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Training 2024 training updates.

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ElliottsMaggies said:
I think the least she can do is put the pronunciation & definition in brackets after each of these words that she knows damn well most of us have never heard of .. 😂
Click to expand...
Yeah,especially a word like quidnuncs,which I’m sure 99.99% of the population have never heard of.🥹
 
sideswipe said:
quidnunc a newy for me. Think I will start greeting my mother-in-law, "Hi quidnunc!".
Click to expand...
She'll likely greet you with something that sounds a bit similar back.
 
Apex36 said:
You don’t know where top 10 draft picks come from?

As an aside, we already have one in Daicos, it’s just been fortuitous that the start of his career and the end of Pendles are overlapping.
Click to expand...

But where do the come from if you become a perennial mid ranked team? Which going top ups and mature recruits can land in you in that competitive but not good enough zone.

Before anyone states we won a flag last year etc, yes we did with Pendles pick 5, Degoey pick 5, Moore F/S, Nick Daicos F/S leading the charge, with Steele a notable great pick up at pick 10 really a top 6 pick in hindsight.
 

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Training Report Monday 11th December

Overcast, cool and drizzly.

It felt like old times walking into a Victoria Park with leaden skies and persistent drizzle this morning. I realised, as I took my seat in front of the Ryder Stand, that I’d been coming here for 60 years. That’s a constant in my life like no other.

Today, despite the weather, it felt fantastic to be back. Thanks to a broken ankle and then a broken leg, it’s almost two years since I’ve ventured to training.

Pendles, Sidey, WHE and Howie weren’t present and according to Tew, probably won’t be back until after Christmas. Not sure how Tew knows this, but he said it in his interview later.

This session lasted over 2 hours and after one hour the players looked ready to drop. That’s because most took part in an exhausting series of 50 metre sprints. They’d run the 50 then line up and go again. I lost count how many times they did it, but it must have been 30 or more. Half way through the torture, a few players looked worse for wear; Brody Mihocek looked out on his feet and trailed the pack noticeably.

The front runners looked to be doing it easily: Lipinski, Jack Bytel, Q, Nick and a big bloke sporting No.32 (Teakle??) led every charge. At the end of this session, the players retired to the Ryder Stand side for drinks. One advantage of training at Vic Park is the proximity to the players it affords. I was sitting beside the old reserves bench and the waft of Voltarin and body sweat was strong.

Craig Macrae, on his first day back from Harvard, addressed the players after a few minutes. I couldn’t catch all of it, but I did hear some of his speech.
“What do we do here when it gets tough? We keep working. There’s no judgement, but we want your best. Aim for your best. We want your best. We won’t judge you.”

The players then broke up through various drills for the next hour or so. At one stage, the drizzle became heavier and we retreated upstairs into the Ryder stand. For a while the players broke up into four groups, each overseen by coaches. The drills were all based on quick ball movement by hand and foot.

Then a match sim of sorts took place in the centre of the ground. This was run by Leppitsch. Basically the players worked within a small square of space where they moved the ball at lightning speed. The tackling was ferocious. I had never seen this drill before, but the overwhelming impression was of controlled chaos. It was exciting to watch. Beau McCreery loved this drill – he was everywhere and his tackling was bruising.

After another break, the players worked in black, white and yellow teams, with two playing at any one time. I noticed that Justin Leppitsch and Hayden Skipworth were now upstairs, standing near me. Leppa held a walkie talkie communicating with somebody on the ground.

Then the players went into what I can only describe as modified match-simulation.

The walkie-talkie was working overtime here. At one stage Leppa lost his cool as a player did not stand the mark well enough. A few expletives were directed toward Joe Richards. Then the players were called in and after a chat, went back to match-sim work. Skipworth suddenly shouted to another coach on the boundary, “Tell them now….go now.”
I presume this is a cue to begin some set-play. He then ran down to the field to oversee this drill.

Later during this sim, Macrae blew the whistle as a player marked and readied to kick for goal.
“Shot after the siren. This is an after-siren kick.” The player took stock, breathed heavily, and took the shot. It might have been Ed Allen, but I’m not sure.

