Training 2026 Preseason

[FreoRicci]

Given the lack of potential on the wings- Sharp not playing for 2 months, NOD sucked in the final, JOM as the defensive wing- can see Tobyn Murray and Whan get a chance.
Murray looks like a mature ager pushing for a spot ASAP.

 

[FreoRicci]

Sounds like we are giving amiss the jez treatment, runs on the wing throughout the game

Similar body types and burst of speed. Both aren’t contested marks either. Definitely can see it work that way.

 

[Scatter]

Most of my observations have already been reported, but I will add to those by saying:

McDonald was doing very well in the contested marking drills and in the match sims. Didn’t win many but didn’t get beaten often. He’s not displacing Cox or Pearce, obvs, but those who are thinking he’s no chance to get another game for us may be in for a surprise. Regularly halved them against Mox (NB. I’ve landed on Mox aka Mocks aka Mock Cox as the name of our latest Cox).

Don’t disagree that Young looked great, but I reckon Jackson was looking better. He’s primed for a big year. He was moving very well in transition, and he blitzed Darcy at the centre bounces. I’d say Darcy pipped him 2/3 of the around the ground stoppages, but Jacko was finding ways to make it hard for Sean. Not that the latter wasn’t looking decent, too. He was marking everything early in the sim.

Swiedy did some sensational stuff in the drills, esp. the contested marking drills, on one occasion turning Carr inside out before grabbing him around the waste and flinging him aside micro seconds before taking the mark in his arms a few inches about the ground. He was less involved in the sim, but it feels like that was more due to the sim being dominated by the usual suspects, with the youngsters just playing their supporting roles. The youngster who was most involved was Nicholls, who had a great run. Whan did some nice stuff on the wing.

Brayshaw and Serong seemed telepathically connected. JOM also looking like he is not planning on stepping aside. Johnno and Erasmus both looking ready to lift on last year. Of course, they’re all just playing each other, but the intensity was there. Bolton, by contrast, took a long time to wake up. Gave away a 50 early on when he tossed the ball aside after getting caught holding.

Treacy was very vocal, particularly with the expletives when things didn’t go the way he’d have liked.

A couple of general observations about the sim: it felt like the majority of play was in one or the other of the 50s, with little play between the arcs. Also, no kick-ins at all, just throw-ins from the pocket to restart from behinds.

I reckon McDonald is very underrated, perfect backup player. Kind of player that if we had an injury in a prelim to a big, he would come in the team for the GF and be crucial.

 

[Grandaddy Purple]

Really? Maybe it's because he was actually playing off half-back when they picked him up from the VFL? Not really hard to understand so don't act like you knew something better. His previous AFL exp. he was a forward, not a wing, not a midfielder.

True bro, you sound like you know it all, that report couldn't have accomadated the w***ers on this board more if he tried.. Sounds like you are the one who likes to act.

All this shit you floggs wrap around Anfield for instance. We know what his strengths and weaknesses are, we know he has below average skills. Him and a few others did their best to hold shit down while our young group got strength and games into them. He is what he is. It's like laying into a dead horse, it lacks class.

This shits gone on with the freo faithful from the start. You pricks have been flogging these players like they owe you something. Week in week out these boys bust their arse trying to improve,,,while you bust their balls.

It's actually a fu$&ing joke the way freo supporters carry on. You expect every player to be elite ore else, what planet are you on?

This shit started with Waterhouse, we put this kid to the sword because he was a flanker who we wanted as out poster boy FF. The pressure the freo Faithfull put him under, the way he was spoken about. He kicked 7 goals and took it upon himself to win the demolition derby, getting 3 brownlow votes. Yet we only speak of the fights, we don't speak about the comeback or the bloke who drove it… because he is nickleback and every year the ‘w***ers’ find a new one.

 

[Purple Jesus]

True bro, you sound like you know it all, that report couldn't have accomadated the w***ers on this board more if he tried.. Sounds like you are the one who likes to act.

All this shit you floggs wrap around Anfield for instance. We know what his strengths and weaknesses are, we know he has below average skills. Him and a few others did their best to hold shit down while our young group got strength and games into them. He is what he is. It's like laying into a dead horse, it lacks class.

This shits gone on with the freo faithful from the start. You pricks have been flogging these players like they owe you something. Week in week out these boys bust their arse trying to improve,,,while you bust their balls.

It's actually a fu$&ing joke the way freo supporters carry on. You expect every player to be elite ore else, what planet are you on?

This shit started with Waterhouse, we put this kid to the sword because he was a flanker who we wanted as out poster boy FF. The pressure the freo Faithfull put him under, the way he was spoken about. He kicked 7 goals and took it upon himself to win the demolition derby, getting 3 brownlow votes. Yet we only speak of the fights, we don't speak about the comeback or the bloke who drove it… because he is nickleback and every year the ‘w***ers’ find a new one.

Holy have a ****in’ sook Batman.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Murphy....

I had a good ****ing laugh last year reading Richmond board posters copium on missing on Reid. "We all know rising star means nothing and the athleticism of Hotton and size of Smillie will quickly leave him behind, he's too slow"

K brah

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Given the lack of potential on the wings- Sharp not playing for 2 months, NOD sucked in the final, JOM as the defensive wing- can see Tobyn Murray and Whan get a chance.
Murray looks like a mature ager pushing for a spot ASAP.

I reckon Wagner will play wing round 1

 

[Piggy Smalls]

From the training reports it seems like the coaches are looking for ways to keep Amiss involved in the game. He went missing a lot playing deeper forward last year.

