Training 27/11

[KUNG FU]

Went down yesterday at 9:30, but had to leave about 11:50 and the group were still going. Anyway, here are my key observations:

Johncock, McLeod, Dangerfield & Burton were still absent, which was expected. I didn't notice Maric, Otten or Moss out on the track either, so I'm not sure if they were there. Not sure what the story is there.

Gill, Porps, Cook, Moran & Mackay were in an injured group on the sideline. They started out with some quick handballing drills in a small group on the sideline. That group disappeared after 20-30 minutes, except Gill who spent the rest of the time running for 20 and then disappearing back to the rooms for a while. He looked OK, but definitely did not push into a sprint. Mackay came back about 11:20 and was sprinting, kicking, chasing and marking with a couple of the coaches on the side. Seemed limited in his kick, but I'm not sure exactly what the issue was.

Armstrong had his forearm heavily strapped, but participating equally in all the drills, with the exception of tackling IIRC. I love his foot skills and his acceleration, but he is going to need a serious PS to build some muscle and a tank. A solid year in North's seniors will be a good year for him and worthy of a contract extension, but I rate him a 50/50 at best to debut. Jacky had his left knee heavily strapped and both of his upper thighs. At about 11:30 he left the track and was driven back to the rooms by the doctor. He was walking, but looked to be in considerable discomfort. Also earlier in the session I noted that his kicking was definitely lacking distance. Kite also left the track a bit before Jacky, the doctor came down to look at him and his shoulder was strapped. He limped off back to the rooms. Petrenko also pulled up sore on a couple times but lasted out the session.

Hentschel was matched with Donnolley in all drills. He seems severely limited still, not quite fit and most unfortunately his greatest strengths, below the knees & his attack on the ball seemed to be almost entirely missing. Also his kicking action & the stretch on his leg is extremely limited. Donnolley seems to have improved a bit. His kick lacks penetration, but his style and accuracy have gone up a lot. Has a cracking acceleration, but goddam he is skinny, especially standing next to someone like Truck. I can see what the club sees in him though. He's quick with his hands and has a good instinct for getting in the right spot when they ran scratch match style drills. His endurance wasn't quite up to scratch, but it wasn't the worst either - Jimmy was bent over, hands on hips after 20 mins and was punished severely in some endurance exercises later, Schwerdt was laying into him at every possible opportunity.

Some positives... Gallman - I'd rate him a very good chance to play round 1. Did everything right. He has a reputation on the training track, but he really impressed yesterday with his skills as well as fitness. Tippett - the club seems to have invested a lot of time into his football skills, was running like a midfielder at times, collecting handball receives and even chasing down tackles. Also he is a gem overhead. Reilly also looks very determined to play 22 games next. Really seemed to push himself harder than anyone else on the track. Walker - hard not to love this guy. Such a natural flair for the game and even gets stuck into his team mates who seem to be slacking off.

Feel free to ask questions cos I took some pretty comprehensive notes on most players.

 

[Cap]

Whats the Deal with Sellar

did you mention Walker?

thanks KFU!

 

[KUNG FU]

Sellar started out well, showed a lot of poise overhead and his disposal on the run looked good, but to put it simply he just had no endurance. Just looked a whole step behind everyone else the whole day, in particular when a group of about 10 players were doing laps - a combination of jogging, sprinting, jogging, push ups - he sat at the back of the pack, behind Hentschel, Rutten & Donnolley barely got in 3 push ups in the time everyone else did the 5. He really needs to build this up first before we can see what else he has to offer. He probably hasn't been helped from a season of playing mostly on the bench nor has this been helped by the considerable bulk he has put on. If his core endurance doesn't improve over the PS his best shot in 2009 will be to take Tippett's spot in the forward pocket, I can't see him inflicting any damage at CHF or CHB in the short term.

 

[James23]

Thanks alot KUNG FU.. really enjoyed the read. Any extra info on Walker? He seems very confident not only on the football field, but in front of his team mates as well! How is his fitness and body looking?

 

[Cap]

Sellar started out well, showed a lot of poise overhead and his disposal on the run looked good, but to put it simply he just had no endurance. Just looked a whole step behind everyone else the whole day, in particular when a group of about 10 players were doing laps - a combination of jogging, sprinting, jogging, push ups - he sat at the back of the pack, behind Hentschel, Rutten & Donnolley barely got in 3 push ups in the time everyone else did the 5. He really needs to build this up first before we can see what else he has to offer. He probably hasn't been helped from a season of playing mostly on the bench nor has this been helped by the considerable bulk he has put on. If his core endurance doesn't improve over the PS his best shot in 2009 will be to take Tippett's spot in the forward pocket, I can't see him inflicting any damage at CHF or CHB in the short term.

thanks mate

hows luke Jericho going? oh wait, thats right

 

[KUNG FU]

Oh and Walker, I mention him in the last couple lines. He was just outstanding. Great overhead, sharp pace off the mark, even looked at home running through the middle of a clearance pack. Got in the face of his team mates a lot. Almost looks lazy, he makes it looks that easy. Definitely has the body to play AFL now. Pencil him in for 5-15 games next year, especially the way Hentschel looked.

