Training 2025 Pre Season and Training Reports Thread

[DiamondDogs8]

Not sure Naughty needs to play so far up the ground with Marra out. Get him near the goal square

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Round 1 team wide open based on today's results. JOD vs Buss for the FB spot certainly not settled. Garcia is clumsy at times but you love having that tackling intent in the team.
Carlton are idiots for letting Matt Kennedy go.
Davidson should debut.
Sanders is a lock - how do we play he and Libba in the same team though?

Poulter surprisingly decent in a role I wouldn't have expected him to play, but has done so going by training reports. Arty having some nice moments too.

Kennedy couldn't play alongside Cripps Cerra and Hewett. Simply too slow and not enough skill by foot as a collective. Got absolutely killed on the outside.

None of our fans or the club wanted him to leave, but it was a necessary move unfortunately. He's a beast around stoppage, as tough as they come.

 

[Mojorisin]

Kennedy couldn't play alongside Cripps Cerra and Hewett. Simply too slow and not enough skill by foot as a collective. Got absolutely killed on the outside.

None of our fans or the club wanted him to leave, but it was a necessary move unfortunately. He's a beast around stoppage, as tough as they come.

We aren't blessed with pace either unfortunately.

 

[JTCWBFC]

Weather didn’t help but way too many high bombs to the top of the square.

Essendon were a lot better at finding targets going forward

 

[perro_loco]

I have to say, I didn’t expect someone like you to make a post as shit as this.

Why even post it? What did you think something like this would achieve? Delete it and/or **** off.

I posted about this last night and deleted it. However, what I heard at the game today confirms what other people have told me and I concur with what Cleveland has stated. The guy is a potential trainwreck and if the issue/s are not 'nipped in the bud' his career could be end up in another sad story of many. Won't give details, but imo his behaviour has not been all that professional. I will leave it at that. Hope his 'mental health issues' are dealt with as they should.

 

[dogwatch]

Thanks for all the reports today folks, much appreciated. I went to see the afternoon session of The Brutalist and it goes for 3 and half hours so I missed the game (and no it's not a biopic about Crossley).

I'd summarise your reports as follows:

• Darcy will win the Coleman
• Freijah is our most inspired draft pick since at least Bont and is destined for greatness
• Hynes an unexpectedly good showing, and looks like a sound pick with a good future
• Offsetting those two, it looks like we fluffed our 2022 first rounder and we paid too much for our 2023 first rounder
• Naughton and Weightman are underdone and well off the pace at the moment
• Our quality drops away sharply after about the first half dozen
• Arty might make the grade after all
• Davidson a chance for Rd 1 but no certainty
• Crossley is a fair way off getting a senior game
• MKennedy is the only other new player like to crack the seniors in Rd 1
• Lobb's 2024 form as a KPD was no fluke and we desperately need him to stay sound (he's all we've got until Liam Jones returns)
• At best we should be about even money for the top 8 and long outsiders to make the top 4
• There were no obvious changes to our game plan, meaning we still don't know what it is ...
• ... but hey it was only match sim. We played 35 players across 2 halves and they've had no time to gel
• Bevo should start looking at the Situations Vacant ads for about September this year ... if not earlier
• The goals still aren't kicking themselves
• Essendon won't break their finals drought any time soon

Fair summary?

 

[cleveland]

I posted about this last night and deleted it. However, what I heard at the game today confirms what other people have told me and I concur with what Cleveland has stated. The guy is a potential trainwreck and if the issue/s are not 'nipped in the bud' his career could be end up in another sad story of many. Won't give details, but imo his behaviour has not been all that professional. I will leave it at that. Hope his 'mental health issues' are dealt with as they should.

Its bloody sad isn't it. The only one that will save his career is Juh. Hope he wakes up to himself.

 

[perro_loco]

Best part about Freijah he is basically a Richards replacement down there as he can use the ball out of defence and break lines but also defends well and can intercept.

Freijah is going to be our second Bont. Poised, mature, reads the game well and a future tough nut midfielder with lots of leadership.

 

[blagodellago]

To be fair, I've seen references to the 'knee of god' from Cordy on Ward here referred to as positive.

I’d like to think that nationally televised commentators should be held to a higher standard than bigfooty nuffies although that’s probably wishful thinking

 

[blagodellago]

Liked Poulter’s game. He’s looking much more powerful too.

 

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

Even though it’s a match sim our transition was still awful. It felt like we were stuck at half back for half the match.

Was uninspiring watching our guys have no idea who or where to kick it to, and by the off chance we got it to half forward, we’d handball it backwards three times before sending it inside 50, just inefficient.

I’m not sure what you expected in terrible conditions and with most of our good players out..?

 

[grassman75]

To be fair, I've seen references to the 'knee of god' from Cordy on Ward here referred to as positive.

