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Training Preseason Training Reports -2025/26

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This thread has been setup for training reports only and won’t be open for replies

Informative reports from the preseason thread will be copied into this thread so posters have access to the quality work from the likes of LittleFires without wading through pages of general posts
 
This isn’t exactly preseason related but it’s a really good interview with Jarrad Schofield and well worth the 45 minutes it takes to listen to

 
Went down to open training today.

A few general observations:
  • Didn’t see Grossy out there today.
  • Sam Allen is charging through his rehab. Lots of running on the boundary but glides along effortlessly at a hot pace. His change of direction and kicking is coming along nicely. Would be suprised if he’s not playing games by mid season.
  • Mally Champion showed some flair in some drills which was good to see. If I had my way with the team I’d probably play him round 1. Looks fitter than last year.
  • Hewy was on light duties but was legging multiple shots on goal from 50+ out which I’m not sure should be part of his rehab. Shows it’s not serious atleast.
  • There was a transition drill which was a bit of a tough watch. I’m not sure if the boys were directed to kick long down the line and (to perhaps simulate try a rebound off the turnover) but there was a lot of that going on despite having options on which was reminiscent of last year.
  • There was another drill working on quick hand passes with applied pressure which the boys looked slick with. Good to see us working on smaller fundamentals like this away from the game plan which are important on game day.
  • Harley really does look so fit compared to last year. Was nailing some tough set shots from tight angles.
  • Bo Allan looked great in a contested drill, taking tacklers on but his final touch needs work, often firing out handballs way too hot. More of a composure thing with him which I hope they’re working on, has the tools does Bo.
  • Newton looks good, quite a reliable shot on goal. Hope he can fill the small forward role and keep Owies out lol
  • Yeoy looks to be moving well and free of any complaints. An intentional slow build up to round 1 for him rather than lingering issues it seems.
  • Bakes and Starcevich seem to be past their issues, or very close to.
-Dev is a great size. Awkward ball drop when kicking but is a beast in the contest and loves contact. If he can feed the ball out to the likes of Harley and Tmac and apply his intent to defensive acts he will help us a lot this year.
 


Some discussion on West Coast here with Eliza Reilly albeit with a bit of a SuperCoach slant. Skip to about 8.50 in unless you want to hear about the dockers

Eliza covers how our three high draft picks from 2025 are going, a bit on Reid and McCarthy, Robertson and Newton
 

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Thoughts from Harley Reid and Liam Baker on preseason

Lot of love for Harry Schoenberg from both as well as Dev Robertson.

Harley expecting to play more mid-forward than purely on ball which lines up with him spending time deep forward in many of the matchsims

Fair bit of positivity as you’d expect this time of year
 


Today's West article on CDT with observations from Matt Flynn


West Coast are set to ease Duff-Tytler into life as a ruckman in his maiden campaign by using the extra man on the bench to play Archer Reid as Flynn’s back-up.

This means Duff-Tytler will play predominantly as a forward and pinch-hit in the ruck.
Click to expand...
 
In a change from normal transmission, not only did the club move open training to a Monday but they also pushed back the start time to 10.00 (which actually became 10.15 by the time the players emerged)

So the good news is I got to see a full session from start to finish for the first time this preseason. Unfortunately, rather than do their usual matchsim on a Monday they had a skills based/non-contact workout more in line with what they do on their Wednesday (open) session

Overall, the session ran for around 90 minutes. Drills focused on ball movement and skills - particularly disposal by foot and retaining possession. All running was incorporated in the drills and there was no extra sprints/laps as part of the session.

