Training 2026 Preseason Thread

[danster168]

Agree, much better prospect but horrible run of injuries and trust on his body to get through an AFL game when coming across.

Henderson I could see has a needs basis pick at the time with Kozzie out for first few weeks, Mentha way off it at the time, McAdam going down and delusional coach thinking we would bounce back into finals.

Going to be funny when Culley wins the Brownlow and everyone is grilling wce over cutting him loose...

Culley, Langford, Viney and Steele. We'll have the slowest midfield in the AFL and VFL. We can't play all 4.

 

[Bluelegs]

Culley, Langford, Viney and Steele. We'll have the slowest midfield in the AFL and VFL. We can't play all 4.

I pretty much expect Viney's season to be a write off with injury.

 

[danster168]

I pretty much expect Viney's season to be a write off with injury.

how come? limited pre-seasons have never stopped him before have they?

 

[Lord Nev]

Culley, Langford, Viney and Steele. We'll have the slowest midfield in the AFL and VFL. We can't play all 4.

Reckon you'll find those 4 will rarely line up in the middle at the same time. Preseason training sounds like Kozzy is now full time midfield with the addition of some small forwards, and there's a host of other names that will rotate through there as well.

Plus, ball movement > leg speed. With Viney and Steele hopefully more pure extractors when in the middle, then any of Culley, Langford, Kozzy, Rivers, Lindsay, Windsor* with good kick retention rates will be the ones to do the damage.

*Based on wing/midfield numbers.

 

[Bluelegs]

how come? limited pre-seasons have never stopped him before have they?

Mostly just a feeling and that Achilles injuries tend to be problematic.

 

[Lampers]

Mostly just a feeling and that Achilles injuries tend to be problematic.

Viney’s got a seasoned body and would’ve built plenty of stamina over the years but the Achilles injury would mean he’s unable to do the standard running or even proper cycling to get miles in the legs over the pre-season.

Mids who don’t get the running in pre Christmas tend to really struggle so I agree that we should expect not much of Viney’s best in 2026. Or we see him do a personal pre-season that runs through the start of the season and he’s not be back until a third of the way through the year. That’s all on the assumption whatever is troubling his Achilles gets sorted pretty shortly which is no guarantee. If it’s tendinitis that can hang around for so long, especially as you get older. I had tennis elbow tendinitis that took almost a year to get right albeit without the intense treatment and AFL player would receive.

Goodwin would’ve rushed Viney back in too early. I’m confident King won’t do that sort of silliness.

 

[Crusty Demon]

I'll be disappointed if Viney and Steele are 2 of our 3 mids at centre bounces. Probably need 1 in there, but not both surely.