Training 2026 Training Reports

[anchor man]

Shame about the barren sand dunes still in the background. ..

,ZZZZzzzzzzz

 

[largebus]

In before Ryan's skipping the match sim to get back on the pies

 

[ubiquitous226]

Yeah, i chose not this time. I don't need the fanboys telling me that Banfield is a gun and that I'm not allowed to mention his lack of skills even though they ignore the other not so positive comments I make of other players.

The bits of Erasmus I saw still had him hesitating with decisions a fair bit, hope he can continue on from last year.

 

[King Huskii]

The bits of Erasmus I saw still had him hesitating with decisions a fair bit, hope he can continue on from last year.

I have been impressed so far. Overall most players delivery could be improved. Nothing beats playing proper opposition and seeing who rises to the occasion.

 

[serial_thrilla]

,ZZZZzzzzzzz

Yes, they have that effect on people.

 

[Quay Club]

Training report

I won't go into the early warm up drills and just focus on our match sim.

The overall standard was good but not great with skills however the heat was full on.

They are fit and all the prime movers are keyed in and ready to push the club forward. Young split his time between mid and forward. I don't need to say how he is the best of the lot because he just is. He's injury free thanks to his off season prep and is looking menacing for the op.

Brayshaw and Serong are the hardest workers in the engine room and will help Young drive the ball forward. Jackson splitting time between ruck and midfield duties allows some bigger beasts run through. He is ready to go. The other prime mover i wanted to focus on is Bolton. He ran mostly mid today and cut his opponents up when driving the ball forward. His and Youngs skills are sublime.

Murphy Reid is developing his midfield craft and is running well. He looks more dangerous high half forward however why wouldn't you want to give him these opportunities during the preseason?!

Tracey Voss and Amiss looking like they are in the zone with Dudley looking a heap fitter ready to snap anything up that hits the ground. I'm almost convinced he makes the 23 at the start of the season.

Kicket also impressed me at both sessions I've seen. His chase down tackling is impressive and his skills are elite. One of his kicks reminded me of Walters. He may need some time but he does have the x factor a small forward needs to impact on big games.

I have my doubts that Ryan will be 100% fit come round 1. Draper may take his spot or go an extra small with points possibly Chapman taking the 3rd tall. Ryan's body looks beefed up more than ever.

O'Driscoll just needs to clean up his kicking skills and he'd be terrific. He almost has it. Carr also needs to improve his kicking.

I have a feeling Cox will play early on to see if they can find the right ballance. He could float forward to be that mark inside 50 if our key forwards are covered on the lead.

The thing i like the most is the options running past to drive the ball forward do the ball carrier can flick it to a player under less pressure. Yes this happens with all teams but Freo seem to have players willing to run in numbers and at full tilt. And that goes both for attacking play and defensive play too.

I wish Purple Reign a lovely day

Love and blessings King Huskii

Interesting that Bolton played mostly mid in the match simulation.

He suffered from shin soreness last year and his fitness didn't allow more time in the middle.

Hopefully that is behind him as he is very creative and we now have more options for small forwards to cover.

Expect big things from him this season if he is fully fit.

 

[ubiquitous226]

Interesting that Bolton played mostly mid in the match simulation.

He suffered from shin soreness last year and his fitness didn't allow more time in the middle.

Hopefully that is behind him as he is very creative and we now have more options for small forwards to cover.

Expect big things from him this season if he is fully fit.

I feel like there's so much upside there, Bolton is always going to be a bit hot and cold, but his finishing was some of the worst in his career so hoping even getting back to his average would have a big effect.

 

[King Huskii]

Interesting that Bolton played mostly mid in the match simulation.

He suffered from shin soreness last year and his fitness didn't allow more time in the middle.

Hopefully that is behind him as he is very creative and we now have more options for small forwards to cover.

Expect big things from him this season if he is fully fit.

You need to double tue mid numbers with it being a scratch match. I'd expect him to only be in there no more than 40% of the time with Young Brayshaw and Serong even Reid and OMeara in there too.

 

[anchor man]

Did Simpson take part in the match Sim?

 

[anchor man]

Yes, they have that effect on people.

Same as the constant remarks on something that has nothing to do with the Fremantle FC.

 

[serial_thrilla]

Same as the constant remarks on something that has nothing to do with the Fremantle FC.

It's a poor reflection on our club.

