Training Reports Monday 31st

[Impatient Sainter]

From Ricmel on BF -

Training today was focused on match drills. Three colors - black, yellow, pink - rotating on and off the field. Drills were competitive and under pressure. Billings and Gresham mainly did leg work around the boundary. I did not see either of them do any competitive drills. Same for NWM. Someone in another thread said they thought NWM would play early this year - I am not so sure. He is VERY slight.

Standouts were again Higgins and Coffield. I'm thinking Higgins could have a serious breakout this year, maybe 40 goals. He is just so crisp with his touches and seems to me to be presenting in better places than I have seen before.

Sinclair had a great session today and has been pretty solid in all the sessions I have seen. Is he in the leadership group? Seems to be a natural.

Marshall had his best session. I thought last week he was struggling to find the pace of the sims and get involved. Was in everything today including bringing down some big marks.

Steele may have had a day off? I didn't see him out there but could have just missed him.

Seb Ross you will be pleased to know can kick just as poorly at training as in real time. Missed a couple of targets badly. Overall I would not have described our kicking game as precise. They also seemed to head deep into the pockets in attack. Not sure if that was just accidental, game plan or just to make the drill more involved.

From GoSaintas on BF -

expand...

Hey mate. I had a look down there today too.
Steel was on the field and doing plenty while I was watching.
Roughead took the best mark I saw all game and slotted the goal. King didn't get near it.
When I saw Gresh towards the end he was sitting on the oval with a beg of ice on his right knee and a bag of ice on his lefy hammy. Great.
Agree re. marshall and Higgins. Coff and Clarke looked great. Thought big Heath looked promising. Took a nice mark and kicked the goal. Howard looked in good nick. Jones was everywhere and Long was ivolved in plently.
Lots of players I didn't recognise. One of the new kids, must have been Windhager or whatever he's called, was really involved and is a great size. Looks a likely draft win.
I thought the skills looked pretty good on the whole but yeah Seb did some shocking stuff.
Joyce does some things that make you think he could be the answer to our missing fb but then he does something to remind you that the footy is a foreign thing for him. Bytel has lost a heap of weight and looks really fit. Hannas played and looked good.

NB Its noteworthy that both observers mentioned how bad Ross's kicking was - thats the reason I have other players in the starting 22 ahead of him.

[The_Dud]

Nice to see Seb trains the way he plays at least!

Best 22 = we’re in trouble!

[DJ Higgins]

Loving these updates. great work guys

[Goose is king]

I drove past by accident and stopped in for about an hour and agree Higgins, Coff, Wood and Clarke looked very good and also Hill and Paton impressed. They were the best for me. Steele was there and was surprisingly a little underwhelming. NWM was involved in the drills and had no strapping and did kick well. Very safe with his options though. Gresh, Billings and Campbell did some simple non contact drills together and running. Membrey and Gears ran laps. I didn’t notice anyone not being out there. Jones was also in everything. And yes Ross still can’t hit a target. Apart from the 6 that impressed the rest I think were a let down. So many kicks missed the target. I know it’s January but still. I heard about how Chico Williams would get stuck into the Melbourne players if they missed targets last season and thought we needed the same out there today. It can’t be Ratts who gets stuck into them about that and I would’ve liked to have seen Enright pull them in and get stuck into them about how “these missed targets wouldn’t be tolerated at Geelong in our premiership years”. Maybe I’m expecting too much too soon, maybe not. I don’t watch training pre season usually but that’s what I saw

[Impatient Sainter]

Missing targets with kicks kills a teams momentum, morale and allows opposition quick transitions. We all know how teams cope with quick transition - they can't. Its something that has let us down for sometime and it needs to be addressed if we are to take the ultimate step. Basically Ratts needs to give them some tough love at training and let it be known if they cant consistently hit a target they wont be playing.

Dunstan was cut from the list for exactly that reason, but Ratts & Gallagher still have some weeding to do.

[saynta]

Loving these updates. great work guys

What the guys on BF, because that's where these reports come from or at least, most of them.

