Training 2025 Pre-Season Thread

[martinson]

The key word in my statement is "if".

If we start zip 3 I want a handover process for Stewie in place before we blow up our season totally.

 

[a mayes ing]

I wonder if the extra long recovery would be good for him? TYpically ACL's can be retorn if players come back too early and aren't ready but the face he would have had over 13 months recovery timeframe is hopefully beneficial despite some setbacks. The ACL itself should be strong, hopefully.

 

[Gadzorks]

I wonder if the extra long recovery would be good for him? TYpically ACL's can be retorn if players come back too early and aren't ready but the face he would have had over 13 months recovery timeframe is hopefully beneficial despite some setbacks. The ACL itself should be strong, hopefully.

Please please don't let it the be meniscus damage that can occur with acl collision injuries.

That tissue doesn't get a lot of blood supply so healing is hit and miss even when the acl itself is back to full strength.

Mine never healed properly after surgeries and the bits sewn together still have rough edges that continue to be irritated (swelling and pain and clicking) and keep tearing. Mine can't be fixed, manage it through exercise but can't do anything intense with sideways movement.

 

[Clarkythelion]

That poll has to be wrong, there is no way the Melbourne Storm are the most watched club in Australia, they barely have any fans and those that aren’t fans hate them, there’s no in between.

And let’s be honest, the Storm aren’t above fudging records.

There are stats, stats and dam lies as the saying goes. Without knowing how the data is calculated just take the AFL grand final was the most watch TV show of the year - the Lions played in that. Also every Lion's game is televised free-to-air in Qld so access is a big thing for a team that plays away so often. Now the rugby league for many years, even with only Qld and NSW as real viewers has rated the highest sports programs, State of Origin matches continually rate in the top 10 of most watched programs. The Melbourne Storm may not have many supporters actually at home games in Melbourne but they are huge on TV in Qld and NSW where they are pretty much everyone's second team. Storm also had a long season and if given credit for the matches they played in like the Lions they went right to their end of their season. The Storm's games during the season would probably rate higher on TV as every time they play a NSW team those audiences would out-rate the Lions games with just effectively the Qld audience.

 

[Bosh Jootsma]

Haven’t seen this discussed, but does anyone think there’s a chance Harris gets tested in forward this year?

He had a run there most recently in the 2021 bulldogs final when things weren’t going our way.

We appear to have better defensive stocks than forwards, there is no doubt Harris is the most influential backmen and a leader. But sometimes the loss down back in talent is for the better overall team composition.

I liken this to Sydney who did not let Heeney into the midfield for a decade despite the hype, because they didn’t want to lose a 30+ goal forward.

If we had to throw Hipwood down back due to necessity I wonder if we’ll have a situation the other way around should of key forwards not pan out.

 

[DevRoboGun]

Haven’t seen this discussed, but does anyone think there’s a chance Harris gets tested in forward this year?

He had a run there most recently in the 2021 bulldogs final when things weren’t going our way.

We appear to have better defensive stocks than forwards, there is no doubt Harris is the most influential backmen and a leader. But sometimes the loss down back in talent is for the better overall team composition.

I liken this to Sydney who did not let Heeney into the midfield for a decade despite the hype, because they didn’t want to lose a 30+ goal forward.

If we had to throw Hipwood down back due to necessity I wonder if we’ll have a situation the other way around should of key forwards not pan out.

I don’t mind this idea. You feel as though a backline of wilmot, payne, starc, zorko, doedee, lester, kiddy, Gardiner (depth), answerth (depth) could probably still be a premiership winning backline if the mids were humming

 

[dlanod]

Haven’t seen this discussed, but does anyone think there’s a chance Harris gets tested in forward this year?

Can't see it.

He had a run there most recently in the 2021 bulldogs final when things weren’t going our way.

We appear to have better defensive stocks than forwards, there is no doubt Harris is the most influential backmen and a leader. But sometimes the loss down back in talent is for the better overall team composition.

I liken this to Sydney who did not let Heeney into the midfield for a decade despite the hype, because they didn’t want to lose a 30+ goal forward.

If we had to throw Hipwood down back due to necessity I wonder if we’ll have a situation the other way around should of key forwards not pan out.

The difference between defenders and forwards is that a height deficiency can be lethal down back. Up forward you can make up with it depending on who you pick. We've seen teams have success with a single tall forward and able to keep afloat with basically no talls.

Sydney just made a grand final with three talls, but arguably at least two of those are a career net negative.

 

[MSB ROYS]

(Practice) GAME DAY! Go Lions!

 

[Elixuh]

Haven’t seen this discussed, but does anyone think there’s a chance Harris gets tested in forward this year?

He had a run there most recently in the 2021 bulldogs final when things weren’t going our way.

We appear to have better defensive stocks than forwards, there is no doubt Harris is the most influential backmen and a leader. But sometimes the loss down back in talent is for the better overall team composition.

I liken this to Sydney who did not let Heeney into the midfield for a decade despite the hype, because they didn’t want to lose a 30+ goal forward.

If we had to throw Hipwood down back due to necessity I wonder if we’ll have a situation the other way around should of key forwards not pan out.

I think Harris is too important to our structure down back and, I mean you could trial it against an opposition like Richmond but would you be playing that setup against a top 8 or top 4 contender? I don't think we would (other than maybe an in-game temporary move to switch things up).

 

[FootyNorth]

Brownie reportedly commented on suggesting Hippie get ruck time this year. I like the concept. Worked a treat for Joe and might increase Hippie's involvement. Nothing wrong with his field kicking. Injury risk biggest concern for me. Can't really afford to lose another tall.
Thoughts?