 

[anchor man]

It's a poor reflection on our club.

As I have explained before, maybe even to yourself, the club do not own that land. It is privately owned.If you have a bitch about it, write to the council and ask who owns the land.When you have done that, send them a letter and ask them when they are going to green it up.
As I said, nothing to do with the club.

 

[freo84]

Nice day and pretty warm, only caught half an hour before the little kids dragged me off to the pool so others will have a lot more to offer.

From the rehab group Sturt was doing some straight line tests with a pull cord thing attached to a waist strap, BCox also had a couple of goes with it too after he came over, although he had been involved in drills before then.
Ryan seemed to be doing a lot of shoulder tests in the period I was there, including some weird hug ones.
Simpson and Walker were the main 2 I noticed, along with someone wearing #21 but didn't appear to be McDonald, may have been Nicholls?

The main parts I watched were a kicking drill where they tried to rely on kicking through a zone / grid, and the first 18 v 18.
Young was the biggest standout for me with some nice moments from others, and Bolton remains as elusive as always.

Training report

I won't go into the early warm up drills and just focus on our match sim.

The overall standard was good but not great with skills however the heat was full on.

They are fit and all the prime movers are keyed in and ready to push the club forward. Young split his time between mid and forward. I don't need to say how he is the best of the lot because he just is. He's injury free thanks to his off season prep and is looking menacing for the op.

Brayshaw and Serong are the hardest workers in the engine room and will help Young drive the ball forward. Jackson splitting time between ruck and midfield duties allows some bigger beasts run through. He is ready to go. The other prime mover i wanted to focus on is Bolton. He ran mostly mid today and cut his opponents up when driving the ball forward. His and Youngs skills are sublime.

Murphy Reid is developing his midfield craft and is running well. He looks more dangerous high half forward however why wouldn't you want to give him these opportunities during the preseason?!

Tracey Voss and Amiss looking like they are in the zone with Dudley looking a heap fitter ready to snap anything up that hits the ground. I'm almost convinced he makes the 23 at the start of the season.

Kicket also impressed me at both sessions I've seen. His chase down tackling is impressive and his skills are elite. One of his kicks reminded me of Walters. He may need some time but he does have the x factor a small forward needs to impact on big games.

I have my doubts that Ryan will be 100% fit come round 1. Draper may take his spot or go an extra small with points possibly Chapman taking the 3rd tall. Ryan's body looks beefed up more than ever.

O'Driscoll just needs to clean up his kicking skills and he'd be terrific. He almost has it. Carr also needs to improve his kicking.

I have a feeling Cox will play early on to see if they can find the right ballance. He could float forward to be that mark inside 50 if our key forwards are covered on the lead.

The thing i like the most is the options running past to drive the ball forward do the ball carrier can flick it to a player under less pressure. Yes this happens with all teams but Freo seem to have players willing to run in numbers and at full tilt. And that goes both for attacking play and defensive play too.

I wish Purple Reign a lovely day

Love and blessings King Huskii

Out of all our players, Reid excited me the most. I think he has the best vision in our team and makes every player around him better. Having a fit Bolton and Young running through there as well will have teams wondering who to stop.

 

[WAnchor]

Now I passionately barrack for Freo as wildly and parochially as the best of them. My 'footy' halycon days, however, consisted of playing acting (not very well) for a season of Aus Rules in the UK. Being fully immersed in the NZ rugby religion, my AFL understanding was very limited, epitomised by this strange rule that you can chase an opponent from behind, use your momentum to tackle them, but then must defy laws of physics by not landing in their back...

I write this reflection before reading reports of others. Many of you write with the wisdom and confidence of a recently retired 200-gamer and you may well think that I have no idea what I'm talking about. And you know what? You are right. These are simply the ramblings of a footy tragic who loves having time to to do weird stuff during the school holidays.

So today I sat on the grassy embankment at Cockburn, eagerly watching training. For those in the vicinity, I was the one occasionally doing awkward bum-sits as I tried to move my ever widening scalp away from the piercing sun. This movement, combined with the continual ankle self-flagellation, cast the image of an overweight middle aged bloke performing a long lost All Blacks haka verse.

Those who impressed

Patrick Voss
There's nothing soft and fluffy about this pink pony. He led hard and competed with real instensity in marking contests. Most impressive was his vocal, enthusiastic participation in training. For such a young bloke, his leadership was there to see. It will be interesting to see if he finds himself in the leadership group in the next few years.

