Pre-season 2020

[Meg]

BS, what time of the morning have you been at training?

[barracuda]

Well, I swung by training again this morning to check out the new draftees. I managed to eyeball them all. Here are some assorted observations and gleanings from watching and chatting to a couple of people:

The two Mildura boys were hanging close together. I wanted to ask them whether they knew each other already but didn't want to interrupt their training to do it. There was a small moment that suggested a little bit of leadership or some good personal characteristics about Rowle. They had just finished a drill together and Rowle, who mostly looked a little bit shy and gangly (certainly less close to senior footy than the others), initiated a low five with Dewy (aka Dylan Stephens) while Dewy was just bent over refocusing for whatever was coming next (I presume). I know it's not much but it suggested some level of maturity and confidence or leadership that impressed me.

Stephens was the smallest and lightest of the new boys, and Rowle also lacking bulk. Stephens does have a slightly hunched appearance, a bit like JPK does.

Chad Warner is a ripper! I'm jumping on his bandwagon already. He's a pretty big and solid unit with an exuberant personality. He was working hard, had his tongue hanging out and smiling a bit. I reckon he's a good chance of making NEAFL team of the year in his first season. Really looking forward to see what he can do.

Will Gould was there, doing his thing. A big boy, powerful. Looks like he'll need to drop a little weight but didn't look chubby in the same way as Lewy Taylor. Gould seemed to be hanging on his own a little bit. Not shy but not clinging to anyone else either.

I didn't see as much of Elijah Taylor. Every time I saw him he was just standing or walking, sporting a sharp haircut. He was the only new face I didn't see actually see doing any exercises or drills (although I'm sure he did them, he was just relatively far from me most of the time and I was watching other things).

Rampe was sharp, really impressive. Very switched on during drills, but also spared a moment to give me a wink and a thumbs up (he doesn't know me from a bar of soap). He moved well and had great voice once they started the match simulation exercises - yep, they're into those already! Also pulled off a couple of beautiful kicks in the match simulation including one where he kicked it over 50 metres from down back to up front, to the advantage of his target who hauled in a semi-contested mark. There was another moment where Rampe was in his fullback role. His team was on the offensive and they had moved up the field, then there must have been a turnover and he started moving backwards sharply, but then one of his opponents started trying to go around him, Dane was covering him, then the opponent put on a bit of a burst... and left Ramps behind getting a good 10 m separation... and then was hit by a kick from downfield that went over Ramps' head. The opponent? Nick Blakey. Gun! Around this time I saw Stoddart and COR on the sidelines, about 30 metres from each other, kicking the ball back and forth, except they were also watching the match simul and kept stopping to watch the next bit of the action on the field. Wasn't sure if this meant they weren't doing their job properly or if they were just taking a moment to practice some ball skills casually while they were on the sidelines anyway.

Parker initially seemed to be goofing around a little bit and less switched on (wobbling in the balancing exercises and not trying to hard to sort it out when he kept overbalancing). He also had, I think it was his right knee, taped up. However, after those warm up exercises where he seemed a bit less switched on, he was doing some training away from the main group (post-op rehab, I suspect) and he was more switched on. Then he started running laps with Jack Maibaum and they were working really hard with Parker leading the way and Maibaum keeping up. I was impressed at Parker's discipline and focus then. Jack Maibaum looked really lean. He definitely hasn't let himself go, and I figured was probably doing pretty well to be just about keeping up with Parker, given he is a KPD not an onballer.

Matt Ling was also training away from the main group. He is reputed to have a bubbly personality and I was sad to see him looking slightly haunted and pained as he persevered with his running and other exercises on his own. It must be hard for him having been injured so much and so long, and still not to be training with the main group. I really hope he gets a decent run at it this year.

Aliir was running on his own away from the main group too. He looked powerful, really powerful, and a fair bit thicker around his waist than Maibaum.

