Training 2026 Training Reports

[2big2strom]

Just a reminder I called shotgun on having Sweidy as my 2026 buddy, thank you

 

[Taylor]

Oh shoot, I forgot about the buddy draft all swept away with baby things.

When are we running that? Am I running that? I can do it but we need to have it sorted before end of Feb because I arbitrarily decided so and we need some time for people to register when they come back from cricket.

 

[Bigger]

I am aware from a strength and conditioning dude at the club that there was a decision, post the disappointing finals exit, to put focus on gaining strength and size.

I have seen the video of Vossy quarter repping 300 kilos and have seen the schnaps of Bruce showing off the new abs, but have track observers noticed an appreciable difference in size across the board?

 

[Suma Says]

Yes Zac Harding was a ruckman as a junior, but he was trialled here as a key defender.

 

[Smurf_x]

To be fair, Harding would have to have been a long shot anyway wouldnt he? I would have thought he would have needed to set the place on fire to get a spot as a developing ruck ina side already stacked with rucks

From what i can gather with Harding, is we were trialing him more as a key back. I remember reading something or seeing something suggesting as such. He does have the athleticism to do it. Seemed a slight bit too average a size to make it as a ruck at AFL level. But i could see the vision of him being a decent defender.
I captured this clip from another players highlight reel as It impressed me a fair bit for a ruckman to do such a play

 

[chaosball32]

It wasn't a time trial, it was a repeat efforts shuttle run. Wagner won it because he is agile and quick. Whan coming third is a big deal - he's beaten the aerobic beasts and matched it with the speedy runners - Frederick came second.

Whan not having that burst of pace was a knock on him. Nobody would call Wagner or Freddy slow.

Yeah my comment wasn’t trying to knock Whan, moreso that good runner ≠ good footballer. In fact often times it seems to correlate the opposite way. Tarkyn O’Leary and Jay Rentall are top 5 in combine history and I have never heard of either of them. Cooper Hamilton was the GWS socials skit guy. It’s a weird list of names.

Harry Sharp's time is insane. 5.28 is my 1km time at my 5-10km pace. He's literally running twice my speed.

Yeah (Harry) Sharp I’m pretty sure was a state runner before footy. Holding the record by 20 seconds for a 2km is crazy. When I run it takes me 2km to get in the flow. Are Harry and Jeremy related because they are quite similar in that both should have pursued careers in track and field instead.

 

[chaosball32]

Would be happy if we kept Scerri on, if he was who I thought he was when I went down (can be hard to tell) he plays a lot like Switkowski and with Switta getting older and more injury prone it’s good insurance.

No idea why we trialled Harding with our excess of rucks. Or as a key defender according to the above. Seems the two positions where we’ve got pre-existing stock.

 

[The Feeder Club]

I am aware from a strength and conditioning dude at the club that there was a decision, post the disappointing finals exit, to put focus on gaining strength and size.

Thank **** for that

 

[go_the_dockers]

Thank **** for that

I am aware from a strength and conditioning dude at the club that there was a decision, post the disappointing finals exit, to put focus on gaining strength and size.

I have seen the video of Vossy quarter repping 300 kilos and have seen the schnaps of Bruce showing off the new abs, but have track observers noticed an appreciable difference in size across the board?

It is a such a fine line between being too small and being too slow.

Wasn't this the issue with the ex rugby fitness coach we had four or so years back

 

[freo_leo29]

Yes Zac Harding was a ruckman as a junior, but he was trialled here as a key defender.

And we need defenders even less than rucks lol

 

[The Feeder Club]

It is a such a fine line between being too small and being too slow.

Wasn't this the issue with the ex rugby fitness coach we had four or so years back

Apart from Holmes, i can't think of a single starting midfielder in either grand final team that i would consider quick.
Finals footy is just different. Broken tackles are gold.
Jackson as a midfielder might just shift the dial for us

 

[Docker82]

And we need defenders even less than rucks lol

Tbh I think there's room for four genuine rucks on the list.

And the club has history of stocking up when they need a certain type of player in year or two.

Mason Cox is 35 and won't be at the club after his current contract ends. Reckon we'll recruit another ruck before he's done.

 

[Suma Says]

I am glad to know there are experts here who know better than our list management team as to what we do and dont need. Fills me with confidence

 

[Sherriff Incorporated]

Just a reminder I called shotgun on having Sweidy as my 2026 buddy, thank you

No you didn't. That was me. I said I think Sweidy will be a surprise packet at the time.

 

[chaosball32]

I am glad to know there are experts here who know better than our list management team as to what we do and dont need. Fills me with confidence

I find this line of thinking strange. You don’t need to be a Michelin star chef to critique a meal, you don’t need to be a Hollywood director to critique a movie and you don’t need to be a list manager to critique a list management decision.

