Training 2025 Pre-season

[The King!]

I'm of a different opinion. The more time he spent in midfield, the less effective he was. Had some good games no doubt, but he was best in patches or that run with role against the Lions. I've said it several times, the 4 games where he played in the middle quite a lot, > 40% CBAs, he had 11 clearances total.

Given he doesn't really have a 2nd position, I think he's in line for some sub appearances and if we need a midfield tagger against someone a bit slower, allowing JJ to stay on the best oppo half back.

So not really surprised if he's still in the B team in pre-season.

Yeah so 4 games out of 19 he got a reasonable midfield go… but we expect him to build on that and get consistency ? Bit of the same issue with Campbell too, players need a reasonable opportunity, I am not sure he actually got it. Fair point whatever opportunity he got he didn’t light it up and force things. But he did some extraction work around stoppages or held up the opposition quite a bit, things that don’t get a stat.

There is a spot there if he is good enough this year, time will tell. I think if his body is right and we actually put him in the guts he will deliver , might be misguided of course.

 

[Bloods86]

Yeah so 4 games out of 19 he got a reasonable midfield go… but we expect him to build on that and get consistency ? Bit of the same issue with Campbell too, players need a reasonable opportunity, I am not sure he actually got it. Fair point whatever opportunity he got he didn’t light it up and force things. But he did some extraction work around stoppages or held up the opposition quite a bit, things that don’t get a stat.

There is a spot there if he is good enough this year, time will tell. I think if his body is right and we actually put him in the guts he will deliver , might be misguided of course.

I see it the opposite. He did ok in patches as relief, maybe against other tired mids, but wasn't up to being a main mid for long periods. I also saw him get burnt off at times because he wasn't quick enough to react or chase.

I'm not sure I'd compare a veteran mid not being as effective with more midfield time, to Campbell who has barely been sighted forward, the position he should be in.

I think whatever spot has been freed up, maybe by moving Chad and Errol out of CBs a bit, will be taken by Mills, and maybe even Sheldrick. With the increased emphasis on forward pressure as well, I'm not sure I'd want to be Adams this year. Wet game or run-with on a slower mid, sure there's probably a place in those games.

Anyway, probably more for the Best 22 thread, but I think him being in the 2nd team is a sign.

 

[The King!]

I see it the opposite. He did ok in patches as relief, maybe against other tired mids, but wasn't up to being a main mid for long periods. I also saw him get burnt off at times because he wasn't quick enough to react or chase.

I'm not sure I'd compare a veteran mid not being as effective with more midfield time, to Campbell who has barely been sighted forward, the position he should be in.

I think whatever spot has been freed up, maybe by moving Chad and Errol out of CBs a bit, will be taken by Mills, and maybe even Sheldrick. With the increased emphasis on forward pressure as well, I'm not sure I'd want to be Adams this year.

Anyway, probably more for the Best 22 thread, but I think him being in the 2nd team is a sign.

Fair enough, will see how it plays up, be interesting to see how he looks in the pre season. If he can get near his best he gives us another dimension. More competition for spots the better, so hopefully he is there with Sheldrick, Mills etc.

Campbell a forward…yeah ok don’t think we agree on much here . At least we like the same team

 

[Bloods86]

Fair enough, will see how it plays up, be interesting to see how he looks in the pre season. If he can get near his best he gives us another dimension. More competition for spots the better, so hopefully he is there with Sheldrick, Mills etc.

Campbell a forward…yeah ok don’t think we agree on much here . At least we like the same team

I mean Campbell was an outside mid/half forward when drafted, has looked good in some brief periods forward in 2024, and is playing forward in pre-season. So, yeah a forward. Not sure what other position he's going to play in, unless we stick with the backup wing/half back he's hardly been amazing at.

 

[bedford]

I'm of a different opinion. The more time he spent in midfield, the less effective he was. Had some good games no doubt, but he was best in patches or that run with role against the Lions. I've said it several times, the 4 games where he played in the middle quite a lot, > 40% CBAs, he had 11 clearances total.

Given he doesn't really have a 2nd position, I think he's in line for some sub appearances and if we need a midfield tagger against someone a bit slower, allowing JJ to stay on the best oppo half back.

So not really surprised if he's still in the B team in pre-season.

He played HF in the 18 GF

 

[caesar88]

If you’d popped along to a training session any time in the last decade or two you’d probably have witnessed them doing similar drills. Yes, it’s important but it’s not a Cox innovation.

I didn't say it was a Cox innovation, just that I'm glad we are working on it.

 

[Kiama Chris]

There was a lot of focus on what they did (or more accurately, didn’t do) to support team mates. This focus has been continued into the pre-season.

However, just like hand ball drills, it’s not new or innovative. I’ve heard Cox himself speak before about the need for players to make quick decisions about whether they can impact a contest and, of not, to move to where they can help a team mate (eg create space, close down space, pick up an opponent et al). I feel this has been more of a refocusing during this pre-season than a radical change of approach or mindset.

