Bigman’s Training Reports

[cleanhands]

None of them looks fat!

Laird going in for a happy ending

 

[cmndstab]

I might be in the minority, but I'd like Curtin to stay on the wing. His best games last year were exquisite, as he is often too big and strong for his competing winger, and it provides us with so much flexibility when moving the ball. We certainly didn't use him enough in the Hawks final; he was basically one-on-one with Massimo at every kick-in, and it felt like every time we went to him, he beat Massimo comfortably. Might be a confidence thing, too. He didn't call for the ball as often as he should have.

Maybe the answer is to use him like Sydney use Gulden? Have him attend some centre bounces (or throw-ups as they now are) but also just let him roam the field as a winger with elite ball use. Anywho, time will tell.

That's what I'd like to see. Other than maaaybe Soligo, I don't think there's anyone in our side who should be playing midfield exclusively. I want to see players rotating in and out of the midfield, with at least one other designated position for them to play. And someone like Curtin is super handy because he can play anywhere on the ground.

 

[UcantCme]

Oliver looks fit in GWS photos. Frustrating.

He looked fit this year but still struggles with transition running and using the footy

 

[WaynesWorld19]

That's what I'd like to see. Other than maaaybe Soligo, I don't think there's anyone in our side who should be playing midfield exclusively. I want to see players rotating in and out of the midfield, with at least one other designated position for them to play. And someone like Curtin is super handy because he can play anywhere on the ground.

So are you a proponent of players having multiple positions .....because that's the approach we've been taking with Edwards, Dowling & Co

 

[UcantCme]

Great to be back. Not sure the boys were feeling the same by the end of the session though, she was hot!

This is probably my favourite session of the pre season as we get to see who has really put in the hard yards to get a step ahead of their teammates. No time trial today (that’ll likely be next week) but still plenty to take out of it.

Most of the squad was there aside from a few absences. Interestingly Dawson wasn’t there, while Draper apparently was but didn’t train outside at all. No Sholl, Neal-Bullen or Cumming. No Ah Chee either but he’s not allowed to be back training yet seeing as he played in the GF.

Thankfully not too many in the rehab group. Fog was in there and probably needs to fine down a touch over the next few weeks, doesn’t look in peak condition. Max and Hinge were also in rehab though Hinge looked basically ready to return to the main group. Max seems not too far off, did a mix of running and bike work along with Fog.

The biggest body change would probably go to Edwards. Last year he returned like a player who had eased off a bit, but this year he’s incredibly trim. I’d wager he’s dropped at least 3-4 kilos. Puts him in really good stead to impress the coaches.

As for the fittest, time trials are yet to come but clearly Rankine and Curtin are right up there. Rankine looks supremely fit and Curtin moved as good as I’ve seen - plus he trained without knee strapping for the first time. Both dominated the end of session running block, putting a sizeable gap on their teammates.

I was surprised just how quick and energetic the drills were. There wasn’t much easing in at all after the initial warm up, it was pretty gung ho actually. Skills were pretty sharp though the typical rust showed up from time to time, particularly late as the temperature reached 30 degrees and fatigue really set in.

Marsh and Cotton did a surprising amount of work for their first session, only being held out of the running part. It was certainly a lot more than Draper and Welsh did last year.

Ludowyke is still recovering from his PCL injury and was solely on the bike. Poor bloke was buggered by the end of it and looked to be chucking his breakfast up. The lads got around him as he was cycling which was good to see, Rachele even spraying water in his mouth and Tex having a chat which I’m sure is surreal for the kid.

Both Marsh and Cotton handled themselves well. Marsh is a great shape for a footballer and his kicking class already stands out. Loved seeing him put on a step to get out of trouble in defence during one of the drills.

Cotton was particularly impressive. Took a little bit of time to get into it but soon found his confidence and took a couple of lovely grabs at full stretch including an intercept mark on Laird. Ball drop is a touch loose but nothing worrying. Moves great for his height and although on the skinny side has the frame to put on size.

Maley is more solid than I thought, quite thick in the legs. Reasonable mover though a bit of a waddler. As expected, hands were good but kicking action leaves a lot to be desired. Had one awful grubber out of defence that led to an opposition goal.

