Training- Friday December 9

[Saintmike65]

Observations:

* Windhager up close is a specimen
* Hotton a smaller version of Windhager
* Higgins looking great, very lively forward & mid
* Owens looks to have grown - height and build
* Keeler looks a real talent- lovely mover and handy below the knees - very much like a young Paddy Ryder.
Did hurt his knee in a marking contest but may only be bone bruising
* Strong enforcement on quick ball movement, once ball is turned over players very quick getting back up the ground to cover space
* Mobile forward setup used with Membrey, Wood & Sharman.
* Jack Hayes coming along nicely
* Coffield ripped - looks in seriously great shape
* Hunter Clark looks the same but moving well
* Byrnes and Bytel look hungry for more opportunities, as does Connelly
* McLennan a nice size, being eased along at this stage
* No scrawny kids on the list any more
* Butler looks to be more intense with his training efforts - no coasting under the boss!
* Enright front and centre with main ball movement drill
* NWM used in defence - didn’t look out of place
* Stocker a powerful looking unit!!
* Van Es impressive, strong mark, good speed, did well in the endurance running..could potentially debut early

[cwrcyn]

Thanks Saintmike58.

Good news about Van Es. Owens is ready to become our bulldozer. Can't wait to see him in action alongside Windhager this year.

Very keen to see Hotton's progress. He might be one who could very well jump the queue

Very glad to know Sharman is being played up forward where he belongs.

Hill will be a different player this year.

[chook23]

did phillipou train?

[mr six o'clock]

Does Van Es have a Nickname !

[tony74]

did phillipou train?

Yep, main group.

[chook23]

any update on Keeler?

[Impatient Sainter]

Great stuff thanks Mike. How encouraging is it to see the new and old showing improvement on the track.

A forward line of Membrey, Sharman & Wood is going to be very mobile. Hopefully others can chip in with some marking & goals also?

[bobmurray]

Great stuff thanks Mike. How encouraging is it to see the new and old showing improvement on the track.

A forward line of Membrey, Sharman & Wood is going to be very mobile. Hopefully others can chip in with some marking & goals also?

Unfortunately that doesn't mean they will be effective in kicking a winning score, which is our biggest issue, i think.

[bangaulegend]

Does Van Es have a Nickname !

Has to be the Esky doesn't it

[mad saint guy]

NWM in defence is an interesting move. Probably seen as a wingman long term but learning some accountability and defensive skills at half back might be good for his development. That would make room for Hill on a wing for a couple of years. I think NWM can be pretty decent overhead at well - he's fairly tall, can jump and seems to have long arms so once he gets more comfortable with contact he could be more sound defensively than Hill.

[evo]

Great stuff thanks Mike. How encouraging is it to see the new and old showing improvement on the track.

A forward line of Membrey, Sharman & Wood is going to be very mobile. Hopefully others can chip in with some marking & goals also?

Unfortunately that doesn't mean they will be effective in kicking a winning score, which is our biggest issue, i think.

All three are good contested marks and accurate kicks, the problem is getting it to them with some precise kicking.

[saynta]

From the hun.

"The Saints have hit the track as they begin life without superstar forward Max King for the foreseeable future. Check out below some of the highlights and most notable action as they ramp up plans for 2023 under returning coach Ross Lyon.

REPATRIATED ROSS TAKES BACK SEAT

Ross Lyon appeared happy to sit back and let his assistant coaches take charge of training – a style he has adopted in the early stages of pre-season.

It’s no surprise Lyon trusts his assistants – Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard were key cogs in his old Saints side’s premiership challenges from 2009-11, Rob Harvey is a club legend and Corey Enright’s record speaks for itself – and it seems he will leave the micromanaging to them while he oversees each session.

New development coach Goddard, however, was consigned to watching alongside Lyon from the sidelines after being a little too involved with the first-to-fourth years in week one.

A source with knowledge of the session said Goddard was so excited to be back at Moorabbin that he tried to keep up with the young Saints during running drills, only to twinge his hamstring and pull up sore.

SAINTS GET SERIOUS ABOUT MATCH SIM

Much of Friday’s session was devoted to match simulation, which the Saints took so seriously they brought in AFL umpire Leigh Fisher to officiate it.

