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

 

[Keys]

We have enough HF options that would be better suited to the role than Gross.

With the likelihood that we’ll have at least one and probably two of Robertson, Schoenberg or Macrae playing midfield for the WAFL side, we should be developing Gross as a full time mid there to learn the role

I have no problem with him playing WAFL now he’ll have some more mature bodies around him to help out

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Harley cracking into Schoenberg a couple times.

Loving the complete 180 of Harley's pre-season comparisons from last year to this year.

 

[Keys]

https://archive.md/VCADi

JK throwing some love Jobe’s way

 

[Byron_Clanger]

More of Harley from Channel 7. Having Duursma living with him's gonna be a major turning point for his maturity and development off the field.

 

[Sneh]

Yeah, nah as the start of both answers lmaoooo

 

[THE A5]

New haircut and a stud in. Our lil **** boys bout to explode in 2026

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Having Duursma living with him's gonna be a major turning point for his maturity and development off the field.

For Harley or Willem?

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Yeah, nah as the start of both answers lmaoooo

He’s doesn’t do a lot of media but when he does, I’m pretty thankful he doesn’t

 

[DorothyG]

Daddy Reid already?

 

[Astro7]

Like this from the 'Worst' article on JK and Jobe -
"Last year’s mid-season draftee Jacob Newton, has also been part of a forward-midfield rotation with superstar Harley Reid, while two-time All-Australian Elliot Yeo

6

Elliot Yeo

Age

32

Ht

191cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.5

5star

K

11.7

4star

HB

7.8

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.5

5star

CL

3.0

4star

D

18.9

4star

K

10.9

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

5.8

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.2

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.6

3star

CL

1.4

4star

has also spent time in attack this pre-season as part of his new role..."

 

[DorothyG]

Hutch sitting out the drills, having a stroll and a bounce round the boundary

September flights to Melbourne cancelled

 

[Cuzz09]

Oh yeah Hutch. Forgot about that guy. Hope he can have a good year

 

[Convocation]

Eagles info from Eliza Reilly 8:41 onwards, with a supercoach lense

 

[Keys]

Some discussion on West Coast here with Eliza Reilly albeit with a bit of a SuperCoach slant. Skip to about 8.50 in unless you want to hear about the dockers

Eliza covers how our three high draft picks from 2025 are going, a bit on Reid and McCarthy, Robertson and Newton

 

[Sneh]

September flights to Melbourne cancelled

oh teh noes, they were non-refundable tickets

 

[Cuzz09]

Cant remember where I read it but people were saying Waterman isnt A grade ciz he only has had 1 decent year

Fair enough but the same needs to go for NAS from Saints. He's the flavour of the month, played a handful of flashy games so shouldn't be an A grader either.

Or is it ciz he plays for a V club?

 

[Sneh]

Cant remember where I read it but people were saying Waterman isnt A grade ciz he only has had 1 decent year

Fair enough but the same needs to go for NAS from Saints. He's the flavour of the month, played a handful of flashy games so shouldn't be an A grader either.

Or is it ciz he plays for a V club?

 

[eaglespremiers]

Cant remember where I read it but people were saying Waterman isnt A grade ciz he only has had 1 decent year

Fair enough but the same needs to go for NAS from Saints. He's the flavour of the month, played a handful of flashy games so shouldn't be an A grader either.

Or is it ciz he plays for a V club?

Probably because it was the most recent year, so there is a memory bias for NAS.
As Waterman's sponsor I object to the suggestion that he isn't A-Grade. I expect a big year from him with help from Shanahan and Co.

 

[Mighty Eagles]

Fair enough but the same needs to go for NAS from Saints. He's the flavour of the month, played a handful of flashy games so shouldn't be an A grader either.

Some of the people pulling themselves off over him are just cringe. Saints have got a way to go till they're challenging for a flag IMO.

 

[Kegs15]

Cant remember where I read it but people were saying Waterman isnt A grade ciz he only has had 1 decent year

Fair enough but the same needs to go for NAS from Saints. He's the flavour of the month, played a handful of flashy games so shouldn't be an A grader either.

Or is it ciz he plays for a V club?

I absolutely think Waterman is A grade but do kinda think key forwards draw a unique perspective on it.

Harry McKay had one definitely A-grade season but wouldn't regard him as an A-grade player, he hasn't had enough years where he's backed that up.

We as WC fans know Snake has only just claimed the #1 role, was injured last year and has the tools and temperament to be winning in his position even in games where he's only kicking 1 or 2 (whereas IMO a 1 goal game for McKay comes with him doing stuff all else). But from an outside perspective I feel like most would be waiting for a KPF to regularly be showing up in the goalkicking leaderboards before branding them A grade. On a pure goals standpoint McKay's career looks better. Absolutely think Snake will change that this season and the next few.

There's also that most KPFs peak a lot later, by which point they've been in the system a while and opinions will shift more slowly. NAS is 22 and nobody pays attention to the Saints so most people's first impression noticing him would be geared to the stuff he did last season. Would also be that whole "wow imagine when he's 28" thinking, even though players of his style would peak earlier.

(FWIW I also don't rate the Saints or their list but do think NAS is a weapon, super geared to the whole stand rule era gamestyle like hopefully McCarthy will be for us)

 

[RookiePick]

That's pretty much every Saints rebuild.

Some early buzz around some players. The seasons pass, they bobble around the bottom of the 8/just missing finals and you randomly tune in to a Saints game and think "Gee, the Saints might be onto something here in a couple of years"

Then you look into it a bit further and realise all the guys you thought were up and comers hitting their mid 20's prime are actually 29 and the 'Aints have muffed it again.

 

[SAweagle]

Cant remember where I read it but people were saying Waterman isnt A grade ciz he only has had 1 decent year

Fair enough but the same needs to go for NAS from Saints. He's the flavour of the month, played a handful of flashy games so shouldn't be an A grader either.

Or is it ciz he plays for a V club?

Snake is A grade, only short bus clientele would think otherwise

The hype around NAS stems from that last quarter against the Dees which was obscene, hype is justified, complete natural who thrives under pressure.

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

Snake is A grade, only short bus clientele would think otherwise

The hype around NAS stems from that last quarter against the Dees which was obscene, hype is justified, complete natural who thrives under pressure.

Wasn't even the best player in that game, apparently.

 

[SAweagle]

Wasn't even the best player in that game, apparently.

 

[ziad]

Snake is A grade, only short bus clientele would think otherwise

The hype around NAS stems from that last quarter against the Dees which was obscene, hype is justified, complete natural who thrives under pressure.

Excellent work - short bus clientele