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

 

[RanaNaved]

NN to Shuey
NN to Priddis
Lade to Burgoyne

 

[Avalor]

Don’t think that was our choice.

He wasn’t huge in 2016 before he did his knee.

Here he is in the GWS game

View attachment 2513536
Once he did his knee he seemed to lose the ability to put in the work off field to manage his weight.

I remember being shocked at how much bigger he looked in 2018, and then was again shocked when he came back in 2019.

I thought he’d use the off season to get back in better shape, but 2020 he looked the same and 2021-2022 his conditionally seemed to get worse.

I think it was the knees that made conditioning tough and led to his weight gain/lower fitness not the other way around.

He himself said he had to change his game as he had lost some of his leaping power because of the ACLs, and had to body ruck more, hence the weight increase.

 

[Monsterdarlz]

I thought Cox-Kerr was just as damaging as either of those!

Cox-Judd was just as good in his autobiography Judd credits cox for making him a better mid between 05-07

 

[mattyc75]

Pretty sure it was the Uber Eats that bulked NN up and not the club.

For breakfast!

 

[Avalor]

A real chatterbox! Some great insights, good post!

he speaks very well - no fillers, no uuummmsss...etc!

 

[WCEswift]

vic biased with the time? Eastern time slot reported maybe.

Rhino hast it for 9am.

No fans would be a little weird considering these games are streamed on Kayo in the past

Neither of the ovals there are blockable views you can just walk over

 

[EaglesWings83]

I like his content, it seems well informed and without bias about different club structures and what works.
Jeff White was a very good player, played 268 games for MEL & FREO so he would have a very good knowledge of ruck/midfield/stoppage structures etc. imo.

I didnt realise it was Jeff White. He looks a lot different these days... Thanks, appreciate the response.

 

[Keys]

Neither of the ovals there are blockable views you can just walk over

The location is a biohazard though so you enter at your own risk

 

[WCE777]

I didnt realise it was Jeff White. He looks a lot different these days... Thanks, appreciate the response.

His son just got drafted to Melbourne as a FS.
Kalani White, was also a GC Academy player.

 

[WCEswift]

The location is a biohazard though so you enter at your own risk

I live 800m from there. i know the biohazard well

 

[Byron_Clanger]

https://archive.md/L93ig

“There’s a great competitiveness for that wing spot. Duurs has come in and I don’t want to set the bar too high for him because he hasn’t even played an AFL game yet but the way he’s applying himself in training, asking questions, attacking his gym to try to put on some more size has been great so far,” he said.

Love hearing that about Duursma. The attack on work ethic was expecting I was expecting out of Harley from day dot, but everyone's different. Speaking of Reid, think the penny finally dropped for him now..I think Duursma's still living with him? That'll force him to grow and mature.

Reid has visibly conditioned his body better for the rigours of AFL, with the 2024 No.1 draftee now looking ominous ahead of his third season.
“To see him come back in the shape he has this year, he’s earned a lot of respect,” Hall said.
“It’s taken a bit of learning for him, it doesn’t come naturally to everyone but to see the effort he’s putting in to his diet, his fitness, even some of his defensive running through this pre-season has been just unreal so far.

 

[Cuzz09]

Gardiner/Cousins was a good duo too

 

[bUCKET__]

Giles down to Tunbridge

 

[Elite Pete]

Ginbey vs Waterman footage is good. Jake even getting a little frustrated

 

[squashface]

Giles down to Tunbridge

Streets don't forget that Giles legacy game

 

[Goroyals22]

Streets don't forget that Giles legacy game

What’s Peter street got to do with this?

 

[ghostbat12]

I really worry for Hall. Just dont see a position for him barring several injuries. He's pretty good when he has the ball but just seems a bit slow for my liking.

he is fast enough. certainly faster than many seasoned afl players.

 

[Boohemian]

he is fast enough. certainly faster than many seasoned afl players.

Shhhhhhhh.

We’re all about writing junior players off before the season even starts.

 

[juice568]

Shhhhhhhh.

We’re all about writing junior players off before the season even starts.

We have to be honest on here. Some players are just xavier o niels and luke foleys, who get phased out when better talent arrives. That time is now and we need to priortise duursma lindsay allen and forget about clay hall and harvey johnstone.

 

[Fatty rules]

Never been someone as good as him at ruck knocks to advantage. Was the goat. Someone might find stats disputing this but his taps to advantage were amazing.

On his day, the most dominant player ever.

 

[BSD]

he is fast enough. certainly faster than many seasoned afl players.

I think he is slow between the ears .

 

[FKASC]

Streets don't forget that Giles legacy game

One of the funnest nights at the pub ever

 

[wadistance]

Can anyone report what the guys do as training on the other 4 days that aren’t full sessions? Must be gym work? Extra runnng? Lectures? One on ones?

Mostly standing around patting each other on the back and getting their good bloke awards

 

[Campaigner for good]

Never been someone as good as him at ruck knocks to advantage. Was the goat. Someone might find stats disputing this but his taps to advantage were amazing.

There are hit outs to advantage and then are are silver service hit outs that Naitanui served up. Like a good kick to a leading forward it was to where the mid was going to be at full pace. Poetry

 

[Convocation]

Ginbey vs Waterman footage is good. Jake even getting a little frustrated

Who is holding their shoulder at the 30 second vision point?