Bigman’s Training Reports (Update: 11th March)

[radiojake]

X Convenience Oval, Elizabeth

That's a bit of an oxymoron,
bloody Elizabeth

many moons ago, I participated in a footy clinic at Elizabeth Oval and Rod Jameson took our group - I managed to baulk (it wasn't selling candy back then) a kid who was somehow even more useless than me and Jamo said in response 'A la Peter Matera' and I thought I was a sure fire certainty to make it at that point

Plus I won an u/15 flag at that ground

So I wont be hearing any of this ground slander, even if I do hate Centrals

 

[cleanhands]

many moons ago, I participated in a footy clinic at Elizabeth Oval and Rod Jameson took our group - I managed to baulk (it wasn't selling candy back then) a kid who was somehow even more useless than me and Jamo said in response 'A la Peter Matera' and I thought I was a sure fire certainty to make it at that point

Plus I won an u/15 flag at that ground

So I wont be hearing any of this ground slander, even if I do hate Centrals

Elisabeth Oval must be known for baulking, I had many do that to me on that oval

 

[Eagleboy2011]

many moons ago, I participated in a footy clinic at Elizabeth Oval and Rod Jameson took our group - I managed to baulk (it wasn't selling candy back then) a kid who was somehow even more useless than me and Jamo said in response 'A la Peter Matera' and I thought I was a sure fire certainty to make it at that point

Plus I won an u/15 flag at that ground

So I wont be hearing any of this ground slander, even if I do hate Centrals

It a nice ground to view a match from but your car might not be there after the match.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

In an ideal world Keane never plays lockdown but as our premier interceptor .

Problem is Worrell is better suited to this role too.

So it comes down to whether we need to lockdown 1 or 2 key tall forwards as to whether Butts is needed or not.

 

[budget]

Reckon keane’s potential to be a very good player is underrated by our fans due to the odd brain fade

He’s a potential break out star this year , our best intercept player already but that could jump another level

Remarkable given where he’s come from

He won’t be happy his b[emoji637]tch Dixon has retired though

As long as he stops blaming everybody else for his brain fades.


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[Betts are off]

Just saw the insta stories and wow, Dan Curtin in an impressive physical specimen.

Last year I fell into the trap of worrying where he fit. This year I'm in the camp of just name him 1st and worry who else fits in around him.

If our coaches can't sculpt a gun out of that ridiculous ball of clay then fire the lot.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Elisabeth Oval must be known for baulking, I had many do that to me on that oval

Wilbur Wilson one of them ?

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Just saw the insta stories and wow, Dan Curtin in an impressive physical specimen.

Last year I fell into the trap of worrying where he fit. This year I'm in the camp of just name him 1st and worry who else fits in around him.

If our coaches can't sculpt a gun out of that ridiculous ball of clay then fire the lot.

Agree with this , just get him in and work around him

 

[Jeffcrowe]

As long as he stops blaming everybody else for his brain fades.


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Let’s say he has a brain fade every 2 games … who actually cares if he’s taking intercept marks and hitting targets that help set up multiple goals

Blaming others isnt great body language though

 

[cleanhands]

Wilbur Wilson one of them ?

He did some damage

 

[Jeffcrowe]

He did some damage

The best thing about playing against Wilbur was that he needed a rest after doing something brilliant

The worst thing was that after a rest he was ready to do something brilliant again

 

[cleanhands]

The best thing about playing against Wilbur was that he needed a rest after doing something brilliant

The worst thing was that after a rest he was ready to do something brilliant again

Yep terrific fella

 

[bigman]

Went down to Elizabeth today. Long drive but it’s a nice deck. It was a long session too - about two and a half hours.

One big positive is that a few of the rehab lads - namely Thilthorpe, Rachele, Pedlar, Nankervis and Ryan - all did the bulk of the session and looked to be moving pretty well. I did think Filthy looked a bit stiff early on but after about the halfway point he was an absolute force out there so hopefully after Christmas these back issues are no more. Did notice that Pedlar had a bit of strapping on his right knee and held back from really putting the jets on. Chayce also had some light knee strapping that wasn’t there previously.

