Training 2019 Training Blog - *Training Reports only - NO DISCUSSION

Aug 26, 2004
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"Goddess"
Same principle as the Bluemour File - this thread is for TRAINING REPORTS ONLY

No discussion is to take place in this thread!

All discussion goes over here: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/training-pics-reports-etc.1203073/

It's an easy reference point for training reports without having to sift through pages & pages of posts.

By all means copy and paste training reports from this thread using #TrackTalk hashtag which can be referenced back for discussion in the
'Pre-Season 2019 - Training reports, pics etc' thread & vice versa:-

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/training-pics-reports-etc.1203073/

This will be a valuable reference tool for those of us that love reading training reports and can't make it to training sessions whether it be to due to work commitments, living interstate etc.

The time and effort some of our posters put in attending training sessions and keep us up to date on how our players/new recruits are tracking is invaluable and we all love reading their informative training reports.
 
Aug 26, 2004
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Just has a quick look and that's all one is allowed to have on clearly marked Closed Sessions.
No training report but just a couple of things that stood out, from the norm.

1. How many coaches/trainers/medical etc do we have now. I've never seen so many around the field at any one time.
2. Fisher. Nothing we don't know, but his hands are so clean and quick. Really stands out and I can hear Tim Watson already repeating it ad nauseum.
3. Kerr. His turning circle seems much tighter and quicker than I recall. Hd to look twice s I though it couldn't have been him.
4. Thomas. Running higher on his toes than I recall last year. Really had the burst going again and covered the ground very well.
5. Cuningham. What a specimen and looks to be in even better shape now than I recall him being last year, but that's not what stood out. Seemed to be genuinely loved by his team-mates when at times in previous years he just felt a little on the outer at the training sessions I saw. He seemed to enjoy the pats on the back and generally seemed a little more a part of the whole.

Like I said, there's not much meat on the bone, unfortunately.


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Hiding under the gardiner stand

I must be watching the wrong team train because the decision making and skill execution I thought was ordinary in the match simulation

Not good but it’s just my observation
Garlett looks sharp
Fasolo very solid and fit
Walsh shanked both his set shot and running shot at goal
Murphy looking leaner too

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Some notes:

- Bugg murdered CamPo and Schumaker in repeat 2 min runs at the end of training. Neither of the latter 2 look AFL fit to me
- Cuningham looked pretty good. Continues to show that exciting first two steps. Kicking was good.
- De Koning looks 2 years away to me. At least. Doesn’t have the strength yet. Phillips a long way in front of him for back up ruck.
- Dow was a little disappointing. Decision making in traffic not great. Doesn’t look AFL fit yet to me.
- Faz will play round one and most of the year. Looked the goods to me.
- Garlett was impressive. Worked hard and looked fit. Was sticking his tackles (which he didn’t do last year)
- Kerr was trialled in the backline. Not a bad idea. Looked ok there.
- Kennedy is fitter and moved a lot better than last year.
- McGovern didn’t look fit yet. Still took a screamer and showed a bit.
- McKay was extremely impressive. Looked too big and athletic as a forward and more than competent as a back up ruck
- Newman will play every game. Solid and reliable. Nice kick.
- SPs looks a lot fitter and even a tad quicker. Worked really hard. Expect a lift in output.
- Jack S did better in the runs than he has in past years. Looks a lot fitter. Not sure what role they see for him.
- stocker didn’t train much and was doing slow laps. Hard to see him playing early.
- Setters: see Stocker
- Walsh: amazing runner. Beat Ed in a few 150s. His running in the practice games was also impressive. Movement and reading of the play great. Kicking as per Gardiner stand average a couple of times and ok others. GUN
- Weiters was ok. Moved ok. Nothing stood out
- Willo is bigger than I recall. Ran well as always. Did some work on his own.

Marchy LOB Kreuzer Setters Plowman Macreadie Owies Finbar Lang Casboult Charlie Curnow all didn’t train (bar Plowman and Macreadie doing a bit of running). Stocker didn’t train much. Pickett did a knee.


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Not sure if I mentioned this-

Two absolute moments of joy today:

1. Walsh blind turned on wing, ran past multiple blokes to deliver into forward line. Just amazing.

2. Ball in the middle and goes forward. SPS sprinted from the middle to help his defenders. A huge effort. Steele Sidebottom stuff. Got the ball, got his team out of trouble. Extra numbers at the footy which we never seemed to have last year.



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Was good to go to training today - though, was a bit miffed it started quite early. I got there before the advertised time of 10 and they were in full swing already. Can't be arsed looking back in the thread to find the post again, but someone mentioned LOB didn't train - I definitely saw him out there. Bit of running, some goal kicking. Not sure about match sim. Off the top of my head the only ones I didn't see out there at all were Levi and Kreuz, not 100% sure about Charlie and Lobbe. Setterfield, Owies, Schumacher, Stocker I only noticed doing runs.

McGov and Fas looked pretty good, as did Harry. Fisher looked great. Noticed Daisy getting his calf strapped at some point but he was back out there afterwards so I assume the club isn't overly worried about it. Walsh looked pretty comfortable out there. Willo and Lebois looked a lot quicker than I remember. They played Phillips up forward a bit when TDK was in the ruck, and Kerr down back. Kerr has a very bad haircut.



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Took my daughters and got there right on time to see Pickett do his patella tendon. Awful. I did mine five years ago...the pain was unimaginable. Good luck to him. It’s a s**t injury. 6 months.

My obs on training. Match simulation at 3/4 pace.

Skills average. A bit sloppy. Some good passages but not too much to get excited about. Bearing in mind it’s december. All players looked leaner and lighter.

