Training 2026 Off-Season & Preseason reports and discussion

[Mrzohs]

Really looking forward to it. Given the players missing from both sides, the result here will be largely meaningless (unless we win then of course it'll be evidence that we may never lose again).

Huge opportunity for a large group of youngsters - Mraz and Ryan with their chance, first year blokes Schubert and Greeves, SSP hopefuls Perez and Riding, fringe players BMac, Huss and Reeves.

No injuries please. Go Hawks.

Good test on our new look midfield vs their system missing key players in the middle (Smith and Holmes).

 

[Sneh]

Physically looks trimmed down

 

[westhawk]

Barrass was incredible last night.

If I didn't think it would make me sound so Hawthorn biased, I'd go public with the fact that I thought he was in the top 3 players on the ground alongside Daicos and Hogan.

Being at the game, he was easily in the best few on the ground, and easily should have got the WA medal.

 

[Crankyhawk]

I can’t be the only one who has scheduled “meetings’ from the 1:45 tomorrow.. unfortunately all communication/emails/phone calls/ door knocking or anything remotely inconvenient will not be tolerated

time your toilet break

 

[hawkmang]

Looks like he’s lost body fat for sure, looked absolute jacked/shredded in the origin game.

 

[Sneh]

Looks like he’s lost body fat for sure, looked absolute jacked/shredded in the origin game.

Yeah he looked yuge, definitely hasn't lost any bulk

 

[TylerDurden]

 

[ReturningHawk]

Eerily similar to Round 0 against Sydney last year with key players going down in the weeks leading up to it.

 

[suedehead]

Eerily similar to Round 0 against Sydney last year with key players going down in the weeks leading up to it.

Also the fact that I'm travelling to Sydney for it, like I did last year.

Maybe I'm the curse?

 

[unitedhawk2]

Most on this forum seem to be against the Origin concept, primarily because of the risk of injury.

I understand that but, on the whole, reckon it was a success, primarily because from what I’ve heard, read and, most importantly, seen with my own eyes on Saturday night, the players were all-in on the concept. It was somewhere in between a pre-season game and a proper H&A encounter in terms of intensity and I didn’t see a single case of a player either not going for the hard ball or pulling out of a potential clash with another player.

Injuries can occur at any time. Indeed, there have been a plethora of injuries across several clubs during pre-season training this year. Does that mean we’re going to cut down on contact training in the summer? Absolutely not!

I look at Origin as a pre-season game for the players involved, played with a bit more intensity. Don’t see why that would be seen as a negative, especially as the players themselves seem so keen to participate. Why wouldn’t they revel in the chance to play with and against the best? How else would someone like Jack Sinclair

35

Jack Sinclair

Age

31

Ht

181cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.5

4star

K

8.1

3star

HB

8.4

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

3.2

5star

MG

235.0

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

10.0

4star

HB

5.0

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.0

3star

MG

376.0

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

4.2

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.0

4star

MG

138.2

3star

experience playing alongside the best?

I dare say that if Vic played SA at the G in 52 weeks from now, it would be packed to the rafters.

Looking forward to the match sim against the Cats this arvo - and no injuries, please.

Seems (on the BOM website) like a pleasant day in Melbourne today, which is great. I think the scheduling of the game in the afternoon would’ve come under more scrutiny had it been another 40-plus degree summer arvo…

 

[kazzooka]

Most on this forum seem to be against the Origin concept, primarily because of the risk of injury.

I understand that but, on the whole, reckon it was a success, primarily because from what I’ve heard, read and, most importantly, seen with my own eyes on Saturday night, the players were all-in on the concept. It was somewhere in between a pre-season game and a proper H&A encounter in terms of intensity and I didn’t see a single case of a player either not going for the hard ball or pulling out of a potential clash with another player.

Barrass pulled out of one contest where he could have totally flattened McLuggage.

Injuries can occur at any time. Indeed, there have been a plethora of injuries across several clubs during pre-season training this year. Does that mean we’re going to cut down on contact training in the summer? Absolutely not!

This arguement misses the point. Pre-Season training is important for clubs in order to best prepare for the season ahead and try to win a premiership. While from a match fitness standpoint the state of origin game provides that. But for season preparation, we will play our practice match against Geelong tomorrow without 3 of our 4 best defenders, and our number 1 forward from last season. It's better for Hawthorn to have all players available for practice matches to know what works and what doesn't.

