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

 

[swingdog]

How long can Hewitt be debated?

 

[Astro7]

How long can Hewitt be debated? (Hewett)

As long as it takes to move on from Owies?

 

[KERRPOW]

Anyone get a chance to peek thru fence at training today?

Sorry cant check today. Catching the airport line into work and not bus 39.

 

[Keys]

I'd love to be wrong, but I have a bad feeling Hewett isn't going to make it.

His body just appears to fragile.

I think it's unfair to put a required benchmark for him to meet this year as he really hasn't had an extended run without an injury so far.

What I hope for him is that he has a injury free season (which hasn't happed this year already), build up the natch fitness and improve his mid/forward craft so he doesn't go missing as often in matches.

Whether that is in the As or the Bs I don't really care. He just needs an uninterrupted year that he can sling shot off going into next

Played 20 games last year - only 6 players played more

Missed two games in April with calf tightness and was managed for another game late in the season

Had trained fully all preseason prior to this calf injury that’s about 3-4 weeks old - had kept him out of contact/matchsim work but has still been training most sessions in some capacity

Since he’s come back from the foot injury that cost him all of 2024 he hasn’t missed that much football

 

[sharps24]

Played 20 games last year - only 6 players played more

Missed two games in April with calf tightness and was managed for another game late in the season

Had trained fully all preseason prior to this calf injury that’s about 3-4 weeks old - had kept him out of contact/matchsim work but has still been training most sessions in some capacity

Since he’s come back from the foot injury that cost him all of 2024 he hasn’t missed that much football

This is all true, and it's a good sign. Doesn't mean he isn't going into this match a bit underdone though. If he plays I'll be hoping he goes well. Can't help but feel we've been here many, many, many times before with any number of players though and it has gone comically badly. So if he plays and does another soft tissue injury that would just read like it's been scripted to perfection. I think we all hope he gets through this and every other match unscathed and goes into round one cherry ripe for a big season.

 

[stallon]

I'd love to be wrong, but I have a bad feeling Hewett isn't going to make it.

His body just appears to fragile.

I think it's unfair to put a required benchmark for him to meet this year as he really hasn't had an extended run without an injury so far.

What I hope for him is that he has a injury free season (which hasn't happed this year already), build up the natch fitness and improve his mid/forward craft so he doesn't go missing as often in matches.

Whether that is in the As or the Bs I don't really care. He just needs an uninterrupted year that he can sling shot off going into next

1 bad injury/impairment thats finished with
Now a calf or whatever it was, hes in his 4th season most players would've had a couple of little injuries by now

Saying hes fragile is an exaggeration

 

[jdisc]

I'd love to be wrong, but I have a bad feeling Hewett isn't going to make it.

His body just appears to fragile.

I think it's unfair to put a required benchmark for him to meet this year as he really hasn't had an extended run without an injury so far.

What I hope for him is that he has a injury free season (which hasn't happed this year already), build up the natch fitness and improve his mid/forward craft so he doesn't go missing as often in matches.

Whether that is in the As or the Bs I don't really care. He just needs an uninterrupted year that he can sling shot off going into next

14 games in his first season, averaging 13.4 disposals, 0.28 goals, 46 fantasy points per game

missed his 2nd due to a foot injury, that's resolved

20 games in his 3rd season, averaging 16.25 disposals, 0.5 goals, 61 fantasy points per game

yep, delist immediately

 

[RanaNaved]

Can we delist him to open up a spot for the MSD?

 

[Bender_]

Can't believe we kept Hewitt instead of drafting Banfield.

 

[RanaNaved]

Ryan Daniels just tweeted that Hewett is retiring after the match sim tomorrow

 

[Shueygod]

Having watched a bit of the match sims, Bailey Williams will win a lot of hitouts this year if he gets on the park.

Blakiston torched Nank
Heath torching Xerri

Would like to see him play once back to at least drive up his value.

 

[Eaglemaniac]

Having watched a bit of the match sims, Bailey Williams will win a lot of hitouts this year if he gets on the park.

Blakiston torched Nank
Heath torching Xerri

Would like to see him play once back to at least drive up his value.

Bailey’s problem isn’t winning the hit outs, it’s hitting them straight down the throat of the opposition mids that’s his issue.

 

[swingdog]

Bailey’s problem isn’t winning the hit outs, it’s hitting them straight down the throat of the opposition mids that’s his issue.

We should move our mids to where their mids are.

 

[Shueygod]

Bailey’s problem isn’t winning the hit outs, it’s hitting them straight down the throat of the opposition mids that’s his issue.

Think previously it’s been a slight combination of both, he always did well at centre bounces but now should be legitimately dominant. With that comes more space to perfect the tap.

Agree his actual tapwork has been poor, but I would think that would be one of the easier things to work on in footy.

 

[southcoast]

Having watched a bit of the match sims, Bailey Williams will win a lot of hitouts this year if he gets on the park.

Blakiston torched Nank
Heath torching Xerri

Would like to see him play once back to at least drive up his value.

With the new ruck rules I think BW's leap will be a huge advantage to him.

All we need now is for him to learn how to tap it to us and not the opposition.

 

[RanaNaved]

Ryan Daniels just tweeted that Hewett is retiring after the match sim tomorrow

Eagles selling Farewell Hewy shirts at team store

 

[jdisc]

Hewitt

 

[WCErevival]

What happened to our backline. Almost all missing for the match sim. Grego is going to have to take Treacy.

 

[jdisc]

What happened to our backline. Almost all missing for the match sim. Grego is going to have to take Treacy.

1 grego is all we need

 

[RanaNaved]

Eagles selling Farewell Hewy shirts at team store

What are they selling for?

 

[UseR2006]

What happened to our backline. Almost all missing for the match sim. Grego is going to have to take Treacy.

1 grego is all we need

Grego is also not playing the Match Sim.

 

[THE A5]

Bailey’s problem isn’t winning the hit outs, it’s hitting them straight down the throat of the opposition mids that’s his issue.

Also timing his leap so he’s in the same timezone as the sherrin

 

[jdisc]

Grego is also not playing the Match Sim.

resting him for the GF

 

[RanaNaved]

What are they selling for?

$29.99

 

[jdisc]

Also timing his leap so he’s in the same timezone as the sherrin

he actually times his leaps perfectly, the ball is just on a 1-2 second latency delay

it must be a network issue