2021 pre-season training

[SeanM]

I tried to write down the goals. But no guarantee that I got them all or got the details correct.

Red Team
1st quarter goals
- Reid set shot from about 10m out. Had taken a mark from a long Heeney kick.
- Mcdonald. Someone centred the ball to the goal square. Reid knocked the ball down and McDonald got to the loose ball and scored from close range.
- Heeney. Highball to a pack in the goal square. Heeney crumbed the loose ball and scored from close range.
- Heeney. Ran with the ball about 20m then had a shot from 40m out on the angle.
- Heeney. Shot from 20m on the angle after Mcdonald had centred the ball to him
- Bell. Florent ran with ball out of the centre clearance and then chipped a pass to Bell. Who kicked a goal from 40m central.

2nd Quarter goals
- Hayward. Papley chipped a pass to him. Hayward kicked a goal 30m out central
- Hayward. Soccered in a loose ball rolling across goal.
- Heeney. Crumbed the ball and scored from close range after someone had a shot from a long way out.
- Papley. Picked up a loose ball and kicked across his body from 20m out.

3rd Quarter goals
- Hayward. Shot from 40m out central after taking a mark.
- Hayward. Picked up a loose ball and snapped from 20m central
- Florent. Bell tapped the ball to him from a long ball. Florent ran on and kicked from 50m on the angle

4th Quarter goals
- Papley. 5m out crumbed the ball from a pack of players
- Stephens. Got free, went for a run and then shot at the open goal from 50m on the angle.

Green team
1st Quarter goals
- Ronke. Ran onto a long ball and volleyed in from close range.
- Amartey. From a mark 40m out after a quick break.
- Sheather. Got free out the back and scored from close range after a Ronke handpass.

2nd Quarter goals
- McLean. Picked up a loose ball 35m out, turned around and snapped a goal.

3rd Quarter
- Amartey. 20m central picked up a loose ball and kicked across his body
- Sheather. 30m in front from a free kick.

4th Quarter
nil green team goals

[SeanM]

Started a bit after 930am. 4 quarters with drink breaks in the middle of each quarter.

Red team
McCartin Melican Rampe Fox Lloyd Cunningham
Hickey Kennedy Mills Parker Blakey Florent
Bell Heeney Hayward McDonald Reid Papley

Green team
BoC Gould Dawson Malachy Campbell Ling
Sinclair Warner Hewett Rowbottom Clarke Stephens
Gray Sheather Gulden Ronke McLean Amartey
CoR Hebron Silvagni

In the 4th quarter red team rested some players and several listed players from the green team joined the red team. And a lot of reserve team players joined the green team.

A few players came off during the game with minor niggles.

[Captain]

Strange that Dawson was in the other team.

The footage by Swans media was decent for once. Heeney looked to be dominating and Hickey was beating Sinclair in the ruck.

[MattW]

Strange that Dawson was in the other team.

The footage by Swans media was decent for once. Heeney looked to be dominating and Hickey was beating Sinclair in the ruck.

Ben Mathews, in an interview on the official site, said the leaders picked the teams. Also notable that there was only 18 in the red team, so 4 more to come in.

He also noted Hickey played well.

[TheBloods]

Strange that Dawson was in the other team.

The footage by Swans media was decent for once. Heeney looked to be dominating and Hickey was beating Sinclair in the ruck.

If I'm not mistaken, Dawson had a late return to pre-season didn't he? Probably not as ready as the 18 named in the red team.

[rb4x]

No Squizzy, McInerney, Wicks !

Franklin, Naismith and Brand not expected to play of course.
Injury list is not too bad and hopefully does not degenerate into the horror list of the last few seasons.

Great news about Heeney and Hayward.

Very disappointing about Rowbottom but it is early.
These reports are much appreciated.

[stevoswan]

Much appreciated for those that couldn't make it.

Glad to see Bell being recognised for his intensity. On the opposite end of the spectrum, speaking to your observations about Rowbottom, this video posted to the Swans Twitter includes two horror moments he won't want to watch back, including one where he simply gives up on pressuring an opponent - Kennedy I think it is.

https://twitter.com/sydneyswans/stat...203118083?s=21

Just watched that. I'm honestly struggling to find the first 'horror' moment (missed tackle in the centre maybe?) and I'm guessing the 'failure to pressure' moment was around 2:07.....Kennedy just wrong footed him and was gone....there was no time to pressure him. Bit harsh I reckon.....he'll be fine.

[TheBloods]

Just watched that. I'm honestly struggling to find the 'horror' moment and I'm guessing the 'failure to pressure' moment was around 2:07.....Kennedy just wrong footed him and was gone....there was no time to pressure him. Bit harsh I reckon.....he'll be fine.

The intent to pressure was not there. The other moment I was speaking about was his hapless tackling attempt on Florent. Understand Florent is a slippery customer but a hard midfielder playing for his spot in the team should be able to do the job there.