Players that stood out:

Walsh. Believe the hype; he’s the real deal. Smart, quick, skilful, determined...need I go on?!
SPS. Looks really fit and decidedly faster.
Kennedy- see above
Harry. Looked sharp. Took a lot of marks.
Wieters looks fit and confident
McGovern is a very aggressive forward when attacking the ball in the air.
Jones. Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde.
** BenSOS. deceptively quick.

Didn’t train: Kreuzer, Charlie, Levi, setters a few others I can’t remember.

Restricted:
Plowman and Macreadie. Ran laps, 200 metre 3/4 pace sprints. Kick to kick. Both obviously on modified programs.

Extra running before, during, after training: Osiers, Polson, Schu, bugg, Williamson, lebois, Stocker.

Extra resistance running training after (dragging teammate with a band):
Jones, Phillips, dekoning, Goddard, Phillips, benSOS, Fasolo, Daisy.

Note. I asked all players re preseason compared to last few. All said hardest by far. But everyone looked rapt and said they were feeling the benefits. The words fitness guru came out quite a few times re Andrew Russell.


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Quick Report.

Not a hugely intense session. Bit of running and game simulation. Few moments of intensity but went about 70-80%. Apparently fairly let weary after big week.

More put on for crowd I reckon.

Some really smart passages of play and some December rust. A number of players didn’t train or play. We have a few niggly injuries at the moment

Stand outs

Garlett
Bugg
Kennedy
Weitering
Walsh
TDK doing ruck work

Small sample. Early days but lots to like except injuries


PS that O’Brien kid led the 200m sprints


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:'(

The Carnage Of The Jarrod Pickett Incident As It Happened.

View attachment 597325
Pickett with ball in hand during one of the training drills while he still had two good patella tendons.

View attachment 597327
A marking contest during match simulation with Cripps, Pickett and Kennedy all looking to be part of the contest and with eyes only for the ball.

View attachment 597329
Cripps and Kennedy launch at the ball while Pickett fails to leave the ground and about to be crunched by two beasts.

View attachment 597330
Daisy bursts away with the spoils from the contest while Pickett lies in a crumpled mess on the deck.

View attachment 597334
LeBois and Garlett console Pickett while the trainer signals for medical assistance.

View attachment 597336
Brendon Bolton comes in to inspect the carnage of another brutal training session.

View attachment 597338
It was a long drawn-out process getting Pickett into the club chariot and he was obviously in severe discomfort.

View attachment 597342
In the meantime Brendon Bolton watches on as Pickett is carefully placed in position for transport from the ground.

View attachment 597344
A forlorn looking Pickett looks his coach in the eye.

View attachment 597343
Is this the end of Jarrod Pickett??? Time will tell.

All photos by Yours Truly.



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Not going to pump up a low-key training session and will only remark on the stand-out points to me.

Nothing we don't know but CCurnow really has presence and surety about the way he goes about things.
He's timing his leaps ever so much better than he was last year already and his kicking has improved markedly on this showing alone.

McKay also looks so much more assured about his place in the team and showing this via the way he goes about his marking and kicking.
Had Walsh baffled in one instance as to what he was going to do. Good thing Walsh didn't fall over for the tricks Mckay was showing him. :)
Along with Charlie, has a real presence about him although we know he's still some time away from developing that strong core.

BSilvagni moves around like a black belt. carries himself like someone who's been at the club for 10 years. :)
Have to give it to him though, he did back things up with some smart pieces of play and some good kicking. He's a funny one to me.

Walshy, Walshy, Walshy, Walshy....Everyone loves Walshy and keep calling out his name.
Players are around him, coaches are all over him. Did look as though he may have pinged a hamstring late in the day, but after a few rubs the concern seemed to have died down.

A few of Dows kick to position after breaking tackles were A-grade.
Pin-point passes around the corner were very eye-catching. Looked to be having a great time out there.

The reason I mentioned Cuningham wasn't so much for any brilliant pieces of play but for the way he manoeuvres around players.
In tight handball drills he simply either fooled his opponent as to which direction he was heading in, or even if they guessed right, he put the burners on and he was gone. He does have a lot to do but may be one of those players that when it does eventually click, things may stay clicked.
We don't have many that can dance around players the way he can and burst out of tight spaces as though he had a canyon to work through.

Have to give it to Fasolo. Looked genuinely involved and worked well through the day.
Not going to make any wild calls, but he does seem to have blended well into the group.

Russell is very instructive and makes sure to explain his reasons for what is trying to be achieved with players.
There is no wish-washy words here. Just clear advice and quick instruction that gives time to the players for a quick nod and gets them back on their bike.

Only one interesting drill today and that was for quarter ground drills split into two parties, which made it impossible to keep an eye out on both, all of the time. It doesn't help having the extra non-Carlton players involved either, as they catch you off guard when following a drill.

Lots of players coming in and out of the session and as I said, there's not too much to read into things on todays efforts.
The good stuff won't be too far away now, but no doubt......behind closed doors.



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So this is my first training report for BigFooty. I hope it gives you blue bloods a clearer picture of just what’s going on at this great club of ours. Particularly after a long period of pain and suffering.


I’ll break it down into two parts. Part one will be the overall structure of the session, the drills and how the were executed. Part two will focus on the players I managed to observe throughout the session.


Part 1: Training Overview

The group emerged on time for once which was a relief. They spread out across the ground and played some good old fashioned kick to kick. A few players would do their own thing and jog around the square e.g. Weitering. Players seemed in really good spirits. Group then went for a jog and some light stretching together.