Missing today were Milera and Welsh along with Strachan. Butts and Cumming were there but didn’t do any training or rehab. Tex was solely doing running once again. Not sure what’s the go with Welsh and Milera, hopefully nothing to worry about there.

Skills standard was a bit off early on, fair few kicks falling short. Maybe put off by having a small crowd watching. Thankfully the boys lifted as the session wore on and by the end there was some pretty slick stuff happening.

First major drill was groups of about 10 playing keeping’s off with handball within a small area. Taylor seemed to relish this drill with some pretty ludicrous handballs over his head and selling candy - he’s a real talent. Also noticed how quick Draper is to read the ball, always on the front foot.

The lads then split into two groups in what was essentially a half back transition drill, running alongside both boundaries. The ball started at a contest across half back, with the attacking team using handball and driving the legs out of congestion to hit targets up field. This drill really benefited players with wheels such as Rankine, Rachele and Schoenberg who all stood out.

Next was a match sim style drill in two thirds of the ground and involved three teams rotating every 10 minutes (the non-playing team occupied the other third and did their own kicking drill). This was when Thilthorpe just absolutely dominated as the deep forward and was too good for the likes of Keane and Borlase.

The three groups then became two, with about 15 minutes of match sim (including a couple of centre bounces). Teams seemed reasonably evenly matched although the blue team appeared the stronger of the two. What few CBA’s there were involved O’Brien and McAndrew in the ruck along with Dawson, Soligo, Crouch, Schoenberg, Berry, Draper and Peatling. With greater numbers it definitely made speedy ball movement difficult for the lads, who sometimes probably slowed the play down a little too much at times, but it was interesting seeing them adapt to the congestion that comes with full teams.

Finally there was a bunch of running with the mids going along the boundary at a fast clip while the rest went up and down the ground. A few of the boys ie Thilthorpe sat this section out. I noticed that the midfield group would sometimes switch up who took the lead, including the lesser runners like Taylor and Edwards. In fact Taylor was told to lead the final set and really gave it his all, he was buggered at the end but got a lot of love from Burgo and the players. Good stuff.

All the boys then grouped up for a quick chat in the middle of the ground, led by Tex and Dawson. It had the look of a final speech before the Christmas break but according to Daws they finish up on the 18th. I’ll keep an ear out on whether it actually was the last session or not - if anyone hears, let me know. Would save me some petrol and embarrassment.

Player thoughts:

Crouch - unsurprisingly got a bunch of it during the sim drills and even when others slowed things down he seemed to make a concerted effort to keep speed on the ball. Kicking was excellent today.

Curtin - led the midfield group once again during a lot of the running. He’s a serious specimen this kid and a very hard worker. Intercepted the ball at one point across half forward, dished off a handball and sprinted towards goal to eventually receive it back and kick the snag. Also more jovial and upbeat at training than you might think, similar to Worrell in that he’s quite vocal and gets around the lads.

Thilthorpe - as I said, looked a bit stiff early on but it wasn’t long before he came into his own and became almost unstoppable out there. His hands are so much better than any one else out there and he has a real presence these days. Please stay fit.

Rachele - wore the fluro hat but didn’t seem to be affected by whatever injury he had. In fact I thought he was the standout performer once again today. Looked fast and agile, took a couple clunk marks and kicking was razor sharp. Struggled a bit in the running at the end of the session but he had already done a power of work so I’m not overly concerned.

Pedlar - good to see him doing most of the training but he really needs to watch his kicking. He lacks touch by foot and often overcooks (or undercooks) the kick. For a skilful player he can be really quite wasteful at times.

Michalanney - had a great contest with Taylor at half back which he won (Taylor returned serve not long after with a ripping tackle). Is a great mover out there and a brutal competitor as we know. He does need to watch his kicking though, a bit too often he gets lazy on the kick and lets it hit the deck.