After the session had finished DeMattia and Tew did an interview with a pack of journos, one of whom was Xander McGuire. They were thrown the usual general questions and did their best to answer them. Both seemed media savvy already. Both confident young men.

A few players received treatment during the morning. Bobby Hill looked a bit ‘wingy’ at one stage and left the track. He returned later. Charlie Dean started OK, but then came and spoke to a few trainers near me. He’d been inside and showered already. Not sure what happened to him.

An hour into training, Quaynor walked towards the physios clutching at his hamstring. He then received heavy duty thumb treatment to the upper hammy/buttock region before walking off for the day.

A few players stood out to me this morning; admittedly I went with the idea of watching them closely. One was Jack Bytel, who worked hard, and possesses speed and skill. He appears strong close-in and has a tank. Today he looked as if he could turn around and do it all again. I can see why we have given him a shot.

I kept an eye on McInnes also. Every time I see him I wonder why he isn’t a regular. He’s got the pace, the physique and the height. Then I realise why. He just doesn’t make an impact. Ditto Macrae – I really want him to succeed, but he just seems to be pretty vanilla in just about every area.

Kreuger looks so impressive; a man mountain. Surely he could replace McStay? Then in match play, the ball is kicked long. Kreuger is in perfect position against Nathan Murphy. Kreuger slips, Murphy marks and runs away. I thought he trained pretty well and told Mr Apples so. “You always like him and then he does that. He falls over or gets injured.”
I’m not giving up on him just yet.

Beau McCreery, Markov, DeGoey, Mitchell and Nick were super. At one stage today I watched a drill with a player running toward a pack. Suddenly he kicked sideways without missing a beat and hit McInnes on the chest. “Who’s number 45? He did that like Daicos!” I said to Mr Apples. ‘It is Daicos….he‘s changed jumpers.” So tricky picking up some of them today. There were two players wearing 14 and Nick wore number 2 and then number 45.

The players were all heading off to Coffee Club whatever and wherever that is, with somebody in the group picking up the tab from what I could gather – there was plenty of good natured ribbing over this.

And another thing: little things that you don’t see unless you’re there and they happen in front of you.
Jamie Elliott making the newbies feel at home, slapping hands encouraging and acknowledging them.
Nathan Kreuger getting so angry with himself after stuffing up.
Macrae seeking even more info from the trainers.
Players and coaches yelling “Help him up, help him up,” after a player hits the deck following a McCreery bone-cruncher.
Two, yes two drones hovering overhead!
And Nick Daicos - sublime always and apparently he’s organising a pair of black boots for Jarrod Wade. Is there anything he cannot do?

Everything seemed sweet today at Vic Park; it’s December and we’re Premiers.
 
Last edited:
Apples said:
Training Report Monday 11th December

Overcast, cool and drizzly.

It felt like old times walking into a Victoria Park with leaden skies and persistent drizzle this morning. I realised, as I took my seat in front of the Ryder Stand, that I’d been coming here for 60 years. That’s a constant in my life like no other.

Today, despite the weather, it felt fantastic to be back. Thanks to a broken ankle and then a broken leg, it’s almost two years since I’ve ventured to training.

Pendles, Sidey, WHE and Howie weren’t present and according to Tew, probably won’t be back until after Christmas. Not sure how Tew knows this, but he said it in his interview later.

This session lasted over 2 hours and after one hour the players looked ready to drop. That’s because most took part in an exhausting series of 50 metre sprints. They’d run the 50 then line up and go again. I lost count how many times they did it, but it must have been 30 or more. Half way through the torture, a few players looked worse for wear; Brody Mihocek looked out on his feet and trailed the pack noticeably.

The front runners looked to be doing it easily: Lipinski, Jack Bytel, Q, Nick and a big bloke sporting No.32 (Teakle??) led every charge. At the end of this session, the players retired to the Ryder Stand side for drinks. One advantage of training at Vic Park is the proximity to the players it affords. I was sitting beside the old reserves bench and the waft of Voltarin and body sweat was strong.

