Decided to go down again today and have another squizz. Running is still the big ticket item and no matter what drill the coaching staff employed running was a major component...even if it was just time to rehydrate, the players were expected to sprint over to the drinks station. There should be no excuses in 2016 for players being unable to run out matches with the mileage being put into their legs. Bolts has no issue giving them a bit of curry either telling Rowe his heart beat wasn't high enough. Daisy left DVR trailing a long way behind in the "walk, jog, run, sprint" drill. Whiley seems to be free of the achilles problem that ruined his preseason last year and he seems to be moving without restriction. He covered the ground extremely well during the competitive drills and given he's a nice size, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him thrive under the "collective" style of play Bolts is introducing to the playing group.
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Blues In Motion - Virtually all drills consisted of a large volume of running (click to expand)
Charlie Curnow's unique burly build doesn't stop him getting around the ground at rapid pace and repeated efforts don't seem to slow him down at all. His efforts throughout training were first class and worked hard to engage his teammates at every opportunity. His disposal by foot was surprisingly crisp and longer kicks seemed to have decent penetration. Also very sure with his hands when marking the ball. The boys obviously haven't given him a nickname yet as they all still call him Charlie. While he'll never be built like Cripps or Gorringe, strengthening his core with a couple of preseasons should make him a valuable asset that will make him an extremely awkward customer for the opposition. Jack & Gmac were in the rehab group with Walker, Kreuzer, Murphy and a couple of others.
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New Blue Blood - Charlie Curnow marking at full stretch during training (click to expand)
One of the things you notice with the draftees is that their reaction times to a given situation are just that fraction of a second behind their more seasoned teammates. There was an agility drill that finished with a strong lead to the ball on command of Bolton and just that fraction of a second longer in situational awareness to respond to a command put Cuningham 2 metres behind his teammates (see pic below). That will all change with a little bit of experience though. Otherwise he looks every inch a footballer. Nice pace and always easy to spot on the track. Might just be me, but he looks to be taller than 184cm.
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The Agility/Lead on Command Drill seemed to have a touch of dancing with the stars about it as players shimmied and shook between the poles before leading.
Providing they can keep him fit, Phillips may well prove be the steal of the trade period. Would easily justify pick #28 on his own if he fires. Massive leap and built like a Mack truck. Strong clean hands when marking, has sound disposal and pretty good when the ball is on the deck. Korchek continues to improve and although he's a bigger unit than Phillips, he doesn't have the same reach due to the greater athleticism Phillips possesses. Still training track form is one thing, match conditions are quite another. I'm not sure what they have in mind for Gorringe. The guy looks like a bigger version of Cripps as far as build goes, but there's nothing that grabs your attention apart from his build that makes you think we've grabbed a gun here. Reminds me of Rhys Stanley who is more an athlete than footballer at this stage. We'll have to see if Bolts can develop him somewhat.
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Soaring to new heights. Phillips and Korchek practice their ruck work (click to expand)
Thomas "seems" to be fit and hopefully we get some reasonable output from him this year. Anyone who is worried about Clem shouldn't be as the kid has some definite bounce in his step and looks to be jumping out of his skin. He's certainly not overweight and I think he's just the victim of having a chubby face. He's another one that I think will really blossom over the next couple of years now that we've got a coach with some development skills and believes in "investing in people". All the Irish lads were on deck and I'm really looking forward to seeing how Byrne in particular develops under Bolts as well.
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When Irish eyes are smiling. Zach Tuohy in action (click to expand)
Today was a step up in intensity from the previous opens sessions I've seen and given that the playing group will be up in Gold Coast next week I'd doubt there'd be another this year. Just as a little help for those looking to attend the next open training session, I found it a lot easier and closer to park in Gardiner St behind the ground. Parking tickets from the machine are 80 cents per hour and you can park there for up to 11 hours directly behind the ground. Just remember to tip-toe past the hobos so you don't wake them from their slumber and cop a mouthful of abuse.
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Everyone loves Jamo (click to expand).