Yep. Pressure. How, where and when is a lot about quick and accurate decision making. Exercises to groove the mind in that dimension must help.

 

[Bloods86]

He played HF in the 18 GF

He got 7 of his 31 touches in or around the F50. Most were wing (9) or around D50 (12).

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

The real handball drill innovation we need is to perfect the ‘quick release’ handball, ie the throw.

Libba, Oliver, Cripps etc.

I like strong tacklers.

 

[S120]

The real handball drill innovation we need is to perfect the ‘quick release’ handball, ie the throw.

Libba, Oliver, Cripps etc.

I like strong tacklers.

Given the recent pivot I’ve seen you make towards defensive prowess in your closing comments of posts, it seems to me you might need to adapt your username to a different obscure single-digit-game Swan who was renowned for his tackling.

JordanFooteWasTenacious, perhaps?

 

[RubbaDuck]

How have you seen Heens to say he's looking his best

Has no-one told you about the World Wide Web? It was introduced to the general public late last century. Initially it was (mainly) an easy way for men to see pr0n but it quickly evolved to become a way for men to also see footy stuff. These days there's even more to see and do. There are even forums where people can post stupid questions.

To see all these words, pictures and even moving pictures on a screen, I use a pair of vision sensors called eyes. They're normally sited either side of one's nose and connected to a thing called a brain. Look it up

 

[bedford]

Has no-one told you about the World Wide Web? It was introduced to the general public late last century. Initially it was (mainly) an easy way for men to see pr0n but it quickly evolved to become a way for men to also see footy stuff. These days there's even more to see and do. There are even forums where people can post stupid questions.

To see all these words, pictures and even moving pictures on a screen, I use a pair of vision sensors called eyes. They're normally sited either side of one's nose and connected to a thing called a brain. Look it up

So using your eyes looking at vision he looks to be moving better , have you vision to compare from last year y any chance

 

[bedford]

Has no-one told you about the World Wide Web? It was introduced to the general public late last century. Initially it was (mainly) an easy way for men to see pr0n but it quickly evolved to become a way for men to also see footy stuff. These days there's even more to see and do. There are even forums where people can post stupid questions.

To see all these words, pictures and even moving pictures on a screen, I use a pair of vision sensors called eyes. They're normally sited either side of one's nose and connected to a thing called a brain. Look it up

Sorry i'm not meaning to put you down , ut unless you've watched live i find it hard to understand how you'd know

 

[Tedeski]

I always felt we were being conservative to manage him through, then it just never happened. He had a solid year, underrated on here and maybe only noticed when he wasn’t there

He needed to be part of that team on GF day for experience & toughness alone.
One of the hardest on our list in my opinion.

 

[Bloods86]

Given the recent pivot I’ve seen you make towards defensive prowess in your closing comments of posts, it seems to me you might need to adapt your username to a different obscure single-digit-game Swan who was renowned for his tackling.

JordanFooteWasTenacious, perhaps?

JordanFooteWasToey

Think I might trademark that, along with BrentPiltzWasBuilt.

 

[bedford]

JordanFooteWasToey

Think I might trademark that, along with BrentPiltzWasBuilt.

I really thought Brent Piltz could have gone on

 

[JackHiscoxWasFast]

JordanFooteWasToey

Think I might trademark that, along with BrentPiltzWasBuilt.

Please do not do this or create new big footy accounts for the health and well being of bedford !

 

[bedford]

Please do not do this or create new big footy accounts for the health and well being of bedford !

It is fantastic to have new accounts , my issue is the one's that repeat the same childish crap

 

[Bloods86]

It is fantastic to have new accounts , my issue is the one's that repeat the same childish crap

How's the leaderboard looking?

 

[bedford]

How's the leaderboard looking?

In Bronze Medal position , i hope the present leader stays there as he is a great sensible poster

 

[The King!]

In Bronze Medal position , i hope the present leader stays there as he is a great sensible poster

I'm not first

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Game was underway when I arrived at 10am, ended up being 4 x 20-ish min qtrs, then they played another 20-30 minutes after a 15 min break (when it started raining)

Team splits were:

Team Red:

Amartey - swapped with Green onto blue team after the 15 min break
Andrew
Bice
Campbell
Cleary
Francis
Grundy - swapped with Ladhams onto blue team at half time
Hayward
Heeney
Leidler
McCartin
Mitchell
Papley
Paton
Roberts
Rowy
Chad
Corey - moved onto blue team after the 15 min break

Team Blue:

Adams (didn’t come back after first half, didn't appear to be injurered)
Blakey
Bowman
Cunningham
Florent
Green - swapped with Amartey onto red team after the 15 min break
Hanily
Jordon
Kirk
Ladhams - swapped with Grundy onto red at half time
McInerney
Melican
Rampe
Sheldrick
Wicks
B Edwards
Shipley
Tidemann
Grass (was in 2024 VFL squad, not sure of status this year)
Plus 2 un-numbered players I couldn't identify

Papley and Cunningham played until the end of the main session, but didn't come back on after the 15 min break.