Just to clarify, there were no set positions or groups of any kind. There were also no train on players though Drury was there and it would appear Strachan will play again this year as was training in the rehab group.

Aside from Rankine and Curtin, I thought Soligo was the other standout today. Looks noticeably trimmer than this time last year and clearly had his acceleration back.

Some player notes:

1. Jones - wish he played like he trained. Still looks a touch stocky to me but he trained great, can’t see how he gets into the team though unless we cop a bunch of injuries.

2. Keays - did most of the session, and as always was the last to head inside after doing a bunch of goal kicking practice. Has shaved the locks again.

3. Berry - looks super fit and noticeably tanned. Has his work cut out though after his finish to the year.

7. Thilthorpe - was great as you’d expect, not sure about the bucket hat though.

8. Rachele - looks in good nick though he did languish a little in the running. Trained with sunnies on which is questionable…

9. Murray - trained pretty well but is still pretty bulky, hopefully can get his speed and agility back this summer.

10. Pedlar - looks pretty trim and moved well, kicking was great. Curious to see his time trial.

15. Cook - definitely the best he’s looked physically though im not sure he will ever look ripped like some of his teammates.

17. Welsh - not rock hard fit but certainly an improvement. Kept up just fine in the running though there wasn’t a heap of it. Will be an interesting watch.

19. Taylor - didn’t see any noticeable change in physique but did fine in the running and thought he trained particularly well in the full ground drill where his class stood out.

21. Bond - just a much more assured player than his early days. Unsurprisingly is in great condition.

22. Ryan - pleasingly looks to have bulked up a bit more which should help break tackles and not lose possession which he is susceptible to doing at times.

27. Nankervis - still very light but think he just has that body shape which struggles to put on size.

31. Dowling - similar to Ryan looks to have added some much needed size, though he will never be a particularly big lad with those skinny shoulders.

41. Butts - bit of an Adonis these days! Seriously impressive build, looks real fit. Good sign.

42. McAndrew - for his height his foot skills and mobility are actually pretty good. Similar to Strachan though he appears to struggle putting on much size, though with the new rules it may not matter as much.

Early sessions are more about seeing who’s there, who’s not and which players look fit and primed. Overall I was pretty chuffed with that I saw today. It wasn’t the longest sesh (90 mins) but despite the heat I thought the energy was good and there wasn’t much lethargy at all.

My comments will get more detailed as I see more sessions and match sim starts, for now it’s mainly about what shape they’re in.

As always, feel free to ask any questions.

Excited about Edwards and would love Peds to get some football continuity

On Cotton - was told over the weekend by a contact that is a recruiter for a Melbourne based club that the assessment on Cotton is that he would have been a top 15 pick if he played footy this year

 

[UcantCme]

That's what I'd like to see. Other than maaaybe Soligo, I don't think there's anyone in our side who should be playing midfield exclusively. I want to see players rotating in and out of the midfield, with at least one other designated position for them to play. And someone like Curtin is super handy because he can play anywhere on the ground.

Soligo can push forward

 

[Daniel6]

is Elijah Holland training with us?

 

[UcantCme]

So if Curtin goes in the middle, who gets his wing? Ah Chee? Marsh? Dawson? Hinge? Sholl?

Draper or Edwards for me

 

[Sizzlepack]

Excited about Edwards and would love Peds to get some football continuity

On Cotton - was told over the weekend by a contact that is a recruiter for a Melbourne based club that the assessment on Cotton is that he would have been a top 15 pick if he played footy this year

Really intrigued by what he could become. He's like a blank slate, but the notes on his athleticism and footy background make me wonder if he could become a "poor man's" Curtin or Dawson.

 

[cleanhands]

bigman if you get close enough to Nicks see if he’ll give you his seasons 25

 

[cmndstab]

So are you a proponent of players having multiple positions .....because that's the approach we've been taking with Edwards, Dowling & Co

I am definitely a proponent of players having multiple positions. But I think it's less a player-by-player thing, and more of a structural thing. I don't just want us to develop players to be able to play in multiple positions (but ultimately be selected to play just one of them). I want us to go into matches intending to play all or most of our midfielders in multiple positions during the match.