McLean was in a moonboot. Don't know why. He was still training. Doing a lot of exercises throwing balls and stuff with Naismith (also training away from the main group).

I saw the forwards doing some 15 m sprints that were being timed. Papley looked the quickest of them off the mark but none of them were slouches. Sam Gray was training together with Papley. They didn't some crumbing and goal kicking exercises where they looked sharper from the right side of the field (every kick seemed to go through the goals) than they did when they were on the left. I like the look of Gray - I reckon he's a good pick up. Stevie J also had a go at running one of those sprints, which got a laugh (from me anyway - he seemed to have a chuckle about it too). And, yes, he did look a yard slower than the others and no doubt compared to his playing days.

Was also fun to see the coaches kicking a ball around among themselves at one stage while the players were otherwise engaged.

Lewis Taylor, unlike Papley, Ronke and Gray, was training with the mids. Still looks overweight. Couldn't really tell if he's any different.

The club is very happy to have Lakeside Oval up and running. Apparently having to train at Bat & Ball and Henson ovals last year was quite disruptive and contributed to some injuries, Maibaum's ACL in particular, with their uneven surfaces.

The new draftees are going to have their first medical examinations this morning.

I imagine someone from the club, probably a coach (although I didn't sight Horse), will give a presser at some stage today that will be posted on the website this afternoon or by tomorrow.

That's all I got for today. Tom Harley was there and said hello but didn't seem inclined to chat.

Great summary! How was Sam Wicks looking?

[bloodspirit]

"Well, I swung by training again this morning to check out the new draftees. I managed to eyeball them all. Here are some assorted observations and gleanings from watching and chatting to a couple of people:...."
Thanks Bloodspirit for the update again. Have you noticed if Dawson and Mills training with the Midfield or Backs group?

BS, what time of the morning have you been at training?

Great summary! How was Sam Wicks looking?

Aaron, I didn't notice Dawson today and wasn't watching the backs so much. I saw Mills doing some handpassing routines with the rehabbing rucks Naismith and McLean so possibly he is rehabbing too. I don't think he was doing drills with the mids and I didn't see him training with the other backs either.

Meg, I have typically been there around 8.30-9 and a bit before and/or after.

Barra, I saw Wicks today, including seeing him do that short little sprint with the other forwards. I can't say I noticed anything in particular about him. Sorry.

[Auntie.Gerald]

Thanks BS

Was Port Adelaide's Aydin Johnson still training with the Swans ?

[bloodspirit]

"Well, I swung by training again this morning to check out the new draftees. I managed to eyeball them all. Here are some assorted observations and gleanings from watching and chatting to a couple of people:...."
Thanks Bloodspirit for the update again. Have you noticed if Dawson and Mills training with the Midfield or Backs group?

BS, what time of the morning have you been at training?

Thanks BS

Was Port Adelaide's Aydin Johnson still training with the Swans ?

I don't know. I didn't see him.

[Mr Magoo]

Mr Magoo, do you think that by keeping a Cat B rookie spot vacant, we are just allowing all the possible candidates to keep training so that, if we want, we can draft whichever of them we like or need, whenever it suits us? That spot can't be used on anyone else except a candidate coming from another sport and/or overseas (which is another possibility I have been wondering about - could they have their eyes on another Irish player?).

Could be that they are keeping the position open but got the impression that the difficult conversations were already had. I guess time will tell and Im not sure when the opening to take someone on the Cat B list ends but there will be little opportunity to impress other than at preseason training in the next few months and part of me thinks if they werent deemed worthy of a spot at the end of november , little is going to change between now and say end of february when first intra club style games begin.

[bloodspirit]

That makes sense. So maybe more likely that they might look for someone returning to AFL from cricket or basketball or something. I think Cat B rookies can be signed at any time, although not sure if they have to wait until the following season to join the list (like BOC)? I wonder if they can also be recruited via the pre-season or mid-season drafts as a way of getting the player on to the list and eligible to play.

