Training 2025 Training reports & Updates.

[Jen2310]

Anyone else wondering about the shape of our forward line this season? Even allowing for rotations, it’s hard to see how we fit in all of:
Checkers
McStay
Membrey
Resting Ruck?
Elliott
Hill
Schultz
DeGoey?
McCreery
Hoskin Elliott?
Sidebottom?

Personally, I don’t think we recruited Membrey to play VFL. I expect to see him in our AFL side from the opening game.

I’m very keen to hear how our training-watchers think the puzzle will fit together.


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They'll try fit him in, how I've no idea. Is it at the expense or cox? WHE?

 

[Scodog10]

Anyone else wondering about the shape of our forward line this season? Even allowing for rotations, it’s hard to see how we fit in all of:
Checkers
McStay
Membrey
Resting Ruck?
Elliott
Hill
Schultz
DeGoey?
McCreery
Hoskin Elliott?
Sidebottom?

Personally, I don’t think we recruited Membrey to play VFL. I expect to see him in our AFL side from the opening game.

I’m very keen to hear how our training-watchers think the puzzle will fit together.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

I would be surprised if we don’t see Steele permanently midfield following his efforts late season in a negating role. I also don’t see a scenario where JDG isn’t selected on the basis of being a mid. I’m sure he’ll spend time forward, but when he does one of McReery, Shoota or Elliott probably role up field.

I’ve never liked the two ruck strategy and always felt what you’re trying to peg back at stoppage should be gained at ground level, but I think the club are wedded to it. The answer for me then is, based on what I’ve seen, who will link and contest best. At a guess in a perfect world WHE and Membrey are competing for one spot as the rotation forward. I probably prefer WHE because he offers more positional flexibility, but 6 of one half dozen the other.

Bold is starting group, italics are rotations and the others are missing or on different lines.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Anyone else wondering about the shape of our forward line this season? Even allowing for rotations, it’s hard to see how we fit in all of:
Checkers
McStay
Membrey
Resting Ruck?
Elliott
Hill
Schultz
DeGoey?
McCreery
Hoskin Elliott?
Sidebottom?

Personally, I don’t think we recruited Membrey to play VFL. I expect to see him in our AFL side from the opening game.

I’m very keen to hear how our training-watchers think the puzzle will fit together.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

My personal guess has always been:

Starting 6 of McStay, Checkers, Membrey, Schultz, Hill, Elliott

That 6 evolves within game. I expect McStay and Checkers will play higher up quite often to provide get out kicks alongside the Rucks.

But let's be real, it's us. Injuries will come

 

[Big Bryza]

Anyone else wondering about the shape of our forward line this season? Even allowing for rotations, it’s hard to see how we fit in all of:
Checkers
McStay
Membrey
Resting Ruck?
Elliott
Hill
Schultz
DeGoey?
McCreery
Hoskin Elliott?
Sidebottom?

Personally, I don’t think we recruited Membrey to play VFL. I expect to see him in our AFL side from the opening game.

I’m very keen to hear how our training-watchers think the puzzle will fit together.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

McCreery Mihocek Membrey
Hill McStay Elliott

 

[Apex36]

Also if he goes well down back could also help free up Howe to go forward more often. Good to have versatility if needed.

Not sure Howe will be needed much up forward in 2025 given we’ll likely be running with 3 talls already now Membrey is with us. We’d likely have to be getting a shocking key forward injury run like 2024 for that to be a possibility.

 

[Apex36]

Anyone else wondering about the shape of our forward line this season? Even allowing for rotations, it’s hard to see how we fit in all of:
Checkers
McStay
Membrey
Resting Ruck?
Elliott
Hill
Schultz
DeGoey?
McCreery
Hoskin Elliott?
Sidebottom?

Personally, I don’t think we recruited Membrey to play VFL. I expect to see him in our AFL side from the opening game.

I’m very keen to hear how our training-watchers think the puzzle will fit together.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Talls: Checkers, McStay, Membrey (McStay to chop out in the ruck, based on him doing ruck work at training)
Smalls: Hill, Schultz, Jamie

Interchange: Beau, WHE.