Craig Macrae, on his first day back from Harvard, addressed the players after a few minutes. I couldn’t catch all of it, but I did hear some of his speech.
“What do we do here when it gets tough? We keep working. There’s no judgement, but we want your best. Aim for your best. We want your best. We won’t judge you.”

The players then broke up through various drills for the next hour or so. At one stage, the drizzle became heavier and we retreated upstairs into the Ryder stand. For a while the players broke up into four groups, each overseen by coaches. The drills were all based on quick ball movement by hand and foot.

Then a match sim of sorts took place in the centre of the ground. This was run by Leppitsch. Basically the players worked within a small square of space where they moved the ball at lightning speed. The tackling was ferocious. I had never seen this drill before, but the overwhelming impression was of controlled chaos. It was exciting to watch. Beau McCreery loved this drill – he was everywhere and his tackling was bruising.

After another break, the players worked in black, white and yellow teams, with two playing at any one time. I noticed that Justin Leppitsch and Hayden Skipworth were now upstairs, standing near me. Leppa held a walkie talkie communicating with somebody on the ground.

Then the players went into what I can only describe as modified match-simulation.

The walkie-talkie was working overtime here. At one stage Leppa lost his cool as a player did not stand the mark well enough. A few expletives were directed toward Joe Richards. Then the players were called in and after a chat, went back to match-sim work. Skipworth suddenly shouted to another coach on the boundary, “Tell them now….go now.”
I presume this is a cue to begin some set-play. He then ran down to the field to oversee this drill.

Later during this sim, Macrae blew the whistle as a player marked and readied to kick for goal.
“Shot after the siren. This is an after-siren kick.” The player took stock, breathed heavily, and took the shot. It might have been Ed Allen, but I’m not sure.

After the session had finished DeMattia and Tew did an interview with a pack of journos, one of whom was Xander McGuire. They were thrown the usual general questions and did their best to answer them. Both seemed media savvy already. Both confident young men.

A few players received treatment during the morning. Bobby Hill looked a bit ‘wingy’ at one stage and left the track. He returned later. Charlie Dean started OK, but then came and spoke to a few trainers near me. He’d been inside and showered already. Not sure what happened to him.

An hour into training, Quaynor walked towards the physios clutching at his hamstring. He then received heavy duty thumb treatment to the upper hammy/buttock region before walking off for the day.

A few players stood out to me this morning; admittedly I went with the idea of watching them closely. One was Jack Bytel, who worked hard, and possesses speed and skill. He appears strong close-in and has a tank. Today he looked as if he could turn around and do it all again. I can see why we have given him a shot.

I kept an eye on McInnes also. Every time I see him I wonder why he isn’t a regular. He’s got the pace, the physique and the height. Then I realise why. He just doesn’t make an impact. Ditto McRae – I really want him to succeed, but he just seems to be pretty vanilla in just about every area.

Kreuger looks so impressive; a man mountain. Surely he could replace McStay? Then in match play the ball in kicked long. Kreuger is in perfect position against Nathan Murphy. Kreuger slips, Murphy marks and runs away. I thought he trained pretty well and told Mr Apples so. “You always like him and then he does that. He falls over or gets injured.”
I’m not giving up on him just yet.

Beau McCreery, Markov, DeGoey, Mitchell and Nick were super. At one stage today I watched a drill with a player running toward a pack. Suddenly he kicked sideways without missing a beat and hit McInnes on the chest. “Who’s number 45? He did that like Daicos!” I said to Mr Apples. ‘It is Daicos….he‘s changed jumpers.” So tricky picking up some of them today. There were two players wearing 14 and Nick wore number 2 and then number 45.

The players were all heading off to Coffee Club whatever and wherever that is, with somebody in the group picking up the tab from what I could gather – there was plenty of good natured ribbing over this.