Fisher played 55 games as a St Kilda player through a seven-season career but turned his attention to umpiring after he was delisted in 2010.

The 38-year-old has since become one of the green team’s main fixtures during the home-and-away season, though it appears the Bayside local has maintained some connection with his old club.

Tom Campbell and Zaine Cordy were up and about ahead of an important pre-season for the pair with a key-tall vacancy to be left by the injured Max King in the early stages of next season.

Young midfielder Marcus Windhager looked supremely fit after pushing Wood in Monday’s time trial, and looks poised to elevate his status as a bargain of the 2021 draft – St Kilda wasn’t required to match a bid for the local talent until pick 47.

ROSS REKINDLES CONNECTION WITH OLD CREW

Every session, a group of 6-10 senior Saints fans watch on from the boundary.

They even attended last week’s time trial at a nearby athletics track despite the club never publicising when and where it would be held.

The group has watched on since Lyon’s first stint as St Kilda coach, and one of his first tasks of week-one pre-season was to reacquaint himself with the old loyal fans, shaking hands and sharing a chat to mark his return to the helm.

The group of old-timer Sainters welcomed him back with open arms, a source familiar with the exchange said.

STARS OFF TRACK

Skipper Jack Steele headlined a running group featuring Jade Gresham (PCL recovery) Zak Jones and Jimmy Webster, with the quartet completing repeat efforts while their teammates trained.

Steele has trained in earlier sessions but missed a chunk of 2022 after shoulder surgery, while Jones and Webster also looked keen on building increased fitness – the group ran at speed and didn’t appear restricted.

Nick Coffield (ACL recovery) ran separately in a sign he won’t return to main training as soon as Gresham.

[Impatient Sainter]

A small training report from Stfan on BF, it appears Crocker is acquitting himself well -

Well of particular note on that very hard drill:

Due to all the concern raised on Stocker's tank I watched him quite closely in this exercise. Stocker went quite well. Hunter was in the group in front and Stocker often out paced him. Importantly he did not look to be struggling in comparison to the other players, despite the many repetitions..

Whereas Cordy was the player who really struggled. He lagged back every time and looked really buggered.

"Overall with today's training session (my first this pre-season) I was quite impressed. As a group most of the players look in ripper condition.
The sims/drills today were mainly about moving the ball fast, and playing on quickly. I think our gameplan is going to be a treat to watch in 2023.

[Saints58]

A small training report from Stfan on BF, it appears Crocker is acquitting himself well -

Well of particular note on that very hard drill:

Due to all the concern raised on Stocker's tank I watched him quite closely in this exercise. Stocker went quite well. Hunter was in the group in front and Stocker often out paced him. Importantly he did not look to be struggling in comparison to the other players, despite the many repetitions..

Whereas Cordy was the player who really struggled. He lagged back every time and looked really buggered.

"Overall with today's training session (my first this pre-season) I was quite impressed. As a group most of the players look in ripper condition.
The sims/drills today were mainly about moving the ball fast, and playing on quickly. I think our gameplan is going to be a treat to watch in 2023.

Have you seen how Josh Eyre is going haven't herd much about him?

[Saintmike65]

A small training report from Stfan on BF, it appears Crocker is acquitting himself well -

Well of particular note on that very hard drill:

Due to all the concern raised on Stocker's tank I watched him quite closely in this exercise. Stocker went quite well. Hunter was in the group in front and Stocker often out paced him. Importantly he did not look to be struggling in comparison to the other players, despite the many repetitions..

Whereas Cordy was the player who really struggled. He lagged back every time and looked really buggered.

"Overall with today's training session (my first this pre-season) I was quite impressed. As a group most of the players look in ripper condition.
The sims/drills today were mainly about moving the ball fast, and playing on quickly. I think our gameplan is going to be a treat to watch in 2023.

Have you seen how Josh Eyre is going haven't herd much about him?

Josh didn’t do much, was in the gym then did a few run throughs.
I’ll be going to training tomorrow so I’ll keep an eye on him & Stocker.

[WellardSaint]

Looking fwd to a report tomorrow

[Banger9798]

I was planning to go, but can't make it.
Anyone get there?