It was the knee of Cord Pugz and don’t you ****ing forget it

 

[grassman75]

Good summary although I thought Gallagher was ok early.

We are in for a world of pain if Vandermeer and McNeil are regulars in seniors.

All this post needs is a little “Sack Bevo” and we are back in 2024

 

[lachy]

I’m not sure what you expected in terrible conditions and with most of our good players out..?

And half the team swapped at half time

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[grassman75]

Thanks for all the reports today folks, much appreciated. I went to see the afternoon session of The Brutalist and it goes for 3 and half hours so I missed the game (and no it's not a biopic about Crossley).

I'd summarise your reports as follows:

• Darcy will win the Coleman
• Freijah is our most inspired draft pick since at least Bont and is destined for greatness
• Hynes an unexpectedly good showing, and looks like a sound pick with a good future
• Offsetting those two, it looks like we fluffed our 2022 first rounder and we paid too much for our 2023 first rounder
• Naughton and Weightman are underdone and well off the pace at the moment
• Our quality drops away sharply after about the first half dozen
• Arty might make the grade after all
• Davidson a chance for Rd 1 but no certainty
• Crossley is a fair way off getting a senior game
• MKennedy is the only other new player like to crack the seniors in Rd 1
• Lobb's 2024 form as a KPD was no fluke and we desperately need him to stay sound (he's all we've got until Liam Jones returns)
• At best we should be about even money for the top 8 and long outsiders to make the top 4
• There were no obvious changes to our game plan, meaning we still don't know what it is ...
• ... but hey it was only match sim. We played 35 players across 2 halves and they've had no time to gel
• Bevo should start looking at the Situations Vacant ads for about September this year ... if not earlier
• The goals still aren't kicking themselves
• Essendon won't break their finals drought any time soon

Fair summary?

You forgot that Draper is still a knob

 

[grassman75]

Its bloody sad isn't it. The only one that will save his career is Juh. Hope he wakes up to himself.

The worst bit is you’ll always be the bad guy for putting it out there and I know you won’t be dancing round saying I told you so, but if it is, you can be sure not many here will say sorry to you

 

[Riggo3]

I was concerned about yesterday although I hope weather might be to blame. Our forward line continues to not work. Naughton is crash and bash not a lead up option so all our entries are toward the back and long which leads to intercept. Darcy is great but also not a traditional lead up option. In the absence of JUH which could be long term I think we need Crossley to ruck and English to play forward as the lead up option. Garcia attacks the ball great but butchers or fumbles to often. Gallagher is very similar turns it over or is tackled to often. JOD for mine is concerning and I think Buss deserves first crack with Lobb in Jones absence. Gardner should have been delisted 2 years ago. If we have to go long term without Treloar, Jones or god forbid Bontempelli we are in real trouble. I hope I am wrong but I feel we may slide this year.

 

[lachy]

Some observations from yesterday's match sim.

Playing anyone other than Buss to replace Jones for the first few weeks is pointless. Needs to gel in the back 7 or 8

Darcy and.Lobb are needed primarily back and Forward with an occasional help out in the ruck by Darcy. Crossley should be signed as back up. Lachie Smith is bigger than last year but is still a year or 2 away from stepping into the first backup option

Kennedy and Davidson are the 2 pick up very likely to play round 1.

Unlike others I liked the high rotation of players. There was no way that level of rotation and the weather would allow any system to be shown, it did however provide individual players the opportunity to show what they can do against opposition.

All in all.a.great day at the WO looking forward to our more structured practice match against the Hawks

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Graeme Cook]

So this was a Kayo product there own cameras it was pathetic not a patch on foxtel. The last 15 minutes when they lost the main camera just mickey mouse stuff.

 

[Pencil case]

You can’t read anything into the team yesterday obviously, but I was hoping Davidson would show more

 

[spindles11]

You can’t read anything into the team yesterday obviously, but I was hoping Davidson would show more

Spoke to him after the game and he likened the conditions to playing at Williamstown last year. Tough conditions for any player. Thought he cracked in ok and didn’t take a backwards step

 

[Pencil case]

How did Hynes go in the VFL

I was under the impression before yesterday that Hynes won’t play this year as he’s a long term prospect.

I was happy to be proven wrong, he looked a cut above in the VFL and held his own in the first game albeit only came in for the second half.

I think he’ll debut early if Davidson doesn’t make an immediate impact.

 

[ManOfClay]

It begins…

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Bevo should start looking at the Situations Vacant ads for about September this year ... if not earlier

All this post needs is a little “Sack Bevo” and we are back in 2024

Yep

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

The worst bit is you’ll always be the bad guy for putting it out there and I know you won’t be dancing round saying I told you so, but if it is, you can be sure not many here will say sorry to you

The thing is he hasn’t put anything out there other than that he knows what it is and won’t say.