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

 

[Sneh]

Where do you find the links?

That thing called Instachats or something

I just find out from the clubs boards here. Don't make me say the term 'socials'

Arugh I just said it

 

[amazingjoshy]

Love how the Eagles have done this, wish other clubs would make it so public.

Our media department is always ahead of the curve

 

[FatPizza]

Our media department is always ahead of the curve

The bell curve.

 

[Elite Pete]

Love how the Eagles have done this, wish other clubs would make it so public.

To be fair I think West Coast has released the least match sim footage from most of the clubs. Surprised they are streaming it but fans ain’t allowed in to watch it.

Crows I think are doing go their game in Port Augusta as well I believe.

 

[Alesana]

Where do you find the links?

Just google "afl intra club live stream 2026"

Melbourne, West Coast and North are confirmed so far

 

[Goroyals22]

Wonder if they have figured out how to film it correctly rather than seem as though the shot is taken from mars and making it impossible to identify any players

 

[Bender_]

Wonder if they have figured out how to film it correctly rather than seem as though the shot is taken from mars and making it impossible to identify any players

Hoping they call in Paul Persic to commentate for a few SANTA MARIAS!

 

[twce13]

Can't say I put in much effort, it just popped up on my YT feed.

 

[Astro7]

Like many, keen to watch the match tomorrow - the gameplan, the new draft recruits, improvement of other players, positions, rotations etc, the whole shebang!
Hope the camera work and commentating is reasonable?

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

Like many, have work tomorrow - will it be viewable after the fact or just livestreamed?

 

[Big_Birdy]

To be fair I think West Coast has released the least match sim footage from most of the clubs. Surprised they are streaming it but fans ain’t allowed in to watch it.

Crows I think are doing go their game in Port Augusta as well I believe.

I'm glad we don't.

A lot of clubs show footage of some player looking good only because one of their other crabs missed a simple tackle etc. and are like "wow Jagga "

It's genuinely embarrassing.

And no I won't be changing my time if someone shows an example of us doing that

 

[bzparkes]

 

[Alesana]

Like many, have work tomorrow - will it be viewable after the fact or just livestreamed?

I don’t think there’s any way of knowing yet. They’ll probably want to keep it under wraps to a degree and only livestream it. Carlton have put up highlights of theirs but I don’t think they even live-streamed it.

 

[ziad]

Like many, have work tomorrow - will it be viewable after the fact or just livestreamed?

Work, I tried it once but didnt like it.

 

[JoshWoodenSpoon]

Wonder if they have figured out how to film it correctly rather than seem as though the shot is taken from mars and making it impossible to identify any players

Would love to know who that ginger bloke is.

 

[Chris_6678]

WA team training at WC training ground.

Be a good time for Mini to show the players the ahhh training facility haha

 

[PepperTom32]

Wonder if they have figured out how to film it correctly rather than seem as though the shot is taken from mars and making it impossible to identify any players

And the heavy breathing

 

[FatPizza]

Didn't Tim Gepp commentate last year?

 

[squashface]

Didn't Tim Gepp commentate last year?

Yeah that’s when we all learned it’s actually pronounced Jepp

 

[BSD]

Yeah that’s when we all learned it’s actually pronounced Jepp

As in Jeppstein

 

[Elite Pete]

WA team training at WC training ground.

Be a good time for Mini to show the players the ahhh training facility haha

Nathan Broad incoming….

 

[kanekingswood]

https://www.youtube.com/@WestCoastEaglesFootballClub/streams i think the match should be auto uploaded here as a replay after stream ends, like the press conferences do

 

[Farmer Lister]

WA team training at WC training ground.

Be a good time for Mini to show the players the ahhh training facility haha

Supposed to be at Optus stadium it was advertised as a free event for origin with all the stalls and stuff

 

[Farmer Lister]

Never mind that's tomorrow

 

[Keys]

Nathan Schmook (WA based AFL journo and one of the better ones in the industry) talking on SEN



Eagles discussion starts at 8.00 after some SOO talk

• Schoenberg definitely in R1 mix and probably the best of the three mature aged SSP signings over preseason
• Kelly best 23 but more HF than midfield as younger players get rotated through there instead
• Some serious glazing of Harley and McCarthy as the two preseason standouts

Personally agree with what he’s saying as it aligns with my observations