Training 2021 - Preseason Thread

[RookiePick]

If we gift Cockburn another flag on the weekend in front of 30k fans, i expect to see the club going into voluntary admission on Monday morning 🗑

A club run by Nisbett will admit nothing.

 

[Monocle]

He is 30 yrs old and out of contract.

I expect this year will see him play better football if he can stay fit.

You old cynic ...... but isn’t it amazing just how often this scenario actually plays out.
Older player puts in a blinder of a season, with a contract extension bid in mind.

One straight out of the Andrew Embley play book.

I expect Jack to play a much tighter lock down style game, with most of his production being right at the epicentre of the coal face; where he can use his strength and experience to advantage, to compensate for his declining pace.

If he has a bust of a season, I suspect he may retire at seasons end.

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

The fear is and based on the last 2 ordinary years, that 2018 was the peak of the vast majority of our players.

Other than Nic Nat, who's had a better year than 18?

Or try and name players that have equalled 18?

It's OK Flyin', we won't let the bad man talk you down.

 

[Dark Sharks]

The fear is and based on the last 2 ordinary years, that 2018 was the peak of the vast majority of our players.

Other than Nic Nat, who's had a better year than 18?

Or try and name players that have equalled 18?

Flahn Rahn the obvious one

Duggan, even before the mid switch was probably in career best form off the HBF

Jury is kinda out on Sheeds improvement. He stepped up big in 2019 but then back a bit in 2020.

Sheppard, missed the GF anyway

Oscar, missed the GF anyway.


The rest of our team.... nope all gone backwards or had stints injured since 2018.

 

[larrikin]

Flahn Rahn the obvious one

Duggan, even before the mid switch was probably in career best form off the HBF

Jury is kinda out on Sheeds improvement. He stepped up big in 2019 but then back a bit in 2020.

Sheppard, missed the GF anyway

Oscar, missed the GF anyway.


The rest of our team.... nope all gone backwards or had stints injured since 2018.

And Masten retired*.

 

[WCErevival]

Oneil is better now than he was in 2018

 

[Obeanie1]

Incredible how 12 months ago we had the best midfield in the AFL. Now best case scenario is we break even.

Our midfield has the talent. What we struggled with in the last couple years is with sh*t structures. Don't know if we have a sh*t midfield coach or we set up a certain way to accommodate our overall style of play, but the opposition midfields consistently run the ball out of congestion unopposed meanwhile rushed kicks is all we ever seem to manage.

With everyone fully fit we are as close to as good as anyone on a good day.

On paper it looks fine. Lose Yeo, Kelly with a thumb, Shuey with hammie issues and we look thin for depth.

No surprises there really.

 

[WCE_phil]

With everyone fully fit we are as close to as good as anyone on a good day.

On paper it looks fine. Lose Yeo, Kelly with a thumb, Shuey with hammie issues and we look thin for depth.

No surprises there really.

The reality is if you take the best 3 mids out of any side they will struggle. The only potential teams that could provide even remotely adequate coverage for that are Geelong and the Dogs and thats if the rest of their team are fully fit. On top of that the dogs still don't really have a successful forward line so would still be significantly weaker.

We however without our best 3 mids look crippled.

 

[Dark Sharks]

Brayden is better now than he was in 20.....

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Just remembered about the tickets being available. No premiership terrace tickets left, got what was left. Although not entirely sure what the premiership terrace even is lol. Surprised no booking fee from Ticketmaster.

 

[Obeanie1]

The reality is if you take the best 3 mids out of any side they will struggle. The only potential teams that could provide even remotely adequate coverage for that are Geelong and the Dogs and thats if the rest of their team are fully fit. On top of that the dogs still don't really have a successful forward line so would still be significantly weaker.

We however without our best 3 mids look crippled.

Exactly.

Was reading an article on 'Who's got the best midfield depth' and all teams bar the Dogs and I think it was the Tigers struggle after naming the top 5 mids. After that everyone's depth looks thin, and ours was not the worst.

Another article was naming your clubs best 22. I recall Collingwoods list actually named Oliver Henry their pick 17 last season in the Pies best 22.

WOW!!! The kid hasn't played a single game yet is classed as best 22?

 

[WCErevival]

The reality is if you take the best 3 mids out of any side they will struggle. The only potential teams that could provide even remotely adequate coverage for that are Geelong and the Dogs and thats if the rest of their team are fully fit. On top of that the dogs still don't really have a successful forward line so would still be significantly weaker.

We however without our best 3 mids look crippled.

You take the even just the best mid out and teams aren't the same.