Rankine - aside from a couple of turnovers he was sublime in the match sim and really is on another level out there. I don’t talk about him a whole lot in these reports as we already know how good he is.

Peatling - was one of the best performers out there today and has definitely stood out more in the last few sessions. Thankfully appears to have dodged a bullet with that hole at Richmond Oval. Very elusive and sharp in mind, always looks to move the ball on quickly. Kicking has been rock solid too. Loves a bucket hat.

Schoenberg - liked what he did today. Put the jets on a number of times and I thought his ball use was quality even when at high speed. Looks confident at the moment. Obviously has a hard task ahead of him but he’s definitely giving it a real shot.

Neal-Bullen - elite trainer and almost never makes a skill error. He’s clinical out there and definitely helps prevent training sessions spiralling into lacklustre, mistake-ridden affairs. Excited about what he will do for us this season.

Smith - didn’t do much wrong but watching him today I couldn’t help but think he looked like a player who knows opportunities will be few and far between. Maybe looking too much into it but he’s just seemed to lack his customary zip and energy lately.

Gallagher - definitely growing in confidence and has genuinely come on in leaps and bounds in recent weeks. Last year he would barely touch it but that’s not the case at the moment. Still looks unsure when in possession at times but had one great moment where he gathered the ball clean as a whistle and exploded towards an open goal. Probably the first time I thought he looked like an AFL player. Still up against it but there’s no denying he’s come a long way.

Toby Murray - was having a pretty ordinary session but found his groove halfway through and started clunking a few contested marks which was great to see. Bit of an enigma, not sure he’s ready to step up to the next level yet if called upon. Needs a bit more time but there is some talent there.

 

[StickerMan]

Player thoughts:


Curtin - led the midfield group once again during a lot of the running. He’s a serious specimen this kid and a very hard worker. Intercepted the ball at one point across half forward, dished off a handball and sprinted towards goal to eventually receive it back and kick the snag. Also more jovial and upbeat at training than you might think, similar to Worrell in that he’s quite vocal and gets around the lads.

Thilthorpe - as I said, looked a bit stiff early on but it wasn’t long before he came into his own and became almost unstoppable out there. His hands are so much better than any one else out there and he has a real presence these days. Please stay fit.

Rachele - wore the fluro hat but didn’t seem to be affected by whatever injury he had. In fact I thought he was the standout performer once again today. Looked fast and agile, took a couple clunk marks and kicking was razor sharp. Struggled a bit in the running at the end of the session but he had already done a power of work so I’m not overly concerned.

These three bits will go a long way to having us shoot up the ladder, should it translate into in-season performance/improvement.

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Went down to Elizabeth today. Long drive but it’s a nice deck. It was a long session too - about two and a half hours.

One big positive is that a few of the rehab lads - namely Thilthorpe, Rachele, Pedlar, Nankervis and Ryan - all did the bulk of the session and looked to be moving pretty well. I did think Filthy looked a bit stiff early on but after about the halfway point he was an absolute force out there so hopefully after Christmas these back issues are no more. Did notice that Pedlar had a bit of strapping on his right knee and held back from really putting the jets on. Chayce also had some light knee strapping that wasn’t there previously.

Missing today were Milera and Welsh along with Strachan. Butts and Cumming were there but didn’t do any training or rehab. Tex was solely doing running once again. Not sure what’s the go with Welsh and Milera, hopefully nothing to worry about there.

Skills standard was a bit off early on, fair few kicks falling short. Maybe put off by having a small crowd watching. Thankfully the boys lifted as the session wore on and by the end there was some pretty slick stuff happening.

First major drill was groups of about 10 playing keeping’s off with handball within a small area. Taylor seemed to relish this drill with some pretty ludicrous handballs over his head and selling candy - he’s a real talent. Also noticed how quick Draper is to read the ball, always on the front foot.

