Training Pre-Season 2026 chat

[Pollywaffle]

SDK - if he was traded I’d be happy with it. Bloke just has no confidence marking when he’s 10cm taller than everyone.

Our most overrated player IMO. Seems to avoid scrutiny for his many average outings.

 

[Commando]

I think it's quite possible Gold Coast will beat us next week. I hope the guys can pull something out of the bag and play better than last night, but I think we may face a few early-season losses before the guys start hitting their straps. Fingers crossed we'll see a better performance though.

I'd be genuinely surprised if we beat GC up there, we've struggled up there at the best of times

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Our most overrated player IMO. Seems to avoid scrutiny for his many average outings.

I don't know how he can be over rated when he is universally hated

 

[Commando]

Our most overrated player IMO. Seems to avoid scrutiny for his many average outings.

Escaped scrutiny after the facial injury but this year has to be make or break - pardon the pun
I like the guy but he's a lover not a fighter, no mongrel unlike TDK

 

[MacStradbroke]

It's weird seeing a fair bit of criticism of Clark. I thought he was easily the best of our fringe types.

You won’t change the minds of those that have sacked him

 

[MacStradbroke]

Petracca doesn't get huge numbers like he used to either. He'll swap with Miller on a forward flank.

It's still a big test, but without Rowell it's not impossible. Was it O'Connor who shut down Anderson last time? Harder uo there, I'll admit.

Tom Stewart poleaxed Anderson at KP ( either last year or the year before)

 

[CoolCat75]

It was a pretty meh performance, but when you’ve made finals 13/15 years and top 4 in 6/7 last years, you back them in to peak by the first game. Some thoughts:

Interesting that Blicavs played a mix of key forward and wing. But only had 5 touches.

Worried about our small forward brigade, for the first time in a long time. No Miers, Stengle, Close seemed flat.

Mullin, Clarke, Bruin and COS look to have improved.

I don’t know where SDK or OHenry are at?

Edwards is competitive but is raw and don’t recall him taking a contested mark in either game.

Predicted Round 0 side.

FB: ZGuthrie O’Sullivan O’Connor
HB: Stewart Henry Humphries
C: Clarke Smith Dempsey
R: SDK Holmes Atkins
HF: Mannagh Blicavs OHenry
FF: Close Neal Danger

Int: Worpel Bruin Bowes Mullin Polk/Martin

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

Anyone know if Stanley is 'cooked' in the sense that he'll struggle to play any meaningful role this year, or 'cooked' like he was at the same time last year (bone on bone...can't play 2 games in a row...etc) before playing 19 games for the year?

 

[Mattttty]

Can I still watch the Carlton match anywhere? Looks like it's gone from Kayo?

 

[TheWoodenSlug]

Can I still watch the Carlton match anywhere? Looks like it's gone from Kayo?

Still there for me:

Stream Sports Online | Kayo Sports

Stream over 50 sports live and on demand with Kayo Sports, including AFL, NRL, cricket, motorsport, NBA and more, all in one streaming app.

kayosports.com.au

 

[Mattttty]

Still there for me:

Stream Sports Online | Kayo Sports

Stream over 50 sports live and on demand with Kayo Sports, including AFL, NRL, cricket, motorsport, NBA and more, all in one streaming app.

kayosports.com.au

Oh great, thank you!

 

[Lana]

I thought Clark showed more last night than has entire career to be honest

If he is playing in the role week in week out we’ll be losing that head to head match up most weeks

 

[Lingsface]

I think that would have more chance of working if we actually had all of our small forwards.

I could be wrong, but with no Miers or Stengle though, that small ball idea looks really impotent to my eye.

O.Henry, Dangerfield, Martin, and Close/Mannagh just doesn't look likely to put up a score to me. Particularly with Close moving like late career Dahlhaus at present.

I mean that's two guys who are debatable whether they're even best 23, and they're suddenly key players in this scenario.

I'm not saying we should throw the game or anything, but in the unlikely event that neither Cameron or Neale play (alongside Stengle/Miers) then we're really just in "limit the damage" territory IMO.

No team can cope with that kind of firepower taken out all at once and expect to compete, let alone against what's expected to be another contender.

We seemingly can't even play Wiltshire for shits and giggs in this situation either, as he's injured too.

It is a desperate plea for sure. We have some good match ups for King with COS or SDK who could keep him to a couple of goals. JUH isn't ready if they play him and Henry or Stewart play on him we have an attacking option because they will dominate him and Walter is an unknown. I think we are capable of beating Gold Coast with a lot of outs.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Can I still watch the Carlton match anywhere? Looks like it's gone from Kayo?

Shows up as a full replay on AFL app ( for those who don’t have KO)

 

[Pollywaffle]

It is a desperate plea for sure. We have some good match ups for King with COS or SDK who could keep him to a couple of goals. JUH isn't ready if they play him and Henry or Stewart play on him we have an attacking option because they will dominate him and Walter is an unknown. I think we are capable of beating Gold Coast with a lot of outs.