 

[Purpletown]

I had a good ****ing laugh last year reading Richmond board posters copium on missing on Reid. "We all know rising star means nothing and the athleticism of Hotton and size of Smillie will quickly leave him behind, he's too slow"

K brah

Hotton, Smillie and our Bruce Reid can all be good players. BUT I am glad we ended up with Bruce at our pick 17. Could not have done better.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Hotton, Smillie and our Bruce Reid can all be good players. BUT I am glad we ended up with Bruce at our pick 17. Could not have done better.

Bruce is exactly the kind of player we needed. Our ground ball game forward of centre looks so much better with he and Bolton in the mix. If even one of Dudley, Sweid, or Kickett turns out to be above average we'll have one of the most dynamic forward lines in the league, with Bruce as the conductor making shit happen with over the head handballs and ridiculous tap ons.

 

[mattis117]

I had a good ****ing laugh last year reading Richmond board posters copium on missing on Reid. "We all know rising star means nothing and the athleticism of Hotton and size of Smillie will quickly leave him behind, he's too slow"

K brah

If you read the Eagles board, they're already calling poor Bo a bust. They'll never forgive themselves for picking Bo over Murphy.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

If you read the Eagles board, they're already calling poor Bo a bust. They'll never forgive themselves for picking Bo over Murphy.

I feel for Bo who seems a good kid (and WA boy to boot) but I dont think hindsight was even needed to think very strongly that Reid was always going to be a better player. I dont understand that whole draft for WC, picked 3 blokes who cant hit the broad side of a barn to play midfield and half back

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Hotton, Smillie and our Bruce Reid can all be good players. BUT I am glad we ended up with Bruce at our pick 17. Could not have done better.

Sure, but it's nothing but cope / stubborness / bias to not acknowledge on current evidence they got it wrong.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Sure, but it's nothing but cope / stubborness / bias to not acknowledge on current evidence they got it wrong.

It's a bad miss by Richmond.

He was Vic Metro MVP and his whole family were Tigers supporters. Talk about staring them in the face.

 

[Piggy Smalls]

I feel for Bo who seems a good kid (and WA boy to boot) but I dont think hindsight was even needed to think very strongly that Reid was always going to be a better player. I dont understand that whole draft for WC, picked 3 blokes who cant hit the broad side of a barn to play midfield and half back

I could easily see a parallel universe where Murphy and Harley are on every back page of the West in their Eagles gear.

 

[ImperialPurple]

I could easily see a parallel universe where Murphy and Harley are on every back page of the West in their Eagles gear.

 

[Duz97]

From the training reports it seems like the coaches are looking for ways to keep Amiss involved in the game. He went missing a lot playing deeper forward last year.

Which is why recruiting cox is a good move if he plays him and Treacy can interchange as the bail out kick from defence and playing deep. Helps amiss just be a roamer and Treacy can play a bit deeper and kick more bags.

 

[Superkoops]

Given the lack of potential on the wings- Sharp not playing for 2 months, NOD sucked in the final, JOM as the defensive wing- can see Tobyn Murray and Whan get a chance.
Murray looks like a mature ager pushing for a spot ASAP.

Ras was playing wing come the end of the year. Wing that pushes in towards contest. The other wing one that runs the lines and holds width. Suits Jez Sharp and Toby Whan. Running machines. Whan Left footer and Sharp Right foot. Prob is Jez never uses L foot at all. Given The impressive PS running from JOM he may make this position his own.

 

[Superkoops]

I feel for Bo who seems a good kid (and WA boy to boot) but I dont think hindsight was even needed to think very strongly that Reid was always going to be a better player. I dont understand that whole draft for WC, picked 3 blokes who cant hit the broad side of a barn to play midfield and half back

Shanahan is their saving grace from 2024 ND. He is a serious talent.

 

[Freohub]

I had a good ****ing laugh last year reading Richmond board posters copium on missing on Reid. "We all know rising star means nothing and the athleticism of Hotton and size of Smillie will quickly leave him behind, he's too slow"

K brah

I seriously need to know where this is from so I can watch it for myself lmao

 

[Grandaddy Purple]

Holy have a ****in’ sook Batman.

Yep absolutely

I did radio for a sports show for a bit and rang a WAFL club to connect the coach to our commentator, the coaches response”hey they wanna talk about Useless”. That player got a lot of hate on here and everywhere else, he killed himself.. Have a heart Robyn

 

[Grandaddy Purple]

What I am seeing above and beyond the expected player development (all sides recruit and develop good players) is hunger, a united playing group and a genuine chemistry between the players, they are in awe of each other, they have all worked over their breaks, are fit, training hard and having fun. We have done an amazing job with our rookie list and managed to minimise the impact of losing important players. Importantly we will be able to inject more skillfull players moving fringe 23 players into peel as depth. Ultimately replacing them with more skill. All of this is the key to winning in my view. It's the most complete team we have ever had.

 

[Spirit Level]

Is it just me or is there less pre season content than usual.

Stuff all this year. Hopefully, a good thing. Sucks for us though.

Less talk and more walk would be a nice change for this club tbh

 

[King Huskii]

What I am seeing above and beyond the expected player development (all sides recruit and develop good players) is hunger, a united playing group and a genuine chemistry between the players, they are in awe of each other, they have all worked over their breaks, are fit, training hard and having fun. We have done an amazing job with our rookie list and managed to minimise the impact of losing important players. Importantly we will be able to inject more skillfull players moving fringe 23 players into peel as depth. Ultimately replacing them with more skill. All of this is the key to winning in my view. It's the most complete team we have ever had.

Let's hope it corelates to sustained success. We can't question the list build as Walls has done an amazing job.

Players look legit hungry and ready for success but it's never an exact science.

I don't doubt the players are thirsty for the flag.

 

[malpaso]

I reckon Wagner will play wing round 1

Yep. Got to find a place for him, he can play all over the ground. He's better than Sharp or NOD.