Training Preseason Training Thread - 2026

[Keys]

The below is the OG faux training report from nearly 9 years ago - often imitated but never surpassed

In the absence of Keys I went down for a trundle this morning to check them out on return. Just a few random notes I took down...

• A lot of running work again, clearly a focus even in the heat.
• Duggan looked on and was hitting targets left and right. Set for a huge 2017.
• Giles went up against Vardy in the ruck contests and I'd say that Giles has the inside running at the moment.
• Mitchell looked a class above the other midfielders bar Priddis. Just knew how to find the footy and wouldn't miss a target all session. Shuey was very quiet and seemed to be taking direction from Mitchell. Doesn't bode well for his captaincy credentials, maybe he doesn't want the gig?
• Won't say too much about it in case I was just reading too much into it, but Rioli looked as though he'd enjoyed the Christmas break a bit too much. A few of the coaches pulled him aside and they were having quite an animated conversation before Rioli was sent to do laps for the rest of the session. Good news for Le Cras, I suppose.
• Sheed kicked on his right foot for 80% of the session, I reckon. Nice to see players working on their non-preferred so readily.
• Petrie looked like he was doing a great job 'coaching' the younger forwards in between the drills. Darling in particular seemed to be following him around.
• Gee Venables has some skills. He mainly jogged laps before spending the last half hour or so on set shots - curled a few beauties from behind the boundary line at the end for a bit of fun. Hardly saw him miss a kick.
• What interested me the most was that McGovern split his time between the defenders and the forwards, could be seeing a swingman role in 2017. He was his usual dominant self down back in some match simulation drills before going head-to-head with Mackenzie in a forward role.
• Bayok is very fast - Cripps was in most of the drills with him and couldn't keep up.
• Nelson is pale as buggery and still doesn't really have the body shape you'd expect of an AFL player.
• There was a big bloke who pulled up next to me and I could have sworn it was Suma, but I'm sure I was wrong...
• Masto was the player picked to kick the goal at the end today and nailed it. Celebrations were huge.
• No sign of Cole, Parto or Hill. Couldn't tell you why.

Will upload pics later if I have time. Let me know if you have any questions!

You might wonder why I’ve put this up and stickied it

Because this is the standard all copies should be measured against and it’s a reminder of how high the bar was set

And to hopefully discourage sequels.

If you want to have a crack in my absence, go ahead but if it doesn’t equal the standard set (as judged by me), then expect

• A one week threadban for a first offence
• A two week threadban for a second offence
• A one year threadban for a third offence

Actual training reports, minus discussion, can become found here:

Training - Preseason Training Reports -2025/26

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

www.bigfooty.com

 

[OldBlueEagle]

Anyone get a chance to peek thru fence at training today?

 

[Seadog]

Anyone get a chance to peek thru fence at training today?

You need a EWP to see over the green tarp.

 

[OldBlueEagle]

You need a EWP to see over the green tarp.

I drove past and the gates near Perth footy club were open, thought someone might have had a look.

 

[Seadog]

I drove past and the gates near Perth footy club were open, thought someone might have had a look.

Yeah I've been dropping in here regularly this afternoon for my training day fix.

 

[stallon]

No thanks. That’s the same shit we dealt with for years with the credits crew and the club paid the price. Everyone should be earning their spots, especially when coming back from injury. Hewitt is also especially prone to injury if played when underdone, so I’d be making sure he’s fully ready to go before he gets selected in the top side. If that’s more intraclubs or wafl games then so be it.

Hewett isnt in the credits crew lmao hes genuinely a better player than just about all the young players on our list, hes just been a bit hampered by injury.
Its a bloody practice game, players play in those underdone ALL the time.

Hewett hasnt lost his spot, Hall or whoever hasnt done enough to take it from Hewett, and id argue its not even close.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

The whole point of practice matches is to get your best players ready for round 1. Hewett > Hall, so if a question as to who to play you play Hewett.

 

[mattyc75]

Thing about Mowies is that i think WCE were seriously seduced by that old chesnut of targetting a player who dominated against them.

In 2024 Owies played the game of his life, coincidently against WCE at Floptus. Few months later he has no contract with Carlton yet we trade for him. Take that game out and i'm not so sure that happens.



