy our only real tall defensive depth), and you’d think at least some of the young ones will have breakout years.

Have to handle the pressure and expectations though, as they’ll definitely be there.

 

[gringo2011]

I don’t remember anything of watching Flanders when he was playing on ball for Gold Coast, but I looked back at his individual games of 2024 (before his back injury that saw him play mostly forward last year), and he started that season on the ball a fair bit, for the first 3 weeks, before being moved out of there (presumably to the wing or HBF) for about 6 weeks, and then was moved back on ball for a stretch, with some much higher CBA’s, before playing elsewhere the last 3.

Here are the numbers for the games where he attended at least 6 CBA’s:

OR:
CBA’s- 15
26 Disposals (9 cont), 7 score involvements, 7 inside-50’s, 2 clearances, 92 ranking points.

R1:
CBA’s- 10
35 disposals (11 contested), 3 clearances, 540m-gained, 119 ranking points (eq 2nd)

R2:
CBA’s- 12
26 disposals (12 contested), 5 clearances, 1 goal, 87 ranking points

R8:
CBA’s- 8
30 disposals (11 contested), 5 clearances, 495m-gained, 104 ranking points

R15-
CBA’s- 6
33 disposals (11 contested), 4 clearances, 111 ranking points (3rd)

R16 v Collingwood
CBA’s- 27
33 disposals (15 contested), 8 score involvements, 6 clearances, 1 goal, 104 ranking points (5th)

R17
CBA’s- 18
27 disposals (10 contested), 6 clearances, 1 goal, 87 ranking points

R18:
CBA’s- 24
30 disposals (8 contested), 11 score involvements, 4 clearances, 1 goal, 95 ranking points 2 Brownlow votes

R19 v GWS
CBA’s- 20
43 disposals (11 contested), 9 clearances, 555m-gained, 137 ranking points (2nd) 2 Brownlow votes

R20 v Bris
CBA’s- 22
33 disposals (16 contested), 7 clearances, 1 goal, 113 ranking points (5th, 1st for GC), 1 Brownlow vote

R21 v WCE
CBA’s- 23
25 disposals (@88%, 7 contested), 3 clearances, 73 ranking points

Next/last 3 games

29 disposals 2 goals 2 Brownlow votes
28 disposals 2 goals
22 disposals 2 goals

Other games

42 disposals 2 Brownlow votes
37 disposals
34 disposals
34 disposals
33 disposals 3 Brownlow votes

He ended up with the most disposals in a season in Gold Coast’s history, so more than Gaz Jnr ever had.

Plus 12 Brownlow votes (including votes 3 times in losing teams- 2,2 and 1) and 44 coaches votes. At 23yo.

And there are peeps on the main board who reckon he won’t improve us and that he’s a “dud”!

The bloke can find some serious pill when he’s played in the right spots and fully fit!

His 2024 season following on from him having one of the all-time VFL patches and forcing himself to be picked were extraordinary. He was genuinely elite for that season. If he can get back there we have an absolute bargain. If he'd played that stretch at a victorian club he'd have been untouchable.

Goldy has had quite a few high possession getters too. He is a genuine can play anywhere type. He did go to HB in that year and he was drafted as a forward because he is good around goals. My ideal position for him is swapping out with Nas so one is always on ball and one always behind it. Keeps them both fresh and impacting.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I see Phillipou as the key cog. If he does something similar to Nas last year then suddenly our midfield looks bananas with Flanders going in there and the TDK and Marshall combo. That then opens up top four calculations.

Yep, we said the same exact thing last preseason, so much of our potential for improvement lay with Pou and Max.

With the way Pou finished off the previous season and how everyone said he was dominating training every week, until his injury, he was the one we were hoping would do something along the lines of what Nas did, so if it happens this year instead, it will go a very long way to seeing us surge.

Having those two blokes killing it in there with Flanders and co as support, and being fed by TDK, jumping on heads at centre bounces, would take us a LONG way.

 

[The Punter]

Top 4 is achievable but needs one highly improbable thing to happen.

Max King playing at least 15+ games @ 2.5 goals a game.

Only seven players managed this last season (J Cameron, Gunston, Hogan, the other King, Darcy, Naughton and Georgiades). Of those, only Cameron played in a team that finished top 4 (although the Hawks made a prelim).

Max's best season was 2.36 goals per game.

I think this is a stretch goal, and we shouldn't be relying on it to make top 4.

 

[gringo2011]

Yep agreed.

I think many view with a lender of ‘no weapons’ I see him as windy clone at the same age, with better hands.