Jordy and Sidey will likely play mostly midfield with rotations up forward.

I don’t think we’ll play a second ruck this year, so Cox misses out with a fully fit 22.

 

[HFF]

Sidebottom has all the tools to be a quality half forward/ forward pocket type player.
His goal nous is exceptional and can find the ball easily
Smooth left and right too …he should be playing more forward of centre this season

 

[Go Woods]

Sidebottom has all the tools to be a quality half forward/ forward pocket type player.
His goal nous is exceptional and can find the ball easily
Smooth left and right too …he should be playing more forward of centre this season

Does Bobby play more on the wing then? How damaging could he be having that freedom delivering into the forward line.

 

[Jen2310]

Does Bobby play more on the wing then? How damaging could he be having that freedom delivering into the forward line.

Doesn't have the tank for that, from what Ive seen when he is forced to do running sessions.
Beau maybe.

 

[pablo disco bar]

Unfortunately this will be oleg Markovs last year at the pies and probably the AFL

 

[magpiewarrior]

Wowed, our recruiting team has been exceptional in giving Fly a fantastic list to work with. We are going to serious competition with real quality players for every position in the team. I’m really looking forward to this season. I just hope that I have a good handle on the situation and am not kidding myself.

 

[Fat Jesus]

Unfortunately this will be oleg Markovs last year at the pies and probably the AFL

Perhaps, but he's already a premiership player.
Do not take that away from him.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Me watching Jen’s footage of Tom Mitchell running:

 

[Ted Parker]

Sidebottom has all the tools to be a quality half forward/ forward pocket type player.
His goal nous is exceptional and can find the ball easily
Smooth left and right too …he should be playing more forward of centre this season

5 years ago, maybe. He doesn't have the agility to hold down this position in 2025. His go remains his gut running and distribution as a link player.

 

[sr36]

Pendles
Crisp
Steele

McStay
Moore
IQ

Beau
Shoota
Maynard

Pendles
Crisp
Allan

Allan (taken against what I saw early in 2024)
No one else has given a different look

Allan
Hill
Crisp

Houston
Jaicos
Howe

Can’t answer these. They’re great questions, but to intangible for anyone to properly answer without being on the inside. I also expect Naicos would be top of the pops for most of these if he’d been in full training post Christmas…

Those top 3s are about what you'd expect (with Mitchell, Nick and JDG on limited training) - except for Allan and his distribution by hand. That's good to read.

 

[BillyElliott]

 

[sr36]

I’ve never liked the two ruck strategy and always felt what you’re trying to peg back at stoppage should be gained at ground level, but I think the club are wedded to it. The answer for me then is, based on what I’ve seen, who will link and contest best. At a guess in a perfect world WHE and Membrey are competing for one spot as the rotation forward. I probably prefer WHE because he offers more positional flexibility, but 6 of one half dozen the other.

It's taken me a while, but I've gradually come around to it. It makes ruck stronger obviously, but I also think there are benefits up forward. Cox makes us more dangerous when we just have to bomb it to a pack, more dangerous at forward 50 stoppages and means McStay can play up forward all game rather than leaving the forward line to ruck for 20%, as well as probably needing more rotations as well. I think it works because Cameron and Cox are genuinely dangerous in a pack marking situation - it doesn't work with most ruck combinations - hence so few teams going with two rucks.

 

[NMBB]

Got sent this - love it

 

[BillyElliott]

 

[BillyElliott]

 

[Peters_Nuts]

And some people think he won’t be in the best 23…

 

[TheVillageIdiot7]

And some people think he won’t be in the best 23…

Did you really just use a kick to a spot (that kick was literally just kicking it to a location) and training level defensive intensity to declare him a starter....?

lols.

in season....that ball ends up 10 rows back.....
Proceed with caution when viewing fanboys training snippets.

 

[Harry O]

Any ACL concerns with McStay?

 

[Pistol Night]

Any ACL concerns with McStay?

What!?

 

[Fruit]

Any ACL concerns with McStay?

Has something happened?