I’d rather play them at this time of the year when we should be used to the heat.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

They'll be favourites. Most people are picking them for top 4 or even top 2, first week at home, list peaking. We have a few question marks and absentees.

Watching last night’s Community Series hit-out, you could pretty clearly see the contrast between Carlton and us — and I don’t think it was about effort.

Yes, it was only a practice match, but it had the look of a team still loading up versus one already in season shape. Carlton’s ball movement was cleaner for longer stretches, they maintained pressure deeper into quarters, and they were quicker to the outside after stoppage. Geelong, by comparison, competed hard but faded in bursts — especially defensively when the game sped up, which usually screams conditioning rather than intent.

That lines up with preseason reality. Carlton missed finals and effectively got a longer, uninterrupted block of conditioning and match simulation. Geelong, coming off a deep finals run, had a shorter turnaround and typically spends more of the summer managing bodies than building pure running capacity (except for those young lads who didn't play finals). You could see it in repeat efforts and spread: the Cats’ first contest work was solid, but the second and third efforts weren’t always there yet.

I’m not worried. If anything, it looked like a side still in the heavy-legs phase — strong around stoppage, structurally sound, just not sustaining intensity for four quarters. Historically, teams coming off long finals campaigns tend to round into form a few weeks into the season, once match fitness replaces training fitness.

So I wouldn’t panic about the result. The foundations looked fine. It just felt like Geelong were a few matchloads behind. Give it a handful of rounds, and they should be much closer to the top-four standard supporters expect once the legs catch up to the game plan. But the downside to that is we might have a couple of losses early in the season as the team adjusts.

 

[MisterMarcus]

Wonder if there's a chance of playing Edwards primarily as a KPF if both Cameron and Neale are missing (or seriously underdone).

 

[Footy Smarts]

Wonder if there's a chance of playing Edwards primarily as a KPF if both Cameron and Neale are missing (or seriously underdone).

Polkinghorne would surely be ahead of him as a forward.

Edwards will play this year but I'm not sure we start with him because he looks a fair way off it physically.

 

[Footy Smarts]

If he is playing in the role week in week out we’ll be losing that head to head match up most weeks

That's the nature of being one of the last picked in the team. Somebody's going to be your 22nd or 23rd player.

The problem with Clark is he's not particularly suited to positions where you hide your worst players on the flanks and wings.

I think he's shown enough to think he'll get to an Atkins or Worpel level mid once his body fills out. Maybe better. We're better off backing him and developing that rather than going with a lower talent player who might be easier to hide at the moment.

 

[geelong_crazy26]

Our most overrated player IMO. Seems to avoid scrutiny for his many average outings.

If he was 198cm I’d almost go out on a limb and say he would be delisted by now.

202-204 ish cm mobile types are valued ten folds compared to similar types in the high 190cm bracket these days.

To be a 190-200cm key player you have to be talented, to be a 204cm key player, you just have to be mobile and competent.

Footy is turning more towards valuing athletics than anything wlse

 

[joe444]

I never thought I'd end up watching a game and thinking, "Gee, we could do with Jack Bowes

12

Jack Bowes

Age

28

Ht

189cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.3

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.5

4star

MG

318.1

4star

D

18.0

4star

K

11.8

5star

HB

6.3

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.1

2star

MG

318.1

4star

D

11.6

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

out there."

One of the great things about '22 (and even our first two finals) was that we planned with an eye to the players we had, not the ones we wished we had. We don't have a decent ruckman; the rules have changed. So plan around that.

Btw, it's good to see us posters getting some of the cobwebs out of the way; we'll all be better for the run.

 

[Play it Sam]

That's the nature of being one of the last picked in the team. Somebody's going to be your 22nd or 23rd player.

The problem with Clark is he's not particularly suited to positions where you hide your worst players on the flanks and wings.

I think he's shown enough to think he'll get to an Atkins or Worpel level mid once his body fills out. Maybe better. We're better off backing him and developing that rather than going with a lower talent player who might be easier to hide at the moment.

This is a very fair take. Don't know why we have to be so divisive over Clark, seems we're falling into for and against camps. It's the nature of BF to be judgemental, naysayers have gone as far back as Enright and Zuthrie. That doesn't mean we can't highlight weaknesses in individual games he plays, but overall Clark is a positive addition trying to meet expectations. GFC thinks so, anyway.

 

[Jack Richards]

How did you guys see Knevitt's game

 

[Play it Sam]

Polkinghorne would surely be ahead of him as a forward.

Edwards will play this year but I'm not sure we start with him because he looks a fair way off it physically.

Another one to persist with, tried hard but looked a bit lost, even if just an experimental praccy match. Gave away a goal and knew it too, confidence zapper, but he'll build on that.

 

[Gavin Excell]

This is a very fair take. Don't know why we have to be so divisive over Clark, seems we're falling into for and against camps. It's the nature of BF to be judgemental, naysayers have gone as far back as Enright and Zuthrie. That doesn't mean we can't highlight weaknesses in individual games he plays, but overall Clark is a positive addition trying to meet expectations. GFC thinks so, anyway.

His selection in the GF team suggests the club rates him