We have historically run with a set midfield group that plays the majority of the match in there. The likes of Crouch, Sloane, Laird, Berry, Soligo, ROB, etc that get placed in our midfield and end up attending the majority of stoppages, with very little rotation in and out. We'll have one or two midfielders on the bench to come in when the others need a rest, and then other than maybe one designated burst player (Rankine for example) there \are essentially no other players in the midfield.

I'd much rather have us run with a midfield group that bats about twelve deep... Curtin, Rachele, Dawson, Soligo, Taylor, Peatling, Rankine, Laird, Draper, plus whatever combination of Cook, Edwards, Bond, Berry, Pedlar etc that we fill in the final spots with. And then you rotate them in and out throughout the game. If a player is getting on top, leave them there. If they're getting beaten, move them to their designated position and rotate the guy there in.

Don't get me wrong, if we had someone the caliber of Wanganeen-Milera or Rowell or Daicos, I'd be prepared to say "you're in the midfield 100% of the time you're on the ground" but we don't, really. We have a bunch of quality players, essentially all of which can play a second (or third, or fourth) position.

 

[spenze]

Then why are we building a new one?

Olsen detests the riff raff of the Western suburbs

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

Great to hear about Edwards. He’s the watch for me over the preseason. If both he and Draper come good and become a-graders we are going to be in good shape.

Absolutely!

Edwards should be occupying one wing, which allows the likes of Curtin to play both as an inside & outside midfielder & take more responsibility next season.

 

[spenze]

Curtin is twice the size of Rankine

Heard that rumour too

 

[WaynesWorld19]

I am definitely a proponent of players having multiple positions. But I think it's less a player-by-player thing, and more of a structural thing.

We have historically run with a set midfield group that plays the majority of the match in there. The likes of Crouch, Sloane, Laird, Berry, Soligo, ROB, etc that get placed in our midfield and end up attending the majority of stoppages, with very little rotation in and out.

I'd much rather have us run with a midfield group that bats about twelve deep... Curtin, Rachele, Dawson, Soligo, Taylor, Peatling, Rankine, Laird, Draper, plus whatever combination of Cook, Edwards, Bond, Berry, Pedlar etc that we fill in the final spots with. And then you rotate them in and out throughout the game.

Don't get me wrong, if we had someone the caliber of Wanganeen-Milera or Rowell or Daicos, I'd be prepared to say "you're in the midfield 100% of the time you're on the ground" but we don't, really. We have a bunch of quality players, essentially all of which can play a second (or third, or fourth) position.

I think you could say, Dawson and Rankine can command the lion share of CBA's

Most Clubs run approx 5-6 players thru CBA's .....despite BRIS's plethora of Mids, they run the fewest players thru CBA's, along with FREO, GEEL, GCS, GWS ect ....essentially a fixed 4 players + occasional appearances

Something to say, about having a tightknit team in CBA's who know each other's moves

ESS ran the most players thru CBA's ....their performances were not a great advertisement for large numbers of players running thru CBA's

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

I think you could say, Dawson and Rankine can command the lion share of CBA's

Most Clubs run approx 5-6 players thru CBA's .....despite BRIS's plethora of Mids, they run the fewest players thru CBA's, along with FREO, GEEL, GCS, GWS ect ....essentially a fixed 4 players + occasional appearances

Something to say, about having a tightknit team in CBA's who know each other's moves

ESS ran the most players thru CBA's ....their performances were not a great advertisement for large numbers of players running thru CBA's

Our best clearance players should attend most CBA's... & we should be horses for courses depending on who is playing well on the day.

Someone like Rankine can do a D Jarman & run forward after the centre bounce.

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Our best clearance players should attend most CBA's.

Someone like Rankine can do a D Jarman & run forward after the centre bounce.

You need combo's of first possession MID's and first receiving MID's .....Dawson is the latter, Rankine can play both roles

Big watch on Peatling, & Pedlar, who are 1st possession MID's .....Pedlar can't have a career sitting on a HFF

 

[1970crow]

Improvements: speed!

Where is the running mid we were promised?

