2019 Training Reports

[Purpletown]

Many thanks to those of you who post these training reports. You help to make the off season tolerable for us fellow Freo tragic's. Keep up the good work.

 

[jerms]

SHill had surgery on 03/12/18.

Listed as 6-8 weeks before starting modified running. It will be 7 weeks on Monday 21/01/19 and 8 weeks on Monday 28/01/19. Would hold off your concerns for the time being. He would likely be inside swimming and/or running on AlterG. If he isn’t on the track (doing some running) by start of Feb then I would start to get concerned.

Once he has worked his way through modified running over the first couple of weeks expect him to progress along quickly as he got a decent training load in before the end of November.

I guess the bit concerning me is that he's coming up 29 and can't ever seem to get an uninterrupted pre/post-season - he's starting to run out of them. Hilly at his best is a huge part of any good we do over the next couple of years, and we're not likely to see much of his best when he's consistently running into niggles.

 

[gaskin]

Just on Shill, apparently on Monday he said he should running next week. I wasn't there when he said it but it was passed on to me by other training watchers.

 

[Channels]

All, didn't sleep a bunch last night so my mind wasn't quite as lucid as I'd hope it to be (I should be more with it on Monday), but got there just as some warmup sprints were finishing and the boys were transitioning into some kicking drills. First time I've been to Arc since prior to its opening to the general public, so to see it absolutely packed was a surprise - but apparently this is par for the course.

First things first: going on today's session, I am not convinced that either decision-making or execution has markedly improved compared to last season. We still have a long way to go before we look like a nimble, efficient, well-drilled team. Lots of fumbles, drops and slooow decision-making in the positional work and match sims, lots of missed snaps in the goalkicking drills. We have to be sharper. I'll single Giro out some for very poor disposal by foot today, because I know he holds himself to very high standards, and if he can lift side of this game to match his athletic ability, he'll be a weapon.

During the kicking and handball drills, the two positives that struck me most were Switta's consistent skills, especially for a pressure forward, and Logue's beastly size. He really is an absolute brute now (was outmuscling blokes with three inches on him), with athleticism to match. Can't wait to see some early game from both of them. Lobb is also a monster, but I expected that - he took some really quality grabs, I reckon he's going to be bloody important structurally for us.

Tobe Watson wasn't one I expected to stand out to me today, but he did - seems like a quiet achiever who just knuckles down and gets things done. Conca is a really nice size when you see him alongside Hughes and Blakely, definitely looks like he is going to line up in the back half. Dixon has grown, in both directions, and now looks a good bit taller than Logue but shorter than Tabs - maybe 195-196.

Sturt's kick - and not only off his left - is a thing of absolute beauty. If you've liked Dardy's delivery inside 50 on the rare occasion that he does so, you'll love Sturt. Ran a few laps also. He's not as scrawny as I expected him to be - might end up playing earlier than many expect, depending on how our season shapes up early on.

As has been observed, Bewley's body is tip-top and ready to go. I'd expect to see him pretty close to the 22 come Round 1.

Cerra is a stallion. He makes everything he does look impossibly easy, and creates so much time. Definitely another who has grown a bit, getting toward the genuine Mundy replacement size. Speaking of the latter, congrats to Barra on confirmation of his AFL life membership - a great reward for one of the truly great servants of our club. He celebrated this with his usual lack of fanfare by smashing out laps all morning.

Didn't see a whole lot of my boy Mitchy, but he was out there and what little I saw was good. Another I'll keep more of an eye on on Monday. Likewise Schultz. Brayshaw was everywhere, but I probably didn't focus on him enough to say much, except that he works really well as the deepest mid at stoppages as an extraction option - looks QB-like at times.

Jesse was sighted early before heading to the gym. He re-emerged later in the sandpit, shirtless, to the oohs and aahs of most assembled. Looks in great nick despite the slow build.

A few other boys doing various modified training plans - AP, Sandi, Kersten (not sure what the go is here?) and Mundy (along with a few others for lesser periods) hammered out some laps, Sandi at a rather more leisurely pace than the others. Absences today appeared to include Bennell apart from a few brief appearances (media were making a song and dance about this, expect some BS), SHill (this is starting to really bother me), Valente, Tucker and Duman, while Sonny appeared late for some time on the clown bike.

Relatively short session, done by just after 11.


On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

Was about to ask who the designated QB style role would be... i think Andy will be good at this.

 

[Superkoops]

Just on Shill, apparently on Monday he said he should running next week. I wasn't there when he said it but it was passed on to me by other training watchers.

Thanks Gaskin - that would be on track with the clubs (P. Bell’s) information back on 5th December.