And another thing: little things that you don’t see unless you’re there and they happen in front of you.
Jamie Elliott making the newbies feel at home, slapping hands acknowledging and acknowledging them.
Nathan Kreuger getting so angry with himself after stuffing up.
Macrae seeking even more info from the trainers.
Players and coaches yelling “Help him up, help him up,” after a player hits the deck following a McCreery bone-cruncher.
Two, yes two drones hovering overhead!
And Nick Daicos - sublime always and apparently he’s organising a pair of black boots for Jarrod Wade. Is there anything he cannot do?

Everything seemed sweet today at Vic Park; it’s December and we’re Premiers.
Click to expand...
Great summary ❤️
 
Eric Shin said:
I thought Macrae looked a bit lean this preseason.

Maybe it's to help a bit with covering the ground, although I thought he already excelled in that.

Or maybe he's easing on putting on too much muscle too quickly, which might've had to do with his back injury last preseason.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
Click to expand...
Speaking of lean, Maynard looked very lean to me. He didn't look the "brute enforcer" up close. Has anybody else noticed this?
 
Apples said:
Training Report Monday 11th December

Overcast, cool and drizzly.

It felt like old times walking into a Victoria Park with leaden skies and persistent drizzle this morning. I realised, as I took my seat in front of the Ryder Stand, that I’d been coming here for 60 years. That’s a constant in my life like no other.

Today, despite the weather, it felt fantastic to be back. Thanks to a broken ankle and then a broken leg, it’s almost two years since I’ve ventured to training.

Pendles, Sidey, WHE and Howie weren’t present and according to Tew, probably won’t be back until after Christmas. Not sure how Tew knows this, but he said it in his interview later.

This session lasted over 2 hours and after one hour the players looked ready to drop. That’s because most took part in an exhausting series of 50 metre sprints. They’d run the 50 then line up and go again. I lost count how many times they did it, but it must have been 30 or more. Half way through the torture, a few players looked worse for wear; Brody Mihocek looked out on his feet and trailed the pack noticeably.

The front runners looked to be doing it easily: Lipinski, Jack Bytel, Q, Nick and a big bloke sporting No.32 (Teakle??) led every charge. At the end of this session, the players retired to the Ryder Stand side for drinks. One advantage of training at Vic Park is the proximity to the players it affords. I was sitting beside the old reserves bench and the waft of Voltarin and body sweat was strong.

Craig Macrae, on his first day back from Harvard, addressed the players after a few minutes. I couldn’t catch all of it, but I did hear some of his speech.
“What do we do here when it gets tough? We keep working. There’s no judgement, but we want your best. Aim for your best. We want your best. We won’t judge you.”

The players then broke up through various drills for the next hour or so. At one stage, the drizzle became heavier and we retreated upstairs into the Ryder stand. For a while the players broke up into four groups, each overseen by coaches. The drills were all based on quick ball movement by hand and foot.

Then a match sim of sorts took place in the centre of the ground. This was run by Leppitsch. Basically the players worked within a small square of space where they moved the ball at lightning speed. The tackling was ferocious. I had never seen this drill before, but the overwhelming impression was of controlled chaos. It was exciting to watch. Beau McCreery loved this drill – he was everywhere and his tackling was bruising.

After another break, the players worked in black, white and yellow teams, with two playing at any one time. I noticed that Justin Leppitsch and Hayden Skipworth were now upstairs, standing near me. Leppa held a walkie talkie communicating with somebody on the ground.

Then the players went into what I can only describe as modified match-simulation.

The walkie-talkie was working overtime here. At one stage Leppa lost his cool as a player did not stand the mark well enough. A few expletives were directed toward Joe Richards. Then the players were called in and after a chat, went back to match-sim work. Skipworth suddenly shouted to another coach on the boundary, “Tell them now….go now.”
I presume this is a cue to begin some set-play. He then ran down to the field to oversee this drill.

Later during this sim, Macrae blew the whistle as a player marked and readied to kick for goal.
“Shot after the siren. This is an after-siren kick.” The player took stock, breathed heavily, and took the shot. It might have been Ed Allen, but I’m not sure.

After the session had finished DeMattia and Tew did an interview with a pack of journos, one of whom was Xander McGuire. They were thrown the usual general questions and did their best to answer them. Both seemed media savvy already. Both confident young men.

