Training Saints preseason 2026

[Saintscomemarchingin]

Played defence as a junior.
Good reader of the paly.
Strong and can bustle (hence stand in ruck role (no one talks about) )

Played defence as a junior?
Was probably 4ft.4 & played in a back-pocket then.
He did have a huge growth spurt.

 

[gringo2011]

Agree with all of this.... apart from wtaf is rocket surgery?

an attempt at dad jokes.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

Agree with all of this.... apart from wtaf is rocket surgery?

 

[aussierulesrules]

Another beneficiary will be Higgins. Getting the smallest defender as opposed to the third tall will be huge. He'll kick less goals because he'll be targeted less but it'll be a massive upgrade on Butler/Collard/Wilson/Garcia from 2025 in that role

I wonder how much Ryan will enjoy not being matched up on the opposition’s best lock-down small?

I feel like we paid an awful lot for him (given he would have been free at the end of this year, if picked up through free agency), but he looks fitter than he’s probably been in years, and will presumably be a lot more excited and hungry to play, if he’s now in a team in finals contention again, so maybe he’ll get back close to his best.

 

[Joffaboy]

Why is there a want to make Mitchito learn a completely new position to move him back for the same reasons he's so good as a forward, especially after signing Silvagni?

Because someone made up a story our backline is weak even though its the strongest it has looked in years.

 

[akaifu]

Hmm

 

[aussierulesrules]

Sydney are going to be interesting to watch. A few guys are getting older and they let Florrent and Hayward go to get Curnow. Lose Curnow for any period and they are running a bit thin, they need Heeney, Chad and Errol to stay fit too.

Logan McDonald didn’t play a game last year and Amarty only played 8, so they could be adding those two, plus Curnow, while Papley only played 10 (for just 11 goals), so they could be vastly stronger up forward, injuries pending.

Might even be able to play McDonald down back.

Could easily see them losing another GF.

 

[BrutThough]

HmmView attachment 2517814

It's last years leadership group. Every chance this years group hasn't been finalised yet.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

It's last years leadership group. Every chance this years group hasn't been finalised yet.

I thought that, but where is Steele?

 

[Xxxx66]

This skit may provide some insight into the humor of those around our vintage

 

[aussierulesrules]

Because someone made up a story our backline is weak even though it’s the strongest it has looked in years.

I don’t agree with that at all. Two years ago we had AA Wilkie, Battle (who was just about as good as when he made the AA team last year), and Howard (so every bit as good as our tall stocks are likely to be back there this year), then on the flanks we had AA Sinclair and Nas (arguably the best attacking HBF duo in the comp), the super-reliable and experienced no.1 lockdown “small”, in Webster, plus Stocker, whereas this year we lose Nas and Webster from that backline and their replacements are a complete mystery at this stage, and are likely to be very inexperienced there.

So we had a hell of a good backline two years ago (4 of the top 5 in the B&F played there), but it fell right away last year and this year we ought to be back to being good in the air, but replacing Nas and Jimmy there is no easy task.

Hopefully a couple of guys really jump out of the box to do so, but all we really have is hope, at this stage.

 

[SaintsofSteel]

Banfield much more impressive, Fincher, to.me, looks a bit small. Lets let him develop over the next couple of seasons.
Banfield is a beast and I can hardly believe he is a new draftee.

We are just not used to kids coming to us who have already put in the hours in the gym. For his age he has a huge rig, is humble, intelligent and from really good stock, so he gets a lot of ticks even before he has played a game.

 

[Saintscomemarchingin]

I don’t agree with that at all. Two years ago we had AA Wilkie, Battle (who was just about as good as when he made the AA team last year), and Howard (so every bit as good as our tall stocks are likely to be back there this year), then on the flanks we had AA Sinclair and Nas (arguably the best attacking HBF duo in the comp), the super-reliable and experienced no.1 lockdown “small”, in Webster, plus Stocker, whereas this year we lose Nas and Webster from that backline and their replacements are a complete mystery at this stage, and are likely to be very inexperienced there.

We had a hell of a good backline two years ago but it fell right away last year and this year we ought to be back to being good in the air, but replacing Nas and Jimmy there is no easy task.

Hopefully a couple of guys really jump out of the box to do so, but all we really have is hope, at this stage.

I personally think that Travaglia has the most Webster like traits.
So although young & inexperienced, he will lock in there now for mine.

Windhager seemed to be playing in the backline in that Melbourne comeback & did well,
or was he on a wing pushing back?
Windy has a good mix of attack & being accountable.

With Flanders coming in to the midfield, l'd like to see Windhager back & those two could rotate positions also.

B. Travaglia Jsos Wilkie

H.B. Sinclair Tauru Windhager

And Caminiti as the swingman, if we need more height back there.

Howard probably is just about cooked.

So yes, at this moment, this back 6 aint as good.

 

[SaintersFan]

23 games and we need to win just over half to play finals. Maybe only need to win half if it's an even year and with an extra 2 finals spots.

If we could knock off your middle sides we would have 8 wins. Another 4 from the bottom pile and we probably make it inside the 10.

All good Gringo. No need to worry everyone because our 2026 Sainters are going to take the Comp by storm and we'll win every game
Go Sainters!

 

[CursingFijian]

wtaf is rocket surgery?

It's a kind of brain science.

 

[FQFjt]

“Why would they?”: Cornes urges Saints against King's early return

“You just see some silly things written in pre-season, and that's one of them.”

www.sen.com.au

He's right. I suspect no one is really considering picking a half fit King and it's just designed to drum up momentum and memberships (consistently with the club's massive media blitz over the last couple of weeks).

 

[FQFjt]

Another beneficiary will be Higgins. Getting the smallest defender as opposed to the third tall will be huge. He'll kick less goals because he'll be targeted less but it'll be a massive upgrade on Butler/Collard/Wilson/Garcia from 2025 in that role

This all depends upon us using multiple avenues to goal when King gets back - something we have never been able to get right.

 

[FQFjt]

TDK is going to be mostly used in the ruck. Other than knowing who to tap to it's not rocket surgery. JSOS is going to be smart enough to adapt fast, Ryan again he's going to be there to get around his man and shoot for goal. Doesn't need to adapt too much. Flanders is the one that is probably going to need time to adjust to a new system and possibly the one that will take a bit of time to develop a bit of mojo with other mids.

Macrae didn't need any time at all to get going.

 

[The Punter]

Just on King...

We all understand he desperately wants to play, right? So King will be in the coaches' ears, giving them reassurances everything is going well, because he just wants to play a game of footy. It's been 18 months and counting.

I am sure the club realise Round 0 is no more important than the game after it. But they'll have a timeframe in mind as to when they'd like King to be back in the side by. We don't really want him playing his first game after the mid-year bye. He needs footy.

 

[akaifu]

This all depends upon us using multiple avenues to goal when King gets back - something we have never been able to get right.

True, but I'd say it was something Steele, Crouch, Jones, Ross were not able to get right

Now it's Nas, Macrae, Pou, Flanders, Hall etc.

This new midfield's ball use by foot is on an entirely new level. I trust them to get it right even if it takes a couple months initially to gel

 

[akaifu]

 

[saint66au]

So looking forwrd to Max being in full training tomorrow..you know...the end of January..

 

[Broski]

Rest up boys, you don't win flags in the first week or March. Round 1 is when it gets serious.

 

[DougalHoward]

HmmView attachment 2517814

Dougs back in the leadership group!!!

 

[Dard Ball Get]

I’m not a betting man but I’ve just put Nan’s house on us at $2.21