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Training Pre-Season 2026 chat

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Tony Barber said:
I swear that this Jhye character is just a planted troll.
Kudos for joining in 07' and waiting until now to have a conniption.

20 years is dedication.
Click to expand...
KGB style sleeper agent from the Hawthorn board.

Strange that it took nearly 20 years to activate. Wonder what the trigger word was?

Worpel?
 
All I can see is Chris Scott
IMG_0266.webp
 

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TomsBulgingDisc said:
I think the heat he catches isn't necessarily about his skill as a ruckman, but more about his ability/desire to compete physically. That's been an issue across the ground for him for a number of years.

Rucks who don't/can't compete physically generally cop a pasting, and rightly so.
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When SDK broke into the team, his first year as a key back went at 1.6 contested marks per game.
He was out judging and out marking some of the best key forwards in the game, basically as a rookie kid.

I thought... wow this kid is only gonna get bigger, better, stronger and be an absolute brick wall.

Since then he has gone at 0.7, 0.7 and 0.6 contested marks per game.

It's very rare that players go backwards at such a rate after breaking into the team... But SDK has.

Look at Harris Andrews now... That's the brick wall I would have put my house on SDK becoming.

He became so poor in the backline they chucked him in the ruck.... now he is a poor ruck.

Circumstances have not helped though... the knocks and the fact our rucks have been putrid for years has meant we've also had to take him from the backline and have him play ruck.

Still... he was going backwards in defence before the ruck stuff.

To me, It feels like we had a lock stock superstar full back that was gonna own that D50 for 10+ years, and he has been very poor since looking so good.

People saw the talent (+ results as a baby key back) and I understand them being critical and very disappointed with SDK.

Boy would it be nice for him to bounce back... it's been long enough now for us to really start to doubt it will happen.
 
D BRIDGE said:
When SDK broke into the team, his first year as a key back went at 1.6 contested marks per game.
He was out judging and out marking some of the best key forwards in the game, basically as a rookie kid.

I thought... wow this kid is only gonna get bigger, better, stronger and be an absolute brick wall.

Since then he has gone at 0.7, 0.7 and 0.6 contested marks per game.

It's very rare that players go backwards at such a rate after breaking into the team... But SDK has.

Look at Harris Andrews now... That's the brick wall I would have put my house on SDK becoming.

He became so poor in the backline they chucked him in the ruck.... now he is a poor ruck.

Circumstances have not helped though... the knocks and the fact our rucks have been putrid for years has meant we've also had to take him from the backline and have him play ruck.

Still... he was going backwards in defence before the ruck stuff.

To me, It feels like we had a lock stock superstar full back that was gonna own that D50 for 10+ years, and he has been very poor since looking so good.

People saw the talent (+ results as a baby key back) and I understand them being critical and very disappointed with SDK.

Boy would it be nice for him to bounce back... it's been long enough now for us to really start to doubt it will happen.
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His hands have just completely deserted him. Every week he has 1-2 contested marks where he's in good position and just doesn't clunk them. The sort of ones that gun marking players take the majority of the time.

One of the reasons I like him in the ruck is when he inevitably drops those marks they're not 20m out from our defensive goal with the ball falling in the perfect spot for their crumbers.
 
SDK's value to us is as a spoiling FB, up against the monsters that Henry and even COS can't reach. COS has overtaken him as an intercept mark and ofc Henry is also good at that. I'm happy for him to just use his height down there to spoil, I don't expect him to be a Harris Andrews.

I thought he had started to regain some form/confidence when played as a back for an extended time, but when he was moved into the ruck for some games last year, including the praccies this year, he looks like he doesn't want to be there. Being bashed into by a ruckman just as tall and a lot heavier is not to his liking. And he has poor ruck skills. I suppose we are being forced into rucking him for the obvious reasons. I think Edwards is already a better ruck (praccie match stats back it up) but ofc has a lot to learn otherwise. I think Edwards may be main ruck with Blicavs back up by mid year, and this will allow SDK to go back to FB.
 