I don't see him competing with or like Windhager. Windhager is a smooth moving outside mid/wing and a real glue player. Hugo has BDE, he's got mini Bont vibes to me, he's a quick paced inside mid who can motor away and is excellent in close in heavy traffic. Also handy mark and good around goals.

He's got the same sort of no weapons guys like Lauchie Neale and Zach Merrett have. No-one can guarantee a kid is going to make it but he's got an excellent attitude and doing extras to make it to the top. There aren't many players who can win contested ball and still run and spread. Hugo can.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Only seven players managed this last season (J Cameron, Gunston, Hogan, the other King, Darcy, Naughton and Georgiades). Of those, only Cameron played in a team that finished top 4 (although the Hawks made a prelim).

Max's best season was 2.36 goals per game.

I think this is a stretch goal, and we shouldn't be relying on it to make top 4.

Yeah I agree, that’s a big big ask for a guy who hasn’t played in a year-and-a-half and who, 40-odd days from our first game, isn’t even fully running yet.

 

[gringo2011]

Yeah I mean if he’s really ready to play that would be a decent option, but the way I read it it seemed as though they meant if he wasn’t really ready he could play multiple half games.

I’d be fine with him being eased in for a couple after say one VFL game.

Imagine playing Keeler for a half and as he tires you unleash the King. Sounds kind of ideal to me. Keeler looks magnificent in patches but struggled to look 100% engaged for a full match. Give him 2 quarters and let him go hard then as everyone else is getting tired you run King in.

 

[gringo2011]

How long do you have?

Quiet now, she's offered some free counselling. It's her own problem now. It all started in my childhood and it only got worse from there.

 

[The Boar]

Sunshine Coast Training Report
Sunny and hot conditions. Bit of wind swirl.
Good crowd turnout, 200 odd.

REHAB GROUP

• Main Rehab: Kong, Howard, Dodson, Wood. Straight line running and foot skills to start.
• Light Duties / Warm Up with Main Group: Owens, Garcia, Clark, LOC.
• Groups come together for strength and conditioning (boxing, bands, ropes). No light work here, boys working harder than the main group, fully gassed. Dodson's dukes are toning up in front of us. Garcia thumping the boxing bag, looks angry.

MAIN GROUP
START

• Starting with running, nothing too wild.
• Ground ball works.
• Low intensity, low chat.

MIDDLE

• Teams- mixed blue and yellow. No As / Bs.
• Backline throw-in and exit drill at all corners of the ground.
• TDK rucking fully, full contact.
• Liam Ryan sharking balls and moving well, looks fit.
• Voice picking up, Stocker lead vocals from BP, setting up the Zone. Coaches would love him.
• NAS a cut above everyone in the middle, down back, anyone in any position.
• Marshall- when not rucking- setting up in the wall as a Forward to impact long kicks out, expect TDK and Marshall to do that a lot in 2026. Nice luxury to have.
• TDK takes a pack mark hanger from behind, leaping over. Training with full contact and looks great.
• Caminiti big fist down back, keep him there, great reach and size. Go-go gadget arms, Harris Andrew's type of reach.

END
- I missed the last 30 minutes but looks like centre bounce clearance works for the mids.

OBSERVATIONS

• Barrat is a massive unit, huge legs- perfect KPB for Fogarty sized units.
• Banfield is very tall, nice foot skills, great penetration. Eagles have missed one here or their other Academy kids must be jets.
• Keeler bulking up, but quiet day.
• Phillipou smooth moving, smooth kicking.
• NAS can thump goals beyond 50 now.
• Irish boys are good sizes. Armstrong good skills with no pressure, needs time to adjust to the pace when under pressure.
• Wilson roaming a wing and hunting the ball.
• Garcia rejoined the main group the outside. Better than boxing!
• Not the loudest or hardest running of sessions I wouldn't have thought, minds are on the Noosa pub no doubt.

That's it!

 

[gringo2011]

Top 4 is huge expectations and while i see why people have these expectations, i do not.
Finals most definitely
Sixth or around that mark
2027 is when we are pushing top four and becoming serious flag contenders imo.
But, let's hope im wrong, we make top four and win the bloody thing this year

It's really hard to predict. We would have to do a baby Bombers, 2008 Hawks or 2016 Bulldogs and run ahead of schedule to really jump to top 4 and go into challenge mode. Reality is that 2027 is probably more likely but the pieces are there if we get a surge and some luck.

