Training Pre-Season 2026 chat

[SkittleCats]

What is wrong with Neale doing some ruck work anyway?
He came as a RUCK/KF.

He's the future of our forward line, a future that is approaching rapidly given Jezza's age. You dont gamble that future on giving him a few hit outs in the ruck.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

This has gone exactly to script so far, shit team who didn't (and won't again) play finals looks sharper and fresh, team who played deep finals, and will again, looking rusty and a step behind.

 

[calder_daddy]

Mullin? Lol.

How many good games has your holy Clark played?
Zero

Mullin has more good afl games and came from the other side of the world

 

[catempire]

Ollie still hates contact.

 

[Two Planks]

SDK and O Henry still attack the contest like under 8s, nothing has changed.

 

[Tony Barber]

I'm not watching this. Just listening here and there.
But gee there seems to be a heap of Karens in this thread.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

He's the future of our forward line, a future that is approaching rapidly given Jezza's age. You dont gamble that future on giving him a few hit outs in the ruck.

With the new rules and our lack of ruck options on the list you simply have to.
If anyone is upset at that they should blame the list management team (and this is one of the rare things they get wrong they do a lot right) not the coaches.

 

[cats_09]

The people overseeing the rules seem to have amnesia sometimes.

2011: Let's bring in a sub rule!
2016: The sub rule is shit! Let's get rid of it!
2023: Let's bring in a sub rule!
2026: The sub rule is shit! Let's get rid of it.

2005: Ruckmen are getting injured jumping into each other. Let's get rid of it.
2026: Ruckmen would look cool jumping into each other! Let's introduce it cos nobody will get hurt.

If you're too young to remember pre-2005, you're likely to hear "PCL" a lot from now on...

That's not exactly how those things worked - it's more

Coaches: It's not really fair when we've lost a player to injury and are down a player on the bench compared to the opposition, we need a way to make it fair
AFL: Ok, let's introduce a sub for injuries
Happy days for a season or two until
Coaches: Hey, we're not getting any injuries, but when our opponent gets an injury they can bring on fresh legs which helps late in games
AFL: Ok, we'll get rid of the sub and it's 4 on the bench


Fast forward a few years...
Coaches: Hey, we need to treat concussions with more seriousness and should have the option to replace a concussed player who's out for the game
AFL: Ok, we'll bring the sub back for concussions
Coaches: We've now found that we're not always getting a concussion but Bobby hurt his hamstring and we couldn't replace him. Why not change it to an injury sub we can use at any time... And we promise the player taken off will be expected to miss the next week
AFL: We hear you and will make that amendment
Coaches: Well, we thought Bobby was going to miss a week but now he's ok...Opposition coach, we'll if they're playing the system how about it becomes a tactical sub with no injury needed
AFL: ok
Coaches: We're now sick of 4 on the bench & a sub, can we just have 5 on the bench and utilise how we want
AFL: Ok

Now we wait for the above to play out on repeat with the sub to come back in 3->4 years


As for the ruck, it's their way of thinking it'll reduce repeated stoppages that resulted from the wrestling contests of recent years - the easier solution may have been to allow the 3rd man up to return...

 

[hoopla]

22 to 11 free kicks so far tonight....

It’s quite an obvious discrepancy watching it live.

 

[SkittleCats]

If anyone is upset at that they should blame the list management team (and this is one of the rare things they get wrong they do a lot right) not the coaches.

I am blaming the list management.

 

[Cataholic]

Happy for the preseason test but we are awful by foot. This meant anytime we went forward it was luck that the ball fell into our hands.

The ruck is an absolute issue now. Whatever we put forward they were easily beaten by journeyman rucks.

Loved seeing Bruhn back. He was definitely a shining light off half back.

Umpires should get the three votes for the blues. Absolutely disgraceful display of umpiring. Throws, head high tackles missed. Laughable.

We look bereft in the ruck.

Sure, we can swing Blitz through there but he is getting older and it's also robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Stanley is available but, no disrespect, we're really scraping the barrel there. He's done.

SDK? He's not a ruckman. Not sure where he belongs on a footy field tbh.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

What is wrong with Neale doing some ruck work anyway?
He came as a RUCK/KF.

Bingo.

Players get injured in praccy matches. In training. In H&A matches.

Not sure why there's melting over a player getting injured playing his secondary role. He won't be the last this season.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

I am blaming the list management.

Can't invent players. LM group tried, didn't get him and there's nothing else available.

 

[cats_09]

Have they said they are deliberately giving them less time before calling holding the ball?

Yes

SHRUGGING IN THE TACKLE​

A shrug in a tackle will now be deemed prior opportunity. It will be similar to how a fend, or an attempt to evade a tackle is deemed prior opportunity.

It's hoped this will stop players from contributing to a high tackle, while making the rule easier to adjudicate for umpires.

 

[winty]

That umpire will be umpiring VFL next week for pinging Cripps for an obvious infringement.

 

[Vdubs]

He's the future of our forward line, a future that is approaching rapidly given Jezza's age. You dont gamble that future on giving him a few hit outs in the ruck.

Rubbish. All our players are trained for flexibility. He copped a knee to the shin, not the end of the world

 

[cats_09]

Club suggesting it's Neale's shin, but they're known to be loose with the truth, so who knows.

Ice is on the shin rather than the knee

 

[Munich]

How many good games has your holy Clark played?
Zero

Mullin has more good afl games and came from the other side of the country

The world you mean

 

[Cataholic]

SDK and O Henry still attack the contest like under 8s, nothing has changed.

Both are very gun shy.

 

[Mr Meow]

We look bereft in the ruck.

Sure, we can swing Blitz through there but he is getting older and it's also robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Stanley is available but, no disrespect, we're really scraping the barrel there. He's done.

SDK? He's not a ruckman. Not sure where he belongs on a footy field tbh.

Where else is Blicavs needed? Ruck should be his main position, with some peripheral help from others and maybe a handful of games where we roll out Stanley.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Can't invent players. LM group tried, didn't get him and there's nothing else available.

Glad we didn't overpay.

 

[Munich]

We look bereft in the ruck.

Sure, we can swing Blitz through there but he is getting older and it's also robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Stanley is available but, no disrespect, we're really scraping the barrel there. He's done.

SDK? He's not a ruckman. Not sure where he belongs on a footy field tbh.

We haven't had a ruck department in 15 years. Why start now

 

[calder_daddy]

The world you mean

I think but not sure

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Oh no. We are attempting to play fast footy with George stevens on the ground.

God help us

 

[winty]

Perfect ruckwork by Blitz there - straight to Cripps with no opponent anywhere near him.