Training Pre-Season Training '25 - '26

[ydc55]

Based on the match sim reviews this is how the A team and B team looks (understand they matched up the best forwards and backs so this isn’t the actual match sim teams)

Team A
McGrath McKay Redman
Clarke Reid Roberts
Prior Caldwell Fiorini
Duursma Caddy Merrett
Huss Wright Kako

Blakiston Durham Parish

Team B
Kondogiannis Gerreyn El Hawli
Johnson Sellers (V) ?
Cox Tsatas Binns (V)
Day-Wicks May Unwin
Guelfi McMahon Gresham

Visintini Sharp Farrow

Didn’t take part
Robey
Ridley
Setterfield
Jones
Bryan
Langford
Edwards
Martin
Perkins
Bourke


With that in mind I think we end up going with this for Round 1 although I still think the club are letting players fight for some positions still. This is an educated guess and not exactly how I would line up

McGrath McKay Redman
Ridley Reid Roberts (W)
Duursma (F) Caldwell Clarke (D)
Merrett (M) Caddy Langford (W)
Kako Wright Guelfi
Blakiston Durham (F) Parish

Prior (W/D), Fiorini (W/F) Sharp (F/M) Tsatas (M)

5th spot likely a small forward, still plenty to play out there I think

Great post.
Can’t see Guelfi in best 23.From very limited viewing I think Day Wicks, Unwin and Huss all in front of him. If injuries are kind I think Guelfi and Gresham play a lot of footy in the VFL.
Fiorini will start I reckon. the heat will be on early against Hawthorn and Fiorini is very vocal on the ground.
Prior is an interesting one. Was quiet yesterday. I prefer others but he has the capacity to play small or tall.

 

[eth-dog]

Great post.
Can’t see Guelfi in best 23.From very limited viewing I think Day Wicks, Unwin and Huss all in front of him. If injuries are kind I think Guelfi and Gresham play a lot of footy in the VFL.
Fiorini will start I reckon. the heat will be on early against Hawthorn and Fiorini is very vocal on the ground.
Prior is an interesting one. Was quiet yesterday. I prefer others but he has the capacity to play small or tall.

I really hope you're right. Unwin is the one I'm most excited about of that trio

 

[eDPS]

If injuries are kind I think Guelfi and Gresham play a lot of footy in the VFL.

I think they will be preferred early in the year but hoping those younger small forwards really knock the door down for a spot.

 

[Yoda_]

From Training reports looks like Blakiston will lead the ruck until Bryan is back.
Change in ruck rules may help him.
He just needs to break even.

When do we expect Bryan back? round 2-3? mid year

 

[Yoda_]

I think they will be preferred early in the year but hoping those younger small forwards really knock the door down for a spot.

think a few guys need to watch there backs imho. We have 22 guys under 24

 

[ant555]

When do we expect Bryan back? round 2-3? mid year

Looks like round 4-5. Will not be mid-year unless something goes wrong. You would expect he would play a couple of VFL games.

 

[ant555]

My two cents worth on this week. Did not see a full training on the days I went but did watch around an hour of the match sim on Friday morning.

Moving the ball forward and long has been mentioned by a few that have watched match sim. We have certainly moved in that direction. The previous default of playing slow and holding possession is not seen that often which is a good thing but the new run and long kicking into the forward line is also a result of continual personal changes. Having Caddy and May as forward options along with Wright opens things up. The run from the back half is coming from a combination of McGrath / Redman / Roberts / SEH / Johnson / Clarke / Kondogiannis spread across both sides with Prior / Duursma and Fiorini doing some work from the back half from the wing.

Langford did not train yesterday but he has been playing high forward / link.

ydc55 mentioned Merrett not having a lot of interaction with the others. From my observations this has been the case in match sim. He has just been doing his thing and getting on with it with minimal fuss. He has been a bit different outside of match sim and I have seen him often chatting with Redman and getting around the players during the drills. My track watcher says Zack has been trying to give the new leadership group some clean air and doing his own thing but is involved when someone seeks him out.

The defending has been mentioned. Some of our young blokes are a bit loose. Roberts / Johnson / Max Kondo all love to attack but can allow their opponents a bit too much rope at times. I think it does look like we are setting up to play intercept / attack more than a one-on-one defence.

Been impressed with Max kondo's attacking side and ball use so far.

Sharpe always impresses.

Not sold on Farrow as a midfielder yet. Looks better when he has been at half back.

Parish looks on track to get back to his old self. He is what he is but he can win the footy and when he is on he is very clean at ground level.

HEA is tracking well. His endurance has looked stronger than it was.

Not sure what role Cox will play but at least he is in full training.

Day-Wicks would be getting a bit of media attention if he actually converted a few more of his chances.

From what I have seen of Tsatas so far, he has been steady as it goes. Not jumping off the page but looks fit and not doing anything alarmingly wrong.

Caldwell and Durham flying under the radar a bit. Again, not jumping off the page but both in good shape and both doing good work in the match sim when it has been their turn.

Vigo is looking at a VFL start. Looks in good shape but Blakison has been better and Wright and May have been taking the forward half ruck.

Have not seen anything that changes my view that Blakiston may well hold down number 1 ruck. Yes he has moments where he drops a mark or he kicks a poor one, but he has some footy IQ and gets around the ground well.