[Mel_C]

Thanks Bloodspirit for your detailed descriptions ????.

[goods78]

"Well, I swung by training again this morning to check out the new draftees. I managed to eyeball them all. Here are some assorted observations and gleanings from watching and chatting to a couple of people:...."
Thanks Bloodspirit for the update again. Have you noticed if Dawson and Mills training with the Midfield or Backs group?

Mills copped a football to the face on Fridays training...he did not participate in any of the drills I saw today. It was a very forceful impact from a kick only a few meters away. Suspect he is sidelined from concussion and hopefully nothing is broken.


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[Auntie.Gerald]

catches win matches !

[magic.merkin]

The two Mildura boys were hanging close together. I wanted to ask them whether they knew each other already but didn't want to interrupt their training to do it. .

Played against each other until u14's when Stephens left for Adelaide.

[barracuda]

I checked out training this morning. With so few injuries, plus the first years, plus the NDS, plus campbell and gulden it is a huge squad. There is a noticeable shift from last year with the haywards, florents, etc looking like adult men rather than youngsters.
I was surprised at the amount of football drills. Other than the first years and some doing rehab eg Zac Foote, the rest were predominantly doing structural and kicking drills. The skill level looked good, quick with good skills. Many of the drills and structures emphasised fast changes in directions and angles including shorter pin point passes. Lots of competitive forward entry drills with an emphasis on fast entries and the ability of the forwards to double back and lose opponents thus avoiding getting dragged too far up field. The drills looked different from those in previous years and seemed to be carefully tailored to a very quick accurate game style.
The first years were working hard, and I sensed the they find the training pretty tough. They do much more organised running as the club gets the miles into them.

[dejavoodoo44]

I checked out training this morning. With so few injuries, plus the first years, plus the NDS, plus campbell and gulden it is a huge squad. There is a noticeable shift from last year with the haywards, florents, etc looking like adult men rather than youngsters.
I was surprised at the amount of football drills. Other than the first years and some doing rehab eg Zac Foote, the rest were predominantly doing structural and kicking drills. The skill level looked good, quick with good skills. Many of the drills and structures emphasised fast changes in directions and angles including shorter pin point passes. Lots of competitive forward entry drills with an emphasis on fast entries and the ability of the forwards to double back and lose opponents thus avoiding getting dragged too far up field. The drills looked different from those in previous years and seemed to be carefully tailored to a very quick accurate game style.
The first years were working hard, and I sensed the they find the training pretty tough. They do much more organised running as the club gets the miles into them.

That sounds encouraging. If we could spend much of the year, playing a fast, creative, accurate and attacking game style, then I would be happy.

[707]

I checked out training this morning. With so few injuries, plus the first years, plus the NDS, plus campbell and gulden it is a huge squad. There is a noticeable shift from last year with the haywards, florents, etc looking like adult men rather than youngsters.
I was surprised at the amount of football drills. Other than the first years and some doing rehab eg Zac Foote, the rest were predominantly doing structural and kicking drills. The skill level looked good, quick with good skills. Many of the drills and structures emphasised fast changes in directions and angles including shorter pin point passes. Lots of competitive forward entry drills with an emphasis on fast entries and the ability of the forwards to double back and lose opponents thus avoiding getting dragged too far up field. The drills looked different from those in previous years and seemed to be carefully tailored to a very quick accurate game style.
The first years were working hard, and I sensed the they find the training pretty tough. They do much more organised running as the club gets the miles into them.

Thanks Barracuda, always great to get real impressions of training rather than the sanitised politically correct club version :-)

[Aprilbr]

That sounds encouraging. If we could spend much of the year, playing a fast, creative, accurate and attacking game style, then I would be happy.

Aleluiah to that! Of course we have to win our fair share of stoppages and contested ball to set up those attacking moves. For the past 2 seasons we have been seemingly incapable of that!

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