To be fair it was a warm day with the temperature hovering around 35 for the duration and the drills did require a significant amount of running

What was most pleasing was the numbers on the track with over 40 players doing most or all the session

• Absent - Rodriguez, Brockman and Barnett. No idea why the latter two were missing
• Hutchinson walked laps only for about 30-45 minutes
• Rehab - Hough and Bailey Williams spent today on Jamieson Oval working on their respective injuries. Hough looked to be moving well enough and showed no reason to question the original 3-4 week timeline to recover. Williams, however, is showing little sign of progression in his battle to overcome his groin issue - he’s doing some running but it’s neither at high pace or for extended periods
• Sam Allen did the first half hour or so of the session before moving to the outer oval to do specific rehab work on his knee. Finished off by walking/jogging some laps as he builds his fitness base. He’s running very well and looked impressive the way he moved during the drills he participated in
• Hewett lasted a bit longer with the main group- about an hour, before also moving to Jamieson’s to do a few run throughs at just above half pace. Didn’t look to be hindered in any way
• Yeo (I think) left the track about the same time as Hewett but went into the sheds rather than do any other work. He did look to move more freely than I’ve noticed in the past and he’s lost none of his penetration with his kicking off both feet. Cautiously encouraged by what he showed today
• Everybody else trained fully including Starcevich, Baker and Cole
• Waterman almost held onto a huge pack mark - one of the camera operators said he got it on tape so hopefully that sees the light of day
• Reid continues to stay involved in plays as an important link in ball movement chains
• Bo Allan had a really good session - running hard and getting himself in good positions. Used the ball well to cap off his god work
• Gross found the ball plenty in the drills as well
• Daisy Pearce was a notable observer spending much of the session out on the ground watching and talking with McQualter on occasion
• Chad Morrison was working with a couple of the AFLW players on the outside oval for a bit - Cleaver was one of them I think but not sure who the other player was
• Marco Bello was working with Allan and Davis at the end refining their short (30m) passes on the run

Solid session overall albeit not a lot of real note to take away from it other than the overall numbers who participated
 


A bit more information on the Harley/Dusty meeting and thoughts from McQualter on how well Reid is progressing this preseason

Then at the end, there’s some genuine pumping up of McCarthy’s tyres that won’t please anyone worried about him being overhyped

The bolded bit is cause for excitement as McQualter hasn’t shown a tendency to be too hyberbolic in his comments during his tenure so far

Supporting Reid in the midfield this year will be mid-season recruit Tom McCarthy, who has rivalled the young Victorian as West Coast's standout pre-season performer.

McQualter said there were elements of McCarthy's skill set that had amazed him after playing 10 of a possible 12 games last year, making a seamless introduction to the elite level last year despite not completing an AFL pre-season.

"The ceiling is … I know it's high. I don't know how high," McQualter said of McCarthy, whose ability to move through traffic and use the ball well has stood out this summer.

"I often watch him, and I'm actually amazed by his composure. Every standard of football he's played, he's so calm.

"He works incredibly hard. He's got endurance and speed. But his smarts and composure are what stand out the most. I'm excited for his year."
Click to expand...
 
Nathan Schmook (WA based AFL journo and one of the better ones in the industry) talking on SEN



Eagles discussion starts at 8.00 after some SOO talk

• Schoenberg definitely in R1 mix and probably the best of the three mature aged SSP signings over preseason
• Kelly best 23 but more HF than midfield as younger players get rotated through there instead
• Some serious glazing of Harley and McCarthy as the two preseason standouts

Personally agree with what he’s saying as it aligns with my observations
 
Managed to catch most of the game. Decent hit out, but hard to judge our players too much, given the lack of opposition - nice to see signs however.

Duursma - worked into it. Showed his class at times, will play every week on the wing, but don’t expect dominance from the word go.

Starcevich - played his minutes and was defensively sound.

Lindsay - looked good with ball in hand. I wouldn’t say lock for round 1, but definitely in the frame. How the club views his defensive capabilities will determine if he plays in my opinion, but should be ahead of Maric.

Yeo - can obviously play in all 3 lines, but I’m very pleased he will mix between mid and forward, something I’ve been asking for for a few years. Really dangerous match up forward of centre.

Ginbey - didn’t have to defend much, which is his one wood. Kicking and decision making was really disappointing, but not too concerned.

HReid - dominant and powerful. Excited.

Brockman - Didn’t see after quarter time, obviously an injury of some sort.

