Training 2026 Training Reports

[year of the roo]

Good to hear that Harry is finally old enough to cop some criticism on here.

 

[FlyHigh18]

Could be lack of trust like some have posted. Could be lack of positioning awareness or not blocking your man.

Or… could be the very opposite with Harry trusting X to win the ball for a planned long tap.

We don’t know, but in either case it just isn’t working in the midfield.

The biggest surprise for me (aside from CCJ getting a game) was how poor X was against Heath.

 

[Roostorm]

An extoadinary reaction to essentially was a practice session, not even a sanctioned practice match.

Obviously, there are things we brought to try which didn't work and will require a bit of an overhaul, but gee whiz. The main aim of the session was to blow out the cobwebs, gets some miles into the legs and get bumped around a bit. We've had a horrific pre-season injury wise so managing minutes and workload seemed to be the main focus.

Just calm down. Just because we've been at the arse end of the ladder for frustratingly long, it doesnt entitle us to 'well, Ive waited long enough for us to be good'. We might be shite for the next 20 years!

Calm down….
I’ve seen this comment or others like it dismissing it’s a practice match posted far and wide on anothe social media Platform…..lm over this let’s give them a free pass it doesn’t count rubbish.

However when a neutral non aligned north supporter pretty much sums up the feeling of watching that ……whatever the heck it was ….and is pretty well bang on target ….heck yes l have concerns….
What on earth have they been doing.

The Winners and Losers of the 2026 Match Sims - The Mongrel Punt

Every round during the 2026 AFL season, we’re looking at the Winners and Losers of the week. Even in the pre-season, it’s good to get your head around which players fired up, and which players cooled off. And so, with that, we head into the Winners and Losers of the Match Sims. THE WINNERS...

themongrelpunt.com

Enough of the free passes oh it’s only a practice game….l whole heartedly agree with the lack of chase and training comment. Heck I don’t know how many times l saw that “ oh I’ll just put in a little spurt to make it look like lm running” or my personal hate ….defender can see ball advancing…but I’ll point in that direction, it’s now someone else’s job to assist, then turn and peel off following some other player with out even watching or knowing where the play is unfolding….but ensuring lm still not goal side of my player that lm trying to supposedly man up on.

Guess l just want to see some accountability and no more bruise free footy……alas that match didn’t inspire me that these are going to eventuate.

 

[Jebus]

Or… could be the very opposite with Harry trusting X to win the ball for a planned long tap.

Exactly. Seems to make more sense that Sheez was the attacking mid in this play, expecting Xerri to win the tap.

 

[Rod Stroker]

The Winners and Losers of the 2026 Match Sims - The Mongrel Punt

Every round during the 2026 AFL season, we’re looking at the Winners and Losers of the week. Even in the pre-season, it’s good to get your head around which players fired up, and which players cooled off. And so, with that, we head into the Winners and Losers of the Match Sims. THE WINNERS...

themongrelpunt.com

LOL! The entire article lists individual players from every other team, but then it gets to us and they're like... "North's entire defense is still shit!"

They're not wrong.

 

[ansonholt]

Tell us what happened after that R2 thumping, Anson

We played out a strong undefeated season, made the finals and won the premiership.

Do I have to specify men or women in answering that question.

I get your point. It's depressing. There's got to be at least some optimism?

It's still only preseason. There's time.

 

[Horace]

I usually try to put a modicum of positive spin on performances like this, but for once I can't. I really saw nothing in the "game" against Melbourne to get me looking forward to Round 1.

I work part time at the MCG and our first game is scheduled to start about two hours before a potential shift on the same day. About a fortnight ago, when the roster came out, I made myself unavailable on the 15th, thinking, I really want to be at Marvel for our first game of the season.

After Friday's non-effort, I wish I hadn't been so stupid. Oh dear.

A further thought. And something for people to really question my sanity.

Perhaps we should ask the AFL for a "special form of assistance". Perhaps we could ask them to let us have a couple of extra players on the ground each week. 20 against 18. Might reduce the losing margin a bit. Might.

Yes, I have lost it. Oh well.

 

[zoomba23]

We played out a strong undefeated season, made the finals and won the premiership.

Do I have to specify men or women in answering that question.

I get your point. It's depressing. There's got to be at least some optimism?

It's still only preseason. There's time.

I reference the Mongrel Punt's quote, in our seventh year of this:

'jogging at three-quarter pace as their opponents ran past them. I know, I know… it is only a match sim, right?
And then, it’s only Round One. Then it’s only a few losses. Then, another season wasted.

If you play the way you train, then you most certainly play the way you go about things in match sims, as well.'

 

[Merlin007]

So again in the tradition of the midfield minutes of Themanbun I thought I'd have a look at another couple of clearances, one a boundary throw-in (separate post to follow), and another centre bounce.