After about ten minutes the squad broke into grouped agility drills. The drill I particularly liked involved a square of cones and two players. Player 1 would stand in front of the square and point to one of the cones whilst the Player 2 would stand facing the Player 1 and move quickly side to side to in response to the directive. This is a great exercise to train defensive zoning whilst keeping your eye on the play/ball. The best performers were Zac Fisher (kid is a freak), Walsh (freak), Cuners and Polson (he impressed me today).

Stretching for 2 minutes followed this. I must say, I absolutely loved the way Russell structured the session. It was staggered and highly organised. At no point did the players seem confused or out of their depth. Every single component of the session had a purpose. Not just my opinion, but a sports coach who attended with me said the same thing. He was blown away impressed.

Alas, I go on. There was a light duties group on the Dick Pratt Stand side that worked purely on their running. This included Liam Stocker, Hugh Goddard, Caleb Marchbank, Will Setterfield, Darcy Lang, Lachie Plowman plus a few more at different times. They worked away at staggered running drills that were very specific. Russell’s program is highly customised to each individual. Stocker for example, had his directives to run along the wing for a certain distance. Walk then run back. This was all timed by the physios and Stocker himself. Liam was determined and on a mission. You can tell he has what it takes to become an elite athlete… it was all business.

For most of the remainder of the session there were several skills based drills. Some I hadn’t seen before but I really liked. Very practical and normally added a component to make it slightly harder. Brent Stanton ran much of these drills and his voice projected really well. Skills were very clean.

At one point Samo left the group and just ran bulk laps. This is yet again another example of Russell’s individual program. Samo began this during the skills drills. I turned to my friend and we both said the same thing “brilliant”. SPS doesn’t need to work on his skills so Russell had him building his endurance. Several players peeled off at different times and ran laps - this included Lobbe and Flip. Murphy and Kreuzer partnered up and ran some serious heat around the boundary line toward the end of the session. Tractor kept up and toiled valiantly.

The last drill I will comment on was the mini match simulation that was broken into two games. 6 or so on each side. Frenetic short passing on a tiny field with small goals to shoot at. The game I was watching included Walshy, Jones, Cottrell, Fisher, Curnow, Owies, Bugg, and a few more. Walsh is a genuine gun. Had the ball on a string finding the ball inside and outside. Jones pulled the trigger on some aggressive kicks which paid off. Cottrell actually really showed something. Took some courageous marks and hit targets. Looked up to it. Chaz Curnow was his usual brilliant self. But the play of the day was my man Zac Fisher. Picked the ball up cleanly, side stepped the opposition and thumped a low bullet pass to his player on the lead. Simply awesome stuff. Owies found a heap of the ball but lets himself down with his disposal.

One of the last drills involved one-on-one contested marking practice with a crumber to finish it off. Curnow was outstanding even against the ruckman. Took a hanger and the crowd loved it. McKay started tentative then really began owning the contest and took some great grabs. Finbar was matched up on Teaguey and really struggled to make an impact. Clearly not a kid that grew up playing key position. But I really like him as a talent. Has a beautiful left peg on him. TDK held his own and really took it up to the bigger bodies.

Session ended with lots of shots on goal (which us fans appreciate the importance of). McKay kicked it accurately, as did Finbar! Probably the only downside to Walsh’s day was this. Missed a lot of shots for goal at one point but I’m not overly concerned.



Part 2 Players:

I will only comment on the players that I managed to view for a period of time. If you have any questions about the other players I may be able to answer them.

Jack Silvagni - Murph called him ‘Latino’ for a reason. He is so tanned. Trained well. Practised his torps at the end and managed a few 65m bombs. Also battled hard in contested marking.

Paddy Dow - The kid is light on his feet and powerful off the mark. Missed a few kicks and is prone to the odd fumble. But his hands in tight are quick and clean. Will be a jet.

Marc Murphy - Legend of a bloke. Signed heaps of autographs at the end after gut running the boundary line. Trained well and kept building his fitness. Kicking looked cleaner than last year.

Lochie O’Brien - He was in my top 5 today was Lochie. He has put on considerable size and looks AFL ready. Used his voice really well in the handball drills and his skills were sublime. Glides across the ground. Will be a jet for us.

SPS - Moved really well and looked determined to get fitter when running laps of the boundary.

Cripps - Thought it was McKay at one stage. He is gigantic. Kicking for goal is the only area he needs to improve on. Nothing else to say. He’s our captain for a reason.

Harry McKay - Looked confident and stronger in the contest. Needs to clean up his field kicking.

Sam Walsh - This kid is a marvel. Glides across the turf, moves almost as quick as Fisher side to side. Has clean hands, is composed with the ball and most importantly is a legend of a bloke. Stayed way past the end of the session and was the star of the show. We have a gem. Straight after the session I popped more on him to win the Rising Star.

Jacob Weitering - Big Weiter Bot. That running style is hard to miss from the stands. Played really well in the mini match sim. His skills are elite for a big man and he really took charge of the backline. Hoping he can find more confidence this year.

Zac Fisher - My favourite. Elite in so many aspects of the game. Hard to see him not being a star.

Cam Polson - Surprised me in a good way did Cam. High intensity and was a bit of a sharp shooter in front of goals today. Could potentially see him making it up forward if he continues this way.

Fasolo - “Fasolo Everywhere” he shouted as he kicked an easy snag from the square. The crowd laughed and so did the players. He’s a funny guy and adds some swagger to the list. As Soapie has mentioned previously, he needs to improve his fitness but will kick goals for us this year.

Cottrell - Wasn’t expecting much but he more than held his own out there today. Particularly, in the mini match sim he was clean by hand and foot and had great awareness of those around him. If he keeps this up he’ll find himself on our list.