[saynta]

I drove past by accident and stopped in for about an hour and agree Higgins, Coff, Wood and Clarke looked very good and also Hill and Paton impressed. They were the best for me. Steele was there and was surprisingly a little underwhelming. NWM was involved in the drills and had no strapping and did kick well. Very safe with his options though. Gresh, Billings and Campbell did some simple non contact drills together and running. Membrey and Gears ran laps. I didn’t notice anyone not being out there. Jones was also in everything. And yes Ross still can’t hit a target. Apart from the 6 that impressed the rest I think were a let down. So many kicks missed the target. I know it’s January but still. I heard about how Chico Williams would get stuck into the Melbourne players if they missed targets last season and thought we needed the same out there today. It can’t be Ratts who gets stuck into them about that and I would’ve liked to have seen Enright pull them in and get stuck into them about how “these missed targets wouldn’t be tolerated at Geelong in our premiership years”. Maybe I’m expecting too much too soon, maybe not. I don’t watch training pre season usually but that’s what I saw

Thanks mate but who is Chico Williams.

[Goose is king]

Correction. I didn’t see Hanners out there who I can only assume is finished

[B.M]

How does getting stuck into them improve their kicking?

[B.M]

A whipping boy

Even at training!

[saintkid]

Correction. I didn’t see Hanners out there who I can only assume is finished

Lol, he never really started either.

[ace]

How does getting stuck into them improve their kicking?

Makes them concentrate on their kicking instead of planning their visit to the pub.

[CQ SAINT]

How does getting stuck into them improve their kicking?

Making them leaders and giving them best and fairests' doesn’t work, you've got to try something.

[minneapolis]

I drove past by accident and stopped in for about an hour and agree Higgins, Coff, Wood and Clarke looked very good and also Hill and Paton impressed. They were the best for me. Steele was there and was surprisingly a little underwhelming. NWM was involved in the drills and had no strapping and did kick well. Very safe with his options though. Gresh, Billings and Campbell did some simple non contact drills together and running. Membrey and Gears ran laps. I didn’t notice anyone not being out there. Jones was also in everything. And yes Ross still can’t hit a target. Apart from the 6 that impressed the rest I think were a let down. So many kicks missed the target. I know it’s January but still. I heard about how Chico Williams would get stuck into the Melbourne players if they missed targets last season and thought we needed the same out there today. It can’t be Ratts who gets stuck into them about that and I would’ve liked to have seen Enright pull them in and get stuck into them about how “these missed targets wouldn’t be tolerated at Geelong in our premiership years”. Maybe I’m expecting too much too soon, maybe not. I don’t watch training pre season usually but that’s what I saw

Thanks mate but who is Chico Williams.

Pretty obvious I would have thought. He is the brother of Groucho Williams and Harpo Williams. Mrs Williams' 3rd boy.

[Scollop]

From Ricmel on BF -

Training today was focused on match drills. Three colors - black, yellow, pink - rotating on and off the field. Drills were competitive and under pressure. Billings and Gresham mainly did leg work around the boundary. I did not see either of them do any competitive drills. Same for NWM. Someone in another thread said they thought NWM would play early this year - I am not so sure. He is VERY slight.

Standouts were again Higgins and Coffield. I'm thinking Higgins could have a serious breakout this year, maybe 40 goals. He is just so crisp with his touches and seems to me to be presenting in better places than I have seen before.

Sinclair had a great session today and has been pretty solid in all the sessions I have seen. Is he in the leadership group? Seems to be a natural.

Marshall had his best session. I thought last week he was struggling to find the pace of the sims and get involved. Was in everything today including bringing down some big marks.

Steele may have had a day off? I didn't see him out there but could have just missed him.

Seb Ross you will be pleased to know can kick just as poorly at training as in real time. Missed a couple of targets badly. Overall I would not have described our kicking game as precise. They also seemed to head deep into the pockets in attack. Not sure if that was just accidental, game plan or just to make the drill more involved.

From GoSaintas on BF -

expand...

Hey mate. I had a look down there today too.
Steel was on the field and doing plenty while I was watching.
Roughead took the best mark I saw all game and slotted the goal. King didn't get near it.
When I saw Gresh towards the end he was sitting on the oval with a beg of ice on his right knee and a bag of ice on his lefy hammy. Great.
Agree re. marshall and Higgins. Coff and Clarke looked great. Thought big Heath looked promising. Took a nice mark and kicked the goal. Howard looked in good nick. Jones was everywhere and Long was ivolved in plently.
Lots of players I didn't recognise. One of the new kids, must have been Windhager or whatever he's called, was really involved and is a great size. Looks a likely draft win.
I thought the skills looked pretty good on the whole but yeah Seb did some shocking stuff.
Joyce does some things that make you think he could be the answer to our missing fb but then he does something to remind you that the footy is a foreign thing for him. Bytel has lost a heap of weight and looks really fit. Hannas played and looked good.