 

[KUNG FU]

With all the hats my lack of binoculars, I swear I saw our club stalwart out there a couple times before shaking my head and realising it was Gallman, Walker or Stevens.

 

[Riggy1]

Oh and Walker, I mention him in the last couple lines. He was just outstanding. Great overhead, sharp pace off the mark, even looked at home running through the middle of a clearance pack. Got in the face of his team mates a lot. Almost looks lazy, he makes it looks that easy. Definitely has the body to play AFL now. Pencil him in for 5-15 games next year, especially the way Hentschel looked.

So hes going to be a Robert Harvey type player?

 

[IddyBiddy]

Nice work KUNG FU. It's a bit disappionting to hear Cook is back in the restricted group. Poor old Jacky doesn't have much luck with his knees either. Thanks for the notes, it's great to hear Tippett and Walker are looking the goods.

 

[KUNG FU]

So hes going to be a Robert Harvey type player?

Not exactly, considering he's a forward. I'd say of current players, Walker is closest to someone like Fevola - medium lead up forward with a natural flair and strong overhead.

 

[Dandy_GO]

Thanks mate! Great report!
How did Griffin look? Has he put on any muscle since the end of the season? Were there any ruck drills? If so, how'd he look against Maric, Moran and Tippett? Who impressed you most out of the four?

Was Brodie Martin training? Any impressions?

How about Richard Douglas. Was he involved in midfield drills and did anything give you the impression that he's midfield-bound next season?

 

[WALL-e]

Sellar started out well, showed a lot of poise overhead and his disposal on the run looked good, but to put it simply he just had no endurance. Just looked a whole step behind everyone else the whole day, in particular when a group of about 10 players were doing laps - a combination of jogging, sprinting, jogging, push ups - he sat at the back of the pack, behind Hentschel, Rutten & Donnolley barely got in 3 push ups in the time everyone else did the 5. He really needs to build this up first before we can see what else he has to offer. He probably hasn't been helped from a season of playing mostly on the bench nor has this been helped by the considerable bulk he has put on. If his core endurance doesn't improve over the PS his best shot in 2009 will be to take Tippett's spot in the forward pocket, I can't see him inflicting any damage at CHF or CHB in the short term.

This guy owns the phrase 'in need of a big preseason'

His tanks always been rubbish because his size etc. Wouldn't help eating pine for Glenelg and coming back after playing 0 FULL games of footy in your AFL life.

Schwerdt, work him off his ass.

Walker get your ass to Jimmy's every morning and lay some fly kicks Chuck Norris style to get him up and running.

It's not given to you at this level Jimmy, take it, because you have the tools.

 

[KUNG FU]

Thanks mate! Great report!
How did Griffin look? Has he put on any muscle since the end of the season? Were there any ruck drills? If so, how'd he look against Maric, Moran and Tippett? Who impressed you most out of the four?

Was Brodie Martin training? Any impressions?

How about Richard Douglas. Was he involved in midfield drills and did anything give you the impression that he's midfield-bound next season?

Griffin did look notably stronger in arms and through the body, but next to Sellar or Tippett he still looked a notch behind. As I mentioned, I didn't see Maric and Moran was in the injured group. There may have been some rucking drills later as I did leave a touch early, but it seemed like they were winding things up at that stage. Also, I didn't see Matty Clarke out there. However, he did look much more assured and poised than he has previously. Sometimes he looks like his head is two steps ahead of his body, not so much the case yesterday. Tippett was outstanding yesterday in my opinion of that group. The coaches often had him working on ball skills more often that fitness work which would indicate to me that they really see him as a forward not a ruckman and this is a major obstacle for Sellar at the moment.

Martin was training, I tried to follow him as much as possible. He didn't do anything to reshape my perception of him. Well-rounded player, still a little meek in size and his attack on the player. However, sweet kick and works hard for the handball receive. I think he may have benefitted from the Crows not listing any veterans this year and therefore opening up more space on the rookie list. I definitely would not rule him out of the equation in the coming years, but he will have to work hard to get himself past a number of players to earn a senior list spot.

 

[KUNG FU]

Oh and Douglas seemed to be working with van Berlo a lot. Read that how you like.

 

[macca23]

Good work KF!!

Much appreciated.

 

[Mismatched]

Martin was training, I tried to follow him as much as possible. He didn't do anything to reshape my perception of him. Well-rounded player, still a little meek in size and his attack on the player. However, sweet kick and works hard for the handball receive. I think he may have benefitted from the Crows not listing any veterans this year and therefore opening up more space on the rookie list. I definitely would not rule him out of the equation in the coming years, but he will have to work hard to get himself past a number of players to earn a senior list spot.