Kelly - really good for white in the first quarter and was rewarded by moving to blue when Graham went off. Will play round 1, but needs to perform like that consistently.

Long - Looked dangerous and just about about to first season form.

Duggan - concussed at quarter time.

Cripps - we know what to expect.

Owies - similar output to Long, mixing time between teams. Started in white and ended in blue.

Graham - pulled up lame moments before Duggans injury. Looked like a hammy and would have to be doubtful for round 1.

McCarthy - was everywhere. So balanced and a great skill set.

CDT - Was really good forward - had some nice delivery and smaller defenders on him, most of the day (Tom Cole at one point). Showed his capabilities, still fighting for a round 1 spot.

AReid - Really good battle with Bazzo, flies at everything and kicking looked better. Was good presence in the ruck.

Maric - solid display without doing a lot.

Johnston - tough role to play as a high half forward for the white team. Had moments where he showed his ability, but stuck behind others at this point.

Flynn - was okay.

Allan - performed admirably for white. Worked hard defensively. Skills and decision making are a concern, but cracks in and takes the game on which we love.

Gross - was steady early, before going off in the second. Didn’t see what happened.

Cole - started in white and swapped to blue when Duggan went off. Good depth, we know what we are going to get. Ideally provides the leadership we need in the WAFL team.

Hall - performed pretty well as an inside mid forward white. Looked fitter and used the ball pretty well. Depth at this point.

Barnett - few good marks around the ground and competed in the ruck pretty well. Still has moments that make you shake your head. His tackles were shrugged far too easily for a bloke that size.

Grego - was serviceable down back. Will get his opportunity at some point I think.

Bazzo - defended well. Ball use suspect at times.

JWilliams - was okay. Competed hard. Hard day to be a white forward.

Shanahan- few nice moments. Didn’t get on the end of as many as the other talks, but excited to see what he can do.

TWilliams - out of his depth in a tough role for the white side.

Champion - looked really flashy and had moments of brilliance. Would love to see him start the year well in the WAFL as is a point of difference to the smalls ahead of him (Cripps, long, Owies)

Davis - steady output on the wing against Allan. Worked hard and in line to play round 1.

Robertson - combative performance. Much the same as Jack Graham, skill set is limited but has a red hot go every time he is out there.

Brock - was steady down back, and provided good run. Will be next in line after Edward’s and Young.

Edwards - did what he needed to.

Dewar - again has moments of brilliance. Reminds me so much of Harley Bennell when he is running and carrying the ball. Hope he can build form and work his way in to the side.

Macrae - performed really well as an inside mid. Will dominate WAFL and provide good depth for the ones.

Newton - Solid without doing a lot.

Schoenberg - dangerous performance. Hit the scoreboard and won a lot of footy. Excited to see what he can do .
 

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www.westcoasteagles.com.au

New faces shine in intraclub

The evolution of the West Coast Eagles squad was on display on Friday at Mineral Resources Park
www.westcoasteagles.com.au www.westcoasteagles.com.au


Write up on the club website
 
The pressure level out there (particularly from the WAFL white team) may have been very, very low but there was still a lot to be encouraged by from that intraclub hitout.

T.McCarthy is without question now an onball midfielder ✅
H.Reid is fit and ready to become the player he was drafted to be ✅
W.Duursma, C.Duff-Tytler and J.Lindsay each look to be exceptional selections ✅
T.Kelly still has the desire to compete ✅
E.Yeo isn't dead ✅
B.Starcevic didn't get a head knock ✅
B.Allan translating his physical attributes into onfield impact ✅
The top-ups D.Robertson, F.Macrae and H.Schoenberg each fitted in and didn't look out of place ✅


As for the actual "match", it was a continuation of the theme we've seen from the A.McQualter era so far: get ball and go.

Hard running, fast transition, many turnovers and some suspect defending.


When it comes off, this team being assembled with its assortment of physical explosiveness and technical execution is able to move possession forward at exceptional speed. It wouldn't surprise me if the clubs offence ends up presenting far more headaches across the competition than is currently being anticipated.

