Training 2026 Preseason Thread

[I Love Lamb]

Training Report:

- Viney not in full training but he's dropped some body fat % and is looking in great nick.

- Tom Campbell in casual clothes wearing a neck brace.

- Latrelle Pickett did some really nice things. His speed is really good, tried a goose step ala Kozzie Pickett and it seems like his confidence is growing. Really stood out with some exquisite skills and noticeable burst speed. His balance looks to be elite. I just really like the way he moves.

- Tom Matthews did plenty of running on the sides. Fully developed physically. He doesnt need any time in the gym. He'll be ready to go as soon as he's over his knee injury. He took some shots from 20m out. Practicing his snapping from directly out in front. He is confident in the group and is fitting in well. Went up to Steven May and dapped him as well as connecting with Viney really well which I noticed from afar. It's always a good sign when a young kid fits in very quickly.

- Rehabbers that I noticed were Shane 'Laps' macadam, Jack Henderson, Sharp was on modified training, Mihocek running his laps as usual.

- Fritsch was surprising me with his running the the repeat 200m that they were doing. Maybe he'll be moving slightly up the field?

-Culley continuing to train really well. Standing out and I'd be staggered if he didn't play most games this tear.

- Xavier Taylor did a really nice intercept. I think he'll make an impact very quickly. I think he'll go up a gear as soon as the games start. So happy Rich went Grlj and he slipped through to us.

- CJ Jiath wearing a hairnet to keep his dreadlocks in place.

- Gawn doing some run throughs. I know all of the attention seems to be on his hand but he seems to be grimacing when he's running. I'm not sure what's up with because the intensity that he's running at doesn't warrant the grimace. He wasn't sweating or red in the face yet grimacing a lot and holding a lot of tension in his upper body.. It almost looks like he's running through pain on a leg or something. I just wanted to flag it, in case it turns out.

- Harvey Langford has noticeably muscled up and leaned up. Looking forward to seeing his 2nd season and whether he gets a true inside role or he rotates between a wing or half forward line.

- No set shot goal kicking practice in the 2 hours that I saw. Only the small forwards kicking chanana's from the boundary line. A real disgrace when we were one of the worst in the league for goal kicking accuracy last season. The forwards should be doing at least half the session doing only set shot goal kicking. We're not the only club that doesn't want to improve in this space though. Just a gripe I have.

-Top 5 trainers for the day: Culley, Pickett x 2, May and Turner.

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Thanks Dan, 2 questions from me

1. How’s my boy laser tracking
2. Do you think Culley is one of our closest to winning a brownlow

Cheers

 

[danster168]

Thanks Dan, 2 questions from me

1. How’s my boy laser tracking
2. Do you think Culley is one of our closest to winning a brownlow

Cheers

1. I don't notice laser much tbh. I usually just see what comes to me when watching training. But I'll be going to a couple of training sessions in the next few weeks. I'll watch him closely and get back to you on him.

2. Culley is looking really good. The real test will be what they do with Langford, Viney, Steele and Culley. All similar types. Do Langford and Culley just rotate between mid and deep forward? But Culley is just a unit and has been hitting the scoreboard in training and he uses his height to his advantage in marking contests.

 

[I Love Lamb]

1. I don't notice laser much tbh. I usually just see what comes to me when watching training. But I'll be going to a couple of training sessions in the next few weeks. I'll watch him closely and get back to you on him.

2. Culley is looking really good. The real test will be what they do with Langford, Viney, Steele and Culley. All similar types. Do Langford and Culley just rotate between mid and deep forward? But Culley is just a unit and has been hitting the scoreboard in training and he uses his height to his advantage in marking contests.

Wouldn’t say Viney and Culley are similar types. One bloke is 179cm injury prone geriatric and the other 194cm contested marking beast who will win our next Brownlow for the Dees

 

[danster168]

Wouldn’t say Viney and Culley are similar types. One bloke is 179cm injury prone geriatric and the other 194cm contested marking beast who will win our next Brownlow for the Dees

both are slow inside mids though. Viney better defensively and just has better inside craft all around. Culley has the potential to play fwd but he's need to at least kick 1 a game to make his versatility worth it for me.

 

[Toump Ass]

Viney better defensively

Did you see him guard that piece of grass by himself while Wanganeen-Milera won the game for the Saints?
What about his amazing defensive effort giving the ball to Carlton so they could beat us in a final.

Viney's a bum.

 

[Lord Nev]

Langford, Viney, Steele and Culley. All similar types.

Lol

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Down playing Langford's talent and saying he's comparable to other crabs on our list, a Danster staple.

 

[MarcMaverick]

There's slow and then there is "slow". Ball movement =/ leg speed.

You could have quick feet and panic or slower feet but more presice and measured ball movement that gets to the forwards faster.

 

[PerfectFooty]

I hope you all like wind ASMR

 

[Lord Nev]

Match simulation report | Culley commanding

Jai Culley continues to impress in the 2026 pre-season campaign.

www.melbournefc.com.au

 

[MarcMaverick]

I hope you all like wind ASMR

Its either that or cats purring.

 

[I Love Lamb]

I hope you all like wind ASMR

Jai Culley show, to think we chose to list Henderson ahead of him and he wouldn’t even be on our list if AFL didn’t change the rules allowing us to list him after cut off date.

Tholstrup barely sighted other than him being run down tackled.

 

[Bluelegs]

I hope you all like wind ASMR

Bring back the crap royalty free music.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

I hope you all like wind ASMR

Culley dominant.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Scary to think how good he will be once he takes off that hat and gets serious.

 

[I Love Lamb]

Scary to think how good he will be once he takes off that hat and gets serious.

From now on I am just going to pretend we traded 2 x second rounders in 2023 to move up so we could take Culley.

Then the following year took a punt in the dark on a kid who couldn’t make the cut at West Coast and we listed him with our last possible list spot in Tholstrup.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

From now on I am just going to pretend we traded 2 x second rounders in 2023 to move up so we could take Culley.

Then the following year took a punt in the dark on a kid who couldn’t make the cut at West Coast and we listed him with our last possible list spot in Tholstrup.

West Coast cutting him makes it even funnier given the state of their list.

 

[Bluelegs]

Culley looks like the sort of player who isn't the most talented but will get absolutely everything out of himself. Fully expect him to cement his spot in the team next year.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Culley looks like the sort of player who isn't the most talented but will get absolutely everything out of himself. Fully expect him to cement his spot in the team next year.

In 2027? I'm hoping it's this year personally.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

I think he's talented. Plays more like how I think we all hoped Sparrow would turn out after the 2021 finals series.

 

[Bluelegs]

In 2027? I'm hoping it's this year personally.

 

[MarcMaverick]

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TBF thats Melbournes weather in a nutshell.

 

[Daemon]

Culley dominant.

 

[danster168]

Lol

dude, maybe provide something..? theyre 4 slow inside mids...sure, you can name slight differences but theyre as similar as you can get.

 

[Demon Attack]

Except Langford just played a year on the wing