Our Pre-season so far ...

[MightyMagpie]

PRE-SEASON REVIEW

Players are listed in order of Champion Data rankings (2016 Prospectus).
Some information (primarily re injuries) has been taken from press releases. Intra-club stats were previously posted in that thread and NAB stats are from the AFL website (apologies as I ran out time to include more detailed stats for NAB2 against North).

Injuries are a bit of a concern heading into round 1 with four of our “Above Average” rated players clouded by injury – Tyson Goldsack, Jeremy Howe, Adam Treloar and Jamie Elliott – not to mention Ben Reid.

Pendlebury “Elite” (Champion Data)

Intra 17d 1g 0p 11k 5m 6h 4I50 1R50
Geelong dnp (rested)
North 18d in just 73%tog

Stated that he was keen to play against Geelong, but Buckley held him back. Pendles is a Rolls Royce and is just easing into the season. Nothing to worry about here, he’ll be firing come round 1. The one interesting thing has been the different roles Pendles has had across half back and moving forward. I suspect he will see less dedicated inside midfield time and be left to provide the “polish” we were missing in 2015 and set up play from the half back line (especially if Reidy isn’t fit).

Swan “Above Average” (predicted down in 2016)

Intra 12d 1g 0p 4k 2m 8h 2I50 2cl
Geelong 10d 3g 0p 6k 2m 2t 4h 0I50 1R50 0cl (80%tog)
North dnp (rested)

Swanny is Swanny and I think we will see a similar output to 2015 (althopugh Champion Data predict a decline in 2016). It has been stated that he will spend more time forward, but don’t discount his impact when he does go throygh the midfield.

Sidebottom “Above Average”

Intra 33d 0g 0p 16k 3m 17h 5I50 1R50 6cl
Geelong 28d 1g 0p 17k 4m 6t 11h 5I50 2R50 8cl (84%tog)
North dnp (rested)

If anything, it appears that Sidey has taken another step up and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him talked about as one of the elite midfielders by season’s end. Absolute gut runner and Balmey said he made sure he saw off Tom Phillips in the second time trial after surprisingly getting pipped in the first.

Goldsack “Above Average” (predicted down in 2016)

“Tyson has been struggling with that (knee) tendinopathy. He had surgery at the end of the season which worked pretty well. “He’s medium, maybe even long term with it… It’ll take a bit of time. [February 3]

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp

Very interrupted pre-season and doesn’t bode well for Tyson. A very flexible player for us and one of our better kick outs from points. I expect Goldy to play the majority of the first half of the season in the twos building his fitness base.

Blair “Above Average”

Intra 24d 0g 0p 9k 2m 15h 3I50 4cl
Geelong 12d 2g 0b 4k 2m 2t 8h 1I50 1R50 2cl (45%tog)
North 13d 1g 0p 4m in 85%tog

Much-maligned, but Blair is as tough as a cat’s head and will not be displaced in the 22 easily.

Brown “Above Average”

Intra 5d 0g 0p 1k 1m 4h
Geelong 7d 0g 0p 4k 2m 0t 3h 1I50 1R50 (94%tog)
North dnp

Brown has been solid enough as we have come to expect.

Jeremy Howe “Above Average”

Howe also arrived at the Holden Centre under an injury cloud, yet Balme on Wednesday stated that he is currently being troubled by foot soreness, as opposed to an original knee injury. “It’s a little bit of a stress reaction but we’re really pleased with how quickly he’s responded to it,” he said. “He would be certainly medium term but we’re very happy with the way he is. “I think he might be a bit quicker than we expect.” [February 3]
Collingwood recruit Jeremy Howe has had surgery to repair a broken finger suffered in bizarre circumstances. Howe went under the knife late last week after he got his middle finger caught in the ground when attempting to catch a frisbee while he and his girlfriend were playing with their dog at home. The 25-year-old had to have two screws inserted in the lower part of his finger and he is expected to wear some form of cast before making his return to training. Howe, who has been battling foot soreness this pre-season, is unlikely to be fit for the opening round of the season. "He'll obviously be out for a few weeks," Collingwood's Director of Football Neil Balme told AFL Media. [February 9]

Collingwood recruit Jeremy Howe will miss all of the NAB Challenge and is no certainty to play in round one against the Sydney Swans. The high-flying forward has struggled with right foot soreness and a broken finger in his first pre-season at the Magpies. Pies coach Nathan Buckley admitted it hadn't been an ideal start for the 25-year-old. "It's been a broken pre-season, there's no two ways around it. He's [now] getting a full load from a running perspective," he said. "He's handling the footy again, coming back off his hand operation. I don't know what the timeline is. "We're unlikely to see him through the NAB Challenge and he's going to have to build through the next six weeks to get up into contention. There's still plenty of steps for him to take before he's going to be a prospect for us at senior level."