For this CBA, the game is already getting away in the first quarter, and the set-up is the first image - Sheezel's man is one K. Pickett, obscured here by Xerri. For reasons known only to God, Harry thinks it's a good idea to give Pickett not two, but three metres of space.



The only explanation I can think of is that Sheezel thinks he's playing under a winning ruck, and the tap will come straight to him. The problem of course is the other scenarios - if the tap falls toward the North goal, at least it's a contest between FOS and Pickett. The worst possible outcome is that the ball falls toward the North goal, into the yawning gap between Sheezel and LDU, and Pickett has the advantage of burst speed through that line. That's what eventuates - Heath taps the ball to that exact spot:




With Pickett's momentum, Sheezel has no chance of making a grasping tackle, making LDU look like one of those mids who doesn't run hard enough. Pickett kicks the goal from outside 50, and it's not even Caleb Daniel

5

Caleb Daniel

Age

29

Ht

171cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

19.5

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

CL

1.0

3star

D

16.4

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

's fault.




One part of this is easy enough to fix (with a little discipline). Sheezel only has to come up and body his player, and (assuming the tap goes the same way), Pickett is faced with trying to get through a gap between Xerri and Sheezel, leaving LDU to sweep the clearance.

The bigger problem imo is the tap work. I'm hoping (praying) that X was a bit jaded off a 6 day turnaround to Perth, but then his work around the ground was reasonable, so that might be forelorn. The new rule requires him to get off the ground, and it's never been a strength. Leaving the whipping boy aspect of CCJ to one side, he's not the answer either as his style is very similar. Goad is the obvious option but that looks like 3 months away.

Ironically, I think the player whose papers are really stamped by the new rule isn't even a first line ruck - it's J. Darling.

His contribution to the side has been one part power forward, and one part relief ruck. On my observation, the match committee have acknowledged this, because at the training sessions I've been to, Darling hasn't participated in Monky's sessions.

That being so, the case for Trembath becomes inescapable.

I'll be interested to see how long Barlow's post game mantra lasts - we're going to stay the course. I hope the footy director on the board is taking an interest - persevering in the face of the reality of the new rules must have a limit.

 

[gokangas]

I usually try to put a modicum of positive spin on performances like this, but for once I can't. I really saw nothing in the "game" against Melbourne to get me looking forward to Round 1.

I work part time at the MCG and our first game is scheduled to start about two hours before a potential shift on the same day. About a fortnight ago, when the roster came out, I made myself unavailable on the 15th, thinking, I really want to be at Marvel for our first game of the season.

After Friday's non-effort, I wish I hadn't been so stupid. Oh dear.

A further thought. And something for people to really question my sanity.

Perhaps we should ask the AFL for a "special form of assistance". Perhaps we could ask them to let us have a couple of extra players on the ground each week. 20 against 18. Might reduce the losing margin a bit. Might.

Yes, I have lost it. Oh well.

I hear you Horace. This is probably the most footy depressed I have been pre season for a long time. Just saw nothing at all to make me think we will improve this year. It is just so deflating so early in the year. Let's hope we are both wrong and just losing it.

 

[Themanbun]

Could be lack of trust like some have posted. Could be lack of positioning awareness or not blocking your man.

Or… could be the very opposite with Harry trusting X to win the ball for a planned long tap.

We don’t know, but in either case it just isn’t working in the midfield.

The biggest surprise for me (aside from CCJ getting a game) was how poor X was against Heath.

A planned long tap to the back of the setup, across and directly behind X's body? Nope. It's just poor positioning and poor craft

 

[Merlin007]

OK, last one, I promise.

The game has gone by this point, and FOS is standing Pickett at a boundary throw-in. North should have an advantage at the coal face, with LDU spare - his man (Rivers) is out of shot to the right. The cynic in me suggests that Melbourne don't care about North having an extra at the contest, as they don't rate our ability to make use of it, and thus Rivers is holding an outer ring to cut off a scrambled exit.




As the ball comes in, FOS loses touch with Pickett. Whether it's a failed handover with LDU only they (and Barlow) would know.




Melbourne get first use, and with Pickett now loose, all the Dees have to do if find him at the front of the pack:





Pickett bursts through on the skinny side, leaving FOS (far right) marooned in irrelevance. The end result is goal - to his credit, FOS works back hard to help the defensive scramble, the kind of second effort that makes me think he knows he's made a blue:




If it's down to FOS rolling the dice and coming up short, fair enough, he'll learn.

But I must say when elite players are cutting up, at least put some work into them.

 

[Themanbun]

Exactly. Seems to make more sense that Sheez was the attacking mid in this play, expecting Xerri to win the tap.