D BRIDGE said:
When SDK broke into the team, his first year as a key back went at 1.6 contested marks per game.
He was out judging and out marking some of the best key forwards in the game, basically as a rookie kid.

I thought... wow this kid is only gonna get bigger, better, stronger and be an absolute brick wall.

Since then he has gone at 0.7, 0.7 and 0.6 contested marks per game.

It's very rare that players go backwards at such a rate after breaking into the team... But SDK has.

Look at Harris Andrews now... That's the brick wall I would have put my house on SDK becoming.

He became so poor in the backline they chucked him in the ruck.... now he is a poor ruck.

Circumstances have not helped though... the knocks and the fact our rucks have been putrid for years has meant we've also had to take him from the backline and have him play ruck.

Still... he was going backwards in defence before the ruck stuff.

To me, It feels like we had a lock stock superstar full back that was gonna own that D50 for 10+ years, and he has been very poor since looking so good.

People saw the talent (+ results as a baby key back) and I understand them being critical and very disappointed with SDK.

Boy would it be nice for him to bounce back... it's been long enough now for us to really start to doubt it will happen.
Click to expand...
He has time to bounce back. I will be officially worried if we are saying same thing end of this season.

I just think he has too much going for him not to be a very good player and I am hoping it is just a confidence and “groove” thing which we see click sometime this year.
 
Looking at our fixture, there has been talk about our tough start, which is true to some extent. We play 2025 finalists in 5 out of the first 6 games. But the most brutal stretch is Round 9-18. These 9 games include away trips to Bris, Adel, Freo and Adel. Plus Bris at home. Anyway, if we break the season into thirds, I think this is how we target top 4.

OpponentVenueResult
R0SunsPeople
R1DockersGMHBA
R3CrowsGMHBA
R4HawksMCG
R5EaglesNorwood
R6BulldogsGMHBA
R7PowerAdelaide
R8KangaroosGMHBA
Win-Loss6-2
R9MagpiesMCG
R10LionsGabba
R11SwansGMHBA
R12BluesMCG
R13CrowsAdelaide
R14SunsGMHBA
R15DockersOptus
R17LionsGMHBA
R18GiantsENGIE
Win-Loss5-4
R19SaintsGMHBA
R20DemonsMCG
R21MagpiesMCG
R22BombersGMHBA
R23KangaroosMarvel
R24TigersGMHBA
Win-Loss5-1

Win-Loss : 16-7
Or another way to get to 16 wins is to go :

Home : 8-2
Gather Round : 1-1
Interstate : 2-4 (or 3-3)
MCG Marvel : 5-1 (or 4-2)

To quote Rob Schneider from The Waterboy - “You can do it!”
 
GlenMiddlemissed said:
SDK's value to us is as a spoiling FB, up against the monsters that Henry and even COS can't reach. COS has overtaken him as an intercept mark and ofc Henry is also good at that. I'm happy for him to just use his height down there to spoil, I don't expect him to be a Harris Andrews.

I thought he had started to regain some form/confidence when played as a back for an extended time, but when he was moved into the ruck for some games last year, including the praccies this year, he looks like he doesn't want to be there. Being bashed into by a ruckman just as tall and a lot heavier is not to his liking. And he has poor ruck skills. I suppose we are being forced into rucking him for the obvious reasons. I think Edwards is already a better ruck (praccie match stats back it up) but ofc has a lot to learn otherwise. I think Edwards may be main ruck with Blicavs back up by mid year, and this will allow SDK to go back to FB.
Click to expand...

Spot on.
Pinch hit in the ruck, but play predominately as the main man down back on the opposition's tallest forward. IMO that's SDK's best role.