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp

No two ways about it, this has been a pretty disappointing start to his career at the Pies. It is pretty clear from the statement above that Bucks has put a pencil through him for at least the first block of games.

Treloar “Above Average” (predicted up in 2016)

22-year-old Treloar arrived at the Magpies after being troubled by osteitis pubis during his final year at Greater Western Sydney. “Our main objective with him is to make sure that the OP issue doesn’t reoccur,” Balme told Collingwood Media. “He’s joined in training… certainly the warm-up part of training for the first time this week. So that was a big progression for him.” [February 3]

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp [Played VFL PM#1] He was the man everyone came to see, and Adam Treloar failed to disappoint. After starting at the foot of the opening centre bounce, Treloar attacked the ball ferociously in three quarters of action. He appeared to slip into normal rotations, spending only small amounts of time on the bench in the taxing conditions. The 22-year-old is known for his toughness, and it was quick to see that he has been itching to resume competitive action. Treloar took exception to a sling tackle in the first quarter, rushing to the Werribee ruckman to show his displeasure. He tackled hard, worked his way to every contest and showed a natural knack at finding the ball. In his first competitive hit out in black and white, the former Greater Western Sydney midfielder was generally clean without winning a great deal of the ball. He was targeted early by Werribee but responded with some good early touches. The biggest positive in his performance was his ability to win the ball in tight and get handballs out of traffic to teammates. He started the entire third quarter out of the centre square hunting the ball, and covered a lot of ground before sitting out the fourth term.

Midfielder Adam Treloar will play make his debut for Collingwood's senior team this Saturday, but the Pies haven't decided how much game time he will play. "He got through the VFL game really well. He's done a lot of footy work," Buckley said. "We've tailored his preparation to this point. We've had round one in mind all along. Unless he has a setback there's no reason why he wouldn't play."

I think we are all looking forward to what Treloar might have to offer us, but I suspect he will build through the early part of the season before reaching prime fitness form. Hoping he gets 2 or 3 quarters in the Bulldogs game and then is ready to go round 1 at the SCG.

Elliott “Above Average”

“Jamie Elliott has a minor back issue,” Balme explained. “It’s more of a niggle than anything else. We’re trying to take the intensity out of training in the short term to allow him to settle down. [February 3]

Collingwood will be without the exciting Jamie Elliott in the early stages of 2016 as the 23-year-old attempts to overcome a back injury. Director of Football Neil Balme told Collingwood Media on Wednesday that the forward needs time to overcome what has been a persistent concern. “He’s got what we call a pars defect,” Balme said. “We’re going to take him out of the program for three or four weeks and not do the genuine footy stuff. “We’re pretty confident that by that stage he should be right to go again.” A timeframe for Elliott’s return to the field will be dependent on his recovery, however Balme is confident he will have an impact sooner rather than later. “In terms of when he will play, he won’t play round one, but we’re pretty optimistic that he’ll have a big impact for the rest of the season. Elliott played 20 games in 2015 as the Magpies narrowly missed a finals berth. He missed two games in July due to a stress reaction in July, however successfully returned to play the final six games of the season. “It is similar but not the same,” Balme said when comparing the current injury to last season’s concern. “It was a particular facet joint last year that was a bit sore. It’s in the same kind of area so obviously it’s the same kind of issue. “We’ve just got to settle it down and make sure that he’s okay.” [February 24]

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp

Gutted! I really hope this gets sorted out for this season and the longer term. Jamie is such an exciting player and important player for our team
.
Fasolo “Above Average”

Intra 17d 2g 0p 8k 2m 9h 6I50 1cl
Geelong 19d 5g 0p 15k 7m 2t 4h 4I50 1R50 5GA (78%tog)
North 14d 2g 1p 8m in 59%tog

Just about my pick for best player across the pre-season. I think he has been too harshly criticised for his 2015 (based on being sent back to the VFL to work on defensive aspects of his game). I rated his season last year and he seems to be chomping at the bit and I fully expect him to play closer to his best more often in 2016 and (with Elliott sidelined) probably take out the goalkicking award.

Williams “Above Average”

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp

Collingwood defender Marley Williams is set to line up for his first game of the year against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium, coach Nathan Buckley says. "Marley's trained really well. He's been really strong … the last couple of weeks," Buckley said.

I hope this is true. Williams is a potential All-Australian coming off the half back line with stints in the middle.

Langdon “Above Average”

Tom Langdon has now all resumed full training after a stint on the sidelines. [February 3]

Intra 7d 0g 0p 7k 4m 1I50 3R50
Geelong dnp
North 15d in 80%tog [injured finger]

It has been stated that Langdon will be playing back again in 2016. His form has been solid enough, but he really needs to clean up his disposal by foot.