That doesn't make any sense at all, sorry.

Are we really so averse to someone suggesting Harry isn't the perfect footy player in every single play in a position he has little experience in that we think he has conjured up a play that defies every modern midfield craft coaching point, forces us out the back of the stoppage and gives them the run, makes him the attacking player even though he's flat footed, and relies on the ruckman physically contorting himself beyond human capability?

 

[Shinboner Supremacy]

OK, last one, I promise.

The game has gone by this point, and FOS is standing Pickett at a boundary throw-in. North should have an advantage at the coal face, with LDU spare - his man (Rivers) is out of shot to the right. The cynic in me suggests that Melbourne don't care about North having an extra at the contest, as they don't rate our ability to make use of it, and thus Rivers is holding an outer ring to cut off a scrambled exit.


View attachment 2534608

As the ball comes in, FOS loses touch with Pickett. Whether it's a failed handover with LDU only they (and Barlow) would know.


View attachment 2534612

Melbourne get first use, and with Pickett now loose, all the Dees have to do if find him at the front of the pack:


View attachment 2534616


Pickett bursts through on the skinny side, leaving FOS (far right) marooned in irrelevance. The end result is goal - to his credit, FOS works back hard to help the defensive scramble, the kind of second effort that makes me think he knows he's made a blue:

View attachment 2534617


If it's down to FOS rolling the dice and coming up short, fair enough, he'll learn.

But I must say when elite players are cutting up, at least put some work into them.

You mayswell be kingy putting it through the Lab+

 

[Kanga Glory]

I hear you Horace. This is probably the most footy depressed I have been pre season for a long time. Just saw nothing at all to make me think we will improve this year. It is just so deflating so early in the year. Let's hope we are both wrong and just losing it.

 

[Merlin007]

You mayswell be kingy putting it through the Lab+

yeah, but he's on better money than me (or Themanbun)

 

[SnowRoo]

OK, last one, I promise.

The game has gone by this point, and FOS is standing Pickett at a boundary throw-in. North should have an advantage at the coal face, with LDU spare - his man (Rivers) is out of shot to the right. The cynic in me suggests that Melbourne don't care about North having an extra at the contest, as they don't rate our ability to make use of it, and thus Rivers is holding an outer ring to cut off a scrambled exit.


View attachment 2534608

As the ball comes in, FOS loses touch with Pickett. Whether it's a failed handover with LDU only they (and Barlow) would know.


View attachment 2534612

Melbourne get first use, and with Pickett now loose, all the Dees have to do if find him at the front of the pack:


View attachment 2534616


Pickett bursts through on the skinny side, leaving FOS (far right) marooned in irrelevance. The end result is goal - to his credit, FOS works back hard to help the defensive scramble, the kind of second effort that makes me think he knows he's made a blue:

View attachment 2534617


If it's down to FOS rolling the dice and coming up short, fair enough, he'll learn.

But I must say when elite players are cutting up, at least put some work into them.

Love the breakdown, the one common theme in all is, we are set for X to win the tap.

X had a mare and looks in trouble with the new rules.

This new rule could really cause issues for us, turning our centre clearances from strength to weakness.

I'm thinking we will consider playing 2 rucks, one specifically for centre bounce, then X. The Goad injury really hurts if this is the case as he's our best fit for a high leaping ruck option. Trembath may end up taking centre bounces then switching forward with X for general play.

 

[rickety]

So again in the tradition of the midfield minutes of Themanbun I thought I'd have a look at another couple of clearances, one a boundary throw-in (separate post to follow), and another centre bounce.

For this CBA, the game is already getting away in the first quarter, and the set-up is the first image - Sheezel's man is one K. Pickett, obscured here by Xerri. For reasons known only to God, Harry thinks it's a good idea to give Pickett not two, but three metres of space.

View attachment 2534584

The only explanation I can think of is that Sheezel thinks he's playing under a winning ruck, and the tap will come straight to him. The problem of course is the other scenarios - if the tap falls toward the North goal, at least it's a contest between FOS and Pickett. The worst possible outcome is that the ball falls toward the North goal, into the yawning gap between Sheezel and LDU, and Pickett has the advantage of burst speed through that line. That's what eventuates - Heath taps the ball to that exact spot:


View attachment 2534588

With Pickett's momentum, Sheezel has no chance of making a grasping tackle, making LDU look like one of those mids who doesn't run hard enough. Pickett kicks the goal from outside 50, and it's not even Caleb Daniel's fault.

View attachment 2534590


One part of this is easy enough to fix (with a little discipline). Sheezel only has to come up and body his player, and (assuming the tap goes the same way), Pickett is faced with trying to get through a gap between Xerri and Sheezel, leaving LDU to sweep the clearance.