Coupled with the first-day-back observations of him looking sluggish, and my own observations when I saw him on the track a few weeks ago looking like he'd put on no muscle whatsoever. Slow starts to the year are often the result of taking the foot off the pedal over the off-season. Too many Christmas beverages with his fat uncle.

[The Runner]

The intent to pressure was not there. The other moment I was speaking about was his hapless tackling attempt on Florent. Understand Florent is a slippery customer but a hard midfielder playing for his spot in the team should be able to do the job there.

Coupled with the first-day-back observations of him looking sluggish, and my own observations when I saw him on the track a few weeks ago looking like he'd put on no muscle whatsoever. Slow starts to the year are often the result of taking the foot off the pedal over the off-season. Too many Christmas beverages with his fat uncle.

He had shoulder surgery. It's an interrupted pre season, and we've seen no real evidence he's slid other than you joining some loose dots. Need to move on with the negativity

[TheBloods]

He had shoulder surgery. It's an interrupted pre season, and we've seen no real evidence he's slid other than you joining some loose dots. Need to move on with the negativity

Unsure who you are talking about

[graemed]

I like a lot about RB and was watching him carefully throughout the match. A late return from surgery could explain a lot because he did seem to lack real purpose which has been a feature of his game.
That said he certainly looked out of sorts and needs to prove his fitness to compete with others pressing more fiercely for a role on the ball. Stephens, in particular, looked to have stepped up and when Campbell was released from his defensive posture he also looked interesting.
Late in the day Sam Gray showed some of the form that made him a regular at Port.
I did not get to see a lot of Barry O’Conner last year (apart from his pre-season running) due to the lack of a reserve grade schedule, but in a number of contests he was paired against Reid, McDonald and McLean and I must say he seems to have made great strides. His positioning, contested play, disposals under pressure and defensive discipline looked polished. Obviously not ready yet but definitely a slow burn.

[TheBloods]

I like a lot about RB and was watching him carefully throughout the match. A late return from surgery could explain a lot because he did seem to lack real purpose which has been a feature of his game.
That said he certainly looked out of sorts and needs to prove his fitness to compete with others pressing more fiercely for a role on the ball. Stephens, in particular, looked to have stepped up and when Campbell was released from his defensive posture he also looked interesting.
Late in the day Sam Gray showed some of the form that made him a regular at Port.
I did not get to see a lot of Barry O’Conner last year (apart from his pre-season running) due to the lack of a reserve grade schedule, but in a number of contests he was paired against Reid, McDonald and McLean and I must say he seems to have made great strides. His positioning, contested play, disposals under pressure and defensive discipline looked polished. Obviously not ready yet but definitely a slow burn.

There was no shoulder surgery. Where this came from I don't know. RB has featured in every match sim across the entire preseason. He is fine. Not fit enough.

[mcs]

New year, same old targets it seems...

[The Runner]

There was no shoulder surgery. Where this came from I don't know. RB has featured in every match sim across the entire preseason. He is fine. Not fit enough.

Sorry, it was Blakey who had the surgery. Regardless, performances in February intra clubs are rarely indicative of a seasons performance. Give the guy a chance, particularly after what he delivered last year.

[Mountain Man]

I missed the start on Saturday, was only seeing action at one end of play, and do not have the knowledge of the game to properly evaluate these matters -
BUT, my comments:

Hickey looked pretty good. He seemed to get a lot of the ball around the ground; even set up in defence at one time marking McClean.

Rampe played 'up the ground' and as a loose man for much of the time, with McCartin and Melican in tandem at the back.

Mills played entirely as a mid; at some centre bounces (actually all throw ups), Kennedy was on the wing and not in the centre set up.

Blakey has put on no weight; also he seems to have no confidence in his right foot kicking.

Reid continues to tease with some great marks, but some misses and so so goal kicking. However he seem fit and active with one play where he chased and harassed with 3 successive tackles - it is part caught on the video footage.

Armarty, in the Green (weaker) team caught my eye a lot with mobility and aggression. The Heeney clone, Sheather, was also noticeable on all 3 counts.

Haywood got my comment of "doesn't work hard enough" initially, but as the game went on I saw him in the midfield, and he certainly bobs up with goal kicking.

For the first 3 quarters (broken with 10 minute breaks) I didn't notice substitutions or rests, and the game was pretty intense. Good fitness all round. After that, a number were taken off including Kennedy, Heeney Lloyd and Papley. The game became messier. I thought I saw McDonald clutch his calf late in the 3rd quarter, and he left the field, but otherwise seemingly no injuries.

I was glad to see live football, and the Tramway Oval is a good place to be. There were maybe 200 people there watching in sunny conditions. Apparently a hit out with GWS next week, and that is closer to the Mountains, so I hope to attend again.