News Sandilands

[Arcassius]

AARON Sandliands is apparently big enough for new Dockers coach Ross Lyon, who has revealed the giant ruckman will enter the 2012 season the lightest he has been for four years.

Despite a new coach, a new regime and fresh ideas, Sandilands will remain one of the Fremantle’s major assets next season, as he returns from the toe injury which ruined his last season under Mark Harvey.

That injury was one of a slew which played a big part in the eventual shock sacking of the incumbent coach, who is now at Brisbane as an assistant as Lyon begins at the Dockers.

And Lyon has revealed that leaner and meaner Sandilands has hit the pre-season training track on good shape, as he bids to return to All-Australian form.

“He had the toe last year that knocked him around a bit, but he is as light as he has been in three or four years – he seems to be enjoying himself and running around,” Lyon said.

“He is a unique AFL athlete, from afar I have watched him grow and command games.

“Mark Stone, the stoppage coach out of Sydney, is pretty excited to get his hands on him. And we are really hopeful Jonathan Griffin and Zac Clarke can have an impact aswell.”

With veteran Fremantle players impressed with Lyon’s no-nonsense communication style, his attempt to win over the Fremantle public has also continued.

Lyon is now installed as a Fremantle resident with his family, with the advantages over the set-up at St Kilda already evident.

“I’m enjoying the lack of traffic and being close to Fremantle Oval – it is just one song (on the drive) in,” Lyon said.

“Driving down to Seaford was a fair trip, so I am enjoying the geographical change.”

The Dockers will go into Tuesday's pre-season and rookie drafts with six picks, with Lyon hinting they will use most or all in a bid to inject more youth into the club.

“(There are) a lot of young players, and with the rookie draft next week there will be basically another ten – which is 37 in the last three years over four drafts,” Lyon said.

“It is a real opportunity to get to work with the group and build something special. We have got a fair bit of work to do.”

The new coach however was clear on his immediate ambition.

“Certainly aiming to be in the top eight - everyone’s aim is to play finals,” Lyon said.

“And from there, the Eagles showed if you get everything right and get everyone fit and available on the one page and working really hard, you can turn things around relatively quickly.”

And that revolution will be helped by an Eagles legend in Peter Sumich, who Lyon said will add to the Dockers’ armoury while being a big loss to the WA rivals.

“They were a good team, but now Peter Sumich has defected you might lose a little bit out of the West Coast camp,” Lyon joked on radio Mix 94.5.

Source

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

Grouse. Sounds like he's alright.

 

[jmadrox]

i have not cringed, balked or been concerned by ANYTHING this guy has said since he has settled in at Freo.

it is a strange sensation.

 

[Belnakor]

I still get a shiver when i think back to the interview Harvey did on footy classified in 2007(?)

 

[Lach72]

I still get a shiver when i think back to the interview Harvey did on footy classified in 2007(?)

On the couch I think

 

[ilikepotatoes]

thread title shocked me thuinking he was injured, great news though

 

[Arcassius]

^ Says a lot about our fragile mindset if we automatically expect the worst

 

[RickSanchez]

Hope he stays injury free because he looks set for a big season. At training on Wednesday I remember him taking a strong mark in front of his opponent, turned him inside out then played on immediately and kicked a goal from 40 or so out.

 

[Nickos66]

Good to hear, I've been thinking it might help his running capacity to lose a coupla kilos. Looking forward to his season next year.

 

[Ktrain]

Sandilands + Lyon + Stone = ...

 

[Arcassius]

i just love the mental picture of stone frothing at the mouth to get his hands on sandilands

 

[yakka man]

i just love the mental picture of stone frothing at the mouth to get his hands on sandilands

The way Lyon and Co take advantage of Sandi will be the most important test of their appointment. I am eagerly awaiting to see how our ruck and midfield set up works next season. I could clearly see this week on the track that Sandi had dropped a bit of weight. He was moving around very well.

 

[theGav56]

The way Lyon and Co take advantage of Sandi will be the most important test of their appointment.

I have a different opinion, but getting the extra 5% out of topline players is difficult to do, and has a big effect.

 

[prattsta]

On the couch I think

On the couch was the first one, but he bombed on both from memory.

Harvey was certainly better at dealing with the media by this season though. Sure, the confidence increased the craziness, but he was still better.

 

[PapaJ]

On the couch was the first one, but he bombed on both from memory.

Harvey was certainly better at dealing with the media by this season though. Sure, the confidence increased the craziness, but he was still better.

Yes it was both, Footy Classified was the worse of the two off memory. In fairness to him, that was early on in the piece and his media performance low point, but he never really came good lets face it. He was part Murray Walker (google it), part Sheedy and part NFI.

 

[bruzaar62]

The way Lyon and Co take advantage of Sandi will be the most important test of their appointment. I am eagerly awaiting to see how our ruck and midfield set up works next season. I could clearly see this week on the track that Sandi had dropped a bit of weight. He was moving around very well.

good to hear , according to some he is our #2 ruckman behind Griffin and we wont have a spot in the team for him in the near future.
For the record,I think if he is properly managed and we play 2 ruckman for the majority of games....he's good for at least 3 more years (toes crossed)
He is clearly the #1 ruckman in the AFL

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

i just love the mental picture of stone frothing at the mouth to get his hands on sandilands

Back of the line, illpiantissimo has got first dibs.

Btw, have people never heard of Dean Cox?

 

[ilpiantissimo]

Back of the line, illpiantissimo has got first dibs.

Btw, have people never heard of Dean Cox?

Too big for me, I prefer them small and hairless. Love the way we've been recruiting lately.

 

[Arcassius]

Too big for me, I prefer them small and hairless. Love the way we've been recruiting lately.

I take it you like them young?

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

Too big for me, I prefer them small and hairless.

That's a double entendre if ever I've seen one.

 

[tacopavlich]

Back of the line, illpiantissimo has got first dibs.

Btw, have people never heard of Dean Cox?

Nope but that's a funny name. Dean ***** roflmao.

 

[SPEEDWAGON]

Sandi has taken cox to the cleaners several times. Cox only Glendinning came when he beat an injured griffen and z Clarke.

But I think cox has had a better career to date. They are certainly different style of ruckman but I think sandi more effective when they go head to head.

 

[Selggad]

I have a different opinion, but getting the extra 5% out of topline players is difficult to do, and has a big effect.

Not quite sure what your angle is from the above comment, but IMO getting 5% out of Sandi in the ruck is not where the improvement will come from. It will be from getting the stoppage set-ups that utilise Sandi's dominance right, and I think we will see a huge improvement in this area.

The obvious area where we should see more improvement in Sandi is his general forward line work and contested marking.

 

[Stronzo]

Best puff piece I've read in a long time

 

[theGav56]

Not quite sure what your angle is from the above comment, but IMO getting 5% out of Sandi in the ruck is not where the improvement will come from. It will be from getting the stoppage set-ups that utilise Sandi's dominance right, and I think we will see a huge improvement in this area.

The obvious area where we should see more improvement in Sandi is his general forward line work and contested marking.

Yes true. That seems where we are investing in, and it will have a positive effect.