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

 

[Scotland]

Allan cops the double whammy of not really doing anything at AFL level to date (not 100% his fault) and being associated with the pick 3 debacle (0% his fault).

Josh Lindsay by comparison hasn't played a game and is under 0 pressure because at pick 19 we already used 1 and 4 on Duursma and CDT.

Jack Watts was a meme for most of his career and the majority of the criticism directed towards him was actually directed at his club. He didn't choose to go pick 1, nor did he choose to be hyped up and debut in a big game etc. Chris Masten

Chris Masten

Age

36

Ht

180cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.8

5star

K

10.9

4star

HB

9.9

5star

M

4.1

4star

T

2.7

4star

CL

1.7

4star

No current season stats available

D

14.8

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

6.0

4star

M

4.2

4star

T

5.0

5star

was pick 3 in 2007 which was part of the Chris Judd trade. Overall his career was probably around 5th or 6th out of the top 10 picks, but had he been pick 1 ahead of Cotchin I reckon the scrutiny would've been unbearable in terms of comparisons to both Judd and Cotchin.

 

[Monsterdarlz]

All conjecture aside its been a weird year for Bo was touted as been physically mature enough to make the step up and has hardly been sited needs a big year and hopefully he has more to his game then the bazillion athletic HBF types we have

 

[jdisc]

I actually thought he looked decent in the intraclub....

 

[THE A5]

I actually thought he looked decent in the intraclub....

He looked meh in the in praccys. We have soo many guys that look good in preseason/praccies but bo where near it come the season. I remember keys talking Duggan up a bit last preseason and saying he’ll be be very important in our ball movement in 2025.was bang average last season

 

[jdisc]

He looked meh in the in praccys. We have soo many guys that look good in preseason/praccies but bo where near it come the season. I remember keys talking Duggan up a bit last preseason and saying he’ll be be very important in our ball movement in 2025.was bang average last season

For a 2nd year player who had an interrupted 1st year I thought he competed well and showed good athleticism

I'm more concerned about Hall TBH

 

[Goroyals22]

He looked meh in the in praccys. We have soo many guys that look good in preseason/praccies but bo where near it come the season. I remember keys talking Duggan up a bit last preseason and saying he’ll be be very important in our ball movement in 2025.was bang average last season

Jack Petrucelle was the master of intra club and training games

 

[WCErevival]

Training or intraclub report watch.

 

[PremiershipNo4]

Well that was a waste of time reading the last couple of pages, WC bigfooty at its finest, you beauty!

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

Training or intraclub report watch.

View attachment 2546466

I trundled down today but Bo Allan was really stinking it up so I went home.

 

[THE A5]

Jack Petrucelle was the master of intra club and training games

Nah he just did something in those games but never recall him being elite during preseason.

For a 2nd year player who had an interrupted 1st year I thought he competed well and showed good athleticism

I'm more concerned about Hall TBH

wait I’ve had a brain fade, I thought I was commenting on the Schoenberg thread

 

[Total_Juddshanks]

Agree Ports accuracy was a big factor. but taking 12 marks inside 50 (vs their 16), having less turnovers and having maybe 26/27 shots on goal wouldn't be common for such a heavy loss either.

The reason Port were so accurate was they kicked 4 goals from 0-15m and 6 more from 15-30m

Simply put they dominated our backline so comprehensively that they repeatedly walked the ball into goal with noone near them. Part of it was Georgiades wrecking everyone but I don't think I have ever seen a team get out the back as quickly and easily as they did.

 

[Keys]

McQualter on CH7

• Starcevich Out
• Duggan In
• Ginbey Maybe - played matchsim on Saturday so hopeful he’ll be right to play but wouldn’t commit

 

[Big_Birdy]

The reason Port were so accurate was they kicked 4 goals from 0-15m and 6 more from 15-30m

Simply put they dominated our backline so comprehensively that they repeatedly walked the ball into goal with noone near them. Part of it was Georgiades wrecking everyone but I don't think I have ever seen a team get out the back as quickly and easily as they did.

There is not doubt our defence was a serious issue.

But even still, assuming your stats are correct (and I don't doubt them, I alluded to us contributing to their accurate kicking in the game day thread), that still leaves them going, at absolute worst, 66% from 30+ out. So they were still accurate.

But I was more alluding to our offence being abnormal on a 73 point loss. Over 25 shots on goal (and a differential of around 5), including 12 marks inside 50, is almost certainly abnormal for such a beating on the scoreboard.

 

[Elite Pete]

McQualter on CH7

• Starcevich Out
• Duggan In
• Ginbey Maybe - played matchsim on Saturday so hopeful he’ll be right to play but wouldn’t commit

 

[WCE777]

That's good news.

 

[Avalor]

Have not heard anything about the sim on Saturday ... if anyone stood out. They do not want to give us poor souls even a breadcrumb. I will just park my brain in a moonboot till Sunday.

 

[bzparkes]

We have soo many guys that look good in preseason/praccies but bo where near it come the season

Nice

 

[THE A5]

Nice

I’m an accidental genius

 

[jdisc]

Nah he just did something in those games but never recall him being elite during preseason.

I remember he would run really fast at times

 

[DorothyG]

 

[Sneh]

View attachment 2546556

 

[Farmer Lister]

For all the Bo Allan haters, you can't deny he's got some potential

 

[FatPizza]

Glad Duggo is fine. Would've been concerning if he was still unavailable due to concussion.

 

[THE A5]

based on highlights where he wins the loose ball at speed, he’d be deadly with a bit more size to him. I reckon Allan will be a slow burn. I hope he does have a hige year but I don’t think this year will be his break out year

 

[BeornJ]

. But manic work rate and pressure played a real role as dog geeling being resposive.