 

[knaf]

I’ve come round to Hippy rucking ( for short periods) Took some forward line contest in the GF. I was worried about injuries given his light frame but as you say Joe has demonstrated what a non ruckman can do. Hippy doesn’t have to bang and crush, just contest.

Perhaps we can entice Joe back as a non-ruck coach?

 

[Section 5]

“Still for us ego is the enemy. We’ve just got to make sure that we get back to working hard and staying humble. I think that’s the key thing and that’s what absolutely came through with the Panthers to be honest.”

“Ego is the enemy”: How the Lions plan to avoid recent trend of premiership hangovers

The last two premiers have struggled the following year.

www.sen.com.au

 

[martinson]

Harris up forward. No.

Hipwood in the ruck. Well we had Charlie and Zorko go up in the ruck but I'd prefer them to Hipwood. Hipwood is taller but has a similar stye to Brennan and we saw what happened to him when we put him in the ruck. Maybe a couple of times a game when we have to.

 

[Section 5]

COLLINGWOOD

Squad to play Brisbane
Patrick Lipinski, Jamie Elliott, Josh Daicos, Lachie Schultz, Dan Houston, Daniel McStay, Harry Perryman, Darcy Cameron, Edward Allan, Jakob Ryan, Jack Crisp, Reef McInnes, Tim Membrey, Darcy Moore, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Nick Daicos, Oleg Markov, Jeremy Howe, William Hayes, Brady Grey (VFL-listed), Curtis Taylor (VFL-listed), Chad Mulvogue (VFL-listed)

Notable absentees: Jordan De Goey, Tom Mitchell, Harry DeMattia, Mason Cox, Harvey Harrison, Bobby Hill*, Ash Johnson*

 

[Section 5]

Who is braving the traffic to arrive at around the 4.30pm mark for a 5pm start.
I am not that keen so i won't be going seeing the format of the game is not great.

Thought about Kayo but that would mean having it for 3 months being 3 months more than i usually need.
I will have to settle for 2 months Kayo on the standard $25 PM to get those early Saturday games live.
I noticed the other option being $35 is going up to $40 on the 4/3/25. In other words, the start of the AFL season.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

It's too late in Harris' career to move him now. I'd only consider it if we were playing a team with only one tall forward in their 22.

 

[braddsey]

Please please don't let it the be meniscus damage that can occur with acl collision injuries.

That tissue doesn't get a lot of blood supply so healing is hit and miss even when the acl itself is back to full strength.

Mine never healed properly after surgeries and the bits sewn together still have rough edges that continue to be irritated (swelling and pain and clicking) and keep tearing. Mine can't be fixed, manage it through exercise but can't do anything intense with sideways movement.

I had both meniscus cleaned up about 15 years ago. Other than clicking no real issues. Randomly I woke up with a very stiff right knee a few weeks back (after doing nothing the previous day). I'm training for a marathon so went to the physio, he modified my S&C program to avoid stressing the knee and let it recover from whatever the latest little issue (he did suggest it could be the M-word, but don't panic). Fortunately, it doesn't affect my running at all - so just an irritation.

...but enough about me. Get better Kiddy.

 

[martinson]

It's too late in Harris' career to move him now. I'd only consider it if we were playing a team with only one tall forward in their 22.

He's the linchpin of our backline and his leadership role will be even more important when Zorko gives it away.

 

[Nunez]

DW fam Grasshopper17 is Livestreaming the game on his OnlyFootyFans

 

[Grasshopper17]

Who is braving the traffic to arrive at around the 4.30pm mark for a 5pm start.
I am not that keen so i won't be going seeing the format of the game is not great.

Thought about Kayo but that would mean having it for 3 months being 3 months more than i usually need.
I will have to settle for 2 months Kayo on the standard $25 PM to get those early Saturday games live.
I noticed the other option being $35 is going up to $40 on the 4/3/25. In other words, the start of the AFL season.

I'll be heading down. Might leave the commentary to the nice people at Kayo this time

 

[Grasshopper17]

DW fam Grasshopper17 is Livestreaming the game on his OnlyFootyFans

Nobody on Bigfooty can afford my OnlyFootyFans

 

[Chucky_23]

A three way on Kayo. That’s a first

 

[p4p1]

Brownie reportedly commented on suggesting Hippie get ruck time this year. I like the concept. Worked a treat for Joe and might increase Hippie's involvement. Nothing wrong with his field kicking. Injury risk biggest concern for me. Can't really afford to lose another tall.
Thoughts?

I don't mind it, I think it makes sense over bringing in a lesser player to pinch hit in the ruck.
Like Joe he is agile for a big guy so could play as a fourth midfielder in the way Joe was able to.

 

[p4p1]

It's too late in Harris' career to move him now. I'd only consider it if we were playing a team with only one tall forward in their 22.

You would move Lester or Payne before you would move Harris I would think.

 

[FootyNorth]

“Still for us ego is the enemy. We’ve just got to make sure that we get back to working hard and staying humble. I think that’s the key thing and that’s what absolutely came through with the Panthers to be honest.”

“Ego is the enemy”: How the Lions plan to avoid recent trend of premiership hangovers

The last two premiers have struggled the following year.

www.sen.com.au

The whole GF Hangover is a real thing but the competition for places has to reduce complacency. Apart from 10-12 core players everyone else will be looking over their shoulders at the aspirants.