No, ever club got given 2 extra rookie spots as compensation for the GC team coming in, Goodwin and Mcleod would still be on our Veterans list, absolutely no reason not to put them there.

Oh and btw mate, great work for getting out to training, greatly appreciated.

 

[cmndstab]

Fantastic report Kung Fu Thanks for that!

I'm interested to hear Cook was with the injured group. When I went along and watched a couple of weeks ago he was with the main group.

Gill is still injured I see. Sorry to hear Hentschel is still a long way from his former self, too. At least every indicator is positive with Walker. I love the idea of a guy who hasn't even debuted yet getting stuck into his teammates, this kid is going to be a gem! Hopefully he's an inspiration for his new teammates next week, an example of how hard to go on the training track before you've even got a game yet.

 

[Dandy_GO]

Thanks for that. Not sure how I managed to miss the parts about Moran and Maric in your report. The internet has ruined my comprehension skills.

Shame about Hentschel. Still plenty of pre season left, but the signs aren't good. If there's one player I want to see play round 1, it's Trent. He deserves a happy ending.

Sellar really doesn't have a tank, does he? He's obviously been hindered by a lack of endurance training as a junior, lack of gametime with the bays, and injury interrupted pre-seasons, but it's not a good sign that he's still struggling. Then again, Scott Welsh looked like absolute crap every time I saw him at training, and was always left behind in running drills, yet he's had a decent AFL career. I've still got hope for Jimmy, but I'm not so sure he'll make it as a CHF anymore. It'll be interesting to see how he develops over the year. As ryan said, he'd want to have a big one.

Shit Walker is exciting! Bring on the indigenous game!

 

[cmndstab]

Didn't Sellar basically spend like a whole year back in 2006 working on his fitness? How can it still be so bad?

The word at the time was that it wasn't that he couldn't develop a base level of fitness, it was just that he never had done it. Obviously that didn't work out so well.

Seriously, force him to live with Goodwin or VB or someone who will work him to the bone off-field.

 

[KUNG FU]

Ok, wait, I was wrong. Just found this indicating McLeod & Goodwin are both on the veterans list and we have 4 vacant spots left. Donnolley presumably will take one so we will have 3 rookie selections...

http://www.afl.com.au/News/NEWSARTICLE/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=69491

 

[Vader]

No, ever club got given 2 extra rookie spots as compensation for the GC team coming in, Goodwin and Mcleod would still be on our Veterans list, absolutely no reason not to put them there.

100% correct. Goodwin & McLeod were listed as outside veterans in 2008 and will remain outside veterans in 2009.

 

[WALL-e]

Didn't Sellar basically spend like a whole year back in 2006 working on his fitness? How can it still be so bad?

The word at the time was that it wasn't that he couldn't develop a base level of fitness, it was just that he never had done it. Obviously that didn't work out so well.

Seriously, force him to live with Goodwin or VB or someone who will work him to the bone off-field.

For some it just takes longer.

I pray he gets it, I really (sadly) do.

God he has everything needed to be a CHF all star, but its up to him.

He should hang out with Porps (to show him how you go from 0 fitness to get by) and VB so he can be taugh all the fitness ins and outs as well as how to cure cancer, aids and kill Chuck Norris all white balancing your accounts and doing your tax return (and getting it all back )

 

[Trucklover]

Griffin did look notably stronger in arms and through the body, but next to Sellar or Tippett he still looked a notch behind. As I mentioned, I didn't see Maric and Moran was in the injured group. There may have been some rucking drills later as I did leave a touch early, but it seemed like they were winding things up at that stage. Also, I didn't see Matty Clarke out there. However, he did look much more assured and poised than he has previously. Sometimes he looks like his head is two steps ahead of his body, not so much the case yesterday. Tippett was outstanding yesterday in my opinion of that group. The coaches often had him working on ball skills more often that fitness work which would indicate to me that they really see him as a forward not a ruckman and this is a major obstacle for Sellar at the moment.


its funny how craig seems to love him as a forward. i was talking to mick redden the other day and he was talking about how he sees tippets best in the ruck. He had huge wraps on big kurt as a ruckman. he said that he saw him as being the best of the young ruckman evan better than ivan who he sees as being an absoulute star. He said that both of em are two of the hardest working young footballers hes seen. But he said that craigy sees him being a monster forward as that would be more important to the club he couldnt speak any higher of kurts potential as a ruckman. will be very interesting to see where he does eventually end up playing the majority of his career

 

[Deaneus!]

He should hang out with Porps (to show him how you go from 0 fitness to get by) and VB so he can be taugh all the fitness ins and outs as well as how to cure cancer, aids and kill Chuck Norris all white balancing your accounts and doing your tax return (and getting it all back )

VB doesn't do his own tax return. It does itself out of fear.

 

[vlbl]

Gill, Porps, Cook, Moran & Mackay were in an injured group on the sideline.

Whats wrong with him? Really hope he has a strong pre-season. Really looking forward to him playing some games next season, could add a lot of spark running off half back, in the middle and up forward.