Far as Flynn goes, he's a necessary evil at the moment. Barnett is miles off, doesn't look like A.Reid is going to be a ruckman at all unfortunately, Bailey simply isn't working at our club and is now more than likely just depth whilst CDT is several years away.

I'm less concerned about Flynn's output, normally he's solid enough and inconspicious in a game. No, it's direct OPPONENTS output which is the biggest concern. Alarm bell type stuff with just how often that player is BOG and completely takes control of a game without Flynn even remotely having the means to slow them down.

Gawn, Xerri, Marshall, Jackson, Meek, Cameron, Witts, Briggs etc etc all torched him.

Hope he's done something with Naitanui in the offseason to address that. Can't be rolling into 2026 with the same issue.

I can imagine nic nat saying to Flynn
'Just jump over them'
And Flynn just going ' huh'

 

[mattyc75]

Hewett isnt in the credits crew lmao hes genuinely a better player than just about all the young players on our list, hes just been a bit hampered by injury.
Its a bloody practice game, players play in those underdone ALL the time.

Hewett hasnt lost his spot, Hall or whoever hasnt done enough to take it from Hewett, and id argue its not

Whats a pass mark For Hewett this season . Games and possessions?
Whilst I agree on his raw talent he's not a big possession winner and quite possibly will see more time in the forward line
Hopefully he can stay fit and find the pill

 

[bzparkes]

Whats a pass mark For Hewett this season . Games and possessions?
Whilst I agree on his raw talent he's not a big possession winner and quite possibly will see more time in the forward line
Hopefully he can stay fit and find the pill

Needs to average over 20 possessions and aim for a at least .7 of a goal a game IMO.

 

[Doashuey]

Whats a pass mark For Hewett this season . Games and possessions?
Whilst I agree on his raw talent he's not a big possession winner and quite possibly will see more time in the forward line
Hopefully he can stay fit and find the pill

I probably wouldnt measure it that way. Id be looking at how many games he has a serious impact and set that bar at 6 or more. He is an impact player, he may not rack up big posession numbers but he can have big moments but he needs to do it across 3 to 4 quarters to impact an entire game.
If he stays fit Im expecting a breakout year from him with more games like the Bombers game last year.

 

[JoshWoodenSpoon]

Needs to average over 20 possessions and aim for a at least .7 of a goal a game IMO.

Would like him to be more accurate than that.

 

[Bender_]

Don't think we should be expecting him to suddenly average Liam Ryan

31

Liam Ryan

Age

29

Ht

181cm

Wt

76kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

2.7

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.3

5star

D

9.9

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

1.9

1star

M

3.3

3star

T

1.6

3star

G

1.3

5star

D

11.4

3star

K

9.0

4star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.8

4star

G

1.6

5star

levels of goals.

 

[Bender_]

Trying to guess a squad of 26 to play Fremantle on Saturday

FB: Ginbey Edwards Maric
HB: Lindsay Young Dewar
R: Flynn H Reid Robertson
C: Duursma McCarthy Davis
HF: Kelly Waterman Cripps
FF: Duff-Tytler Shanahan Newton
INT: Baker, Yeo, Hewett, Long, A Reid, Allan, Brock, Schoenberg

EM: Cole, Hall, J Williams

Not Selected: Owies, Johnstone, Barnett, Grego, Bazzo, T Williams, Champion, Macrae

Unavailable: Starcevich, Brockman, Allen, Duggan, Graham, Hough, Gross, B Williams, Rodriguez, Hutchinson

I’ve gone with what I think is the strongest 26 available. Hall the unluckiest to miss but I can’t make a case for him ahead of anyone I’ve selected

Strong possibility that Baker and Waterman are either rested or placed on restricted minutes after a taxing game in the heat for WA. If so, I’d expect Cole and Jack Williams to replace them in the 26 or included in an expanded squad

The unavailable players I’ve bolded are all best 23 when fit and hopefully will/should be ready for R1. Three of them are small/medium defenders so Maric, Dewar and Lindsay will be competing for the last open backline spot filling in for the suspended Baker in R1

Some nice competition for spots going on

Do we have a limit on players we can use? The way they're talking on this GC/Saints game they don't seem to think there's a limit.

