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

 

[woosha24]

Ryan Daniels
@FootyRhino
·
4m
Harley Reid started strong but has just pulled out, pointing to his calf.

 

[LittleFires]

Harley’s still out there training as far as I can see.

 

[bzparkes]

Remember when Harley cramped in that preseason game in his first year and everyone thought he did his ACL?

 

[Goroyals22]

If he pulled out with cramp says he was all talk no action re his pre season being much improved

 

[bzparkes]

If he pulled out with cramp says he was all talk no action re his pre season being much improved

Thanks Kane.

 

[Citizen Erazed]

Jack Williams pudge watch. How is he looking?

 

[bzparkes]

Jack Williams pudge watch. How is he looking?

 

[Ochre]

If he pulled out with cramp says he was all talk no action re his pre season being much improved

Or he just cramped.

 

[LittleFires]

Jack Williams pudge watch. How is he looking?

I can’t see too much difference in terms of body shape (a little bit hard to see the players from where I’m watching) but he performed well in the MAS test. Finished in the top third of players and was the longest lasting of the talls.

 

[HoneyBadger35]

Or he just cramped.

IF
Nick Daicos cramped so much in Round 1 last year that the umpires stopped the game

THEN
Harley Reid is a serial liar who doesn’t take preseason seriously.

 

[FKASC]

Corn rows were causing cramp

 

[Goroyals22]

Or he just cramped.

So he wasn’t prepared as a professional athlete

 

[Chris_6678]

He all good he back out training.

Ryan Daniels

@FootyRhino
·
25m


Harley has joined training again - crisis averted. Elliot Yeo

6

Elliot Yeo

Age

32

Ht

191cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.5

5star

K

11.7

4star

HB

7.8

5star

M

4.6

4star

T

4.5

5star

CL

3.0

4star

D

18.9

4star

K

10.9

4star

HB

8.0

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

5.8

5star

CL

5.5

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.2

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.6

3star

CL

1.4

4star

amongst a handful of veterans joining the youngsters - running hard on sidelines.

 

[gravy_86]

So he wasn’t prepared as a professional athlete

Or maybe he’s been going really hard as he’s indicated in interviews and cramping from overuse?

Looking forward to a few months of bedwetting every time a player chats to the physios at training!

 

[bzparkes]

IF
Nick Daicos cramped so much in Round 1 last year that the umpires stopped the game

THEN
Harley Reid is a serial liar who doesn’t take preseason seriously.

IF
Harley Reid is cramping in his first training session back at WCE

THEN
The AFL should force WCE to rip up his contract and send him to Geelong for nothing

 

[Ochre]

So he wasn’t prepared as a professional athlete

Or he just cramped.

 

[RanaNaved]

Harley’s still out there training as far as I can see.

How many Whoppers do you think Jack Williams has eaten over the off-season?

 

[RanaNaved]

Or maybe he’s been going really hard as he’s indicated in interviews and cramping from overuse?

Looking forward to a few months of bedwetting every time a player chats to the physios at training!

If the last pre-season is any guide, there are going to be shit loads of articles/tweets every time someone chats to a physio, leaves the track solo or points to a body part

 

[Bender_]

With Waterman out injured and 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

gone, it looks like Goroyals22 has found his new target for 2026.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Remember when Harley cramped in that preseason game in his first year and everyone thought he did his ACL?

I still got the photo from PethNow on my phone somewhere, it was a hammy grab. We all thought he tore his hammy right off the bone. It was a stressful half hour, I tell you hwut.

 

[Ochre]

With Waterman out injured and Liam Ryan gone, it looks like Goroyals22 has found his new target for 2026.

Yes, his singular target

 

[kane249]

With Waterman out injured and Liam Ryan gone, it looks like Goroyals22 has found his new target for 2026.

 

[Farmer Lister]

Hamish Davis has outlasted all his peers and won the MAS running test for the 1st-4th year players. Clay Hall runner up.

That's my boy! Future star

 

[Mulldogg]

Probably not many, if any, tomorrow

First day back is more settling in and assessing what shape the players are in - they possibly also do a 2km time trial or the extended beep type test they’ve done under Inness the last 2 years

Old boys maybe filtering through from Wednesday

 

[Cornelius Roy]

I have some reservations over whether Clay Hall can be a long termer as we add more talent to our list.

However, he went away in his first offseason and clearly worked hard to put on the strength needed to play inside midfield. In his second offseason it seems he’s gone away and worked hard on his running, I’m not sure if he makes it but I’m absolutely pulling for him to do so, fantastic to have players apply themselves wanting to lock down afl spots. Been an absence of that desire for too long, well done young man.