BSOS - Is actually quicker than I thought. Plays with confidence. Was caught out in a few drills by being too slow to react and execute by foot.

Buggy - Sharp shooter today in front of goal. Will play bulk footy next year.

Owies - He was everywhere today. Ball magnet. Probably because he was positioned in front of me wherever I moved to. He is quick and gets involved. But very poor by foot. His skills were several cogs below the rest. Was also exposed in the handball drills - struggled to weight his handballs to his team mate’s advantage.

Hugh Goddard - Struggled a bit physically today from my viewing. I heard him complain to the coaches that something was bugging him. Just ran laps. Needs to shed some muscle up top IMO. He is a hulking man and those leg joints don’t need any extra weight.

Setterfield - I cringed when watching him participate in some side to side movement drills. But Russell was close by watching him. It was specifically tailored to him though and he handled it well. Silky mover side to side. His kicking is one area for improvement. Not poor but a bit inaccurate at times.

Conclusion

As a final note, Andrew Russell was the real star today. For the first time this century, Carlton has a high performance system which will be the envy of the competition. There is so much thought and planning in everything that happens out there and Russell is the architect behind it all. He is visible to players and makes his way to every station and communicates clearly and succinctly.

Shane Crawford famously tweeted that the two most important roles in a football club are the High Performance Manager and the Head Recruiter. Carlton supporters, be content in knowing we now have the best of the best in both of these positions. This will be a fun ride.

Cheers,

NDNB
 

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PoultryinMotion

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Went to the same session as NDNB. I live interstate and as such it was the first time I have seen the Blues train in my 40 years as a Blues supporter. The highlight of my roadtrip to Melbourne with the family. Zac Fisher was great. Agile, so quick to foot and deadly accurate -is becoming one of those players supporters will really hone in on. Walsh looked very comfortable with the big boys. Thought Kerr looked slack at times and Finbar dropped his head at times in competitive marking- but was pleased with the support of the other lads around him and Teague not letting him have it easy. Yep, pretty much agree on all the above player comments, particularly Weitering.Impressed with the skill level, “train as you play” attitude and the structure of the session.
Incidentally my daughter is a bystander in your photo of Weitering signing autographs.
 

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Solid training session today and a step or two up from last week.
Also good to see mids vs mids, ruck contests, full ground drills, albeit playing only one half of the ground, with around 15 or so players.
Focus on ball movement and bringing the ball into the middle before the last kick into the forward line, suggests a possible more attacking game forthcoming.
I'll again only raise the standout things to me and maybe a few points of difference:

Very pleased to see McKay contest well in the ruck.
Used his body favourably, held his ground and given he was pitted up against our primary talls (No TDK involvement, who left the ground early), he did more than enough to show we may have a valuable second ruck on our hands and not simply a filler. No fooling around either. Looked (was made to look) very serious.

Kennedy impressed again. This is not the same Kennedy we saw last year.
Amazing how a little (?) injury can make one look second rate. Lateral movement, strength and power in the first step looked good.
Kennedy has to come into my starting 22 and have to take Setterfield out...for now.

Walsh. I know...Walsh, Walsh, Walsh, but seriously, he's hard to ignore.
What I liked to see most though was after a tackle that brought Casboult down, he was clearly in pain. Corky?
Limped around a little, walked around the edge of the other players and prepared himself for the next tackle, in which he brought Casboult down again.
The rest has been said and we'll simply have to wait and see what he's like in the real stuff.

Phillips. Always looks good through pre-seasons and then finds it hard to get onto the park in the season proper. It's a pity.
His ground work was of a very high standard today and picked up the ball off the deck, better than some of our smalls and mids.
Contested well in the ruck duels and ran harder and faster than his group of four.

JSilvagni & Polson presented very well today and were heavily involved in most things.
Not everything was of the highest standard, except for the efforts. Jack also trained with the mids. Interesting.

Talk about Silvagnis, Ben is intriguing to me.
His training standard is very good. Marks well, contests well, kicks well enough.
Looked better than last week to me. Is that how things are going to open up? Have we hidden him to our advantage? He's a funny one.

Anyone not putting ECurnow, Murphy or Thomas in their starting 22 is doing it wrong.
Ed was a beast today (isn't he always?), Murphy used very well and looks 5 years younger and Thomas....well, he's Thomas.

Dow was unfortunately quite sloppy today though. Maybe just an off day.
Finbar. We have a long way to go, but no problem there.

Williamson did come off early and looked a bit upright walking off. Can't assume anything but it didn't look great.

Goddard and Setterfield got involved in the main drills at times.
McGovern just some kick to kick with a trainer.
Marchbank must have run a mini marathon today. Looks in great shape.
Lang just couldn't keep up with Caleb. Tried but got lost and eventually moved on.
Plowman has changed body shape and looks in ripping condition.
Charlie being Charlie.....which is a good thing.



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In the competitive drills where they went back and forth with two or three runners handballing through a couple of defenders, I saw some interesting things....

In defense, I thought Le Bois worked really hard disrupting the chains. His pressure seemed good. Quick of mind.

Thought Kreuzer's handballs were a bit below standard sometimes straight at the man rather than in front of him.

In the end to end drills they were very sharp early but got scrappy later on...maybe due to the rain but kicking was again at the man rather than to the spot they were moving to.

General thoughts...Kennedy looked much more agile than last year. Jack Sosos looks like he'll have a good year. Looks fit and a natural footballer though I don't know what position.

Got to say the whole group looks really fit. I am looking forward to seeing this translate into a running machine with great pressure on the man and on opposition defenses.