A few players received treatment during the morning. Bobby Hill looked a bit ‘wingy’ at one stage and left the track. He returned later. Charlie Dean started OK, but then came and spoke to a few trainers near me. He’d been inside and showered already. Not sure what happened to him.

An hour into training, Quaynor walked towards the physios clutching at his hamstring. He then received heavy duty thumb treatment to the upper hammy/buttock region before walking off for the day.

A few players stood out to me this morning; admittedly I went with the idea of watching them closely. One was Jack Bytel, who worked hard, and possesses speed and skill. He appears strong close-in and has a tank. Today he looked as if he could turn around and do it all again. I can see why we have given him a shot.

I kept an eye on McInnes also. Every time I see him I wonder why he isn’t a regular. He’s got the pace, the physique and the height. Then I realise why. He just doesn’t make an impact. Ditto McRae – I really want him to succeed, but he just seems to be pretty vanilla in just about every area.

Kreuger looks so impressive; a man mountain. Surely he could replace McStay? Then in match play, the ball is kicked long. Kreuger is in perfect position against Nathan Murphy. Kreuger slips, Murphy marks and runs away. I thought he trained pretty well and told Mr Apples so. “You always like him and then he does that. He falls over or gets injured.”
I’m not giving up on him just yet.

Beau McCreery, Markov, DeGoey, Mitchell and Nick were super. At one stage today I watched a drill with a player running toward a pack. Suddenly he kicked sideways without missing a beat and hit McInnes on the chest. “Who’s number 45? He did that like Daicos!” I said to Mr Apples. ‘It is Daicos….he‘s changed jumpers.” So tricky picking up some of them today. There were two players wearing 14 and Nick wore number 2 and then number 45.

The players were all heading off to Coffee Club whatever and wherever that is, with somebody in the group picking up the tab from what I could gather – there was plenty of good natured ribbing over this.

And another thing: little things that you don’t see unless you’re there and they happen in front of you.
Jamie Elliott making the newbies feel at home, slapping hands encouraging and acknowledging them.
Nathan Kreuger getting so angry with himself after stuffing up.
Macrae seeking even more info from the trainers.
Players and coaches yelling “Help him up, help him up,” after a player hits the deck following a McCreery bone-cruncher.
Two, yes two drones hovering overhead!
And Nick Daicos - sublime always and apparently he’s organising a pair of black boots for Jarrod Wade. Is there anything he cannot do?

Everything seemed sweet today at Vic Park; it’s December and we’re Premiers.
Click to expand...

Beautiful write up, thank you.

Your thoughts on AJ?
 
Apples said:
Speaking of lean, Maynard looked very lean to me. He didn't look the "brute enforcer" up close. Has anybody else noticed this?
Click to expand...
I'm guessing because he hasn't been able to do weights for a while..
 

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Apples said:
Training Report Monday 11th December

Overcast, cool and drizzly.

It felt like old times walking into a Victoria Park with leaden skies and persistent drizzle this morning. I realised, as I took my seat in front of the Ryder Stand, that I’d been coming here for 60 years. That’s a constant in my life like no other.

Today, despite the weather, it felt fantastic to be back. Thanks to a broken ankle and then a broken leg, it’s almost two years since I’ve ventured to training.

Pendles, Sidey, WHE and Howie weren’t present and according to Tew, probably won’t be back until after Christmas. Not sure how Tew knows this, but he said it in his interview later.

This session lasted over 2 hours and after one hour the players looked ready to drop. That’s because most took part in an exhausting series of 50 metre sprints. They’d run the 50 then line up and go again. I lost count how many times they did it, but it must have been 30 or more. Half way through the torture, a few players looked worse for wear; Brody Mihocek looked out on his feet and trailed the pack noticeably.

The front runners looked to be doing it easily: Lipinski, Jack Bytel, Q, Nick and a big bloke sporting No.32 (Teakle??) led every charge. At the end of this session, the players retired to the Ryder Stand side for drinks. One advantage of training at Vic Park is the proximity to the players it affords. I was sitting beside the old reserves bench and the waft of Voltarin and body sweat was strong.