NB Its noteworthy that both observers mentioned how bad Ross's kicking was - thats the reason I have other players in the starting 22 ahead of him.

re Sebby

I blame Richo. He let him get away with it for far too long

re JB and others ...same.

If Paddy McCartin plays any good footy for the Swans I also blame Richo. He didn't push him hard enough

...anyway...good reports guys, and this Roughhead bloke sounds promising. Is he a young fella?

[shanegrambeau]

I notice Hannas isn't and won't be part of training with the team the regular way.
it's just 'too much to ask' according to Wilkie.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/01/31/ ... e-gresham/


So, what does that say ...(that hasn't already been said a million times...'Thank you for your service'?)

Now he will probably move to Gold Coast next year and kill it for two years!

[CURLY]

I notice Hannas isn't and won't be part of training with the team the regular way.
it's just 'too much to ask' according to Wilkie.
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2022/01/31/ ... e-gresham/


So, what does that say ...(that hasn't already been said a million times...'Thank you for your service'?)

Now he will probably move to Gold Coast next year and kill it for two years!

Called a modified program it's what smart fitness advisers do to get entire lists match ready.

[Impatient Sainter]

A whipping boy

Even at training!

The BF posters didnt have an agenda they were just reporting what they had seen. Telling it how it is hardly makes Ross a whipping boy, its the reality.

If the coaches dont set high expectations at training how do we expect the team to improve? Every player can improve their kicking if they are prepared to work on it, DMac is the perfect example.

[The_Dud]

A whipping boy

Even at training!

The BF posters didnt have an agenda they were just reporting what they had seen. Telling it how it is hardly makes Ross a whipping boy, its the reality.

If the coaches dont set high expectations at training how do we expect the team to improve? Every player can improve their kicking if they are prepared to work on it, DMac is the perfect example.

Not a whipping boy, just not a very good player in 2022.

[saynta]

A whipping boy

Even at training!

The BF posters didnt have an agenda they were just reporting what they had seen. Telling it how it is hardly makes Ross a whipping boy, its the reality.

If the coaches dont set high expectations at training how do we expect the team to improve? Every player can improve their kicking if they are prepared to work on it, DMac is the perfect example.

BF posters don't have agendas?

Pull the other one. It plays jingle Bells.

[Impatient Sainter]

You can make all sorts of excuses and blame others, but the reality is that Ross is an unreliable kick and turns the ball over at critical times. I get that he has his positives, but so did Dunstan. We just cant carry 'turn over merchants' if we want to improve. Some players just cant kick under pressure and unfortunately Ross is is also prone to clangers when there is zero pressure.

Gresham is another when playing in the midfield scrubs far too many kicks, but hopefully he is young enough to improve. Crouch is another that has too many clangers (plays inside role), but at least he can hit a target when he is in the clear.

[Gershwin]

Please don’t give too much credence to pre-season training. I know it is all we have got at the moment, but premierships are not won in February. The players just need to get fit and avoid injuries.

[skeptic]

Please don’t give too much credence to pre-season training. I know it is all we have got at the moment, but premierships are not won in February. The players just need to get fit and avoid injuries.

Where was that feedback for pre-season 2021

[Gershwin]

Please don’t give too much credence to pre-season training. I know it is all we have got at the moment, but premierships are not won in February. The players just need to get fit and avoid injuries.

Where was that feedback for pre-season 2021

Is there any factual basis to the discourse that we were not fit enough last season, or is it a clever ploy by those in power to direct blame at someone who could be an easy scapegoat ie. the head of high performance (Matt Hornsby).

[skeptic]

Please don’t give too much credence to pre-season training. I know it is all we have got at the moment, but premierships are not won in February. The players just need to get fit and avoid injuries.

Where was that feedback for pre-season 2021

Is there any factual basis to the discourse that we were not fit enough last season, or is it a clever ploy by those in power to direct blame at someone who could be an easy scapegoat ie. the head of high performance (Matt Hornsby).

I was more focused on injuries literally…

Pre-season 2021
Paton went down
Geary went down
Marshall got stress fractures
Ryder took leave (albeit not an injury but still)
No Carlisle
No Hannebery
Crouch was suspended
No Zac Jones

Maybe Roberton retired too? That one’s a bit blurry at this point

Rather disastrous pre-season

Bit of a miracle that we won rd1