Corey Wagner
A couple of year's ago, I was in Bali, a few Bintangs in, watching Freo try to play Gold Coast. I'm in awe of those savants who have a long term memory which has no doubt not been obliterated from too many Wednesday pints at Steve's or too many lawnmowers at the Hippie Club, those posters who can vividly recall key moments from games in seasons gone by. However, Wagner's Freo debut personified the fetid stench that enshrouds Bali. His game was horrendous and I anticipated that he would not be purple for very wrong. More evidence that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Wagner at training today was sublime. He moved with pace, was evasive, and showed classy disposal by foot. A highlight was when he handballed to himself before an inside 50 which was directed towards Leon Kickett (more on this later). The speed that Wagner brings to our midfield will enhance what we offer.

Leon Kickett
He might be a little bloke but I reckon he 'owns' Treacy's moniker of the big Kahuna. Like with Josh, the name's to do with his 'birthplace', but in a more metaphorical kind of way. This fella simply has big balls of steel. He got me very excited today:

• During the 2nd 1/4 of the match sim, Wagner handballed to himself and then passed inside 50, directed towards Kickett. The latter's opponent, however, was significantly taller. Undeterred, Kickett flew, unsuccessfully, for the mark. His opponent, who remained on his feet in the contest, was first to the ball. Kickett was quickly back on his feet and tackled his opponent, gaining the free kick, before calmly slotting a goal.
• At the end of 3rd 1/4, Kickett again tackled an opponent and had a shot on goal. A poorly timed bum-sit meant that I missed seeing whether or not he kicked it. Likewise, poor vision meant that I have no idea who he tackled.

Physically Kickett is likely a tad underdone but it looks like we have some good solutions on the horizon for our small forward needs.

The awkward man crush
Now I am a very red-blooded heterosexual but I can envy admire things that I note. My man crush was not participating in mainstream training and he was doing run throughs near the grass. Man, the shoulders on Brandon Walker are huuuuge. Hopefully this will improve the biomechanics of these joints but I am not a physio like 50% of posters so I really have no idea if there's much of a relationship between his Man Statement and his joint strength. It would be awesome to get him fresh and fit, ready for the start of the season to see what he can do.

Being pessimistic
To satiate the needs of my audience, I can't be too positive. I understand that because some posters like being miserable, I need to point out the negatives. My extensive playing days no doubt have entitled me to offer such critical engagement:

• Bailey Banfield needs to be written about because ... just because. Glimpses that I saw of him gave me Garrick IbbotSonSon vibes. This deer was caught in the headlights a couple of times, perhaps not with the pace of the game.
• Michael Frederick. Ravishing Rick has so many skills at his disposal. At one stage today, he got me more excited than Brandon Walker when he swooped on a loose ball and stormed inside 50. He bounced the ball, looked at the goals, straightened up and ... kicked for goal ... fired off an errant handpass which inspired a turnover. This could have been an outstanding passage of play which sums Frederick up to me: 'couldhavebeen'. I would love to see it all click for him.

Cheers.

 

[Halfbaked]

Ok. I was at training with my son. He is in 30s and thankfully didn't drag me to the pool. However we had not seen each other for a few months and did more talking than watching.
I believe Banfield is about 22 to 30 on our list. Respect to KH for shutting up today ( who I believe does troll about Banfield), but today wasn't Banfield's finest hour. On todays form Banfield would not play in the first round. Sorry about the troll bit HK but we all have options.
Darcy out pointed cox in the ruck early, cox fighting back late.
Didn't see Jackson in the ruck all day, attended most if not all centre bounces.
Kickett with 3 run down tickets that I saw and one or two goals. He needs build fitness. Not first round but could play later in the year.
The 3 headed Dragon all looked sharp.
Macvee did some nice things.
Erasmus, I thought look sharp at times.
Riddle did some ruck work, he looks ok, but is still a work in progress.
If who I thought was Wagner (it can hard to tell at times) was Wagner he some good moments.
Dudley kick a great goal and executed a great tackle on Jackson.

 

[King Huskii]

Now I passionately barrack for Freo as wildly and parochially as the best of them. My 'footy' halycon days, however, consisted of playing acting (not very well) for a season of Aus Rules in the UK. Being fully immersed in the NZ rugby religion, my AFL understanding was very limited, epitomised by this strange rule that you can chase an opponent from behind, use your momentum to tackle them, but then must defy laws of physics by not landing in their back...