 

[RustyShacklefordFalcon]

Do we have a limit on players we can use? The way they're talking on this GC/Saints game they don't seem to think there's a limit.

I think it may just be whatever terms are agreed upon between both teams. Hopefully not though. I seem to recall in years previous we'd give a lot of our players outside the best 22 a run in the closing periods or once most of the best 22 have hit their minutes.

 

[Kegs15]

Whats a pass mark For Hewett this season . Games and possessions?
Whilst I agree on his raw talent he's not a big possession winner and quite possibly will see more time in the forward line
Hopefully he can stay fit and find the pill

Yeah honestly he played 20 games last year which was perfect, that's really all I want again this year.

Averaged 16 possessions, sure those numbers could come up but the biggest thing for me is just having two full seasons in a row. Once he gets confidence in his body, what he can and can't do, preparation stuff etc then I'd be looking more critically at numbers.

If the body stays right throughout most of his career he'll get there as a player, no doubt about it.

 

[bzparkes]

Would like him to be more accurate than that.

Not happy with Hewett kicking 7 behinds a game bud?

That's the equivalent of around 28 goals a year.

 

[Elite Pete]

Only watched bits and pieces of the first half but a fair bit of the 3Q. In a shocking skilled game Charlie Banfield has looked very clean in the 3rd

 

[stallon]

Whats a pass mark For Hewett this season . Games and possessions?
Whilst I agree on his raw talent he's not a big possession winner and quite possibly will see more time in the forward line
Hopefully he can stay fit and find the pill

20+ games, 20 touches per game

Dont think hes a 30 touch per game player but 25+ long term isnt unrealistic if we use him as a full time mid like we should.

 

[stallon]

Needs to average over 20 possessions and aim for a at least .7 of a goal a game IMO.

depends on his role, ideally hes a full time mid imo, and goals are a bonus especially if we are bottom 2 or 3 again

 

[Dark Sharks]

Yeah bit of expectations with Hewett this year. 4th season, natural progression.

Can't afford to carry him perma underdone throughout the year and not fit enough to run out games so he drifts in and out again like he did in 2025.

He's very much like Yeo, both important for different reasons, both need to get their body right and just stay on the park.

 

[ghostbat12]

Whats a pass mark For Hewett this season . Games and possessions?
Whilst I agree on his raw talent he's not a big possession winner and quite possibly will see more time in the forward line
Hopefully he can stay fit and find the pill

Pass mark for a kid developing and who has had injuries or a pass mark for fat arm chair bums that have invested personal emotion in him becoming a superstar as this will be giving meaning to their life?

PS. I am in 2nd camp.

 

[MerryHell]

I am thrilled Flynn is in the leadership group.

Means he will play every game, barring injury.

Looking forward to making a motza betting on the oppo ruck being best on ground.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Needs to average over 20 possessions and aim for a at least .7 of a goal a game IMO.

Quick glance to see who achieved that in 2025:
Jordan Dawson
Izak Rankine
Hugh McCluggage
Zac Bailey
Christian Petracca
NWM
Isaac Heeney
Chad Warner
Ed Richards
Matt Kennedy
Marcus Bontempelli

Not sure about needs to. Would be an unbelievable return if he did.

 

[bzparkes]

Quick glance to see who achieved that in 2025:
Jordan Dawson
Izak Rankine
Hugh McCluggage
Zac Bailey
Christian Petracca
NWM
Isaac Heeney
Chad Warner
Ed Richards
Matt Kennedy
Marcus Bontempelli

Not sure about needs to. Would be an unbelievable return if he did.

Maybe I just think that highly of him

 

[DorothyG]

I'd love to be wrong, but I have a bad feeling Hewett isn't going to make it.

His body just appears to fragile.

I think it's unfair to put a required benchmark for him to meet this year as he really hasn't had an extended run without an injury so far.

What I hope for him is that he has a injury free season (which hasn't happed this year already), build up the natch fitness and improve his mid/forward craft so he doesn't go missing as often in matches.

Whether that is in the As or the Bs I don't really care. He just needs an uninterrupted year that he can sling shot off going into next