Who cares, what’s available is crud anyway. The SSP isn’t going to improve our midfield, even if we were allowed 15 train on players.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

You need combo's of first possession MID's and first receiving MID's .....Dawson is the latter, Rankine can play both roles

Big watch on Peatling, & Pedlar, who are 1st possession MID's .....Pedlar can't have a career sitting on a HFF

Think we want all starting midfielders who can both win & use the ball. Dawson can win the ball too.

The likes of Crouch & Mitchell are a dying breed...

 

[Huntercrow]

Great to be back. Not sure the boys were feeling the same by the end of the session though, she was hot!

This is probably my favourite session of the pre season as we get to see who has really put in the hard yards to get a step ahead of their teammates. No time trial today (that’ll likely be next week) but still plenty to take out of it.

Most of the squad was there aside from a few absences. Interestingly Dawson wasn’t there, while Draper apparently was but didn’t train outside at all. No Sholl, Neal-Bullen or Cumming. No Ah Chee either but he’s not allowed to be back training yet seeing as he played in the GF.

Thankfully not too many in the rehab group. Fog was in there and probably needs to fine down a touch over the next few weeks, doesn’t look in peak condition. Max and Hinge were also in rehab though Hinge looked basically ready to return to the main group. Max seems not too far off, did a mix of running and bike work along with Fog.

The biggest body change would probably go to Edwards. Last year he returned like a player who had eased off a bit, but this year he’s incredibly trim. I’d wager he’s dropped at least 3-4 kilos. Puts him in really good stead to impress the coaches.

As for the fittest, time trials are yet to come but clearly Rankine and Curtin are right up there. Rankine looks supremely fit and Curtin moved as good as I’ve seen - plus he trained without knee strapping for the first time. Both dominated the end of session running block, putting a sizeable gap on their teammates.

I was surprised just how quick and energetic the drills were. There wasn’t much easing in at all after the initial warm up, it was pretty gung ho actually. Skills were pretty sharp though the typical rust showed up from time to time, particularly late as the temperature reached 30 degrees and fatigue really set in.

Marsh and Cotton did a surprising amount of work for their first session, only being held out of the running part. It was certainly a lot more than Draper and Welsh did last year.

Ludowyke is still recovering from his PCL injury and was solely on the bike. Poor bloke was buggered by the end of it and looked to be chucking his breakfast up. The lads got around him as he was cycling which was good to see, Rachele even spraying water in his mouth and Tex having a chat which I’m sure is surreal for the kid.

Both Marsh and Cotton handled themselves well. Marsh is a great shape for a footballer and his kicking class already stands out. Loved seeing him put on a step to get out of trouble in defence during one of the drills.

Cotton was particularly impressive. Took a little bit of time to get into it but soon found his confidence and took a couple of lovely grabs at full stretch including an intercept mark on Laird. Ball drop is a touch loose but nothing worrying. Moves great for his height and although on the skinny side has the frame to put on size.

Maley is more solid than I thought, quite thick in the legs. Reasonable mover though a bit of a waddler. As expected, hands were good but kicking action leaves a lot to be desired. Had one awful grubber out of defence that led to an opposition goal.

Just to clarify, there were no set positions or groups of any kind. There were also no train on players though Drury was there and it would appear Strachan will play again this year as was training in the rehab group.

Aside from Rankine and Curtin, I thought Soligo was the other standout today. Looks noticeably trimmer than this time last year and clearly had his acceleration back.

Some player notes:

1. Jones - wish he played like he trained. Still looks a touch stocky to me but he trained great, can’t see how he gets into the team though unless we cop a bunch of injuries.

2. Keays - did most of the session, and as always was the last to head inside after doing a bunch of goal kicking practice. Has shaved the locks again.

3. Berry - looks super fit and noticeably tanned. Has his work cut out though after his finish to the year.

7. Thilthorpe - was great as you’d expect, not sure about the bucket hat though.

8. Rachele - looks in good nick though he did languish a little in the running. Trained with sunnies on which is questionable…

9. Murray - trained pretty well but is still pretty bulky, hopefully can get his speed and agility back this summer.

10. Pedlar - looks pretty trim and moved well, kicking was great. Curious to see his time trial.

15. Cook - definitely the best he’s looked physically though im not sure he will ever look ripped like some of his teammates.