Sorry. Photos not great quality.

View attachment 606714View attachment 606716View attachment 606717View attachment 606718View attachment 606719




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Great report Harks. Agree 100% with what you were reporting about training. Yes, there was a LOT going on which made it hard to see everyone. I too couldn't believe the number of grey shirts.

Finally back on the Peninsula, so here are some pics with reflections.....View attachment 606713
So happy to see Doc out there, as a 2nd year Backline coach. Macreadie was hanging on every word.

View attachment 606715
Newfound respect for Teague. Such a good teacher as he worked with the "rehab" group. They did a lot of walk-through stuff on how to assess the best options for breaking a press and present as the right option to do so. TDK keen to learn and McGovern also great in explaining. Marchbank impressed as he did a mountain of running today, like Harks alluded to.

View attachment 606722
Hamish McIntosh put our ruck division through a solid ruck-craft session (minus TDK). Yes, Harks, McKay will ruck well this year (with Andrews and Lobbe fighting it out to be the back-up if need be). Speaking of rucking......

View attachment 606723
Watched Setterfield for a fair portion of the training. Others players calling him "Kouta". Joined in a fair chunk of the drills, before doing agility work then called in to crumb off the ruck tap-work (see above). Moving really well. Reckon he will be a massive in when he debuts later on. Not just yet.....
He was taking speccies easily in some one-on-one by more grey shirts (see below).
View attachment 606727

View attachment 606729 Tried not to focus too much on Walsh.....but you just cannot help it. Just wait to you see him at LIVE. Looks like he's been at CFC for a few years, he's that smooth, relaxed, fit, respected!!

View attachment 606731
Would love to see these 3 all play forward pressure roles, once their grunt develops. Despite Garlett looking settled at HBF, he couldn't resist doing some crumbing work with our other smalls. Loves curling them in from the pocket he does and does so more often then not. Polson, Cunners and LeBois all rated a good chance to get forward pocket minutes. Yes, even LeBois....his best strength is his crumbing off Charlie and Co. Times it well and has polish around goals. His tackling, fitness and one-on-one strength needs a ton of work, but his crumbing is very very good. Later this year maybe..

View attachment 606732
And lastly, it was novel to see Andy Lee join in with the "rehab" group. The lads love him and it wasn't a token gesture as he did all the running work that they did.

Overall, just read Harkers report and know that we are training well in January.




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Settling in quite well by the looks of it. Laser kicking and the other boys know it, leading with confidence as Stocker hits them up.
3 things about Stocker at training I noticed....
(1) Spending a fair bit of time with Ed, which is a good sign for him learning midfield craft. I remember this was after a drill had finished and Stocker made a vee line for Ed to talk, before cantering to the middle for a drink.


View attachment 606841


(2) Spent the last part of today's session on goal-kicking. Real smooth action and rarely missed from 40m, then I realised he was kicking them on his RIGHT. Pretty sure Stocker is a LEFTIE. Good indication that he wants to nail goals when the opportunity presents.

and

(3) He made plenty of fans happy by staying back for photos and autographs, when others had packed it in and headed inside.




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A few observations to add to those from other track-watchers (though as I was minding a 9-month old it was tough to take much in):

- JSOS also spent some time down back in the full ground transition drills, along with Garlett. They seemed to be the designated exit kickers.

- BSOS looks a likely sort. Doubts have been on application, not talent. I saw both today. Lovely kick, safe hands, and in the defensive drills he was aggressive and made repeat efforts to pressure and tackle the ball carrier.

- Patty Kerr on the other hand, looked very flat-footed. Happy to corral rather than pressure, and allowed some easy handballs.

- Willo looked off the boil to me. Not surprising given his lack of continuity. Missed some simple targets by foot and was a little fumbly. Even if "fit", may need some time in the 2s to start the year.

- Agree with everything said about Walsh, he's ready. Biggest standout to me was his training intensity. Fumbled a couple of times that I saw but was quick to make amends.

- Loved watching Setters get some hangtime on the wing. No concerns with his knee, will just be a question of whether he can build the tank enough.

- Marchy and TDK covered a lot of ground. Heard TDK chatting with one of the trainers about his distance covered and how he felt, trainer was very happy with the numbers and reckoned TDK still seemed pretty fresh.

- Can't shake this feeling about Fasolo. Sharp and ripped. Joined the running group later in the session, but reckon he'll be in the frame for round one for sure.

- Owies is in great knick. Disposal needs plenty of work. Handballs and short kicking especially.

- Polson moving well, but saw a few instances of him handballing to a player under more pressure than he was. At one point he handballed it 2m to Murph who had a bloke literally bodying up on him.

- Lebois looked OK to me. But then, training form has never been his issue.

- Think Schuey must have spent most of his time on the other side of the ground. Saw him early in some simple handballing drills but then he disappeared.

- Finbar, while skinny, looks to have some wiry strength about him. Did some work at both ends of the ground, not sure the club has him pigeon-holed into a particular role just yet.

- Weiters looking strong. Maybe a little prone to taking the tackler on though in a few drills.

- Charles is in for a big year. Early drill had players receiving a handball while being pressured by a trainer. Most players in the group closest to me tried to push off the trainer. Charlie just threw him away and took the ball.

- Samo did some nice work by foot. Lovely weighting on his kicks. Fisher seemed a little off the pace today though, and I reckon his kicking may have lacked a little penetration compared to what I've come to expect from him.

- Cunners looks a treat. Cripps is a monster. Ed is one of our most valuable assets at training. Murphy was everywhere but I didn't hear him much compared to others. Thomas and Bugg playing with real intent. Harry spent a lot of time with the rucks and looked OK. Casboult was there.