Carlton have sustained an injury to one of their most important players for 2026. This injury was not through the pursuit of Carlton success or an AFL Premiership cup, but in pursuit of the "Polly Farmer cup" which was just invented and wasn't awarded to Carlton, so why would they give a shit.

 

[oscarthegrouch]

İnteresting year ahead. İn Sam's first two years as coach we were top two in cc's and scores from clearances but dropped to mid table last year albeit still finishing top five in scoring from those centre clearances!!
The question is, were we elite in cc's because:
A) Ned Reeves
B) Will Day
C) or that the Oppo went to work on our centre bounce set ups???
Reeves' taps are rolled gold but meeky is so much better around the ground!

That could probs be attributed to personal, we had tmitch, jom, worps, Newc, Nash.
A much better inside mid team. However we are a much better team now

 

[unitedhawk2]

Barrass pulled out of one contest where he could have totally flattened McLuggage.

This arguement misses the point. Pre-Season training is important for clubs in order to best prepare for the season ahead and try to win a premiership. While from a match fitness standpoint the state of origin game provides that. But for season preparation, we will play our practice match against Geelong tomorrow without 3 of our 4 best defenders, and our number 1 forward from last season. It's better for Hawthorn to have all players available for practice matches to know what works and what doesn't.

Carlton have sustained an injury to one of their most important players for 2026. This injury was not through the pursuit of Carlton success or an AFL Premiership cup, but in pursuit of the "Polly Farmer cup" which was just invented and wasn't awarded to Carlton, so why would they give a shit.

Re Barrass/McCluggage, in my eyes, that just proved TB is a good bloke who was looking after his opponent. I reckon he'd have done the same in a Hawthorn v Brisbane pre-season game - but not in a H&A game.

Happy to agree to disagree on your other point. Missing one game in pre-season, during which coaches don't necessarily show all their cards anyway, isn't going to have any significant impact on club structures and/or synergy between players. They have the whole pre-season training schedule to get that right. Also, I don't see how getting injured playing for Hawthorn in a pre-season game or during pre-season training is any less or more unfortunate than playing for your state in a pre-season game. Injuries/accidents can happen any time and are part of life - we had a recent case of a Swans co-captain missing most of the season due to an off-season misadventure that was unrelated to any club activity. These things happen...

 

[kazzooka]

Re Barrass/McCluggage, in my eyes, that just proved TB is a good bloke who was looking after his opponent. I reckon he'd have done the same in a Hawthorn v Brisbane pre-season game - but not in a H&A game.

Happy to agree to disagree on your other point. Missing one game in pre-season, during which coaches don't necessarily show all their cards anyway, isn't going to have any significant impact on club structures and/or synergy between players. They have the whole pre-season training schedule to get that right. Also, I don't see how getting injured playing for Hawthorn in a pre-season game or during pre-season training is any less or more unfortunate than playing for your state in a pre-season game. Injuries/accidents can happen any time and are part of life - we had a recent case of a Swans co-captain missing most of the season due to an off-season misadventure that was unrelated to any club activity. These things happen...

Because getting injured at Hawthorn is getting injured FOR Hawthorn. You are at work, for your primary empoyer performing your duties in order to win a premiership for HAWTHORN.

Getting injured playing in SOO is the same as getting injured surfing or skateboarding or running with the bulls in spain. It's an unnecessary unacceptable risk.

The risk isn't any greater in SOO than in Pre-Season, but the acceptance of the risk is different. Would you want Josh Battle to fill in and play a game for Hallam instead of Hawthorn and risk injury?

I do not want Hawthorn players to be playing football or doing other risky activities outside of their duties to Hawthorn. We need to take risks in a pre-season game to prepare physically. And having half your back 6 missing does impact club structures and synergy how significant that is impossible to calculate, but it is there.

 

[unitedhawk2]

Because getting injured at Hawthorn is getting injured FOR Hawthorn. You are at work, for your primary empoyer performing your duties in order to win a premiership for HAWTHORN.

Getting injured playing in SOO is the same as getting injured surfing or skateboarding or running with the bulls in spain. It's an unnecessary unacceptable risk.

