Training 2023 Pre Season

[Murraj1966]

I really hope Nas gets over his homesickness this coming year. Has all the traits to be such a good long term player.

Maybe Ross offering the chance to become a proper footballer will be enough to sway him

 

[Imtellingya]

I really hope Nas gets over his homesickness this coming year. Has all the traits to be such a good long term player.

Maybe Ross offering the chance to become a proper footballer will be enough to sway him

The fact that he is in Melbourne, whilst still theoretically on leave, is a positive sign.

 

[FQFjt]

So has pre-season not actually started but they're already training at Moorabbin?

 

[sammm]

So has pre-season not actually started but they're already training at Moorabbin?

Preseason does not officially set until 21 November

 

[George]

Delayed pre-season for Saints defender, star mid on light duties

A number of St Kilda players are on track to return from injury over the pre-season

www.afl.com.au

 

[bergholt]

Delayed pre-season for Saints defender, star mid on light duties

A number of St Kilda players are on track to return from injury over the pre-season

www.afl.com.au

So just as a summary, sounds like return to training is:

Battle - January
Gresham - next year
Coffield - next year
Hayes - next year
Billings - next year?

Fingers crossed Misson can work some magic with those 5 because we're a much better side with all of them fit and firing.

 

[SaintSteele9]

If I was buying stock in any of our players, I’m launching into Windhager. Reckon he’s going to thrive under RTB with his tough, competitive campaigner vibe

 

[jwikked]

If I was buying stock in any of our players, I’m launching into Windhager. Reckon he’s going to thrive under RTB with his tough, competitive campaigner vibe

I keep forgetting how young he is. He has the body of a 25 year old already.

 

[George]

So just as a summary, sounds like return to training is:

Battle - January
Gresham - next year
Coffield - next year
Hayes - next year
Billings - next year?

Fingers crossed Misson can work some magic with those 5 because we're a much better side with all of them fit and firing.

If Battle is January aren't they all next year? Can't imagine all of them not training at any point this year but admittedly haven't followed it closely enough.

 

[hangdog]

If Battle is January aren't they all next year? Can't imagine all of them not training at any point this year but admittedly haven't followed it closely enough.

Battle is the only one with a more specific return date.

Super excited to see what Windy, Owens, NWM and Bytel can do this year.

I'm still bullish on Bytel. His junior numbers were utterly elite. Fingers crossed the injury issues are behind him and he smashes it this season.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Hopefully Roma is finally injury-free. He may not have been so since 2020 (ruptured his plantar fascia in his first game of 2021, and played out the year with that issue- after reportedly having struggled with it over the preceding preseason- and he was clearly hobbling around at times this year, and so may have still been carrying that all year.)

If he’s finally back to full-fitness, and playing his much preferred no.1 ruck role, he could explode.

Zac Jones is another one. Whatever he went through early last season clearly took a huge toll, as he was a shadow of his former self when he returned, and there was only one half of a game he played where I thought (and posted) “he’s back!”.

Outside of that half a game (where he from memory had 17 touches) he just about might as well not been out there for his remaining games. Outside of some excellent pressure numbers in a couple of them, when Steele was out.

Those two back to full fitness and form alone could make a hell of a difference to our prospects next season.

 

[Sun Ra]

Hopefully Roma is finally injury-free. He may not have been so since 2020 (ruptured his plantar fascia in his first game of 2021, and played out the year with that issue- after reportedly having struggled with it over the preceding preseason- and he was clearly hobbling around at times this year, and so may have still been carrying that all year.)

If he’s finally back to full-fitness, and playing his much preferred no.1 ruck role, he could explode.

Zac Jones is another one. Whatever he went through early last season clearly took a huge toll, as he was a shadow of his former self when he returned, and there was only one half of a game he played where I thought (and posted) “he’s back!”.

Outside of that half a game (where he from memory had 17 touches) he just about might as well not been out there for his remaining games. Outside of some excellent pressure numbers in a couple of them, when Steele was out.

Those two back to full fitness and form alone could make a hell of a difference to our prospects next season.

There was a preseason game - vs Norf or maybe the intra club where he was pretty good.
I remember one passage of play where he ran through about 7 tackles. LOL.

 

[aussierulesrules]

There was a preseason game - vs Norf or maybe the intra club where he was pretty good.
I remember one passage of play where he ran through about 7 tackles. LOL.

He was on fire in the preseason. Had the ball on a string in the intra-club as well, in a clear BOG performance. Looked to finally be fully fit, off a full preseason, and injury-free, set for a huge year, then it all went off a cliff.

If he’s back in a good place and fully fit again he could be like a “new recruit” next season.