Was an interesting session to watch. Heaps going on. Will hopefully get to another later in February.




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A few comments on training, including Friday.

Open sessions always brings a pep in the step for the younger blokes!

All in all just a bit of a run around.

Player watch:
Murphy, flying. Fitter now than the last 3 years.
Walsh, not surprised. Gun, professional, sponge. Look out round 1.
Charlie, see above.
JSOS, in everything, doing it right.
BSOS, caught up!
Just on the Silvani boys, you can say they were both held back in their junior years, especially Ben by their father. SOS has seen too many kids burn out before or when they make it. Watch this space!
Setters, hmmm. I’m struggling being patient with this bloke. Could really explode if let off the leash.
Kruz, fit, fit, fit. Leaner than ever.
Cas, see above.
H is the big one. Grabbing everything and just doesn’t miss. Plenty think the penny has dropped and application has caught up to his talent. If he gets no.2 defender, look out...!

SPS, gifted. One grab and gets through traffic, helps that he’s had his first preseason!
Bugg, clean and ******* hard.
Simo, see 2018.
Plow, lean. Running into if the ground. Looks better.
Dow, forget Friday. Built up and quick. This bloke and Murph could cut sides to threads with run.
Phillips, hmmm. 2 rucks this year?

Game style.
Kicks on the 45 deg.
Give hands first runner.
Longer kicking as well as lead ups into forward line. We have some speed up there.
Dare I use the term ‘mosquito fleet’...
Aggressive in close, harder tackling and making it stick, no excuses.
3 talls up front...

On a side not, fitness department is at new level. Definitely gone from a Holden to a Mercedes...



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Training report

Recovery group
Williamson
Marchbank
Doc
Lang
McGovern
Jones
Plowman
Bugg
Couldn't see Kreuzer

Warm up
Static and dynamic stretches
Handball games through congestion, looked really good and sharp
Then some mini match sim
Then full blown match sim for 2 ~15 halfs
Then some brutal sprints in the heat, into clearance work for the mids
Curnow, JSOS, Murphy, Walsh, SPS, Kennedy, Thomas, fisher and a couple of others

There's no hiding if you're not fit, you fall right off the back. I actually felt sorry for them. No one can accuse the mids of not working hard. I was stuffed after walking to my car in this heat and this was a full session.

Ones that stood out
Ben silvagni
: Taller, faster and more agile than I expected, disappeared in match sim

Fisher - elite agility and tenacity, huge standout in training drills. Also did some good things in match sim. I expect him to take another big step in 2019

Owies - can not kick. They were doing some left foot snaps off a spillage and on his left it looked like aus kick stuff, really long way to go.

Dale Thomas: Crap kicking and decision making is a hall mark of his game and on display today. But you can't deny him putting his body in good spots in defense, he's hard at it. Looks leaner too, but will continue to frustrate but he's what the young group need.

O'Brien: I love his loopy yet penetrating kicking, seems to bounce off his foot and get to its destination with ease, speed and a bit of loop. Will be a great link up player for us.

Kennedy: Ripping shape, still strong frame but really lean compared to last year, still not fast but should be able to spread and get to more contests. Like a modern, bigger McLean. Really came into it at the clearances in the second half of match sim. I expect him to lighten Cripps load significantly.

Polson: Looks a class below, too short and not enough speed or tricks...Were my thoughts until the match sim. He was best on, kicked 2 goals, set up 2 goals and had 3 meaning bursts through the midfield in the first half and continued strongly in the second half. He was like a Marc Murphy clone

JSOS: Is really impressive with his clearance work, he's got great intensity, size to dispose of it while being tackled and picks it up nicely off the deck. I'm adamant we need to find a spot for him. Had some really nice take aways from clearances in the match sim and was one of the more impressive throughout the whole session, he was right at the front of the pack in the sprints at the end and really physical in the following contest work. I really think he's gunna make it and was the most impressive on the track for mine.

Cuningham: Really catches the eye. But for every 5 times fisher catches your attention with some masterful evasion Cuningham does it once. Hoping he makes the best 22 to start the year and find his place. If he comes on and is our 10th best mid we'd be laughing. In the match sim he looked Judd like when he has it. Played off the forward flank and has speed and power to burn off through congestion.....but he only got it 2 or 3 times. Hopefully once we become good he can be an icing on the cake player, I just reckon he'll always be one to drift in and out.

Goddard: Looks a shrewd rookie pick up, basically a younger slightly more polished Rowe, held Curnow in match sim a couple of times when it was to Curnows advantage. He could be our lock down man.

McKay: I reckon he's gunna be so so good, for where we are as a club if you could pick any 2 tall forwards, 1 and 2 would be Curnow and McKay and not necessarily in that order. He's got the swagger to be a game changing forward too. Should have kicked 5 in match sim, but some some set shot kicking (v windy). You just can't stop him in the air. Except some big bags from him.

Stanton played the practice match, he's so sh1t

Teague played also and was actually pretty good.

Dekonning still a while away but took a big pack mark vs 3 defenders

Newman: Looks a solid cog, out of defense, looks lean and strong too. I think he'll be someone we can rely on on the last line straight into back 6.

Lebois: No idea why he's on the list, looks way out of place

Wietering: Very quiet, still looks slow, I am worried he won't become the star we all hoped.

#TrackTalk

Actually, #TrackOpus. Made some minor formatting changes to condense a little.
 
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2 15 minute quarters down.
The wind is strong and having a huge impact on the game.

A few observations:
Polson: When he gets the ball he breaks away from everyone, and used it okay.

TDK: a great mark and some good positioning.