Maroon/not playing group:

Errol
Lloyd
Logan
Fox
Dattoli
Buller
W Edwards

As noted, McLean was in standard polo and runners

Did not see Mills at all; he could have been in the sideline tent, but was not playing in the sim

Snell was in red, but didn't participate in the sim. Was initially doing rehab drills with Dattoli but was then observing with others on sidelines.

After main match sim, players split into smaller groups, and continued skills sessions

Green, Bowman, Andrew, Leidler and Hanily were doing laps.

 

[Callipygian]

Geez those observations are impressive! Did you take a notebook? (And were you wearing a big straw hat?)

I stopped by for a bit. I noticed that while the bulk of the red team were seniors players they had the best defenders playing on the blue team to match up on the reds (i.e. Melican/Rampe/Blakey manned up on Amartey/McCartin/+ 1 other that got switched. Team Blue surprisingly had the better of it while I was watching (go underdogs!) and outscored Team Red significantly. Both sides applied fairly good pressure. Considering they didn't have a big interchange bench and it was hot I thought they did well to apply as much pressure as they did.

Chad spent quite a lot of time forward. Florent got midfield minutes. Corey played predominantly forward. Melican looked really solid. Good to see Harry C back on the park. Both last time I was there and today it was interesting to see that McInerney was Blue team and Campbell was Red.

One of the other players without a number was Max Geddes. Well done picking Tidemann and Grass!

Horse was lurking in the shade under the trees dressed incognito (in black, rather than club colours). Pridham was there watching and spent a lot of time talking to two blokes, one of whom I'm fairly sure was Dennis Carroll. The other guy was lean like Carroll but even taller and I thought he might have been a former player from a Melbourne club that I couldn't place.

The other week when I spoke to McLean he said he was optimistic to be back around the start of the season. I asked him who would do back-up rucking if he isn't and he wasn't definitive (quite probably because he doesn't know) but it sounded like Amartey is definitely a chance. And of course so is Ladhams. Nobody mentioned Green.

 

[liz]

I thought I saw Geddes out there, but it is possible it was Tideman instead.

I watched for an hour or so, and then it started raining moderately hard so I (along with other spectators) moved to shelter under the big trees in the adjacent pedestrian area. It was a lot harder to focus on what was happening from there, and I left about half an hour later (while the match sim was still underway.

It felt like a very narrow game. There wasn’t any focus on quick, precise ball movement using the full width of the ground. That might be because Lakeside doesn’t have much width. But because it was mostly corridor bound, it was also quite scrappy.

At least early on, centre bounce work was dominated by Heeney, Chad and Rowbottom. Only Sheldrick seemed able or willing to interrupt what that trio was doing. Once the ball was in motion, Corey became heavily involved, frequently combining with his brother.

Although the blue team was dominated at centre bounces, when they created a turnover they were actually better at moving the ball forward quickly and scored a few goals that way.

I thought McInerney and Campbell were very anonymous. Can barely recall them touching the ball. Maybe I just wasn’t watching at the right moments.

But one player who might be now giving the coaches food for thought was young Hanily. He kicked at least two goals in the first period alone. It might have been three. He won several HTB frees in and around his forward 50. There were loud shouts from the coaches of “outstanding, Tom. Outstanding.”

The overall impression I got was of a bunch of blokes a bit sick of playing against each other.

 

[bedford]

Geez those observations are impressive! Did you take a notebook? (And were you wearing a big straw hat?)

I stopped by for a bit. I noticed that while the bulk of the red team were seniors players they had the best defenders playing on the blue team to match up on the reds (i.e. Melican/Rampe/Blakey manned up on Amartey/McCartin/+ 1 other that got switched. Team Blue surprisingly had the better of it while I was watching (go underdogs!) and outscored Team Red significantly. Both sides applied fairly good pressure. Considering they didn't have a big interchange bench and it was hot I thought they did well to apply as much pressure as they did.

Chad spent quite a lot of time forward. Florent got midfield minutes. Corey played predominantly forward. Melican looked really solid. Good to see Harry C back on the park. Both last time I was there and today it was interesting to see that McInerney was Blue team and Campbell was Red.

One of the other players without a number was Max Geddes. Well done picking Tidemann and Grass!

Horse was lurking in the shade under the trees dressed incognito (in black, rather than club colours). Pridham was there watching and spent a lot of time talking to two blokes, one of whom I'm fairly sure was Dennis Carroll. The other guy was lean like Carroll but even taller and I thought he might have been a former player from a Melbourne club that I couldn't place.

The other week when I spoke to McLean he said he was optimistic to be back around the start of the season. I asked him who would do back-up rucking if he isn't and he wasn't definitive (quite probably because he doesn't know) but it sounded like Amartey is definitely a chance. And of course so is Ladhams. Nobody mentioned Green.

Horse would've been travelling to Corowa today to take training in the morning with Roos