Training Pre-season 2026

[Nostradumbass]

Is that nerd from PRE giving any updates?

 

[beema limapep]

It's getting a bit rusty in parts. Might get it tidied up and re-sprayed.

Flourescent yellow over black, great combo, classy.

View attachment 2494489

Saab driver outs himself.

 

[RoaringTiger]

How’s Armstrong going? Haven’t heard to much about him

He was playing in forward line with fawcett and lefau. At the other end were lynch and faull. Armstrong is looking super fit and strong. Good skills, Neat kick for a big guy. I reckon we’ve nailed that draft, all those guys look good. Lalor looked huge.

 

[Rubber Hips]

Watched training in the heat for about 100 minutes, the boys put in a good session. From what I could see the drills were the same one’s that they ran on Monday.

Most of the extended drills involved quick ball movement from defence into the forward line, with penetrating kicks to advantage and players leading up to create separation.

At one point in the session, Big Lynch, Balta & Meatball were teamed up and worked with the new draftees.

I must say it was good to see Big Balta out there for the full session. He has a commanding presence, very positive in his feedback to his teammates and was playing deep in defence. In the partial match simulation, the coaches had Balta on Lynch, Gibcus on Faull and Retschko on Alger. Again, there was no Miller or Broad out on the track.

The standouts from todays session are as follows:

Alger, he appears unassuming but is very clean, seems a natural half forward and continually finds and uses the ball to advantage. If you looked at him you wouldn’t think he was a footballer, but watching him for 5 minutes you’d say he’s a gem.
Retschko, almost a lock for round 1 if today’s showing is any guide. Runs hard, has no problem finding the footy, generally his kicking was good in blustery conditions and he’s got a bit of size to him.
Cumming, a smart footballer who is good with the ball either on the deck or in the air. Involved in a lot of passages of play and even with the “green cap” wanted contact and worked hard if the ball was in dispute. We’ve got a blue chip footballer in this lad and he’s got some size for an 18 year old
Lalor, so impressive and already a leader. Continually made good decisions whether collecting the footy or distributing it to others. There was one passage where he ran 50 meters chasing an opponent who was streaming in on goal. There was another occasion, where he body checked Grlj to stop his overlap run.
Tom Brown, this boy is so athletically gifted and is such a classy kick. Every time he has the ball he uses it to advantage, would be wasted as a midsized lock down defender. Hit target after target. Executed a great defensive spoil on the wing.
Campbell Grey performed really well today and it was a step up from Monday. There’s an argument to say he would be best 23, and he would be an automatic selection if any of Balta, Miller or Gibcus went down with injury.
Grlj, ran all day and was involved in a nice one-two with Cumming off the half backline. The only knock is he try’s to take on too much and plays teammates into trouble which either stopped forward momentum or caused a turnover.

Rehab Group were doing general running under Supervision and included: Vlastuin, Banks, Trainor, Hopper, Ralphsmith and Hotton. Hotton finished early feeling his upper quad and talking to one of the Physio’s. Later in the session he had changed over to runners and was walking laps with Seth who had also finished up early, and wasn’t involved in the partial match simulation.

Judson Clarke came out late to do running, lasted 10 minutes, felt the back of his knee and heard him say it wasn’t feeling any better and then left the track.

Some general observations:

Ruck, we are carrying some risk with Nank as our only established Ruck. Ryan & Hayes-Brown still need a bit of development.
Small Forwards, an area of the ground where we have had a great deal of success in identifying and developing players in recent times, seems to be a little bit thin at the moment. I don’t view Mansell, Alger or Seth as small forwards, I view them more as mid size forwards who push up and play the more half forward position. We’ve just got to get games into Hotton.
Defence, based on what I’ve seen at training and this last year, our defence is going to be our strongest line.

Great report…lots of detail thanks


Especially liked the bits about Jasper, Campbell Brown and Patrick

 

[Groupie_]

Lalor looked huge.

how wide is his neck do you reckon?

 

[Rubber Hips]

hes over the moon

 

[Hoos]

He seemed to go alright when Short was missing.......

The team generally looks better when Short is missing. Unfortunately, he's only missing when he's injured.

I'm not counting when he goes missing during games.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Saab driver outs himself.