On Edwards, he's fit at the moment, played with team in the last 2 practice games, and his form in the ruck has been no worse than SDK's this pre-season. IMO he also has a higher ceiling in the ruck than SDK.
Will he get beaten by Witts? Probably but I reckon SDK will as well.
As for the weather, a ruck is just as important in the rain as the dry.
Might as well play the Edwards/Blicavs combo now and play SDK on King and in his best role.

I'm not against SDK, Blicavs & Neale playing in the ruck against G.C., just hoping we might be bold in addressing our biggest issue heading into 2026.
 

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GlenMiddlemissed said:
SDK's value to us is as a spoiling FB, up against the monsters that Henry and even COS can't reach. COS has overtaken him as an intercept mark and ofc Henry is also good at that. I'm happy for him to just use his height down there to spoil, I don't expect him to be a Harris Andrews.

I thought he had started to regain some form/confidence when played as a back for an extended time, but when he was moved into the ruck for some games last year, including the praccies this year, he looks like he doesn't want to be there. Being bashed into by a ruckman just as tall and a lot heavier is not to his liking. And he has poor ruck skills. I suppose we are being forced into rucking him for the obvious reasons. I think Edwards is already a better ruck (praccie match stats back it up) but ofc has a lot to learn otherwise. I think Edwards may be main ruck with Blicavs back up by mid year, and this will allow SDK to go back to FB.
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Edwards isnt ready but I agree with the rest.
 
I think Edwars, much lke Conway and Mollier for that matter could turn into anything.

That said for 2026... I worry regarding Edwards for 2 things - tank and durability.

The tank will come - much like being told to kms running after the Blues game which he played most of.

What bothers me now is with the crash and bash now allowed, is hus body holding up to. Gawn, Grundy, Witts... all giants but solid giants... jumping into Edwards... or SDK for that matter.... just not ready or built for it.

I hate to say it but Neale has the build for it - same with Stanley really - but this is where not getting Marshall will be a 25 game reminder to why we needed him.

I dont have the solution - Blitz probably and leave SDK and Neale to chop out F and D 50 rucks... and use the 23rd player as an extra set of legs.

GO Catters
 
They'll want to get games into Edwards but likely will pick and choose who he goes up against. In a perfect world Edwards plays 3 or 4 games in the first 8. The others we make do with Stanley, SDK and Blitz. Conway rises from the dead at Easter and we swap between he and Edwards in the second half of the year with Stanley giving the occasional chop out. That's the dream scenario. Highly likely we end up having to go with SDK and Blitz with cameos from Stanley.
 
dazbroncos said:
I think Edwars, much lke Conway and Mollier for that matter could turn into anything.

That said for 2026... I worry regarding Edwards for 2 things - tank and durability.

The tank will come - much like being told to kms running after the Blues game which he played most of.

What bothers me now is with the crash and bash now allowed, is hus body holding up to. Gawn, Grundy, Witts... all giants but solid giants... jumping into Edwards... or SDK for that matter.... just not ready or built for it.

I hate to say it but Neale has the build for it - same with Stanley really - but this is where not getting Marshall will be a 25 game reminder to why we needed him.

I dont have the solution - Blitz probably and leave SDK and Neale to chop out F and D 50 rucks... and use the 23rd player as an extra set of legs.

GO Catters
Click to expand...

Yeah, Neale is physically the most suitable and even with his limited time, feel he goes better in the ruck than SDK, but he's too valuable for F50 structure for anything more than the pinchiest of pinch hits in the middle.

Edwards against Gawn, Witts, and co would be flat-out dumb, but there are a couple of teams where we could give him some senior experience without being risking him. For example, English isn't known for being a physical type (still an OK player, but one that's probably not going to leave Mitch a bruised and broken mess). Keen to give some senior football this year...if he gets a clean run with injury (which would be BLOODY GREAT if one of our young talls had a bit of luck go their way for just once).
 
CHAWKS2 said:
He has time to bounce back. I will be officially worried if we are saying same thing end of this season.