While I think the list managers have done a mostly good job and have us set up for a real good tilt over the next 5 years, they are not infallible. If they were we might have something in the trophy cabinet by now.

 

[go_the_dockers]

Apart from Holmes, i can't think of a single starting midfielder in either grand final team that i would consider quick.
Finals footy is just different. Broken tackles are gold.
Jackson as a midfielder might just shift the dial for us

Size would impact fitness as well.

Agree with what you are saying, good skills make a huge impact and strength have a big impact.

 

[Suma Says]

I find this line of thinking strange. You don’t need to be a Michelin star chef to critique a meal, you don’t need to be a Hollywood director to critique a movie and you don’t need to be a list manager to critique a list management decision.

While I think the list managers have done a mostly good job and have us set up for a real good tilt over the next 5 years, they are not infallible. If they were we might have something in the trophy cabinet by now.

Everyone is open to criticism. But any old mate armchair expert thinking they know better than our list management team is laughable. To use your example its akin to me thinking I know more about cooking than the Michelin star chef, more about filmmaking than the Hollywood director.

 

[chaosball32]

Everyone is open to criticism. But any old mate armchair expert thinking they know better than our list management team is laughable. To use your example its akin to me thinking I know more about cooking than the Michelin star chef, more about filmmaking than the Hollywood director.

Who said they know better than our list managers? All I see is confusion as to why we trialled Harding as a ruck/def when we are already overflowing in those areas.

 

[Suma Says]

Who said they know better than our list managers? All I see is confusion as to why we trialled Harding as a ruck/def when we are already overflowing in those areas.

I look at Alex Pearces age and the potential long term replacements on our list and can understand how a list manager could conclude we may have need of someone to develop who can handle the 200+cm key forwards a few years from now.

Of the current depth key defenders on our list one wont be around (McDonald), one has shown enough but is more suited to second kpd (Draper), and of the other two one is too small (Davies), and both are barely proven at WAFL level (Murphy and Davies).

If we dont have one that fits that Pearce replacement criteria then its not as foolish as was made out to bring in someone with serious potential and giving them a trial.

 

[chaosball32]

I look at Alex Pearces age and the potential long term replacements on our list and can understand how a list manager could conclude we may have need of someone to develop who can handle the 200+cm key forwards a few years from now.

Of the current depth key defenders on our list one wont be around (McDonald), one has shown enough but is more suited to second kpd (Draper), and of the other two one is too small (Davies), and both are barely proven at WAFL level (Murphy and Davies).

If we dont have one that fits that Pearce replacement criteria then its not as foolish as was made out to bring in someone with serious potential and giving them a trial.

McDonald, Murphy and Davies all OOC at the end of the year, would’ve thought we let the year play out before making long term calls on KPD’s. Training watchers have been complimentary of Murphy, might be his breakout year, who knows.

Would’ve thought the wings were a more pressing immediate POI.

 

[Cesoir]

I am glad to know there are experts here who know better than our list management team as to what we do and dont need. Fills me with confidence

How so Suma?

 

[King Huskii]

How so Suma?

He's been tinkering

 

[Purple Jesus]

Everyone is open to criticism. But any old mate armchair expert thinking they know better than our list management team is laughable. To use your example its akin to me thinking I know more about cooking than the Michelin star chef, more about filmmaking than the Hollywood director.

People can't have a different perspective? Things look different from the outside versus the inside of the club. We look at things from a fan's perspective.

Just like the Michelin starred chef would be factoring in things we don't have to consider, such as seasonality of produce, cost of certain items vs expected patronage etc and optimising their offering.

We don't give a shit about any of that, we just see the dish for the dish with our numpty savage palate.

It's nothing to do with objectively 'knowing better'.

 

[mattis117]

I find this line of thinking strange. You don’t need to be a Michelin star chef to critique a meal, you don’t need to be a Hollywood director to critique a movie and you don’t need to be a list manager to critique a list management decision.

While I think the list managers have done a mostly good job and have us set up for a real good tilt over the next 5 years, they are not infallible. If they were we might have something in the trophy cabinet by now.

I love analogies, I'm an analogies guy, but this one is falling short for me. The input information and expected output are not the same.

On one side you have artists creating moving picture and food art - they're deliberately putting it all out there to see. We don't see behind the scenes but it doesn't matter in this case.

For list management, it's the opposite. The reasons are opaque and heavily influenced by the fact we're talking about unpredictable humans and the decisions they make.

No argument for or against with respect to the topic, just pointing out that the anology fails.

 

[fnerd]