17. Welsh - not rock hard fit but certainly an improvement. Kept up just fine in the running though there wasn’t a heap of it. Will be an interesting watch.

19. Taylor - didn’t see any noticeable change in physique but did fine in the running and thought he trained particularly well in the full ground drill where his class stood out.

21. Bond - just a much more assured player than his early days. Unsurprisingly is in great condition.

22. Ryan - pleasingly looks to have bulked up a bit more which should help break tackles and not lose possession which he is susceptible to doing at times.

27. Nankervis - still very light but think he just has that body shape which struggles to put on size.

31. Dowling - similar to Ryan looks to have added some much needed size, though he will never be a particularly big lad with those skinny shoulders.

41. Butts - bit of an Adonis these days! Seriously impressive build, looks real fit. Good sign.

42. McAndrew - for his height his foot skills and mobility are actually pretty good. Similar to Strachan though he appears to struggle putting on much size, though with the new rules it may not matter as much.

Early sessions are more about seeing who’s there, who’s not and which players look fit and primed. Overall I was pretty chuffed with that I saw today. It wasn’t the longest sesh (90 mins) but despite the heat I thought the energy was good and there wasn’t much lethargy at all.

My comments will get more detailed as I see more sessions and match sim starts, for now it’s mainly about what shape they’re in.

As always, feel free to ask any questions.

So the Darren Jarman medal goes to ..........Murray? by a short half head to Welsh......

But an overall improvement over last season's 1st session?

Great to see you back in action Bigman (sorry don't know how to link). Did you get an urge to run the boundary?

 

[1970crow]

We’re not seriously keeping Strachan and playing him in our SANFL side. McAndrew needs to ruck a lot to keep his fitness up just in case ROB is injured or plays poorly for 3 months. Then there’s Toby Murray, Finnbar and Ludowyke as tall forwards/pinch rucks and Marsh and Welsh. Add Strachan and that’s 7 forwards already without a single small or mid rotating.

Hopefully he’s just training to keep his fitness up, vaguely recall he’s got a coaching gig of some sort with us.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

We’re not seriously keeping Strachan and playing him in our SANFL side. McAndrew needs to ruck a lot to keep his fitness up just in case ROB is injured or plays poorly for 3 months. Then there’s Toby Murray, Finnbar and Ludowyke as tall forwards/pinch rucks and Marsh and Welsh. Add Strachan and that’s 7 forwards already without a single small or mid rotating.

Hopefully he’s just training to keep his fitness up, vaguely recall he’s got a coaching gig of some sort with us.

Perhaps a backup player if we get injuries.

 

[1970crow]

Perhaps a backup player if we get injuries.

We can nab him in the MSD if we need a ruck. He’d be better prepared leading the ruck at another SANFL club than being 2nd ruck to McAndrew. How are are developing mids going to rest forward if we’ve got 7 actual forwards in the side.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

We can nab him in the MSD if we need a ruck. He’d be better prepared leading the ruck at another SANFL club than being 2nd ruck to McAndrew. How are are developing mids going to rest forward if we’ve got 7 actual forwards in the side.

I'm not saying list him!

Rather he can remain as a top up player if he wants to cover injuries.

 

[whattagun07]

Great to be back. Not sure the boys were feeling the same by the end of the session though, she was hot!

This is probably my favourite session of the pre season as we get to see who has really put in the hard yards to get a step ahead of their teammates. No time trial today (that’ll likely be next week) but still plenty to take out of it.

Most of the squad was there aside from a few absences. Interestingly Dawson wasn’t there, while Draper apparently was but didn’t train outside at all. No Sholl, Neal-Bullen or Cumming. No Ah Chee either but he’s not allowed to be back training yet seeing as he played in the GF.

Thankfully not too many in the rehab group. Fog was in there and probably needs to fine down a touch over the next few weeks, doesn’t look in peak condition. Max and Hinge were also in rehab though Hinge looked basically ready to return to the main group. Max seems not too far off, did a mix of running and bike work along with Fog.

The biggest body change would probably go to Edwards. Last year he returned like a player who had eased off a bit, but this year he’s incredibly trim. I’d wager he’s dropped at least 3-4 kilos. Puts him in really good stead to impress the coaches.