 

[Squeaky]

think a few guys need to watch there backs imho. We have 22 guys under 24

Yep. I would go with whoever shows form in pre season hit outs. No default spot for older guys, just because... That shits me...

 

[FootyGuru]

Yep. I would go with whoever shows form in pre season hit outs. No default spot for older guys, just because... That shits me...

It’s goes the other way too with Essendon supporters. Gresham, setterfeild and guilfi might be out playing their younger counterparts but us fans want the younger guy playing instead. Pick the best 22 each regardless of age.

 

[ydc55]

I think they will be preferred early in the year but hoping those younger small forwards really knock the door down for a spot.

I have only watched a few training sessions and the match sims but picking Guelfi on preseason form would be wrong.
Gresham looks to be fit and trimmed down but struggled to make an impact.
I see our list in the 1992/ 93 mould where younger players are just a bit better than their more experienced team mates.
I don’t think we will win a premiership like 93 but perhaps this is the year we get 12 to 18 more games into a talented young core and players such as Guelfi and Gresham are left behind.
It is a long season though and we learnt last year anything can happen.

Ps who are the players to watch at the chargers this year?

 

[faible]

I have only watched a few training sessions and the match sims but picking Guelfi on preseason form would be wrong.
Gresham looks to be fit and trimmed down but struggled to make an impact.
I see our list in the 1992/ 93 mould where younger players are just a bit better than their more experienced team mates.
I don’t think we will win a premiership like 93 but perhaps this is the year we get 12 to 18 more games into a talented young core and players such as Guelfi and Gresham are left behind.
It is a long season though and we learnt last year anything can happen.

Ps who are the players to watch at the chargers this year?

If a guy like Guelfi is sitting in that 23 - 28 range then I think that's a good sign. He's always going to give you 100% on the field, so that sets a minimum standard of effort young guys have to surpass to push him out. If you're taking a few injuries and he's playing, then you're getting a guy who'll give you everything each week.

 

[King Patty]

Agree Guelfi is a great competitor and is pretty solid in playing multiple roles when required, will be handy depth, or off the bench.

The best work of Guelfi though is as a defensive forward and he has done great jobs on Whitfield and Sicily and that stifling opposition ball movement from defence goes a long way to helping us win.

Whether Guelfi gets a game or not, depends on whether Brad (& Brains trust) still sees that role as important to the side or would rather try something more attacking - a medium or a more attacking minded small forward.

 

[Wahooti Fandango]

 

[ghostdog]

Not a training vid, but still remarkable insight about the human excavator. I laughed a lot

 

[Milanista28]

Not a training vid, but still remarkable insight about the human excavator. I laughed a lot

He landed that 'Cuz'

 

[Keystone agony]

I will be very surprised if Scott based on past history doesnt back Guelfi in at the start

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

Good Lord nearly through Jan without any major injury happening in 26. I just jinxed us and it is my fault when the sky falls in during Feb.

 

[Bjchan13]

Good Lord nearly through Jan without any major injury happening in 26. I just jinxed us and it is my fault when the sky falls in during Feb.

 

[Keystone agony]

We havnt been too bad this entire PS maybe S.Murphy was a dud and whoever else before him

Sometimes you just need luck to try to even out a smidge

 

[crackers65]

I will be very surprised if Scott based on past history doesnt back Guelfi in at the start

Guelfi, Gresham and Perkins. Same old, same old.

 

[Squeaky]

Guelfi, Gresham and Perkins. Same old, same old.

And we will get the same results...

 

[FootyGuru]

I will be very surprised if Scott based on past history doesnt back Guelfi in at the start

Whoever is on the list is fair game, despite their age. We are gonna see enough youth each game, without having to compromise selection.

Guelfi, Gresham and Perkins. Same old, same old.

Perkins is far younger with much more upside than Gresham and Guelfi.
Perkins was also the 8th highest rated general forward till our injuries forced changes to his Role. I question whether he ever truly wants to be great but I’d be surprised if he isn’t in the first team most the season.

 

[crackers65]

Whoever is on the list is fair game, despite their age. We are gonna see enough youth each game, without having to compromise selection.

Perkins is far younger with much more upside than Gresham and Guelfi.
Perkins was also the 8th highest rated general forward till our injuries forced changes to his Role. I question whether he ever truly wants to be great but I’d be surprised if he isn’t in the first team most the season.

If same old Perkins is in firsts most of the season, we haven’t got any better.

 

[FootyGuru]

If same old Perkins is in firsts most of the season, we haven’t got any better.

If our team gets better we will only see better output from Perkins.

If Perkins adds another 0.5 of a goal and 3/4 possessions per game he will be rated among the better half forwards in the comp.

 

[TheUnicorn]

If we’re trying to win footy in Round 1, I’m playing Guelf and Kako as my two smalls. We need Guelf as a defensive forward verse Hawthorn. I really like the look of Kako and Achkar so far, they’ve got unreal chemistry when they play together. But Achkar still doesn’t have anywhere near a good enough tank yet, you might get away with it now with the extended bench.


Perkins comes in if he earns his spot although I’d be more interested in playing Robey over Perkins when he’s fit. Perkins has had plenty of opportunity to show what he’s got, and Gresham shouldn’t play regardless of how he performs.


The forward line for round one is probably looking like

Duursma, Caddy, Kako
Guelfie, Wright, Langford