I did own a Saab once in the UK. A Saab 9-3. More or less the car pictured below. Didn't have to drive it long to fall in love with it. Still not a patch a the AU LTD.

 

[austyn08]

The team generally looks better when Short is missing. Unfortunately, he's only missing when he's injured.

I'm not counting when he goes missing during games.

Not a fan on people slagging premiership players, especially when he was one of the ones who stood up in 2020 when floss went down.
Stagnated for sure but he’s not as effective in a bottom team, easier to man up.
Hope he sticks it up a few.

 

[Hoos]

Not a fan on people slagging premiership players, especially when he was one of the ones who stood up in 2020 when floss went down.

So a very good 2019 and 2020 absolve the guy from criticism for the rest of his career?

He's been diabolical the last 3 years.

You're quite happy with the turnovers and going to ground at every contest then?

 

[Hoos]

Hope he sticks it up a few.

So do I as he'll be in the team every week.

I'm not holding my breath though.

 

[db26]

Not a fan on people slagging premiership players, especially when he was one of the ones who stood up in 2020 when floss went down.
Stagnated for sure but he’s not as effective in a bottom team, easier to man up.
Hope he sticks it up a few.

As long as it's respectful no issues regardless of flags needs to be accountable and his performances last 3 seasons have been below par I would have traded him

 

[austyn08]

So a very good 2019 and 2020 absolve the guy from criticism for the rest of his career?

He's been diabolical the last 3 years.

You're quite happy with the turnovers and going to ground at every contest then?

Only care what the coaches think mate, only ones that count

 

[RoaringTiger]

The team generally looks better when Short is missing. Unfortunately, he's only missing when he's injured.

I'm not counting when he goes missing during games.

Shorty was in the backline with retresko and grjl for a bit and he looked slow compared to them obviously. He’s been a great servant but think there is a risk he gets squeezed out this year

 

[guruisatiger]

He had the right people around him and Benny and Peggy made sure of that. He had to re assess his style and his manner, again Benny and Peggy. He had a a great skeleton- cotch, dusty, rance, grimes, jack etc. Yes he did reassess and build but the manner in which he left will always reflect on him. Shagged a young staffer. Had anger issues and lined things up when we needed a good head. The recuruiting of taranto and Hopper was diabolical, enginerred by the back pocket accountant. Yes I have said thanks for the memories, but it is time to move on, I wish him no luck moring forward, he has an incredible list to work with and took some good richmond men with him.

Nailed it

 

[Hoos]

Only care what the coaches think mate, only ones that count

So why bother what I think then?

He will never be dropped regardless of form for one reason: he's a dual premiership player.

He started last season putting his head over the ball and not blindly panicking under pressure. About halfway through the year or so, he reverted back to his previous poor habits. He needs to pull his finger out.

Maybe a change of position would help if he's undroppable. Leave the running half back spots to Banks and Brown and move Short to the wing or even half forward. He'd be dangerous closer to goal.

 

[Lord of the Wings]

Sonsie MIA now the match practise has started

 

[THE THIN MAN]

So why bother what I think then?

He will never be dropped regardless of form for one reason: he's a dual premiership player.

He started last season putting his head over the ball and not blindly panicking under pressure. About halfway through the year or so, he reverted back to his previous poor habits. He needs to pull his finger out.

Maybe a change of position would help if he's undroppable. Leave the running half back spots to Banks and Brown and move Short to the wing or even half forward. He'd be dangerous closer to goal.

I assume Short selection for 2026 is unknown at this time, due to development of younger players, hopefully he has been overtaken.

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

How’s Armstrong going? Haven’t heard to much about him

Lost in space

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

how wide is his neck do you reckon?

Sleep apnoea levels

 

[THE THIN MAN]

How’s Armstrong going? Haven’t heard to much about him

 

[SumTingWong]

hm weird, some have said the code pops up for them too but then it works when they try again.

I've tried it on 4 different desktops and they all worked, so it's odd it doesn't work for some.

here is the link again in case this is any different.

be sure to be on desktop and not mobile too.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

NRT isn't on the list

 

[Rubber Hips]

 

[Rubber Hips]

I’m am firmly onboard the Jasper, Patrick, Zane and Jonty train

 

[THE_GUN]

Sonsie MIA now the match practise has started

Sonsie has gone in NO LUBE with you
You still feeling the pain it seems