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

 

[Chris_6678]

Who is holding their shoulder at the 30 second vision point?

Tylar Young.

 

[Cuzz09]

it begins....

 

[Carbine Chaos]

On his day, the most dominant player ever.

I mean, I love Naitanui too, but carn.

 

[RanaNaved]

We have to be honest on here. Some players are just xavier o niels and luke foleys, who get phased out when better talent arrives. That time is now and we need to priortise duursma lindsay allen and forget about clay hall and harvey johnstone.

It's too early to put Hall in the Luke Foley bin, we still don't know if he is a Luke Foley or a handy complementary/role player

 

[Bender_]

Clay Hall gaining ground on Bo Allen and Liam Duggan

14

Liam Duggan

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

5.3

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.1

4star

MG

283.7

4star

D

16.0

4star

K

12.0

5star

HB

4.0

3star

M

5.7

5star

T

1.1

2star

MG

283.7

4star

D

13.2

4star

K

7.8

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.2

3star

for a delisting before February.

 

[Keys]

Who is holding their shoulder at the 30 second vision point?

Tylar Young

Had offseason shoulder surgery and until very recently had been wearing a fluoro cap to indicate no contact during any drills/matchsim

 

[Doashuey]

NN to Shuey
NN to Priddis
Lade to Burgoyne

That's 2, 3 and 4.
No 1 is NN to NN.

 

[unty11]

Mini please don't break the new toys.

 

[RanaNaved]

How annoying would it be to have Ginbey marking you...literally doesn't have an off switch and you can tell he'd be drenched in sweat and stink like cheese

 

[Proeagle]

It's too early to put Hall in the Luke Foley bin, we still don't know if he is a Luke Foley or a handy complementary/role player

Hall could end up handy. But the fact he has Duggan like pace and a right foot like Duggan will always hold him back from being a gun. Duggan at least has a decent contested mark and courage for his height to put his body on the line going for those intercept marks. Hall at this stage has no stand out feature. He needs to develop a damaging handball, or evasiveness. But that will be hard when the opposition know he is left sided.

If you have no pace, you really need to be great off both feet, like Sam Mitchell was.

 

[Cuzz09]

Hall could end up handy. But the fact he has Duggan like pace and a right foot like Duggan will always hold him back from being a gun.

I really wanted one of the journos to ask "have you been practising kicking on the non preffered?"

Sure he would've laughed it off but I want to know

 

[eaglevision]

The rucks expected to benefit the most from new rule change

Reilly O'Brien concedes there is still uncertainty around the AFL's new ruck rules

www.afl.com.au

Never been a fan of Bailey as a footballer (good bloke, no question on his attitude) but if he’s ever going to have a season this has to be it.

Establish himself as the #1 ruck until Archer and CDT are ready, or jack up his feee agency price to get us a band 3 offer and therefore a pick in the low 20s, leaving Flynn to cover until the above are good to go.

 

[Proeagle]

I really wanted one of the journos to ask "have you been practising kicking on the non preffered?"

Sure he would've laughed it off but I want to know

It really shocks me these days that all footballers arent pretty decent on the opposite foot. If I was in the system as a 16yr old +, it would be something I would be working really hard at. Makes such a difference if you can dispose well off both feet. I mentioned Mitchell. The guy was slow as hell, except perhaps the first few meters but he was impossible to tackle because anyone approaching him knew he could dodge either side and kick it perfectly. Its why we see Duggan get caught all the time and previously Gaff. So predictable. If they do dodge you on their wrong side they probably turn the kick over anyway.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Hall was really good in the derby late last year, he's got more about him than people give him credit for.

 

[Slothh]

That's 2, 3 and 4.
No 1 is NN to NN.

NN to boundary fence (the pill in this case being Zach Merrett)

 

[Proeagle]

The rucks expected to benefit the most from new rule change

Reilly O'Brien concedes there is still uncertainty around the AFL's new ruck rules

www.afl.com.au

Never been a fan of Bailey as a footballer (good bloke, no question on his attitude) but if he’s ever going to have a season this has to be it.

Establish himself as the #1 ruck until Archer and CDT are ready, or jack up his feee agency price to get us a band 3 offer and therefore a pick in the low 20s, leaving Flynn to cover until the above are good to go.

I feel for Bailey. We drafted him as a FF and immediately we had to make him a fulltime ruckman. Hes never really had a good run at being a forward. Gets a game here and there and misses a few set shots and we write him off.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I feel for Bailey. We drafted him as a FF

Definitely not how I remember it tbh.

 

[eaglevision]

I feel for Bailey. We drafted him as a FF and immediately we had to make him a fulltime ruckman. Hes never really had a good run at being a forward. Gets a game here and there and misses a few set shots and we write him off.

That’s fair to a degree, but he also drops marks and combined with his goal kicking makes it difficult to make a KPF out of him.

As I mentioned no question on his attitude and willingness to put the team first, hope he has a huge year with a great result whether he stays or goes.

 

[Farmer Lister]

you can tell he'd be drenched in sweat and stink like cheese

I think you mean like bakery-fresh cinnamon swirls

 

[Proeagle]

Definitely not how I remember it tbh.

View attachment 2514047

Fair enough. I never heard anything about him being a ruckman at the time. Def plenty of talk about being a high leaping forward though.
And his first preseason, he was training as a FF. We all compared him to Langdon with the hair etc.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Fair enough. I never heard anything about him being a ruckman at the time. Def plenty of talk about being a high leaping forward though.

I distinctly remember him being touted as a ruckman who could contribute up front.

Really given the rule changes I'd be starting him ahead of Flynn when fit.

 

[Goroyals22]

I feel for Bailey. We drafted him as a FF and immediately we had to make him a fulltime ruckman. Hes never really had a good run at being a forward. Gets a game here and there and misses a few set shots and we write him off.

Bit hard to make it as a forward when you can’t mark, aren’t the best kick and has the turning circle of the queen Mary offering no defensive pressure when the ball hits the ground

 

[Proeagle]

I distinctly remember him being touted as a ruckman who could contribute up front.

Really given the rule changes I'd be starting him ahead of Flynn when fit.

He certainly was serviceable in the covid year I think it was when we had no other talls. And now with the new ruck rules, he can always get a leap at it. Still young, just need Nic to teach him to hit to advantage more often. And that is on the mids to, to be in the right place.

 

[juice568]

I feel for Bailey. We drafted him as a FF and immediately we had to make him a fulltime ruckman. Hes never really had a good run at being a forward. Gets a game here and there and misses a few set shots and we write him off.

Its probably prolonged his career

 

[Proeagle]

Bit hard to make it as a forward when you can’t mark, aren’t the best kick and has the turning circle of the queen Mary offering no defensive pressure when the ball hits the ground

If we have Waterman playing, he wont have the best backman on him. Hes taken some good pack marks and still young for a big fella.