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Gallery: Swans hit the track - Latest photos of Swans pre-season training. Photo #3 has Ling in action !
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It's hard to tell but Lewis Taylor looks in better shape in that photo.All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)
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I managed to get down on Monday morning 20th Jan. It was pretty good weather. I got there around 8.30 and players were already warming up kicking the ball to each other in pairs. A lot of the players had red or yellow singlets with their numbers on it.
- First up they split into groups for the agility drills. The drills seem quite similar each session and I guess the players pick one they prefer. The group near the eastern boundary put a rubber band around the ankles and do exercises. The group near the western boundary do sprint type of drills like high knees. The group behind the goals do lateral movement, steps, stops and jumps. There is a fourth group that seems to do lighter work like fast handballs or using medicine balls.
During this time I took the chance to try and write down the singlet colours of the players doing the main agility drills. This gives a rough idea of the teams for the short match:
Yellow - Lloyd, Mellican, Gould, Mills, Hayward, Wicks, Stephens, Florent, Hewett, Parker, Clarke, Bell, Knoll.
Red - Dawson, Aliir, Stoddart, Fox, Brand, Papley, Foot, Mcinerney, Lewis Taylor, Cunningham, Kennedy, Rowbottom.
Short Match
- Next after a short warmup, some of the players played a short match. It might have been roughly two 15 minute halves (the game was finished by 9.30). It seemed to be 15 vs 15 (5 5 5). There were a few academy players used to make up the numbers. Fox and Knoll were the ruckman. (I saw Sinclair and Naismith participating in drills but maybe they were not match ready). I think there were seven goals kicked.
Best goal was Blakey's which I got a good view of from the Eastern boundary. There was a group of players at the contest near the boundary about 60m from goal. Someone was able to handball forward out of the contest. Blakey accelerated onto the ball out the back into space, sprinting away from his marker and ran 50m into an open goal. Blakey kicked another goal where he intercepted a kick out of defence and kicked from 30m in front.
Papley kicked two goals. First one from a set shot in front about 35m in front. Second one he was by himself near goal, ball got to him and he kicked it from short range. Stephens kicked a goal from about 35m in front. He was free and someone handballed the ball out of a pack to him. Lloyd kicked a goal from a set shot. One of the academy players (Key position build) kicked a goal. Someone made a break at half forward and then cenetred the ball to him for a set shot central from 25m.
Gould and Stephens were the only draftees that played. I did not watch them that closely so can't comment on how they did. Though I saw Stephens get a few uncontested possessions. It is hard to comment on players because it is a short match and you have a limited view of it. But obviously Blakey looked dangerous with his energy and pace. Papley looked sharp. Rowbottom seemed to be matched up to Florent in midfield for the whole match and that was interesting to see.
Skill Drills
- Next they were doing individual skill drills. Four drills with four groups rotating through each station. Group closest to me were doing marking practice where they marked a high ball leaping against a bump bag held by a coach (There is a few photos of this on the swans site). There was a ground ball drill. A coach would roll a ball on the ground. Two attacking players would pick it up and try to evade two defensive players. There was a simple kicking drill where pairs of players were just kicking back and forth to each other. And another more complex kicking drill on the far side of the field which I did not get a good look at.
Team Drills
- Next drill seemed to be about quickly moving the ball upfield. Player would start with the ball near the goal square. A player 50m out would grapple against an opponent then make a lead towards the boundary to receive the kick. He then spins around quickly and kicks to a leading player on the wing. Who kicks inside to a open player who then kicks into the attacking 50m. There seemed to be a focus on communication. Eg yelling out "roll, roll, roll" to get the player on the boundary to turn and kick quickly. Or "open, open, open" for the winger to look inside for the open player.
- Next was a handball drill with 4 attackers against 3 defenders. The attacking team had to move the ball 20m forward through a narrow corridor. It was a good drill. Because even with an extra player it is still hard under pressure to see where the spare player is and move into space. As well as receive a handball under pressure and be decisive whether to make the handball or not. You could see some players were more comfortable than others.
- Next they split into defenders/forwards and mids/rucks. Defenders/Forwards seem to do a exercise that involved kicking, spoiling, crumbing and kicking for goal. Mids were doing stoppage work in two groups alternating between a throw in and ball up. One group was Florent, Rowbottom, Parker vs Cunningham, Hewett, Kennedy. The other group was Clarke, Warner, Mcinerney vs Taylor, Bell and Foot(possibly).
- Next was a sim drill where the attacking team had to work the ball from their goal square upfield. It might have been 10 vs 9. The attacking team would pick up a loose ball near their goal square and try and work it upfield. At a certain point a coach would blow a whistle and then they would have to reset and sprint back to starting positions. And then go again.
- Next drill a pack of players would play for a few minutes, a coach would blow a whistle, they would then as a pack sprint 100m to a new position. Then start playing again. Then as a pack sprint 100m to a new position etc.
- Next the defenders were doing marking practice. A few mids were doing 1 vs 1 with a ruckman tapping the ball down. Seemed to be Kennedy, Parker, Hewett, Bell, Rowbottom and Clarke. Though Warner and Stephens were on the boundary posing for pictures with some kids. One of the coaches encouraged them to go over and soak it up and observe the drill.
- Also a lot of individual coaching done throughout the session. O'Connor was doing a lot of individual work with a coach. Last off the field were Clarke and Hewett who were practicing picking up balls rolled to them by the coach and handballing back.
- As usual players were in diffferent stages of preseason. So some were only doing some of the drills. Guys that were in earlier stages doing a lot of running around the boundary.Last edited by SeanM; 21 January 2020, 04:04 AM.Comment
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Thanks for the good info, Sean. My guess, as to the identity of the key position academy player, is Hamish Ellem?Comment
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It was not ellem. May have just been a less well known academy player.Comment
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These reports keep getting better and better. That account was really methodical and comprehensive SeanM. Thanks so much for your effort and sharing.All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)Comment
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Ellem and Parks have left the Academy and gone to the SANFL so it wouldn’t have been one of them.Comment
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Sorry about that this stupid phone is making things up. Missing letters and just simply terrible. I had to buy it in Thailand because my Huawei got stolen. It is a Thai phone. I actually live in Laos so hard to just take the phone back.
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