Deleted

[StonesThrow]

Oh woops yeah I was meant to go.

 

[cmndstab]

I went down today, met up with the Big Rig (I'm not giving you two 'G's in Riggy man ) but didn't bother to ask anyone if they were from Bigfooty because it was damn cold and I kinda just wanted to stand still and shiver


Almost the entire session was match-day drills which is quite enjoyable to watch but hard to take anything meaningful to write from So I'll just make a few quick comments about the players that stood out to me...


Talia is still training with the injured group, presumably recovering from his hamstring problems. I hope that's what it was because he was just kicking back and forth with a trainer at one stage and his kicking was awful, skewing off the boot a few times and generally not being very clean. Hopefully it was just the injury. He's certainly a decent size already though and has solid legs on him, always good to see. VB and Bock were with the injured group too but left early. Doughty was with them for a while, as was Rutten, but then both Doughty and Rutten joined the main group later on which surprised me. I don't think Symes was out there. Moran wasn't. Henderson was out there for a while but must have taken off early while I wasn't watching. Most likely they were going to work inside and get out of the rain.

The first two sessions I went to this year, one player stood out to me each time, namely Tippett and Jacky. This time it was our old mate Scotty Stevens who was playing primarily as a forward in the match drills and just read the ball better than anyone else. He was often out of position or a few men back in a marking contest and would somehow float to the front and take the ball very cleanly. He looked a treat today. I wonder if they intend to use him forward or back next season?

Sellar, as always, looked the goods too. He was chasing hard, generally used the ball well, and didn't do anything wrong while he was out there. He's definitely a training specialist. At one stage one of the other ruckmen managed to hold him up and go in but he managed to dish off the handball nicely.

Dangerfield still worries me how much he runs around in circles He seems to me like he's still trying to do too much. It will be interesting to see if this remains an issue once next season starts.

Petrenko was being used as a small forward today, whereas Jacky was played primarily on a wing. Petrenko had a few nice moments but I don't think leading is a strength for him. Douglas was playing as the crumbing forward and generally read it pretty well.

James Craig and Jack Gunston were training with the main group today which was great to see - Gunston didn't look out of place at all (and looks frighteningly like a smaller version of McKernan) though his much-vaunted kicking skills were not really on show. Riggy assures me he grubbered one ball intentionally but I'm not convinced He laid a beautiful tackle at one stage, bringing Armstrong to the ground after the full 360.

Speaking of Armstrong, they were using him through the middle a fair bit and he looked fairly classy, though as is often the case with him he generally followed two good things with one disappointing thing. Showed off a gorgeous side-step at one stage and delivered it pinpoint, but next time got caught HTB by Taylor Walker, and then somehow recovered the ball when Walker kicked it into him while he was standing the mark. One thing is for sure, he's starting to really stand out in that squad as someone with a spark that not many of them have. He could be key for us in the future.

Walker looked pretty good - could have gone harder at one ball when Goodwin put in the gut-running to affect the spoil, but followed it up with a beautiful contested mark against Johncock, who was training with the main group today and looked pretty good himself. At one point Johncock got the ball and ran away from Walker who put on the chase. He never caught him but chased him the length of the ground so at least he's putting in the hard yards. Walker is not fast but he's as fit as a fiddle, never stops working. I like what I'm seeing from him I think with Walker they've recognised that he probably won't get a clunking big defender, but more of a utility defender in the Goodwin mould and are trying to play those sorts of defenders on him - players with more pace than him but less height advantage.

Craig lined up at full back today rather than ruck and held his own without really managing to stop Tippett (but who could blame him?) - again, he didn't look out of place. He is an enormous man at the moment.


Disaster of the training session was unquestionably when I realised that Maric has taken off the beard. He's still got the long hair though, hope he keeps it

That's most of what I noticed at the session. Donnelly and Shaw were absent. Apparently Riley was there but I never saw him. Mackay was clean as always, McKernan was being used as a running defender, and also occasionally as the forward. Davis as a defender who did alright without being dominant. Sloane got a bit of the ball but not as much as normal. Cook looked pretty good but was often on the other side of the ground from me so I couldn't see his work in close. Schmidt's disposal is still not great. Young did some nice things and I didn't see him miss a target (he only ever went short mind you) so his kicking didn't let him down.


Highlight of the training session was when a couple of players were trying to kick goals and others were trying to put them off. It was pouring with rain and most of the guys with the putting off role were just standing with their arms crossed trying to stay warm, but Sloaney kept yelling at them and bouncing around. At one point Douglas was running up for the goal and he yelled out a slow "RIIICH-EEEEY BOOOOOOOOY!!!" and managed to successfully put him off. Afterwards Jacky was going for a goal and Sloaney was bouncing everywhere but Jacky managed to slot the goal and he went bezerk, jumping around and cheering, pumping the fists in the air and getting in the faces of a few of the boys. They seemed to be having fun

 

[Macjoe]

Thanks, Commands-TAB. (Is that right?)

Really good read on a dismal arvo. Been called back to consult at a few of my od workplaces, and was thinking how useful the dollars would be as I opened the mail to find a bill from the ATO. That sucks. So thanks for the cheery news.