 

[Astro7]

Incredible how 12 months ago we had the best midfield in the AFL. Now best case scenario is we break even.

Our midfield has the talent. What we struggled with in the last couple years is with sh*t structures. Don't know if we have a sh*t midfield coach or we set up a certain way to accommodate our overall style of play, but the opposition midfields consistently run the ball out of congestion unopposed meanwhile rushed kicks is all we ever seem to manage.

And when we got TK, there was media and fan hype that we finally had the midfield we'd been waiting for, that it was (arguably) amongst the best midfield going if not the best. Then the new look midfield got tested out in Covid year. Injuries occurred and lack of depth revealed.

So here we are with our older mids banged up in late preseason and wondering what will be rolled out in round 1? What midfield surprises or tweaks, who will rotate through there? Hoping for some gutsy and effective moves. With only a rusty scratchie as unconvincing evidence, another scratchie to go in which we should improve but still get whacked. Then a Port match, which promises to reveal more and finally blow the rust out?

Curious to see this 2015 FootyWire midfield list, including depth and rookies..
We got Redden and Sneezy after this of course..(and Mitchell)

Priddis, Shuey, Masten, Selwood, Natanui, Yeo, Gaff, Sheed, Rosa, Hutchings (forward/mid),
Lucas, Adamson (defender/mid), Colledge, Macginness, Main, Cavka, Waterman. A (forward/ mid), Duggan (defender)...

So in 5yrs we added Tim Kelly and Redden to the core mix? (and Mitchell-a temporary PR bandaid?)
But we lost Priddis, Masten, Selwood, Rosa, and six others..

We may have some depth now, but mostly untried to any extent, with Duggan and probably XoN, and whoever else they roll through there..will it work?
We have much the same midfield as 2018, with an older core.
Who is left to improve? TK, Sheed..! (AhChee, Ainsworth?)
I suspect Redden has hit his ceiling but would make a good tagger.
I'd be really surprised if Shuey gets through 2021 without a major injury.
But we showed in the Saints game 2020, with a depleted midfield that we could rise to the occasion, even if at times it was more desperation than skill.

Not long to go, we could be mildly excited by what's revealed in our game style and how our newbies and young ones are used ....or resigned to the same-old groundhog day routine?
At this early stage I'm backing (or is that hoping?) it will click into top gear for round 1.
The guys on Eagle Nation picked 6 losses for the season from the early fixture..

 

[WCErevival]

Priddis, Shuey, Masten, Selwood, Natanui, Yeo, Gaff, Sheed, Rosa, Hutchings (forward/mid),
Lucas, Adamson (defender/mid), Colledge, Macginness, Main, Cavka, Waterman. A (forward/ mid), Duggan (defender)....

Half of that list was WAFL fodder. We dont even know if Main was a real person.

 

[THE A5]

Monocle AsterixTheGaul Dylan82 I've heard Simmo and some players say Duggan was drafted as a mid and turned into a defender. Surely that can'T be right. I swear he was a defender when drafted.

 

[Monocle]

Monocle AsterixTheGaul Dylan82 I've heard Simmo and some players say Duggan was drafted as a mid and turned into a defender. Surely that can'T be right. I swear he was a defender when drafted.

You are correct he played for the Western Jets mainly as a defender.

He did have a few runs through the middle, when he played for Vic Metro, but to put that in perspective: thats pretty much par for the course for what Vic Metro did in that era.
Most of the small to medium sized players, got a run through the middle to see if they had midfield potential.

We did draft him in the hope that he would develop into a mid, but first and foremost he was a defender.

R.O'B mentioned in the early talk ups of Duggan ,as someone the recruiters saw as having midfield potential and a s such he was drafted with that in mind.

I must admit that I was a tad surprised with these comments and the projection at the time.

 

[THE A5]

You are correct he played for the Western Jets mainly as a defender.

He did have a few runs through the middle, when he played for Vic Metro, but to put that in perspective: thats pretty much par for the course for what Vic Metro did in that era.
Most of the small to medium sized players, got a run through the middle to see if they had midfield potential.

We did draft him in the hope that he would develop into a mid, but first and foremost he was a defender.

R.O'B mentioned in the early talk ups of Duggan ,as someone the recruiters saw as having midfield potential and a s such he was drafted with that in mind.

I must admit that I was a tad surprised with these comments and the projection at the time.

Yeah thats what I thought and tad surprised why they still peddle that crap. I love Duggo but I'm gonna be a bit reserved about him. I think as mid this year he'll be that 18-20 touch but more defensively solid.