I write this reflection before reading reports of others. Many of you write with the wisdom and confidence of a recently retired 200-gamer and you may well think that I have no idea what I'm talking about. And you know what? You are right. These are simply the ramblings of a footy tragic who loves having time to to do weird stuff during the school holidays.

So today I sat on the grassy embankment at Cockburn, eagerly watching training. For those in the vicinity, I was the one occasionally doing awkward bum-sits as I tried to move my ever widening scalp away from the piercing sun. This movement, combined with the continual ankle self-flagellation, cast the image of an overweight middle aged bloke performing a long lost All Blacks haka verse.

Those who impressed

Patrick Voss
There's nothing soft and fluffy about this pink pony. He led hard and competed with real instensity in marking contests. Most impressive was his vocal, enthusiastic participation in training. For such a young bloke, his leadership was there to see. It will be interesting to see if he finds himself in the leadership group in the next few years.

Corey Wagner
A couple of year's ago, I was in Bali, a few Bintangs in, watching Freo try to play Gold Coast. I'm in awe of those savants who have a long term memory which has no doubt not been obliterated from too many Wednesday pints at Steve's or too many lawnmowers at the Hippie Club, those posters who can vividly recall key moments from games in seasons gone by. However, Wagner's Freo debut personified the fetid stench that enshrouds Bali. His game was horrendous and I anticipated that he would not be purple for very wrong. More evidence that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Wagner at training today was sublime. He moved with pace, was evasive, and showed classy disposal by foot. A highlight was when he handballed to himself before an inside 50 which was directed towards Leon Kickett (more on this later). The speed that Wagner brings to our midfield will enhance what we offer.

Leon Kickett
He might be a little bloke but I reckon he 'owns' Treacy's moniker of the big Kahuna. Like with Josh, the name's to do with his 'birthplace', but in a more metaphorical kind of way. This fella simply has big balls of steel. He got me very excited today:

• During the 2nd 1/4 of the match sim, Wagner handballed to himself and then passed inside 50, directed towards Kickett. The latter's opponent, however, was significantly taller. Undeterred, Kickett flew, unsuccessfully, for the mark. His opponent, who remained on his feet in the contest, was first to the ball. Kickett was quickly back on his feet and tackled his opponent, gaining the free kick, before calmly slotting a goal.
• At the end of 3rd 1/4, Kickett again tackled an opponent and had a shot on goal. A poorly timed bum-sit meant that I missed seeing whether or not he kicked it. Likewise, poor vision meant that I have no idea who he tackled.

Physically Kickett is likely a tad underdone but it looks like we have some good solutions on the horizon for our small forward needs.

The awkward man crush
Now I am a very red-blooded heterosexual but I can envy admire things that I note. My man crush was not participating in mainstream training and he was doing run throughs near the grass. Man, the shoulders on Brandon Walker are huuuuge. Hopefully this will improve the biomechanics of these joints but I am not a physio like 50% of posters so I really have no idea if there's much of a relationship between his Man Statement and his joint strength. It would be awesome to get him fresh and fit, ready for the start of the season to see what he can do.

Being pessimistic
To satiate the needs of my audience, I can't be too positive. I understand that because some posters like being miserable, I need to point out the negatives. My extensive playing days no doubt have entitled me to offer such critical engagement:

• Bailey Banfield needs to be written about because ... just because. Glimpses that I saw of him gave me Garrick IbbotSonSon vibes. This deer was caught in the headlights a couple of times, perhaps not with the pace of the game.
• Michael Frederick. Ravishing Rick has so many skills at his disposal. At one stage today, he got me more excited than Brandon Walker when he swooped on a loose ball and stormed inside 50. He bounced the ball, looked at the goals, straightened up and ... kicked for goal ... fired off an errant handpass which inspired a turnover. This could have been an outstanding passage of play which sums Frederick up to me: 'couldhavebeen'. I would love to see it all click for him.

Cheers.

Yeah man, for a guy who saya knows little you actually know a fair bit. I remember that brain fade by Freddy and couldn't believe he wanted all his hard running for a poor handball.