Craig Macrae, on his first day back from Harvard, addressed the players after a few minutes. I couldn’t catch all of it, but I did hear some of his speech.
“What do we do here when it gets tough? We keep working. There’s no judgement, but we want your best. Aim for your best. We want your best. We won’t judge you.”

The players then broke up through various drills for the next hour or so. At one stage, the drizzle became heavier and we retreated upstairs into the Ryder stand. For a while the players broke up into four groups, each overseen by coaches. The drills were all based on quick ball movement by hand and foot.

Then a match sim of sorts took place in the centre of the ground. This was run by Leppitsch. Basically the players worked within a small square of space where they moved the ball at lightning speed. The tackling was ferocious. I had never seen this drill before, but the overwhelming impression was of controlled chaos. It was exciting to watch. Beau McCreery loved this drill – he was everywhere and his tackling was bruising.

After another break, the players worked in black, white and yellow teams, with two playing at any one time. I noticed that Justin Leppitsch and Hayden Skipworth were now upstairs, standing near me. Leppa held a walkie talkie communicating with somebody on the ground.

Then the players went into what I can only describe as modified match-simulation.

The walkie-talkie was working overtime here. At one stage Leppa lost his cool as a player did not stand the mark well enough. A few expletives were directed toward Joe Richards. Then the players were called in and after a chat, went back to match-sim work. Skipworth suddenly shouted to another coach on the boundary, “Tell them now….go now.”
I presume this is a cue to begin some set-play. He then ran down to the field to oversee this drill.

Later during this sim, Macrae blew the whistle as a player marked and readied to kick for goal.
“Shot after the siren. This is an after-siren kick.” The player took stock, breathed heavily, and took the shot. It might have been Ed Allen, but I’m not sure.

After the session had finished DeMattia and Tew did an interview with a pack of journos, one of whom was Xander McGuire. They were thrown the usual general questions and did their best to answer them. Both seemed media savvy already. Both confident young men.

A few players received treatment during the morning. Bobby Hill looked a bit ‘wingy’ at one stage and left the track. He returned later. Charlie Dean started OK, but then came and spoke to a few trainers near me. He’d been inside and showered already. Not sure what happened to him.

An hour into training, Quaynor walked towards the physios clutching at his hamstring. He then received heavy duty thumb treatment to the upper hammy/buttock region before walking off for the day.

A few players stood out to me this morning; admittedly I went with the idea of watching them closely. One was Jack Bytel, who worked hard, and possesses speed and skill. He appears strong close-in and has a tank. Today he looked as if he could turn around and do it all again. I can see why we have given him a shot.

I kept an eye on McInnes also. Every time I see him I wonder why he isn’t a regular. He’s got the pace, the physique and the height. Then I realise why. He just doesn’t make an impact. Ditto McRae – I really want him to succeed, but he just seems to be pretty vanilla in just about every area.

Kreuger looks so impressive; a man mountain. Surely he could replace McStay? Then in match play, the ball is kicked long. Kreuger is in perfect position against Nathan Murphy. Kreuger slips, Murphy marks and runs away. I thought he trained pretty well and told Mr Apples so. “You always like him and then he does that. He falls over or gets injured.”
I’m not giving up on him just yet.

Beau McCreery, Markov, DeGoey, Mitchell and Nick were super. At one stage today I watched a drill with a player running toward a pack. Suddenly he kicked sideways without missing a beat and hit McInnes on the chest. “Who’s number 45? He did that like Daicos!” I said to Mr Apples. ‘It is Daicos….he‘s changed jumpers.” So tricky picking up some of them today. There were two players wearing 14 and Nick wore number 2 and then number 45.

The players were all heading off to Coffee Club whatever and wherever that is, with somebody in the group picking up the tab from what I could gather – there was plenty of good natured ribbing over this.