But for that to happen it will need to tidy up its forward entries - far too many times (during the second half particularly as fatigue began to factor) the ball was bombed in recklessly. Granted, this is an area under rapid improvement during Mini's tenure, it remains that many of those entries seen during the intraclub would result in damaging counterattacks when placed against an AFL-level opponent.


Probably most heartening from this was the impression that there may actually be some midfield depth coming into the season after limping through last year with arguably no midfield at all. Suddenly, we have the likes of H.Reid, T.Kelly, E.Yeo, T.McCarthy, J.Graham, E.Hewett, D.Robertson, F.Macrae, H.Schoenberg, W.Duursma, H.Davis, C.Hall, B.Allan, T.Dewar, J.Hutchinson as options and competing for places - it's a good place to be.

Credit to T.Kelly for responding to his naming in the white team by being best on in the first quarter, and this performance from T.McCarthy provided the exclamation mark on what has been an exceptional first AFL preseason from him - the transition to an inside midfield role has not appeared to impact his disposal or decision-making, which bodes very well for both him and the team.

Not only does this newfound midfield depth directly improve the team in the area of greatest need (-18.0 contested possessions differential versus opponents in 2025, last in the competition for the fourth year in succession), it also allows for a level of flexibility that has been lacking in recent years. Want to give H.Reid a rotation up forward? No problem, E.Yeo, H.Schoenberg or someone else can have a burst onball now and things will not fall apart. There is a great deal of potential for fluidity and movement between midfield and forward this season.

Just for this reason alone I feel West Coast are going to be a lot more competitive this year over last.


B.Starcevic in his limited minutes provided an assurance and leadership to the defence that has been missing since the retirement of J.McGovern. Add in L.Baker, B.Hough and T.Young who missed this match and you start to get a semblance of solidarity down back that can be built upon. The kicking of draftee J.Lindsay provides an attribute to the team that has been rarely seen after the retirement of L.Jetta. The defence still looks vulnerable to pace, particularly on turnover, but overall looks to have taken steps in the right direction in terms of resilience, flexibility and counterattacking threat.


Up forward there is a growing problem of finding positions for talent to develop. C.Duff-Tytler's 5 goals and general performance in this intraclub match only further complicates matters. J.Waterman will come back in to take a spot of course, which leaves J.Shanahan, A.Reid, J.Williams and C.Duff-Tytler competing for limited spaces - even if one of them takes on the secondary ruck role, two of those four will miss out in a balanced forward setup. I'm all for getting as many matches into J.Shanahan, A.Reid and C.Duff-Tytler in particular as quickly as possible, but a forward line overly-stacked with key talls under the age of 22 isn't going to win games or accelerate development. It will be interesting to see the direction Mini takes on this.


Looking farther to the horizon and the smallest glimpses are already appearing of what is to come.

The three-headed beast of H.Reid, W.Duursma and C.Duff-Tytler is real and it will be a joy to watch them develop and then dominate the competition together for West Coast.

It's only the beginning, but the excitement is already there.
 
The third instalment of a series of articles by Nathan Schmook on the AFL website based on a longform interview with McQualter. This one focuses on what they’ve done in preseason to build a winning culture, professional development of the coaches and some reflection on the 2025 season



This bit I found noteworthy

The Eagles have also employed three-time Richmond premiership player Kane Lambert to work in coach development, helping run a program alongside head of football John Worsfold and leadership consultant Harry Taylor to provide professional development to the club's coaches.
Click to expand...

I do like that they’re looking outside the club to find improvements, even if it is McQualter leaning on his Richmond connections a little bit

There’s also some stuff on a relationship he’s built with the Brisbane Broncos NRL coach
 
Whose channel is this? They put up clipped games of every player from the intra.

www.youtube.com

Inside The Game

This channel is designed to spotlight how every player shapes the contest. From disposals and marks to the subtle defensive involvements that shift momentum, Inside The Play breaks down each player's game into a condensed video for convenient viewing. It's the perfect way to catch up on a...
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com
 

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