Don't mention Bailey Banfield and his lack of skill. You'll have Footskill saying you don't know what you're talking about. Maybe KH was right ️

I totally agree with Kickett and Voss. Kicket just knows how to play the game in a way others can only dream. I hope he makes it because his skills are sublime.

Thanks so much for posting this.

 

[King Huskii]

Ok. I was at training with my son. He is in 30s and thankfully didn't drag me to the pool. However we had not seen each other for a few months and did more talking than watching.
I believe Banfield is about 22 to 30 on our list. Respect to KH for shutting up today ( who I believe does troll about Banfield), but today wasn't Banfield's finest hour. On todays form Banfield would not play in the first round. Sorry about the troll bit HK but we all have options.
Darcy out pointed cox in the ruck early, cox fighting back late.
Didn't see Jackson in the ruck all day, attended most if not all centre bounces.
Kickett with 3 run down tickets that I saw and one or two goals. He needs build fitness. Not first round but could play later in the year.
The 3 headed Dragon all looked sharp.
Macvee did some nice things.
Erasmus, I thought look sharp at times.
Riddle did some ruck work, he looks ok, but is still a work in progress.
If who I thought was Wagner (it can hard to tell at times) was Wagner he some good moments.
Dudley kick a great goal and executed a great tackle on Jackson.

All good mate. I honestly don't troll Banfield i just see his training isn't best 23

 

[Dockernut]

Training report

I won't go into the early warm up drills and just focus on our match sim.

The overall standard was good but not great with skills however the heat was full on.

They are fit and all the prime movers are keyed in and ready to push the club forward. Young split his time between mid and forward. I don't need to say how he is the best of the lot because he just is. He's injury free thanks to his off season prep and is looking menacing for the op.

Brayshaw and Serong are the hardest workers in the engine room and will help Young drive the ball forward. Jackson splitting time between ruck and midfield duties allows some bigger beasts run through. He is ready to go. The other prime mover i wanted to focus on is Bolton. He ran mostly mid today and cut his opponents up when driving the ball forward. His and Youngs skills are sublime.

Murphy Reid is developing his midfield craft and is running well. He looks more dangerous high half forward however why wouldn't you want to give him these opportunities during the preseason?!

Tracey Voss and Amiss looking like they are in the zone with Dudley looking a heap fitter ready to snap anything up that hits the ground. I'm almost convinced he makes the 23 at the start of the season.

Kicket also impressed me at both sessions I've seen. His chase down tackling is impressive and his skills are elite. One of his kicks reminded me of Walters. He may need some time but he does have the x factor a small forward needs to impact on big games.

I have my doubts that Ryan will be 100% fit come round 1. Draper may take his spot or go an extra small with points possibly Chapman taking the 3rd tall. Ryan's body looks beefed up more than ever.

O'Driscoll just needs to clean up his kicking skills and he'd be terrific. He almost has it. Carr also needs to improve his kicking.

I have a feeling Cox will play early on to see if they can find the right ballance. He could float forward to be that mark inside 50 if our key forwards are covered on the lead.

The thing i like the most is the options running past to drive the ball forward do the ball carrier can flick it to a player under less pressure. Yes this happens with all teams but Freo seem to have players willing to run in numbers and at full tilt. And that goes both for attacking play and defensive play too.

I wish Purple Reign a lovely day

Love and blessings King Huskii

Cheers for this KH - much appreciated.

 

[Dockernut]

Also -many thanks to the others that got down and posted reports. Greatly appreciated by those of us who can’t make it.

 

[eastfreo75]

I think adding Cox will work a treat on many levels. For all the same reasons we have essentially picked up a bunch of goal kicking rovers. The rule changes in the ruck, the bench and between the arcs.

Having Tracey, Voss, Amiss, Jackson, Darcy and Cox leading down thie boundary line along the wing is going to make it both hell for defenders as punching out of bounds isn’t an option as well as a gold mine for rovers who drift up out of their F50 (Reid and co)

I think these big guys are going to ask a lot of themselves if we are to win the big one, it’s a long season and the will need to be managed a little. A squad approach to the season with horses for courses is a good thing.

Furthermore if Darcy was ever going to for water ever reason ever be traded this would be the year to do it, so getting him playing a high standard while protecting his knee might require some management particularly. And no that’s not me saying we trade Darcy. I fit and firing Darcy is a required player in my books.

Loving seeing a connected playing group experiencing something a bit different, getting a whole of body conditioning workout without putting stress on joints has to be a good idea. Endurance is king over a long season.