 

[MordySaint]

Nice to see Roma the number 1 ruckman in this play rehearsal.

He's the most underrated player in the comp. I love him on almost Kosi proportions.

 

[gringo2011]

Why do we care what some washed up footballers think?

People who have virtually no knowledge of our list or how they are tracking. People who haven't followed their progress closely and likely have only watched a handful of our games on TV, with no expereince seeing them live.

We could dominate every game next year and some of these people would still think we suck because of things completely out of our control.

No-one follows the list more closely than the forum nuffies. We are probably more well drilled one the ins and outs than a lot of the coaching staff even. Ex players mostly have a partial interest in the fortunes of the club but are not as invested as us tragics.

 

[Joffaboy]

Imagine playing Keeler for a half and as he tires you unleash the King. Sounds kind of ideal to me. Keeler looks magnificent in patches but struggled to look 100% engaged for a full match. Give him 2 quarters and let him go hard then as everyone else is getting tired you run King in.

Keeler's reading of the play is improving as well.
Developing he would fly in every pack as all kids do.
The other day in sim, he was the pack target, he saw he was out of position so got front and centre for the spill, crumbed it and set up the next play like an oversized outside mid.
What I loved was he put away the ego of tall ruckman and instinctively let his football iq get him to the best chance of getting the ball if spilled. A small thing but to me significant in a footballer's development.

 

[gringo2011]

I recall someone wise on here after last Friday's training saying Pou would transform the way our midfield functions once it all clicks for him..........

He's got the kind of vibe Nate Fyfe had. Just has something about him that isn't like your usual footballer. A different cat type. Has a bit of the Steve Smith sportism but just an absolutely unique player. Those guys are often unstoppable because they are 100% invested while everyone else is 75% in. Also zig when others zag.

 

[SainterinSydney]

Sunshine Coast Training Report
Sunny and hot conditions. Bit of wind swirl.
Good crowd turnout, 200 odd.

REHAB GROUP

• Main Rehab: Kong, Howard, Dodson, Wood. Straight line running and foot skills to start.
• Light Duties / Warm Up with Main Group: Owens, Garcia, Clark, LOC.
• Groups come together for strength and conditioning (boxing, bands, ropes). No light work here, boys working harder than the main group, fully gassed. Dodson's dukes are toning up in front of us. Garcia thumping the boxing bag, looks angry.

MAIN GROUP
START

• Starting with running, nothing too wild.
• Ground ball works.
• Low intensity, low chat.

MIDDLE

• Teams- mixed blue and yellow. No As / Bs.
• Backline throw-in and exit drill at all corners of the ground.
• TDK rucking fully, full contact.
• Liam Ryan sharking balls and moving well, looks fit.
• Voice picking up, Stocker lead vocals from BP, setting up the Zone. Coaches would love him.
• NAS a cut above everyone in the middle, down back, anyone in any position.
• Marshall- when not rucking- setting up in the wall as a Forward to impact long kicks out, expect TDK and Marshall to do that a lot in 2026. Nice luxury to have.
• TDK takes a pack mark hanger from behind, leaping over. Training with full contact and looks great.
• Caminiti big fist down back, keep him there, great reach and size. Go-go gadget arms, Harris Andrew's type of reach.

END
- I missed the last 30 minutes but looks like centre bounce clearance works for the mids.

OBSERVATIONS

• Barrat is a massive unit, huge legs- perfect KPB for Fogarty sized units.
• Banfield is very tall, nice foot skills, great penetration. Eagles have missed one here or their other Academy kids must be jets.
• Keeler bulking up, but quiet day.
• Phillipou smooth moving, smooth kicking.
• NAS can thump goals beyond 50 now.
• Irish boys are good sizes. Armstrong good skills with no pressure, needs time to adjust to the pace when under pressure.
• Wilson roaming a wing and hunting the ball.
• Garcia rejoined the main group the outside. Better than boxing!
• Not the loudest or hardest running of sessions I wouldn't have thought, minds are on the Noosa pub no doubt.

That's it!

No one told me about our new recruit!



All jokes aside--excellent report, mate!

 

[M_I_G]

I come in peace
Genuinely curious who is lying about their height. Marshall??
Both listed at 2.01

 

[The Punter]

On the news that clubs will be looking to use the fifth bench spot as a pseudo sub...

More evidence that the AFL should have just gone back to four on the bench.

 

[The Punter]

I come in peace
Genuinely curious who is lying about their height. Marshall??
Both listed at 2.01

View attachment 2513439

One is closer to the camera than the other