The lads then split into two groups in what was essentially a half back transition drill, running alongside both boundaries. The ball started at a contest across half back, with the attacking team using handball and driving the legs out of congestion to hit targets up field. This drill really benefited players with wheels such as Rankine, Rachele and Schoenberg who all stood out.

Next was a match sim style drill in two thirds of the ground and involved three teams rotating every 10 minutes (the non-playing team occupied the other third and did their own kicking drill). This was when Thilthorpe just absolutely dominated as the deep forward and was too good for the likes of Keane and Borlase.

The three groups then became two, with about 15 minutes of match sim (including a couple of centre bounces). Teams seemed reasonably evenly matched although the blue team appeared the stronger of the two. What few CBA’s there were involved O’Brien and McAndrew in the ruck along with Dawson, Soligo, Crouch, Schoenberg, Berry, Draper and Peatling. With greater numbers it definitely made speedy ball movement difficult for the lads, who sometimes probably slowed the play down a little too much at times, but it was interesting seeing them adapt to the congestion that comes with full teams.

Finally there was a bunch of running with the mids going along the boundary at a fast clip while the rest went up and down the ground. A few of the boys ie Thilthorpe sat this section out. I noticed that the midfield group would sometimes switch up who took the lead, including the lesser runners like Taylor and Edwards. In fact Taylor was told to lead the final set and really gave it his all, he was buggered at the end but got a lot of love from Burgo and the players. Good stuff.

All the boys then grouped up for a quick chat in the middle of the ground, led by Tex and Dawson. It had the look of a final speech before the Christmas break but according to Daws they finish up on the 18th. I’ll keep an ear out on whether it actually was the last session or not - if anyone hears, let me know. Would save me some petrol and embarrassment.

Player thoughts:

Crouch - unsurprisingly got a bunch of it during the sim drills and even when others slowed things down he seemed to make a concerted effort to keep speed on the ball. Kicking was excellent today.

Curtin - led the midfield group once again during a lot of the running. He’s a serious specimen this kid and a very hard worker. Intercepted the ball at one point across half forward, dished off a handball and sprinted towards goal to eventually receive it back and kick the snag. Also more jovial and upbeat at training than you might think, similar to Worrell in that he’s quite vocal and gets around the lads.

Thilthorpe - as I said, looked a bit stiff early on but it wasn’t long before he came into his own and became almost unstoppable out there. His hands are so much better than any one else out there and he has a real presence these days. Please stay fit.

Rachele - wore the fluro hat but didn’t seem to be affected by whatever injury he had. In fact I thought he was the standout performer once again today. Looked fast and agile, took a couple clunk marks and kicking was razor sharp. Struggled a bit in the running at the end of the session but he had already done a power of work so I’m not overly concerned.

Pedlar - good to see him doing most of the training but he really needs to watch his kicking. He lacks touch by foot and often overcooks (or undercooks) the kick. For a skilful player he can be really quite wasteful at times.

Michalanney - had a great contest with Taylor at half back which he won (Taylor returned serve not long after with a ripping tackle). Is a great mover out there and a brutal competitor as we know. He does need to watch his kicking though, a bit too often he gets lazy on the kick and lets it hit the deck.

Rankine - aside from a couple of turnovers he was sublime in the match sim and really is on another level out there. I don’t talk about him a whole lot in these reports as we already know how good he is.

Peatling - was one of the best performers out there today and has definitely stood out more in the last few sessions. Thankfully appears to have dodged a bullet with that hole at Richmond Oval. Very elusive and sharp in mind, always looks to move the ball on quickly. Kicking has been rock solid too. Loves a bucket hat.

Schoenberg - liked what he did today. Put the jets on a number of times and I thought his ball use was quality even when at high speed. Looks confident at the moment. Obviously has a hard task ahead of him but he’s definitely giving it a real shot.

Neal-Bullen - elite trainer and almost never makes a skill error. He’s clinical out there and definitely helps prevent training sessions spiralling into lacklustre, mistake-ridden affairs. Excited about what he will do for us this season.