Loving these reports, particularly where growth and development are highlighted,,, I love every single player who ever put in the purple and know some guys are meat and potato players and some are superstars. These guys will do their thing. It’s the upside I look for, where’s the improvement going to come, who has trajectory, who has topped out and in need of a positional change (think of every player who left freo to play another position and star). Where do we put O’driscol, BB and O’mera and who’s going to push them out of the team because that’s how we get that cup. We improve on what we have on the feild. Seeing them all work so hard at and away from the club speaks volumes. These guys bout to BOOM..

There’s my $5 worth, looooong time lurker over the years as I’d lost passwords and all that, but always followed along. First time poster so you boof heads behave yourselves.

It’s not last touch , it’s last disposal.

 

[Footskill]

Now I passionately barrack for Freo as wildly and parochially as the best of them. My 'footy' halycon days, however, consisted of playing acting (not very well) for a season of Aus Rules in the UK. Being fully immersed in the NZ rugby religion, my AFL understanding was very limited, epitomised by this strange rule that you can chase an opponent from behind, use your momentum to tackle them, but then must defy laws of physics by not landing in their back...

I write this reflection before reading reports of others. Many of you write with the wisdom and confidence of a recently retired 200-gamer and you may well think that I have no idea what I'm talking about. And you know what? You are right. These are simply the ramblings of a footy tragic who loves having time to to do weird stuff during the school holidays.

So today I sat on the grassy embankment at Cockburn, eagerly watching training. For those in the vicinity, I was the one occasionally doing awkward bum-sits as I tried to move my ever widening scalp away from the piercing sun. This movement, combined with the continual ankle self-flagellation, cast the image of an overweight middle aged bloke performing a long lost All Blacks haka verse.

Those who impressed

Patrick Voss
There's nothing soft and fluffy about this pink pony. He led hard and competed with real instensity in marking contests. Most impressive was his vocal, enthusiastic participation in training. For such a young bloke, his leadership was there to see. It will be interesting to see if he finds himself in the leadership group in the next few years.

Corey Wagner
A couple of year's ago, I was in Bali, a few Bintangs in, watching Freo try to play Gold Coast. I'm in awe of those savants who have a long term memory which has no doubt not been obliterated from too many Wednesday pints at Steve's or too many lawnmowers at the Hippie Club, those posters who can vividly recall key moments from games in seasons gone by. However, Wagner's Freo debut personified the fetid stench that enshrouds Bali. His game was horrendous and I anticipated that he would not be purple for very wrong. More evidence that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Wagner at training today was sublime. He moved with pace, was evasive, and showed classy disposal by foot. A highlight was when he handballed to himself before an inside 50 which was directed towards Leon Kickett (more on this later). The speed that Wagner brings to our midfield will enhance what we offer.

Leon Kickett
He might be a little bloke but I reckon he 'owns' Treacy's moniker of the big Kahuna. Like with Josh, the name's to do with his 'birthplace', but in a more metaphorical kind of way. This fella simply has big balls of steel. He got me very excited today:

• During the 2nd 1/4 of the match sim, Wagner handballed to himself and then passed inside 50, directed towards Kickett. The latter's opponent, however, was significantly taller. Undeterred, Kickett flew, unsuccessfully, for the mark. His opponent, who remained on his feet in the contest, was first to the ball. Kickett was quickly back on his feet and tackled his opponent, gaining the free kick, before calmly slotting a goal.
• At the end of 3rd 1/4, Kickett again tackled an opponent and had a shot on goal. A poorly timed bum-sit meant that I missed seeing whether or not he kicked it. Likewise, poor vision meant that I have no idea who he tackled.

Physically Kickett is likely a tad underdone but it looks like we have some good solutions on the horizon for our small forward needs.

The awkward man crush
Now I am a very red-blooded heterosexual but I can envy admire things that I note. My man crush was not participating in mainstream training and he was doing run throughs near the grass. Man, the shoulders on Brandon Walker are huuuuge. Hopefully this will improve the biomechanics of these joints but I am not a physio like 50% of posters so I really have no idea if there's much of a relationship between his Man Statement and his joint strength. It would be awesome to get him fresh and fit, ready for the start of the season to see what he can do.