And another thing: little things that you don’t see unless you’re there and they happen in front of you.
Jamie Elliott making the newbies feel at home, slapping hands encouraging and acknowledging them.
Nathan Kreuger getting so angry with himself after stuffing up.
Macrae seeking even more info from the trainers.
Players and coaches yelling “Help him up, help him up,” after a player hits the deck following a McCreery bone-cruncher.
Two, yes two drones hovering overhead!
And Nick Daicos - sublime always and apparently he’s organising a pair of black boots for Jarrod Wade. Is there anything he cannot do?

Everything seemed sweet today at Vic Park; it’s December and we’re Premiers.
Click to expand...

Great to see you back at it apple's, great read thanks.
 
Kirby said:
Do you know if they haven’t completed a review?

It’s a medical issue so their findings are private. We may never know.
Click to expand...
There will be an announcement of the results one way or another. Either he’s playing or he’s not.
 

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Apples said:
Training Report Monday 11th December

Overcast, cool and drizzly.

It felt like old times walking into a Victoria Park with leaden skies and persistent drizzle this morning. I realised, as I took my seat in front of the Ryder Stand, that I’d been coming here for 60 years. That’s a constant in my life like no other.

Today, despite the weather, it felt fantastic to be back. Thanks to a broken ankle and then a broken leg, it’s almost two years since I’ve ventured to training.

Pendles, Sidey, WHE and Howie weren’t present and according to Tew, probably won’t be back until after Christmas. Not sure how Tew knows this, but he said it in his interview later.

This session lasted over 2 hours and after one hour the players looked ready to drop. That’s because most took part in an exhausting series of 50 metre sprints. They’d run the 50 then line up and go again. I lost count how many times they did it, but it must have been 30 or more. Half way through the torture, a few players looked worse for wear; Brody Mihocek looked out on his feet and trailed the pack noticeably.

The front runners looked to be doing it easily: Lipinski, Jack Bytel, Q, Nick and a big bloke sporting No.32 (Teakle??) led every charge. At the end of this session, the players retired to the Ryder Stand side for drinks. One advantage of training at Vic Park is the proximity to the players it affords. I was sitting beside the old reserves bench and the waft of Voltarin and body sweat was strong.

Craig Macrae, on his first day back from Harvard, addressed the players after a few minutes. I couldn’t catch all of it, but I did hear some of his speech.
“What do we do here when it gets tough? We keep working. There’s no judgement, but we want your best. Aim for your best. We want your best. We won’t judge you.”

The players then broke up through various drills for the next hour or so. At one stage, the drizzle became heavier and we retreated upstairs into the Ryder stand. For a while the players broke up into four groups, each overseen by coaches. The drills were all based on quick ball movement by hand and foot.

Then a match sim of sorts took place in the centre of the ground. This was run by Leppitsch. Basically the players worked within a small square of space where they moved the ball at lightning speed. The tackling was ferocious. I had never seen this drill before, but the overwhelming impression was of controlled chaos. It was exciting to watch. Beau McCreery loved this drill – he was everywhere and his tackling was bruising.

After another break, the players worked in black, white and yellow teams, with two playing at any one time. I noticed that Justin Leppitsch and Hayden Skipworth were now upstairs, standing near me. Leppa held a walkie talkie communicating with somebody on the ground.

Then the players went into what I can only describe as modified match-simulation.

The walkie-talkie was working overtime here. At one stage Leppa lost his cool as a player did not stand the mark well enough. A few expletives were directed toward Joe Richards. Then the players were called in and after a chat, went back to match-sim work. Skipworth suddenly shouted to another coach on the boundary, “Tell them now….go now.”
I presume this is a cue to begin some set-play. He then ran down to the field to oversee this drill.

Later during this sim, Macrae blew the whistle as a player marked and readied to kick for goal.
“Shot after the siren. This is an after-siren kick.” The player took stock, breathed heavily, and took the shot. It might have been Ed Allen, but I’m not sure.

After the session had finished DeMattia and Tew did an interview with a pack of journos, one of whom was Xander McGuire. They were thrown the usual general questions and did their best to answer them. Both seemed media savvy already. Both confident young men.

A few players received treatment during the morning. Bobby Hill looked a bit ‘wingy’ at one stage and left the track. He returned later. Charlie Dean started OK, but then came and spoke to a few trainers near me. He’d been inside and showered already. Not sure what happened to him.