 

[cmndstab]

It was originally short for Commander Stab but nowadays I try to just be cmndstab because it's less embarrassing


Glad you enjoyed the read Every time I watch them train it makes me realise how much I miss the footy season

 

[Riggy1]

I went down today, met up with the Big Rig (I'm not giving you two 'G's in Riggy man )

I don't think Symes was out there.

injured group. I pointed him out wondering why the hell he was out there considering Triple MMM said this morning that he was having surgery today

Gunston didn't look out of place at all (and looks frighteningly like a smaller version of McKernan) though his much-vaunted kicking skills were not really on show. Riggy assures me he grubbered one ball intentionally but I'm not convinced

if you watched the ball drop you knew he was trying to grubber it end over end. He had another kick where he held it all un-co but he got the goal so im not complaining

It was pouring with rain and most of the guys with the putting off role were just standing with their arms crossed trying to stay warm, but Sloaney kept yelling at them and bouncing around. At one point Douglas was running up for the goal and he yelled out a slow "RIIICH-EEEEY BOOOOOOOOY!!!" and managed to successfully put him off.

I thought you said it was BIIIITTTTTTCCCHHHHHHYYYYYYYYY BOOOOOOOYYY

Afterwards Jacky was going for a goal and Sloaney was bouncing everywhere but Jacky managed to slot the goal and he went bezerk, jumping around and cheering, pumping the fists in the air and getting in the faces of a few of the boys. They seemed to be having fun

that was funny, him just going berserk

 

[jo172]

Disaster of the training session

After what happened to Otten please avoid this turn of phrase

 

[fartass]

You not the only one with a embarresing user name, i should of changed mine years ago......

gr8 write up, love gettin these reports. Thanks heaps.

 

[WALL-e]

Thanks for the report Stabreagous.

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

I was down there for a little bit, didnt get too see too much, noticed the big chase Tex put in but I also heard Neil Craig screaming at him to chase. Im sure he was going to chase anyway but it was very evident that its a big focus of Craigs.

McKernan just looks so good everytime I see him, strong hands and great movement for a big lad. One of the drills where he had to draw one of the coaching staff towards him then fire off a handball, he just dodged and weaved inside instead and hit his target by foot. Very Impressive.

Sellar certainly is a good trainer, hopefully he gained some confidence from last year and he will take it into this season.

Stabby, which one were you? were you or Riggy wearing a dark blue and red jumper?

 

[Riggy1]

Stabby, which one were you? were you or Riggy wearing a dark blue and red jumper?

I was wearing a dark blue and red jacket (from the same football club that NSW Scholarship player Aaron Duncan plays for), with light blue jeans
cmndstab was wearing a dark green jumper with dark blue shorts

we started over in the bus area, then we went for a walk around to the other pocket on the Northern End then we went back to the bus area when the rain came back

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Might of been you lads I saw then, you rather tall? I was over near the bus shelter too, I was only there for half an hour or so, I was on my lunch break.

 

[cmndstab]

injured group. I pointed him out wondering why the hell he was out there considering Triple MMM said this morning that he was having surgery today

if you watched the ball drop you knew he was trying to grubber it end over end. He had another kick where he held it all un-co but he got the goal so im not complaining

I thought you said it was BIIIITTTTTTCCCHHHHHHYYYYYYYYY BOOOOOOOYYY

that was funny, him just going berserk

Yeah, I remember you pointing out Symes but I thought we deduced that it was Doughty? If it was Symes he took off very early.

I didn't see his ball drop so I can't talk After all I'm not a veritable AFL Sydney legend like some posters here

I thought he said Bitchy Boy, which is what it sounded like, but it does seem more likely that he'd be saying Richie Boy. Or maybe not

Jacky is awesome.


BR&G - Yeah, as Riggy said, I was the one not wearing long pants. Sorry for not coming over and saying hi, I saw a few people that I thought were probably BF people (I didn't really get a good look at you last time I was there at the same time as you ) but I just wasn't in the mood for going and asking everyone in the rain so I didn't make the effort Come and say hi next time if you see me!

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

Thats cool mate, as I said I wasnt there for too long, and if I got chatting I probably wouldnt of wanted to return to work, especially with this weather.

 

[Riggy1]

oh and Nathan Bassett was there too
I was expecting him to ignore me
but he acknowledged and thanked me when I wished him good luck this comming season as the coach of Norwood

 

[fartass]

no Knights on the track?

he have a op or something?

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

whats the deal with the umpires? I was assuming they are sanfl blokes who are using it as training but then I noticed they are all wearing crows gear, so not sure if it is a crows thing to have them involved or not, can anyone shed any light?

 

[cmndstab]

Knights was there fartass, he just didn't really stand out to me. Only noticed him a couple of times. In the past I've noticed him all over the place so perhaps I was just not paying enough attention


BR&G - they are umpires in training. The guy in the navy blue wasn't actually wearing Crows uiform as far as I can tell. He's their trainer. Apparently the two young umpires in training were getting into trouble because they were ballwatching rather than watching the wrestling going on behind play, and when it was pointed out to them the players didn't like being told they were wrestling and argued about it, so now the umpies have been given free reign to boot the players from the field if they carry on

 

[Blue Red and Gold]

haha yeah I can imagine a young umpire kicking a player off the ground during training.

 

[fartass]

thanks stab

as long as we have no o'halpin sought of issues during traning they can carry on all they like