McKay: Some really good marking and movement. One time roving a ball, running through two players then kicking a goal

SPS: Can we always just give him the ball. Moving well and hitting targets.

Kennedy: Getting the ball a lot, then booting it as far as he can kick.

Plowman: Looking ripped while doing 200’s, moving very fast.

Philips: destroying his opponent, who was 4 cms shorter. Also good ground work.

Team wise, we had one forward line with Curnow, McKay and sometimes JSOS with Kerr and Casboult the main defenders..

TDK was the FF at the other end.

Gameplay wise, there was some good whole ground movement. Hard to do that much with this wind. One thing that was annoying was very little movement down the ground giving options or clearing space.
This meant that the long kick was forced, rarely with the wind.

Never injure you hand during preseason. Jones had to do some serious running there.

Currently Kennedy, LOB, Cotterel and LeBois are running laps.
LeBois 25 metres behind after 550 metres.

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Some other observations from today.....saw de Koning miss a sitter hitting up a short pass. Swore, then turned and buried his opponent who had taken the loose ball and came up with the crumb. I liked it.

Agree with the positive posts on J Sosos.....seemed to becoming much more natural in the middle getting his hands free dishing it out to a clear runner. Also showed the trademark desperation getting to the man with the ball to spoil or pressure.

McKay is great to watch...really grown into his body....the size of the bloke is awesome but he has fantastic agility to go with it. I saw him rove his own ruckwork and snap a goal over his shoulder. I'm not sure about his set shot kicking....seems to get it through most of the time but I reckon he will have some days where he gets the yips...

Plowman looks so fit. I wonder if he might be ready for some stints in the middle?



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May as well get the gushing out of the way early –

Setterfield: Great hands in close, and ridiculous lateral movement for a 6’3 bloke coming off an ACL. Finds space, keeps his head up and has an uncanny ability to find a target while being pursued by a couple of players. Only joined in just over half the session, but if all goes to plan he’s going to be a very good player. Huge ceiling.

C. Curnow: Ridiculous athleticism, and seems to have trimmed down without losing any of his strength. Has as much ability at ground level as most of our midfielders, and loves engaging early in a contest to eliminate a player in a contested situation. If he wasn’t such a pivotal part of our forward line he could easily play as an inside midfielder. Won just about every 200-metre sprint as well.

McKay – His reading of the play (or possibly his reading of our play) has improved and he’s going to be exceptionally good key forward. Instinctive, strong, persistent… Had a few moments of brilliance breaking through tackles and is very capable at ground level for a big guy. Just looks super comfortable, and I think he’s in for a big year.

Have to echo the sentiments W/R/T JSOS. He needs to be viewed as a long-term project, and developed as an inside midfielder who can float forward if necessary. His conditioning has improved tenfold, with his endurance and strength significantly greater than this time last year. He was never far behind Ed in the 200 metre runs, and looks rejuvenated. Build him up at VFL level, let him get his hands on the ball and then see how he goes matching it on the inside. I wouldn’t worry about his production either. Let him get accustomed to his role, and if he gets 15 meaningful touches, we’re seeing progression. Similar to how Essendon are developing Kyle Langford – will take some time, but the results should be very positive. Going to prove a lot of people wrong I think.

Need to temper the expectations on Walsh IMO. He’s definitely AFL ready, but still an 18-year-old finding his way, and still has a lot to learn. Tried to do too much on occasion and was caught a few times standing still trying to evade. I imagine when he started training some of those tricks he had at junior level would have worked, but after a while his teammates can read what he’s going to do. Not a big issue, and clearly he’ll benefit from some increased strength (that being said he’s bulked up tremendously since the Championships – good god) but something I noticed. Had a few nice moments drifting forward and impacting – kicked a goal and was involved in a few nice passages of play. His kicking was better than I expected, although other outside mids outshined him in match simulation. Coughed it up a few times trying to do too much, but has a considerable amount of poise otherwise. Spent a lot of time talking to Cripps too. (As do many of the players, seeking tips and guidance)

Stocker is genuinely big. Strong in the chest and arms, big legs and wouldn’t look out of place as a starting AFL midfielder. Has obviously spent a heap of time in the gym over the past few years, but didn’t seem as unfit as I imagined. Kept up the pace in the 200-metre runs. Still needs to get leaner, but he looks in reasonable shape. Lovely kick too. Also noticeable how loud he was in the drills – certainly has a self-confidence, and without projecting too much, a healthy ego. Likes to enjoy a bit of banter. Not too sure if he starts Round 1, but he doesn’t look far off AFL conditioning.

Our outside mids all look in ripping knick and Murphy’s form in the match sim just about put to bed any suggestion he should be played as a forward this year. Great composure, looked sharp and made some nice handballs in close. Not really needed inside contested situations, but is a vital piece of our midfield. Still a valuable link-up player, and reads the game as good as any in our team. Fisher has taken another step again and was probably the best in the match sim. Nothing out of the usual for him, but his vision and smarts are so far ahead of most. Waits until the perfect moment to distribute, and has no qualms about running around a player if he seems the opportunity. Has some serious dare.

Also loving the progression of SPS. Had this palpable feeling all eyes were on him whenever he had the ball – even during kicking drills – and he’s also looking trim and fit. Covered some serious ground in the match simulation, and rotated forward (along with Fisher and Walsh) and impacted there, kicking a goal and setting up play across half-forward. Like Fisher, evades easily, and spreads well from the contest. Saw him bring the ball back into the middle a couple of times with well-timed kicks. Weights his handballs perfectly too – there were a few occasions he flicked a looping pass over a player into the path of a teammate.