An hour into training, Quaynor walked towards the physios clutching at his hamstring. He then received heavy duty thumb treatment to the upper hammy/buttock region before walking off for the day.

A few players stood out to me this morning; admittedly I went with the idea of watching them closely. One was Jack Bytel, who worked hard, and possesses speed and skill. He appears strong close-in and has a tank. Today he looked as if he could turn around and do it all again. I can see why we have given him a shot.

I kept an eye on McInnes also. Every time I see him I wonder why he isn’t a regular. He’s got the pace, the physique and the height. Then I realise why. He just doesn’t make an impact. Ditto McRae – I really want him to succeed, but he just seems to be pretty vanilla in just about every area.

Kreuger looks so impressive; a man mountain. Surely he could replace McStay? Then in match play, the ball is kicked long. Kreuger is in perfect position against Nathan Murphy. Kreuger slips, Murphy marks and runs away. I thought he trained pretty well and told Mr Apples so. “You always like him and then he does that. He falls over or gets injured.”
I’m not giving up on him just yet.

Beau McCreery, Markov, DeGoey, Mitchell and Nick were super. At one stage today I watched a drill with a player running toward a pack. Suddenly he kicked sideways without missing a beat and hit McInnes on the chest. “Who’s number 45? He did that like Daicos!” I said to Mr Apples. ‘It is Daicos….he‘s changed jumpers.” So tricky picking up some of them today. There were two players wearing 14 and Nick wore number 2 and then number 45.

The players were all heading off to Coffee Club whatever and wherever that is, with somebody in the group picking up the tab from what I could gather – there was plenty of good natured ribbing over this.

And another thing: little things that you don’t see unless you’re there and they happen in front of you.
Jamie Elliott making the newbies feel at home, slapping hands encouraging and acknowledging them.
Nathan Kreuger getting so angry with himself after stuffing up.
Macrae seeking even more info from the trainers.
Players and coaches yelling “Help him up, help him up,” after a player hits the deck following a McCreery bone-cruncher.
Two, yes two drones hovering overhead!
And Nick Daicos - sublime always and apparently he’s organising a pair of black boots for Jarrod Wade. Is there anything he cannot do?

Everything seemed sweet today at Vic Park; it’s December and we’re Premiers.
Click to expand...
I saw the players back at the club after training. They had some sort of meeting today (confirmed by people at the club).

Macrae is a friendly, approachable guy. You can see why he’s liked and he’s going to probably breakout.

Cox was in a grumpy mood and looked deadly serious in comparison to anyone else I saw.
 
Apples said:
Speaking of lean, Maynard looked very lean to me. He didn't look the "brute enforcer" up close. Has anybody else noticed this?
Click to expand...
I saw him at a President's Lunch when he was suspended early in 2022. I thought he looked surprisingly lean through the hips, almost skinny.
 
Apples said:
I kept an eye on McInnes also. Every time I see him I wonder why he isn’t a regular. He’s got the pace, the physique and the height. Then I realise why. He just doesn’t make an impact. Ditto McRae – I really want him to succeed, but he just seems to be pretty vanilla in just about every area.
Click to expand...
This worries me.
Same issue w Draper - talent but didn’t push and push to contest after contest. Really need these boys to start impacting throughout the game.
 
neilk said:
I saw him at a President's Lunch when he was suspended early in 2022. I thought he looked surprisingly lean through the hips, almost skinny.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised you could make anything out that day through those beer goggles.
 
loki04 said:
But where do the come from if you become a perennial mid ranked team? Which going top ups and mature recruits can land in you in that competitive but not good enough zone.

Before anyone states we won a flag last year etc, yes we did with Pendles pick 5, Degoey pick 5, Moore F/S, Nick Daicos F/S leading the charge, with Steele a notable great pick up at pick 10 really a top 6 pick in hindsight.
Click to expand...
When have we ever been a perennial mid ranked team though? Feels like you’re creating a problem that hasn’t happened yet tbh.
 
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