I just think he has too much going for him not to be a very good player and I am hoping it is just a confidence and “groove” thing which we see click sometime this year.
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I remember when Jacob Weitering started his career well and then had several very average years.
If he turns into the same as him, even slightly below we will still have a very good afl footballer
 
calder_daddy said:
I remember when Jacob Weitering started his career well and then had several very average years.
If he turns into the same as him, even slightly below we will still have a very good afl footballer
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SDK hasn't turned into a star, the next Harry Taylor like we dreamed at the end of 2022. However he has not actually been a bad defender since. Frustrating moments and games for sure, but he does plenty right. Questionable at times in the physicality of the ruck for sure, but as a 1v1 defender he's been solid enough.
 

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Mr Meow said:
SDK hasn't turned into a star, the next Harry Taylor like we dreamed at the end of 2022. However he has not actually been a bad defender since. Frustrating moments and games for sure, but he does plenty right. Questionable at times in the physicality of the ruck for sure, but as a 1v1 defender he's been solid enough.
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I think this is lost in the SDK discussion. I am pretty sure he didn't have a single goal kicked on him in last year's finals (Chol kicked one in the prelim, but when SDK was off the ground). Key forwards rarely have a day out against us, and SDK always takes the oppo's best.
 
fpm84 said:
I think this is lost in the SDK discussion. I am pretty sure he didn't have a single goal kicked on him in last year's finals (Chol kicked one in the prelim, but when SDK was off the ground). Key forwards rarely have a day out against us, and SDK always takes the oppo's best.
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Love him or loathe him, everyone will have to admit that there is NO ONE coming up through the reserves to take his place at FB. It's COS and SDK for a decade (and Chris Scott said exactly this last year in an interview). In the reserves, we have developing key fwds (Molier, Polkinghorne), developing rucks (Edwards, Conway, maybe even Pike), developing mids and smaller players (too many to mention). In the backline, there is Hoffman, who is half back flanker, and no-one else.
 
GlenMiddlemissed said:
Love him or loathe him, everyone will have to admit that there is NO ONE coming up through the reserves to take his place at FB. It's COS and SDK for a decade (and Chris Scott said exactly this last year in an interview). In the reserves, we have developing key fwds (Molier, Polkinghorne), developing rucks (Edwards, Conway, maybe even Pike), developing mids and smaller players (too many to mention). In the backline, there is Hoffman, who is half back flanker, and no-one else.
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And that's the problem.

We're having to make do with a guy because we have no-one else.
 
Cataholic said:
And that's the problem.

We're having to make do with a guy because we have no-one else.
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Potentially not enough bottom up pressure to motivate him to get his shit together. I'd suspect if there were inklings of a Jacob Weitering type weighing up a move to Geelong it might adjust some of his attitude issues.
 
TomsBulgingDisc said:
Potentially not enough bottom up pressure to motivate him to get his shit together. I'd suspect if there were inklings of a Jacob Weitering type weighing up a move to Geelong it might adjust some of his attitude issues.
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I doubt it. He's mentioned being pissed off at being left out of the '24 run, and it didn't exactly result in an outstanding shift in attitude.

Don't get me wrong, he frustrates me too...but I do think he's harshly marked due to just how good that first year was.

I agree with D BRIDGE. I thought we were getting Harris Andrews 2.0. I think we all did after 2022. Two top 10 picks would've been required to even get you a seat at the table in a trade after that season.

As it turns out, we might just be getting a taller Jake Kolodjashnij. Not a bad player by any means, but rightly or wrongly, a player who will always split the fanbase in terms of how he's viewed.

It's disappointing in regards to what we thought we had, but that season is quickly looking like the outlier.

Thankfully (and at risk of repeating this whole process all over again) I do think COS will end up being what we thought SDK would be, and he'll captain this club one day IMO.

If that's the case, SDK as his 2IC for 5-10 years will hardly be the worst result in the world.
 
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