The bigger problem imo is the tap work. I'm hoping (praying) that X was a bit jaded off a 6 day turnaround to Perth, but then his work around the ground was reasonable, so that might be forelorn. The new rule requires him to get off the ground, and it's never been a strength. Leaving the whipping boy aspect of CCJ to one side, he's not the answer either as his style is very similar. Goad is the obvious option but that looks like 3 months away.

Ironically, I think the player whose papers are really stamped by the new rule isn't even a first line ruck - it's J. Darling.

His contribution to the side has been one part power forward, and one part relief ruck. On my observation, the match committee have acknowledged this, because at the training sessions I've been to, Darling hasn't participated in Monky's sessions.

That being so, the case for Trembath becomes inescapable.

I'll be interested to see how long Barlow's post game mantra lasts - we're going to stay the course. I hope the footy director on the board is taking an interest - persevering in the face of the reality of the new rules must have a limit.

Yep, that's the one

 

[Waynesworld]

LOL! The entire article lists individual players from every other team, but then it gets to us and they're like... "North's entire defense is still shit!"

They're not wrong.

I also liked the way he called out Zurhaar's performance, although he certainly wasn't the only one who looked completely disinterested...

 

[Chadwiko]

Love the breakdown, the one common theme in all is, we are set for X to win the tap.

X had a mare and looks in trouble with the new rules.

Here's the dirty little secret though; Xerri's tap-work has never been good.

His strong performances came in spite of his tap-work deficiencies, and the best team-clearances we had last year typically involved Xerri just out-bodying the opposition ruck on the ground, and then catching the footy himself as it came down from the throw/bounce, before getting a handball away.

That's simply not going to happen anymore, and Xerri needs to make a huge adjustment.

 

[JZTIME!]

Love the breakdown, the one common theme in all is, we are set for X to win the tap.

X had a mare and looks in trouble with the new rules.

This new rule could really cause issues for us, turning our centre clearances from strength to weakness.

I'm thinking we will consider playing 2 rucks, one specifically for centre bounce, then X. The Goad injury really hurts if this is the case as he's our best fit for a high leaping ruck option. Trembath may end up taking centre bounces then switching forward with X for general play.

I agree with this. We need to see CT trial on Sunday. CCJ possibly better athletically (jumper) than Xerri? Could we play all 3 until Goad is ready?

 

[Themanbun]

Here's the dirty little secret though; Xerri's tap-work has never been good.

His strong performances came in spite of his tap-work deficiencies, and the best team-clearances we had last year typically involved Xerri just out-bodying the opposition ruck on the ground, and then catching the footy himself as it came down from the throw/bounce, before getting a handball away.

That's simply not going to happen anymore, and Xerri needs to make a huge adjustment.

The general view other clubs have of our midfield is that we are above average when we win first possession, and very poor when we don't.

We're about to win a lot less first possession.

 

[Themanbun]

I agree with this. We need to see CT trial on Sunday. CCJ possibly better athletically (jumper) than Xerri? Could we play all 3 until Goad is ready?

CCJ just returning after an Achilles and recurrent calf injuries. I'd be very surprised if he jumps better than X.

 

[berniemccarthy]

Calm down….
I’ve seen this comment or others like it dismissing it’s a practice match posted far and wide on anothe social media Platform…..lm over this let’s give them a free pass it doesn’t count rubbish.

However when a neutral non aligned north supporter pretty much sums up the feeling of watching that ……whatever the heck it was ….and is pretty well bang on target ….heck yes l have concerns….
What on earth have they been doing.

The Winners and Losers of the 2026 Match Sims - The Mongrel Punt

Every round during the 2026 AFL season, we’re looking at the Winners and Losers of the week. Even in the pre-season, it’s good to get your head around which players fired up, and which players cooled off. And so, with that, we head into the Winners and Losers of the Match Sims. THE WINNERS...

themongrelpunt.com

Enough of the free passes oh it’s only a practice game….l whole heartedly agree with the lack of chase and training comment. Heck I don’t know how many times l saw that “ oh I’ll just put in a little spurt to make it look like lm running” or my personal hate ….defender can see ball advancing…but I’ll point in that direction, it’s now someone else’s job to assist, then turn and peel off following some other player with out even watching or knowing where the play is unfolding….but ensuring lm still not goal side of my player that lm trying to supposedly man up on.

Guess l just want to see some accountability and no more bruise free footy……alas that match didn’t inspire me that these are going to eventuate.

That was an entirely accurate summary. And the Zurhaar bit as well. Just unengaged. We have relied on ruck contests for centre dominance. Game just changed for us.

 

[Karanicolas]

yeah, but he's on better money than me (or Themanbun)

Just wanted to say that this is great analysis for all of us. Really enjoying the analysis by you and Themanbun!!