The risk isn't any greater in SOO than in Pre-Season, but the acceptance of the risk is different. Would you want Josh Battle to fill in and play a game for Hallam instead of Hawthorn and risk injury?

I do not want Hawthorn players to be playing football or doing other risky activities outside of their duties to Hawthorn. We need to take risks in a pre-season game to prepare physically. And having half your back 6 missing does impact club structures and synergy how significant that is impossible to calculate, but it is there.

I fully understand your point but don't agree with the gist of it because of the counter-points I raised earlier.

As I said, happy to agree to disagree.

 

[hawkinoz]

Barrass pulled out of one contest where he could have totally flattened McLuggage.

Contest in general should be about getting the ball and not hurting your opponent and taking them out of that game & future games and also risking your future games.

I know teams walk the line on this and intention should still be to tackle not flatten your opponent.

So Barrass pulling out of one where he was second to ball is perfectly fine.

 

[kazzooka]

Contest in general should be about getting the ball and not hurting your opponent and taking them out of that game & future games and also risking your future games.

I know teams walk the line on this and intention should still be to tackle not flatten your opponent.

So Barrass pulling out of one where he was second to ball is perfectly fine.

I'm not sure if he commited to that contest the way he would an AFL game he would have been 2nd to it. It's just that it was popped up and McLuggage had to go back with the flight so if Barrass came hard up at it there would be no avoiding a collision.

In an AFL game he goes hard and either marks or spoils it and they both collide hard. Even if he was 2nd to it he would still have to go in an AFL Game.

But in general it the SoO players did go hard and did genuinely want to win. For me I enjoyed the idea of Butters, Bont, Dangerfield, Merrett, Anderson, Rowell, Gawn all in the same stacked midfield. But I don't really care to much about wanting Victoria to win, just like I don't really care about the scoreboard against Geelong today.

 

[westhawk]

I'm not sure if he commited to that contest the way he would an AFL game he would have been 2nd to it. It's just that it was popped up and McLuggage had to go back with the flight so if Barrass came hard up at it there would be no avoiding a collision.

In an AFL game he goes hard and either marks or spoils it and they both collide hard. Even if he was 2nd to it he would still have to go in an AFL Game.

But in general it the SoO players did go hard and did genuinely want to win. For me I enjoyed the idea of Butters, Bont, Dangerfield, Merrett, Anderson, Rowell, Gawn all in the same stacked midfield. But I don't really care to much about wanting Victoria to win, just like I don't really care about the scoreboard against Geelong today.

Spot on, it was right in front of me, and TB could have destroyed the ball and inflicted some legal pain on Mcluggage. TB just a top bloke, but if that was a home and away game or final, he definitely would have hit that contest.

 

[Rookie Error]

I was front row at the State of Origin behind the goals so not a bad spot to see the Hawks players Gunston, Battle Hardwick & Barrass. All played well I mostly noticed Gunston with a few goal assists and Barrass doing well in the WA back-line. Battle had a tough assignment at times on Hogan who maybe had Weitering on him originally

Awesome game to attend with guns everywhere and the WA crowd getting right into it

 

[peetoo]

Contest in general should be about getting the ball and not hurting your opponent and taking them out of that game & future games and also risking your future games.

I know teams walk the line on this and intention should still be to tackle not flatten your opponent.

So Barrass pulling out of one where he was second to ball is perfectly fine.

It’s where the AFL want to head really

 

[To the Hawk]

Gee Impey looks good.

Huss straight in, centre clearance.

 

[ReturningHawk]

Gee Impey looks good.

Huss straight in, centre clearance.

Updates are good!

 

[Dewnior]

Eerily similar to Round 0 against Sydney last year with key players going down in the weeks leading up to it.

Gulden and Mills were the only key players to miss. Quite a bit different to Green, Callaghan, Taylor, Bedford, Jones and Kelly missing.

 

[ReturningHawk]

Gulden and Mills were the only key players to miss.

Grundy, Papley, Macdonald and Cunningham also injured in the lead up. Obviously some played but were horribly underdone.

Quite a bit different to Green, Callaghan, Taylor, Bedford, Jones and Kelly missing.

We don’t know which of those will play or not.

 

[Balsam]

Can someone explain how Connor MacDonald becomes "Croc"?