Training Wednesday 7.45 am 05.01.11 Claremont Oval.

[Monocle]

Just got back from watching the guys train although I left at 9.20 am and they were still going.

Got there early to see some in close eye hand co-ordination work and then some general stretching.

Interesting that Brown , Nicoski and Ebert were doing some specific screening drills from boundry throw ins......with out the throw ins..... lol... if that makes sense..... the positioning and they were being coached in regards to the angles to run and the blocking techniques to impliment.

The conditions were wet and slippery and rather humid.

I did not see Kerr or Darling. Otherwise it lookied like a full compliment.

Things to like.

Cox was very vocal and looks back to his best as far as mobility and ease of movement , great to see him kicking on his right foot with no visable signs of discomfort.

Glass was moving much better than before Christmas.

Now dont shoot the messenger Lynch looked as good as I have seen him ever on the training track training with intensity and enthausiam.His kicking was good and surprisingly so was his marking ( more on that latter ).

Masten was again impressive as was Le Cras.... I really like the way the Fenchman trains as he puts in and really concentates on the task at hand he also looks to have filled out a bit more.

JON again looked good on the track.

Over all the quality of the kicking looked much imporoved... I know we can only go one way. The down side was that the general marking was deplorable in the main. Now I will acknowledge that it was slippery but that was not good enough.

Worthy of a special mention : I watched in detail a set of Contested marking drills right in front of me whereby there were tall players (in pairs ) taking lobbed over head marks over the training assistant with the padded dummie strapped to his back ( no thats dedication from the trainer having 100 kg player jumping all over you ).

The players who were doing this stand alone drill were NN , Cox, Lycett, Lynch and McGovern. I must say all five of these player marked very well. The surprise here was Lynch as he did not drop any marks also both Lycett and McGovern look impressive as both have a good leap ... McGovern really gets good hang time and against the likes mentioned that was no mean feat.

Lycett is fast becoming one of my favourite players today he marked well and followed up what I had seen before Christmas for a guy his height he really does have outstanding foot skills his passing was top shelf.

Just a few notes as I am sure others will comment further.

Must move on as I have a heap of stuff to do today.

Cheers.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Now dont shoot the messenger Lynch looked as good as I have seen him ever on the training track training with intensity and enthausiam.His kicking was good and surprisingly so was his marking ( more on that latter ).

Made the same comment from Monday's training. He seems superfit and vocal around the boys.

 

[fryzie]

Cheers Monocle, great write up...

Didn't happen to see what Swifty was up to at all did you?

 

[The Dodger]

Excellent news!!!
Love your work monocle.
Great to hear about Lycett. I had not heard of him before the "Port are going to take him" write up on AFL site.
When I watched his draft video I could not believe his mobility. He does not lumber, when he has the ball he moves like a (very) tall midfielder.

 

[larrikin]

Good work mate, especially with the early start...

 

[Mattman93]

I'd love to hear about Swift and Weedon, if there's anything worth mentioning regarding either of those two.

 

[PRANKSTER666]

Kerr and Darling both rocked up but both disappeared before the main training session began. As did Broome, Blayne and possibly a couple more.

But besides Kerr we seem to have our best 22 up and running.

Brett Jones was the only player unsighted from the entire squad I believe.

No Woosha or Sumich sighted either....wierd.

Mastens skills were a highlight.

The big difference with training this year is that all of the drills are done with 'marked' players applying pressure. Was good to see skills under pressure and the defenders working to create the pressure on the ball carrier.

Who would have thought...training for a zone environment???

The training sessions appear to be much more focused this year with intent on improving underperformed areas from 2010 so will be interesting to see if that impacts skills and decision making under pressure in 2011.

 

[Ghossein]

Kerr was there early but did not train

Darling was a no show

McGovern did well in the marking contests

Gaff was amazing with the handballing drills (better than i thought he would be)

Stevens trained with dedication

The whole training session was very team/skills oriented with kicking drills and general play

Towards the end it was mainly sprint training while naitanui, cox and lycett ran laps

the younger players look like they've added muscle

agree with the lynch point, he marked well and kicked well, looking much better

only concerns is stevens icing an ankle and mackenzie with two ice packs on both knees

(pictures to be uploaded soon, but for now, here's a video of the tall's marking drill)

[YOUTUBE]Nxm7icngMj8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[PRANKSTER666]

I got there pretty early and Darling was definitely there, doing a handball drill on the nets with Hamp and Wilson.

He then disappeared after all the players went down the race.

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

Was there two, in wet conditions there was alot of marks being dropped.

Kept an eye on Weedon like Jon kicking skills where very good, in the main drills.

But both of them dropped to back of pack when they where doing the continous 150 metres sprints.

Weedon was also good in the centre square drills when positioned closer to the ball up, as I have said before he is a natural at clearances.

Shuey had no bandages on his knee and looked good, Sammy Butler, Koby Stevens, Andrew Mcgovern and Ash Smith all had little niggles.

