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

 

[Keys]

Is training on this morning?

Yes

Closed session again though so watching through the fence

Had just started a 20 minute of match sim when I arrived with teams in an apparent A team v B team split

Waterman kicked at least 4 of the A teams 6 goals. Hewett kicked another but didn’t see who got the first as that had already been scored

Tylah Williams kicked one for the B team in a nice passage initiated by Dewar out of D50. Didn’t pick up who kicked their other goal

Cole and Baker running laps

 

[EagleMan87]

Yeah mate. Looking to be a good session.


View attachment 2510915

 

[Chris_6678]

Lachie Byrne

@lachie_byrne
·
5m

@WestCoastEagles
Match Sim notes.A Team v B Team:
A - T. McCarthy, H. Reid, J. Graham, E. Hewett mids.
H. Davis & W. Duursma wings.
J. Newton & CDT fwds.
B - D. Robertson, T. Kelly, H. Schoenberg, T. Gross mids.
F. Macrae in the fwds. J. Lindsay HBF.
Yeo didn’t play.

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

Kelly in the B team

 

[WCErevival]

Where is Hall?

 

[Elite Pete]

Yes

Closed session again though so watching through the fence

Had just started a 20 minute of match sim when I arrived with teams in an apparent A team v B team split

Waterman kicked at least 4 of the A teams 6 goals. Hewett kicked another but didn’t see who got the first as that had already been scored

Tylah Williams kicked one for the B team in a nice passage initiated by Dewar out of D50. Didn’t pick up who kicked their other goal

Cole and Baker running laps

From that small snippet it looks like Maric on Waterman. Hopefully swapped into to him after he kicked a few.

Some look to have their wish with Newton in the ‘A team’.

 

[Elite Pete]

Someone work their magic

 

[KERRPOW]

 

[mitchzz]

I'm so excited for the Harley x McCarthy combo

+ Hewett and Yeo pushing through the mids as well

 

[WCE_2007]

Someone work their magic

Hey Guys, This should be the unlocked West Article: https://archive.md/45KaB

Also this is the link to the archive site so you can unlock articles whenever you want: https://archive.md/

As usual massive thanks to everyone who goes along to trainings. Awesome work.

 

[Elite Pete]

Hey Guys, This should be the unlocked West Article: https://archive.md/45KaB

Also this is the link to the archive site so you can lock articles whenever you want: https://archive.md/

As usual massive thanks to everyone who goes along to trainings. Awesome work.

Bakers little niggles becoming an issue. Might have to miss State of origin game.

Newton mid minutes already is a bit of a surprise

 

[Elite Pete]

Newton is the word

 

[jesterwester]

Hewett, Duursma & Reid, all capable of hitting the scoreboard from the middle is going to be quite fun to watch in the coming years. McCarthy also seems very offensively driven too. Such a contrast to our midfield of the last decade or so, albeit we had a better forward line to kick to then.

Nice to hear that Newton played well. I’d heard that Norwood were quite upset to lose him mid year and I think you can see why. Think he will surprise a few this year.

 

[Chris_6678]

Someone work their magic

https://archive.md/45KaB

 

[Chris_6678]

Says baker picked up a Lower Leg injury in that article.

 

[Mattman93]

Someone work their magic

How have people not worked out how to do this by now?

 

[WCE777]

Newton is the word

Pretty similar reports except Newton BOG wasn't praised as much from the Worst.

Highlights, Duursma impressing as an outside mid, in a 4 way battle with Allan/Davis/Hall for 2 wing spots.
Duursma athleticism stood out in match sim

CDT continues to play a stand aloe KPF.

McCarthy & Newton are set to be part of a new look midfield, albeit different roles.
McCarthy's running capacity and composure in traffic has made him a standout in match sim, putting pressure on more senior teammates, including Kelly.

Newton started out of the goal square, he was part of rotation with HR that could be a new role for Newton.
2026 starting to take shape!

 

[Elite Pete]

How have people not worked out how to do this by now?

Just for you.

https://archive.md/0nTKQ

 

[Jeremy McLovin]

Hewett, Duursma & Reid, all capable of hitting the scoreboard from the middle is going to be quite fun to watch in the coming years. McCarthy also seems very offensively driven too. Such a contrast to our midfield of the last decade or so, albeit we had a better forward line to kick to then.

Nice to hear that Newton played well. I’d heard that Norwood were quite upset to lose him mid year and I think you can see why. Think he will surprise a few this year.

God, don't even start about our lack of goal kicking mids. That was the thing I was most excited about with TK, and then of course we broke him. Six seasons with us and he's still got more goals as a cat than as an eagle.

 

[NSLK]

Yeah mate. Looking to be a good session.


View attachment 2510915

Elite

 

[Citizen Erazed]

How did Jack Williams go in the match sim?

 

[woosha24]

Kelly in the B team

Good.

 

[eaglevision]

Seems MC view that Duursma and particularly Davis have seemingly gone past Allan, Kelly and even Hall (even though it’s not his best spot) on a wing. Hopefully it says more about Duursma and Hammer than it does about the guys they are displacing.

 

[woosha24]

Seems MC view that Duursma and particularly Davis have seemingly gone past Allan, Kelly and even Hall (even though it’s not his best spot) on a wing. Hopefully it says more about Duursma and Hammer than it does about the guys they are displacing.

Little of column A, little of column B. Especially for Kelly - bloke hits 32 during the season and never replicated anything near the scintillating gameplay he was known for at Geelong in his career with us. Should be looking to be transitioned to the Beagles IMO.

 

[eaglevision]

Little of column A, little of column B. Especially for Kelly - bloke hits 32 during the season and never replicated anything near the scintillating gameplay he was known for at Geelong in his career with us. Should be looking to be transitioned to the Beagles IMO.

Makes the 2 year extension even more bizarre, especially when we would have had an indication that we’d be getting those extra rookie spots. Not going to look good if he’s available and not picked in round 1.