 

[squashface]

He was a defender when drafted but the general consensus was that he would be a midfielder pretty immediately right? He played as a mid in his first season (and played very well, hence the creation of the famous thread) before his injury and then struggled to find the footy and play as a midfielder ever since that before going back into defence mid-game in 2017(?) after an injury to Nelson(?).

 

[Cornelius Roy]

Brayden is better now than he was in 20.....


View attachment 1069184

is it just me or do SPPs pupils look like ******* overcoat buttons in this?

 

[FKASC]

Duggan already our best player

 

[RookiePick]

is it just me or do SPPs pupils look like ******* overcoat buttons in this?

Sam Powell-Pingers

 

[Dark Sharks]

Duggans early mid days in 2015 were actually promising. Albeit not a lot of actual CBD time.

(Description is wrong, he actually had 25 touches in this game)




The vid for pre season 2017 he's legit talking about being a midfielder.





Seems we bizarelly bailed on him being a mid midway through 2017 (bang on Squashy) and started playing him in defense where he hit that purple patch of games (22d, Career high 31d, 16d and 24d over a month) and famously dropped Natalie with this juicy GIF.



We all thought he'd arrived at that point but then turned into a tighter defender as he was shifted into the backline in 2018 and cemented himself as part of our premiership team, until now.

Can't recall us ever giving him a great deal of time actually in the CBD's.


I was always a bit annoyed we spent Pick 11 on him with us thinking he could be a mid only to turn him into a 'solid' DEF.

But he's become more than a handy player to be fair. Wouldn't mind him on the wing if CBD's aren't his strong suit.

 

[THE A5]

Duggan is deceptive cause he is hard at it but relies on being fed than actually finding the footy himself. My biggest disappointment about him is that he came in as an elite dual sided kick but it completely disappeared off the face of the earth after 2015

 

[FKASC]

Duggans early mid days in 2015 were actually promising. Albeit not a lot of actual CBD time.

(Description is wrong, he actually had 25 touches in this game)




The vid for pre season 2017 he's legit talking about being a midfielder.





Seems we bizarelly bailed on him being a mid midway through 2017 (bang on Squashy) and started playing him in defense where he hit that purple patch of games (22d, Career high 31d, 16d and 24d over a month) and famously dropped Natalie with this juicy GIF.

View attachment 1069374

We all thought he'd arrived at that point but then turned into a tighter defender as he was shifted into the backline in 2018 and cemented himself as part of our premiership team, until now.

Can't recall us ever giving him a great deal of time actually in the CBD's.


I was always a bit annoyed we spent Pick 11 on him with us thinking he could be a mid only to turn him into a 'solid' DEF.

But he's become more than a handy player to be fair. Wouldn't mind him on the wing if CBD's aren't his strong suit.

That 25 touch game against GWS was his first full game not as sub IIRC too. Looked like a rolled gold 200 gamer.

Fanboys gonna tear this to shreds, but I honestly think there is something about our coaching/structures that hinders the development of midfield recruits.

Only Yeo has really improved as a midfielder under Simpson, and even that is hard to gauge because he never really played mid at Brisbane. Maybe you could include Sheed, but it's been a see-sawing development curve and for one of the first pure mids picked that year you expect him to be a rung or two higher.

Most other mids have failed to have the same impact as they did in their previous teams (Redden, Kelly, Jetta, Wellingham*), or have looked promising in their debut years and then gone backwards (Duggan and Ainsworth got better midfield numbers in their first few games than they have since).

The coaching and structures are clearly effective, as we have been a successful side under Simpson, but it's an intriguing phenomenon IMO. Spotlight could turn on him pretty quickly if the Kelly gamble flops.

*Wellingham spent one year under Worsfold, but still

 

[THE A5]

That 25 touch game against GWS was his first full game not as sub IIRC too. Looked like a rolled gold 200 gamer.

Fanboys gonna tear this to shreds, but I honestly think there is something about our coaching/structures that hinders the development of midfield recruits.

Only Yeo has really improved as a midfielder under Simpson, and even that is hard to gauge because he never really played mid at Brisbane. Maybe you could include Sheed, but it's been a see-sawing development curve and for one of the first pure mids picked that year you expect him to be a rung or two higher.

Most other mids have failed to have the same impact as they did in their previous teams (Redden, Kelly, Jetta, Wellingham*), or have looked promising in their debut years and then gone backwards (Duggan and Ainsworth got better midfield numbers in their first few games than they have since).

The coaching and structures are clearly effective, as we have been a successful side under Simpson, but it's an intriguing phenomenon IMO. Spotlight could turn on him pretty quickly if the Kelly gamble flops.

*Wellingham spent one year under Worsfold, but still

All our talls and defenders all got better under Simmo too