Being pessimistic
To satiate the needs of my audience, I can't be too positive. I understand that because some posters like being miserable, I need to point out the negatives. My extensive playing days no doubt have entitled me to offer such critical engagement:

• Bailey Banfield needs to be written about because ... just because. Glimpses that I saw of him gave me Garrick IbbotSonSon vibes. This deer was caught in the headlights a couple of times, perhaps not with the pace of the game.
• Michael Frederick. Ravishing Rick has so many skills at his disposal. At one stage today, he got me more excited than Brandon Walker when he swooped on a loose ball and stormed inside 50. He bounced the ball, looked at the goals, straightened up and ... kicked for goal ... fired off an errant handpass which inspired a turnover. This could have been an outstanding passage of play which sums Frederick up to me: 'couldhavebeen'. I would love to see it all click for him.

Cheers.

Well put together report constructive and detailed

 

[Sherriff Incorporated]

Training report

I won't go into the early warm up drills and just focus on our match sim.

The overall standard was good but not great with skills however the heat was full on.

They are fit and all the prime movers are keyed in and ready to push the club forward. Young split his time between mid and forward. I don't need to say how he is the best of the lot because he just is. He's injury free thanks to his off season prep and is looking menacing for the op.

Brayshaw and Serong are the hardest workers in the engine room and will help Young drive the ball forward. Jackson splitting time between ruck and midfield duties allows some bigger beasts run through. He is ready to go. The other prime mover i wanted to focus on is Bolton. He ran mostly mid today and cut his opponents up when driving the ball forward. His and Youngs skills are sublime.

Murphy Reid is developing his midfield craft and is running well. He looks more dangerous high half forward however why wouldn't you want to give him these opportunities during the preseason?!

Tracey Voss and Amiss looking like they are in the zone with Dudley looking a heap fitter ready to snap anything up that hits the ground. I'm almost convinced he makes the 23 at the start of the season.

Kicket also impressed me at both sessions I've seen. His chase down tackling is impressive and his skills are elite. One of his kicks reminded me of Walters. He may need some time but he does have the x factor a small forward needs to impact on big games.

I have my doubts that Ryan will be 100% fit come round 1. Draper may take his spot or go an extra small with points possibly Chapman taking the 3rd tall. Ryan's body looks beefed up more than ever.

O'Driscoll just needs to clean up his kicking skills and he'd be terrific. He almost has it. Carr also needs to improve his kicking.

I have a feeling Cox will play early on to see if they can find the right ballance. He could float forward to be that mark inside 50 if our key forwards are covered on the lead.

The thing i like the most is the options running past to drive the ball forward do the ball carrier can flick it to a player under less pressure. Yes this happens with all teams but Freo seem to have players willing to run in numbers and at full tilt. And that goes both for attacking play and defensive play too.

I wish Purple Reign a lovely day

Love and blessings King Huskii

I completely agree with all of this above.. Great job KH. I too am very excited by Kicket.
Id only add I thought Sean Darcy was a star out there today. He rucked (without a break I think) against Harding, Riddlre and Cox with Sean dominating for his team at both centre clearances and around the ground. His combination with LJ playing midfield was terrific at the clearances.
It also has to be said the finish of the session included a ton of extra running and Sean put in great effort in those drills too.

Another who excelled today was Toby Whan. He had some great long kicks in the match sims and also excelled in the repeat running at the end of the session. Keeping up with the top runners.

O'Meara continues to excel at repeat running. In the match sims Im pretty certain he didn't play half back at all and was playing wing/onball.

Someone also giving great effort in the running is Oscar McDonald. I love how he gives 100% at everything he does on the training track. For a big man he is an exceptional runner.

Charlie Nichols had some really good moments in the match sims keeping a couple of goals. I think we have a long term player there.

Mathew Johnson excels at sprint work and looked terrific in the match sim. I think he is capable of a big step up in 2026. Erasmus is capable of a big step up too in my opinion.

Young spent time as the deepest forward and looked great in this role. He kicked a terrific snap goal on his non preferred right side.

 

[JunglistPosse]

Wow , thanks to all our training watchers, today was indeed a purple feast.

 

[chaosball32]

So from what I’m gathering we need to start booking busses and tattoo appointments?

 

[King Huskii]

So from what I’m gathering we need to start booking busses and tattoo appointments?

Honestly we could lose to Geelong round 1 and people will say i was being overly optimistic.

But yeah the prime movers look elite