As for the fittest, time trials are yet to come but clearly Rankine and Curtin are right up there. Rankine looks supremely fit and Curtin moved as good as I’ve seen - plus he trained without knee strapping for the first time. Both dominated the end of session running block, putting a sizeable gap on their teammates.

I was surprised just how quick and energetic the drills were. There wasn’t much easing in at all after the initial warm up, it was pretty gung ho actually. Skills were pretty sharp though the typical rust showed up from time to time, particularly late as the temperature reached 30 degrees and fatigue really set in.

Marsh and Cotton did a surprising amount of work for their first session, only being held out of the running part. It was certainly a lot more than Draper and Welsh did last year.

Ludowyke is still recovering from his PCL injury and was solely on the bike. Poor bloke was buggered by the end of it and looked to be chucking his breakfast up. The lads got around him as he was cycling which was good to see, Rachele even spraying water in his mouth and Tex having a chat which I’m sure is surreal for the kid.

Both Marsh and Cotton handled themselves well. Marsh is a great shape for a footballer and his kicking class already stands out. Loved seeing him put on a step to get out of trouble in defence during one of the drills.

Cotton was particularly impressive. Took a little bit of time to get into it but soon found his confidence and took a couple of lovely grabs at full stretch including an intercept mark on Laird. Ball drop is a touch loose but nothing worrying. Moves great for his height and although on the skinny side has the frame to put on size.

Maley is more solid than I thought, quite thick in the legs. Reasonable mover though a bit of a waddler. As expected, hands were good but kicking action leaves a lot to be desired. Had one awful grubber out of defence that led to an opposition goal.

Just to clarify, there were no set positions or groups of any kind. There were also no train on players though Drury was there and it would appear Strachan will play again this year as was training in the rehab group.

Aside from Rankine and Curtin, I thought Soligo was the other standout today. Looks noticeably trimmer than this time last year and clearly had his acceleration back.

Some player notes:

1. Jones - wish he played like he trained. Still looks a touch stocky to me but he trained great, can’t see how he gets into the team though unless we cop a bunch of injuries.

2. Keays - did most of the session, and as always was the last to head inside after doing a bunch of goal kicking practice. Has shaved the locks again.

3. Berry - looks super fit and noticeably tanned. Has his work cut out though after his finish to the year.

7. Thilthorpe - was great as you’d expect, not sure about the bucket hat though.

8. Rachele - looks in good nick though he did languish a little in the running. Trained with sunnies on which is questionable…

9. Murray - trained pretty well but is still pretty bulky, hopefully can get his speed and agility back this summer.

10. Pedlar - looks pretty trim and moved well, kicking was great. Curious to see his time trial.

15. Cook - definitely the best he’s looked physically though im not sure he will ever look ripped like some of his teammates.

17. Welsh - not rock hard fit but certainly an improvement. Kept up just fine in the running though there wasn’t a heap of it. Will be an interesting watch.

19. Taylor - didn’t see any noticeable change in physique but did fine in the running and thought he trained particularly well in the full ground drill where his class stood out.

21. Bond - just a much more assured player than his early days. Unsurprisingly is in great condition.

22. Ryan - pleasingly looks to have bulked up a bit more which should help break tackles and not lose possession which he is susceptible to doing at times.

27. Nankervis - still very light but think he just has that body shape which struggles to put on size.

31. Dowling - similar to Ryan looks to have added some much needed size, though he will never be a particularly big lad with those skinny shoulders.

41. Butts - bit of an Adonis these days! Seriously impressive build, looks real fit. Good sign.

42. McAndrew - for his height his foot skills and mobility are actually pretty good. Similar to Strachan though he appears to struggle putting on much size, though with the new rules it may not matter as much.

Early sessions are more about seeing who’s there, who’s not and which players look fit and primed. Overall I was pretty chuffed with that I saw today. It wasn’t the longest sesh (90 mins) but despite the heat I thought the energy was good and there wasn’t much lethargy at all.

My comments will get more detailed as I see more sessions and match sim starts, for now it’s mainly about what shape they’re in.

As always, feel free to ask any questions.

soooo flag yeah?