Dow’s an interesting one. Has an almost preternatural ability to find the ball in the contest, but his endurance still seems way off. Was being encouraged by Stanton during the runs, but seemed to be labouring a bit? Had some nice moments in the match sim, but doesn’t seem to engage as much as he can. Another I’m tempering my expectations on, but he might have just had an off session.

Weltering looks primed to take the gorilla defender role. Has bulked up again, and took some nice contested marks, albeit against TDK. Not sure if we’re making the most out of him, but it’s a little hard to gauge until we get into the real stuff. His decision-making, as always, was spot on. Nic Newman already looks like an astute acquisition, and will almost certainly play out the season. Looks super fit and his defensive effort was great.

Kennedy was strong in the contest and has also bulked up considerably, Cuningham had a few nice runs through the middle and Gibbons will almost certainly be signed and played. He’s quite nippy and his skills were reasonable. Cottrell didn’t standout, but I wasn’t looking out for him in particular. O’Dwyer has a really nice kick and didn’t look out of place in match sim either. Seems like we’re shoehorning him into a defensive role, which suits him to a tee. Certainly has some speed off the mark, and can roost the ball. Looks a little unsure, and will take some time to adapt, but there’s definitely a role for him long-term. BSOS also looked in good knick and seems a pretty relaxed dude. Belongs out there.

Fasolo (somewhat obviously) and Polson played as the small forwards for the Probables team. Fasolo, as many have mentioned, was dangerous up forward and we’re going to benefit exponentially from his presence down there. Kicked 2 or 3 goals, and runs to good spots. Polson looks massive, with big shoulders and big back. Still seems to struggle to get involved, but did some very good things when he was. Had a couple of nice touches through the middle, and kicked a goal or too. Worked well with Fisher (?) in the contested drills.

The skills were admittedly a little sloppy, possibly due to the wind and general fatigue from the heat, but good intent from the players none-the-less. Was nice to see so much focus on the contested side of our game, and I think the natural development of Kennedy and Cunners - along with Setterfield when he’s integrated - is going to hold us in really good stead. Was also pretty amusing watching Cripps fend off four players at once on a few occasions. Can’t remember a player dominating the stoppages as well as he does. Even Kouta couldn’t do much of what Cripps does in a pack. I’m stating the obvious, but he’s a special talent. I think Kennedy is ready to step-up in a big way too, so he’s not as overburdened as he has been in the past.

Other than that, good in the CFC for putting on ice-poles for almost three hours. No token 1 Zooper Dooper; unlimited icy-poles. Nice touch in the searing heat. Not to mention killer coffees in the Carlton Café.

FIN.




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Funny session that went well beyond the two hours, that the said usual ones have been going.
Funny in that even though there was a lot going on, little really stood out. At least little by way of anything new.
Having said that though, the heat and wind couldn't have helped the situation, along with the fact many weren't involved in what should have been the most interesting part of the day; the full ground match simulation.
No Mcgovern, no Kreuzer, no Plowman, no Marchbank, no Macreadie, no Williamson, no Lang, no Jones except for a bit of a walk around with his hand brace on, no Lang, no Docherty nor Pickett obviously and only a little of Cuningham and just a little Setterfield who walked off after only a few minutes.
Ball spent a lot of time over the line, some movement was OK but little, real quality passages of play. Like I said, it seemed to be going at about 80% to me but only because the guys were somewhat tired/hot already.

Don't really want to rattle off the same names again as the likes of Cripps, Walsh, Fisher, Ed & Charlie Curnow always seem to stand out for one reason or another. Charlie in particular just loves the spotlight. Nothing we don't know.

The drills have been covered, so only go into player observations;

BSilvagni: Brought up his name last few times, but there's definitely something there.
I was particularly impressed with his lateral movement. A key component for a player his size and the position he'll likely take up.
It's ridiculous just how comfortable he looks in any situation....almost blase. Does put in though and given it's his first year, his presence is already a feature.

Phillips again impressed me and not only because he didn't have Krezuer against him.
Other than running, he does a lot of things right. I also want his new ruck coach to teach him to tap to advantage now. get that right and he'll be in serious contention for a starting position.

Really liked some of the things O'Brien did today and not just his kicking.
Vision and cool in traffic struck me more than it has before. seems quite comfortable in himself now. Has belief, I dare say and it shows.

First time so far this year that Stocker left a bit of a mark on me.
It may have something to do in just how much a part of the whole all the young guys seem to be. It's not like it used to be where the class differences were poles apart, any more. These guys have self-belief or maybe just belief from their coaches. Would like to see a bit more in the heavy stuff but that will come.

As has been noted, Jack Silvagni has really clocked his rating up.
Again this week, got quite involved through all drills. maybe we may have been a little too quick to write him off just yet.

Good to see Casboult involved in the back-line just as I wanted him to be.
Certainly leaner than he has been and even the kicking action is wobbly, most of his kicks seemed to hit their mark.
Something to work with and I'd be thrilled should he start in the back-line for the NB's should that be what they're trying to do with him. Makes sense.

Weitering was OK and let's not be too harsh for what we effectively witnessed as simply one quarter of football on a hot and windy day.
There was one thing though that I saw near the end of the day that had me saying to myself; Not again Jacob.

De Koning is fun. I like him and from what we saw last year alone know that we'll have to be patient and allow him another 2 to 3 years to grow into his body properly. I like the fact he hurt his shoulder in marking duels against fellow ruck-men, but wanted to keep going......and did keep going effecting some good spoils along with a couple fo quality marks.

I'll leave it at that and as much action as there was around the ground, I didn't see anything particularly new this week.
Maybe next time around.




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