Jerms - I hear your concerns and so do the club. Hence the extensive investigations undertaken by the club at the end of November and the decision for guru Julia Feller to undertake surgery in Melbourne rather than continue to manage conservatively. SHill was still away when those team photos were being taken back in early Dec.

Gaskin - what is the status with Son son Walters?

 

[gaskin]

Gaskin - what is the status with Son son Walters?

I heard him say to Ross when I got there that he should be back with the main group next week.

 

[LeftFootBanana]

The other training watchers have covered just about everything. Things I noticed...

Kersten seems to be improving and did more work today than last Wednesday - it seems like it might be a hip from discussions he as having with one of the club staff.

Sturt is wiry but for a boy than doesn't have the obligatory huge thighs he sure does hit his kicks well. The big sticks don't seem to faze him at all.

S Hill came out of the gym to walk laps at the end of the training session. Sonny came out with the dreaded scooter.

I noticed Cox in the game sims - mobile, smart and has great skills for a guy his size. He still has a lot of upside at AFL level.

Hogan's kicking hasn't suffered. He looks in good nick too.

Mundy was smashing out the laps and like Sandi looks in really fit.

I've knocked Tabs previously for his decision making/kicking up the ground but he hit a couple of nice 25m kicks to to leads in the match sims. He's holding position in marking contests well and being vocal when demanding the ball. I'm liking what I'm seeing.

Dixon plucked a nice contested grab and seems to be moving well. B Hill was everywhere in the match sims.

For a big bloke Lobb can really move when he's up to speed. He's rarely outmarked and it's hard to think he won't change the way we move the footy.

Luke Ryan really is a beautiful penetrating kick - a delight to watch.

I remember being impressed by Watson in the WAFL - he looks too lightly framed at this stage but he did stand out in the match sims. Backs himself and takes the game on.

We've got some depth.

 

[theGav56]

Awesome reports.

For The Watchers, what kind of role do you see for Watson at AFL level? Does he do something we don't already have covered?

 

[mightymouse75]

Exciting times at the ffc

 

[LeftFootBanana]

One thing I forgot to mention is that Belly sits up on the balcony with his feet up having a coffee and watching training. Nothing escapes him.

 

[M_rash]

One thing I forgot to mention is that Belly sits up on the balcony with his feet up having a coffee and watching training. Nothing escapes him.

 

[Harry Reems]

One thing I forgot to mention is that Belly sits up on the balcony with his feet up having a coffee and watching training. Nothing escapes him.

Whilst reading the Fin Review.

 

[JammoMonty]

So why does he pick him?

Didn’t have much choice last year with all the injuries.

 

[JammoMonty]

And Bennell was penalised by the playing group but they are trying to keep it quite. He peddles nothing but misery in his Freo reports.

What was the punishment?

 

[freoextra]

What was the punishment?

No further report on that.

 

[Galvo]

First things first: going on today's session, I am not convinced that either decision-making or execution has markedly improved compared to last season. We still have a long way to go before we look like a nimble, efficient, well-drilled team. Lots of fumbles, drops and slooow decision-making in the positional work and match sims, lots of missed snaps in the goalkicking drills. We have to be sharper.

Thanks for the report!

This was a bit of a let down. I guess we did have some good users sitting out today in Mundy, Walters, S.Hill, Bennell and Hogan. Was it across the board or just some repeat offenders?

 

[Taylor]

Thanks Trav

 

[ShredBot]

Thanks for the awesome training reports! It certainly makes the offseason bearable

 

[arsesmart]

Thanks for the report!

This was a bit of a let down. I guess we did have some good users sitting out today in Mundy, Walters, S.Hill, Bennell and Hogan. Was it across the board or just some repeat offenders?

It's January.

I'd be bloody amazed if any team was nailing the skills and decision making in every session, let alone one with plenty of newbies along with implementing some new core game plan stuff.

 

[rgauci]

It's January.

I'd be bloody amazed if any team was nailing the skills and decision making in every session, let alone one with plenty of newbies along with implementing some new core game plan stuff.

It’s good to get some realism.

 

[theGav56]

It's January.

I'd be bloody amazed if any team was nailing the skills and decision making in every session, let alone one with plenty of newbies along with implementing some new core game plan stuff.

Agree, but it is a genuine area of needed improvement for us, so I welcome the observation. I had thought that disposal skills had been a quality that had been targeted during the rebuild, but so far the return on that investment has not been realised.

 

[One_Wing]

 

[Taylor]

It's important to remember that our squad will look worse than our best twenty two because we don't have a flat talent curve.

 

[No Excuses FC]

 

[88mph]

Why do we train at Cott SLSC?