Smith - didn’t do much wrong but watching him today I couldn’t help but think he looked like a player who knows opportunities will be few and far between. Maybe looking too much into it but he’s just seemed to lack his customary zip and energy lately.

Gallagher - definitely growing in confidence and has genuinely come on in leaps and bounds in recent weeks. Last year he would barely touch it but that’s not the case at the moment. Still looks unsure when in possession at times but had one great moment where he gathered the ball clean as a whistle and exploded towards an open goal. Probably the first time I thought he looked like an AFL player. Still up against it but there’s no denying he’s come a long way.

Toby Murray - was having a pretty ordinary session but found his groove halfway through and started clunking a few contested marks which was great to see. Bit of an enigma, not sure he’s ready to step up to the next level yet if called upon. Needs a bit more time but there is some talent there.

taylor is such a natural football talent, even more talent than Soligo IMO , glad that he's trying to get fitter to give himself some chance as its a tough sport if you can't run all game

 

[Crow till I die]

As long as he stops blaming everybody else for his brain fades.


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Best intercept player? I'd be thinking Worrell is our best intercept in the backlines. He is a level up from Keane imo

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Best intercept player? I'd be thinking Worrell is our best intercept in the backlines. He is a level up from Keane imo

Not by the stats

Keane takes more intercept marks last year by average and overall by far

We are a very low intercept mark side which makes him even more important

I think we were bottom few , if we don’t improve that we will struggle

 

[WeeBlake]

Our list demographics mean we really should see a lot of improvement this year.

It’s exciting!

 

[Golumless]

Best intercept player? I'd be thinking Worrell is our best intercept in the backlines. He is a level up from Keane imo

Nah, Keane is an absolute monster on the intercept side of things.

 

[budget]

Let’s say he has a brain fade every [emoji638] games … who actually cares if he’s taking intercept marks and hitting targets that help set up multiple goals

Blaming others isnt great body language though

I do agree but it’s not a good look to your team mates when you constantly shrug your shoulders as if to say “well it’s not my fault”.


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[cmndstab]

Not by the stats

Keane takes more intercept marks last year by average and overall by far

We are a very low intercept mark side which makes him even more important

I think we were bottom few , if we don’t improve that we will struggle

Both are quality intercept markers. I think Keane takes a few more intercept marks because he goes for more of them, arguably more than he should. Those extra intercept marks were also accompanied by extra instances of his opponents getting marks they shouldn't have gotten.

A player could probably lead the league in intercept marks if they just ran off their player every time and tried to intercept the ball, but I don't think their coach would be very happy about it.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Why are we a lowly ranked intercept marking team?

 

[cmndstab]

Why are we a lowly ranked intercept marking team?

If I had to guess, it's because our midfield is not good at putting pressure on their opposition, so the passes into our D50 tend to hit targets.

 

[Golumless]

Why are we a lowly ranked intercept marking team?

We seem to be of the opinion that if there is risk, spoil (we're top 3 for spoils, behind GCS and Sydney this year). That said, we were bottom 5 for intercept marks with Sydney and GWS being lower. In differences between us and our opponent, in the last two years we've been out intercept marked and spoiled though.

Though it's likely to do with how we run our defense and that we're quite comfortable backing our defenders one-on-one (which likely flows on to they get a lot more bad situations to deal with). Seeing we average the 2nd most defensive one v one contests and to the teams credit, they have the fourth best record in them with a 23.6% loss rate (for context, we win 30.1% forward one v ones for the 2nd highest record)

 

[Jeffcrowe]

Why are we a lowly ranked intercept marking team?

Because we don’t have many natural intercept marks - Yet

Melb have Lever and May , hawks Sicily , Geelong Stewart , Port Alir , brisbane Andrew’s , Carlton Weitering, bulldogs Jones , freo Ryan

While I rate our defence as a whole we don’t have anyone at that level as a player in terms of intercept marks YET

Keane > Worrell > Max are our chances to push into those categories in my opinion

Even Muz can take some marks