We are a much better team when he’s fit and firing.

 

[gringo2011]

Gresham staying fit gives us another top 3 player as well.

 

[Premium]

Hopefully Roma is finally injury-free. He may not have been so since 2020 (ruptured his plantar fascia in his first game of 2021, and played out the year with that issue- after reportedly having struggled with it over the preceding preseason- and he was clearly hobbling around at times this year, and so may have still been carrying that all year.)

If he’s finally back to full-fitness, and playing his much preferred no.1 ruck role, he could explode.

Zac Jones is another one. Whatever he went through early last season clearly took a huge toll, as he was a shadow of his former self when he returned, and there was only one half of a game he played where I thought (and posted) “he’s back!”.

Outside of that half a game (where he from memory had 17 touches) he just about might as well not been out there for his remaining games. Outside of some excellent pressure numbers in a couple of them, when Steele was out.

Those two back to full fitness and form alone could make a hell of a difference to our prospects next season.

Big season for a few players - Clark , Coffield , Hayes , Bytel
However if we can get consistent games out of the likes of Hill , Membery , Butler we should be traveling way better than last year and add on the development of King , Higgins , Milera , Windhager and Owens.

 

[XhazzafootyX]

Big season for a few players - Clark , Coffield , Hayes , Bytel
However if we can get consistent games out of the likes of Hill , Membery , Butler we should be traveling way better than last year and add on the development of King , Higgins , Milera , Windhager and Owens.

Plus our pick 9(will be 10) and hopefully we nail one of our later picks. McKenna would be nice aswell!

 

[aussierulesrules]

Gresham staying fit gives us another top 3 player as well.

So many guys that we could get a LOT more from (not including the very youngest), who would make us a much better team:

Marshall
Gresham
King
Jones
Hill
Clark
Higgins
Billings
Coffield
Butler

That’s 10 right there, including 7 who were drafted in the first round of their respective drafts. While the other 3 have all had top 2 finishes in B&F’s, but haven’t played consistently well for at least the last two years.

There’s no shortage of talent there.

We might not have enough of that absolutely elite talent that other teams have, but there’s more than enough of the rest. We just need to extract the best from them on a more consistent basis.

 

[jwikked]

So many guys that we could get a LOT more from (not including the very youngest), who would make us a much better team:

Marshall
Gresham
King
Jones
Hill
Clark
Higgins
Billings
Coffield
Butler

That’s 10 right there, including 7 who were drafted in the first round of their respective drafts. While the other 3 have all had top 2 finishes in B&F’s, but haven’t played consistently well for at least the last two years.

There’s no shortage of talent there.

We might not have enough of that absolutely elite talent that other teams have, but there’s more than enough of the rest. We just need to extract the best from them on a more consistent basis.

This is why I don't buy into the rhetoric around St Kilda's list being shit. It's just not true - but these guys all could be getting much more out of themselves.

 

[ScrappyDo]

Battle is the only one with a more specific return date.

Super excited to see what Windy, Owens, NWM and Bytel can do this year.

I'm still bullish on Bytel. His junior numbers were utterly elite. Fingers crossed the injury issues are behind him and he smashes it this season.

The one knock on Bytel on juniors was a lack of spread or ground coverage. I've noticed he still has a bad habbit of standing still when the ball exits his area, a habit that neither Chito nor Windy have developed and it does not set him up well for lyf under Ross.
I want him to make it. I love his skill and hardness, but if RCD gets picked up l think Jack's in trouble..

 

[aussierulesrules]

The one knock on Bytel on juniors was a lack of spread or ground coverage. I've noticed he still has a bad habbit of standing still when the ball exits his area, a habit that neither Chito nor Windy have developed and it does not set him up well for lyf under Ross.
I want him to make it. I love his skill and hardness, but if RCD gets picked up l think Jack's in trouble..

Unfortunately for him the game has changed quite a bit since he was drafted. Much more about running now, as RTB has noted.

Hence our strong interest in McKenna, presumably.

 

[Saintbloke]

A big issue in season 2023 will be to keep a strong core of players on the field for the season, as consistency has been a problem. W can only hope.

 

[gringo2011]

Unfortunately for him the game has changed quite a bit since he was drafted. Much more about running now, as RTB has noted.

Hence our strong interest in McKenna, presumably.

Most good sides seem to carry a specialist inside contested ball winner at the moment. There is still a place for it but you have to be very good at it.

 

[Barrels]

Buckle up, Hunter…

 

[puppy_dog7]

Gee this gets me excited.

 

[bergholt]

Gee this gets me excited.

Who's facing away from the camera here? Is it Gears?