Adam Selwood was very disappointing his skills need to improve, looked in cruise mode.

Chris Masten was very sharp, and his kicking skills where very very good.

On the far side of the ground, Brad Sheppard looked good has bulked up and is still very quick, runs with the footy well.

Matty Priddis was good in the kicking skills which surprised me, he is a very hard trainer.

Ash Smith has a very good build these days strong lad, he and Koby are tanks.

 

[beatlesmith]

Great stuff guys.
The reports on Masten and Lycett are exciting.

 

[larrikin]

Great to hear all the positive talk on Masten's skills (something which he has always shown ability but lacked consistency with) - given a full preseason surely, surely he'll play mid this year.....

 

[swannies]

Great writes up Monocle and Prankster and good camera work Ghoss. I was going to say G'day but got talking to a couple of gentlemen and lost you after that, although I think you just moved to the players race and it was at that point that the pre-warned food topic started coming up.

Training Star: As mentioned by others, Q. He's not done and dusted folks. Looks ripped, dropped a few kgs and more mobile.

Best Sign: Luke Shuey had no strapping on the knee. Can't believe no-one else noticed. Disclaimer: hope I saw things correctly!

Towards the end Butler, Stevens, Smith, Neates, McGovern were doing some reflex drills where they bounced the footy on the crazy catchers and they had to catch and handball 2 at one end, turn and go to the other one 5m away and do the same there. This was done about 3 times per set. Stevens looked great in this. In fact Phillip Walsh yelled at him at some point it must have been all that shoplifting over Christmas!

In the running, 200m, 100m, 50m run through sets Weedon and JON were continually at the back of the pack. At least in the last 2 they made an effort to get more towards the front. Boy is Sheppard a runner, wow he was always at the front. Before Stevens came off with his ankle/leg concern him and Shep had a ding dong battle to get across the line first. I think Shep won that one.

As others mentioned Mastens kicking seems to have progressed towards what it was like when he was a junior, in fact probably better. I saw one 40m dart off the left and just thought, the Shue's been coaching him! Didn't have the power of the Shue, but was nice and low.

Will post more as I remember or as people ask.

Ebert looked solid in his kicking drills, as did Swift.

 

[WCErevival]

Adam Selwood was very disappointing his skills need to improve, looked in cruise mode.

Wasnt this reported in the other training session? If it is the case then they should give is spot in the 22 to someone who wants it. Its not like he was performing that well anyway last year.

 

[Shazzman]

2 guys that i want to know how they got on are glass and 'my boy' strijk, btw great write ups ppls, keep up the good work

 

[Winky]

Wasnt this reported in the other training session? If it is the case then they should give is spot in the 22 to someone who wants it. Its not like he was performing that well anyway last year.

Yep..he was the same on Monday.

 

[Suma Magic]

Great reports lads, many thanks.

Great to hear my boy is Scotty Lycett is training the recently rebuilt house down. Excited to see what he can do in his first season.

Great news with Lynch, a year in the midfield or even as the sub perhaps.

 

[GO EAGLES]

I was there as well.

1ST Prize - Dean Cox

2nd Prize - Matt Priddis

3rd Prize - Luke Shuey

Dean Cox is moving well.
Lynch looks as menacing as Troy Wison, What the hell has he been doing.

Shuey is losing the injury prone look. Could be the removal of knee bandage.

Priddis (yep) is now looking flexible like end of 2007.
Torso movement more like a dancer.

Very aggressive and focused training by all.

No slack run of the mill kicking attempts.
Last year I could tell you a few stories.

There are quite alot of hostile looking players now,
Priddis, Stevens, Waters, Lycett, S. Selwood etc.

Still a fair bit to go though.

 

[Prem87]

How were Hams and Strijk GO EAGLES?

Thanks for the reports guys they're much appreciated.

Not much has been mentioned about Swift all preseason..how's he been going? Is he any bigger/taller?

 

[GO EAGLES]

How were Hams and Strijk GO EAGLES?

Hams I thought was Shuey sometimes. Same haircut from a distance just a shorter player.

We will probrably have him instead of Kerr for round one which means we will win.

Stryik to me always seems to need a little more aerobic strength.
If he does he will be a real handfull, because he has a bull like attack.

Its like his cruising work is not as high energy as say Cousins, then all of a sudden he goes manic and its highly skilled as well.
Blood, sweat and tears and a few pre-seasons will give hinm the aerobic strength, I should think.

Must play round 1.

 

[The Gtrain]

Any word on how houlihan is training?

 

[Marlin01]

Torso movement more like a dancer.

More gold.

 

[Belgarion]

Great writes up Monocle and Prankster and good camera work Ghoss.

I second that and I would add you Swannies and Go Eagles to the "thank you" list.

 

[DrTomSwift]

More gold.

All gold.

 

[swannies]

Any word on how houlihan is training?

I heard one of the coaches yelling praise at Houlihan, I think during the running drills...