Cloke “Average”

Intra 15d 2g 3p 12k 9m 3h 3I50 1HO
Geelong dnp (rested)
North 13d 0g 2b in 84%tog

The North game highlighted the frustrations most of us have with Trav … he can’t kick straight at goal! Personally I like Trav up the ground providing a marking target for the let out kick from defence. He has the penetration on his kick to get the long ball in over the top of the defence and give our other forwards a good chance one out.

Varcoe “Average”

Intra 13d 0g 0p 6k 6m 7h 4I50
Geelong 17d 0g 0p 8k 3m 3t 9h 3I50 0R50 1cl 2GA (85%tog)
North 17d 2g 0p in 79%tog

I thought Varcoe started slowly last season, but he was great later on. He seems to be continuing that improvement in form from what I’ve seen so far. May end up playing a bit more in attack from what we are seeing.

White “Average”

Intra 9d 3g 1p 6k 2m 3h 2I50 4HO
Geelong 8d 0g 0p 4k 1m 1t 4h 2I50 (90%tog)
North 8d in 74%tog

Will struggle to hold a place up forward I think. Does Ben Reid’s (potential) injury open the possibility of a role down back? He seems to have bee trialled there the last two games and with Marsh getting carved up against North, White may be a viable option (albeit learning on the job).

Greenwood “Average”

Intra 9d 1g 2p 6k 4m 3h 1I50 1R50
Geelong 17d 1g 1p 11k 0m 6t 6h 3I50 1R50 (70%tog)
North 25d 8t 5I50 in 73%tog

Sensational game against his old club. A fit Greenwood for the whole of 2016 will really help us out in the middle – he’s almost a new recruit given his unfortunate injury early last season.

Adams “Average” (predicted up in 2016)

Intra 30d 1g 1p 13k 5m 17h 3I50 6cl
Geelong 11d 0g 0b 6k 0m 1t 5h 2I50 1R50 2cl (36%tog)
North 26d 2g 1p 3t 5I50 in 69%tog

Sensational game against North. Along with Greenwood, Adams will provide the main grunt for us in 2016.

Frost “Average”

Intra 7d 0g 0p 3k 1m 4h 1R50
Geelong 3d 0g 0p 3k 1m 1t 0h 0I50 2R50 (45%tog)
North 6d in 82%tog

Frost is certainly behind Brown, Reid and Goldsack and (with Reid and Goldsack under injury clouds) probably vying with Marsh and mid-sized defenders (Toovey, Langdon etc) for a spot in the selected 22. May get a chance through a “horses for courses” selection policy.

Grundy “Average” (predicted up in 2016)

Intra 12d 1g 0p 5k 1m 7h 2I50 1R50 20HO 5cl
Geelong 14d 2g 1p 6k 2m 1t 8h 1I50 0R50 13HO 1cl (87%tog)
North 3d 9HO in 44%tog

Probably my biggest disappointment so far this preseason. Hopefully he is just taking it easy, but he has been hammered in the ruck and Witts is clearly the better ruckman at the moment although Grundy does offer a bit more around the ground. Grundy will need to extract his digit or he will risk being overlooked by selectors.

I suspect we will play both and I’m thinking along the lines of Witts goes up for the centre bounce (with Grundy at FF or CHF) and they then swap with Grundy running around.

Crisp “Average”

Intra dnp [rested]
Geelong 18d 0g 0p 7k 2m 5t 11h 4I50 0R50 4cl (74%tog)
North 17d 4t 4I50 in 75%tog

Seems ready to provide another solid season for us.

Witts “Average”

Intra 9d 1g 0p 5k 4m 4h 1I50 16HO 1cl
Geelong 8d 1g 0p 5k 0m 2t 3h 1I50 0R50 32HO 2cl (87%tog)
North 3d 13HO in 42%tog

See my comments re Grundy above.

Wiits needs to show something up forward.

Broomhead “Average” (predicted up in 2016)

Tim Broomhead has now all resumed full training after a stint on the sidelines. [February 3]

Intra 24d 0g 0p 7k 5m 17h 4I50 6cl
Geelong 10d 0g 1p 3k 3m 0t 7h 1I50 1R50 0cl (77%tog) [possible injured shoulder] Broomhead held his arm as he went to the bench in the second half, however he returned to the field and appeared comfortable in the latter stages of the game.
North dnp (precautionary re shoulder?)

Still a bit inconsistent. Offers so much at his best … reminds me of Fasolo from a few years ago like that.

Toovey “Below Average”

Intra 7d 0g 0p 5k 1m 2h 1I50 1R50
Geelong 6d 0g 0p 4k 1m 2t 2h 1I50 0R50 (47%tog)
North 12d in 84%tog

I don’t have a record of goals kicked on him, but I think Toovey slots in as one of our more defensive “stopper” defenders with an ability to play small (better) or tall (worse).

Sinclair “Below Average”

Ben Sinclair has now all resumed full training after a stint on the sidelines. [February 3]

Intra 21d 1g 0p 15k 7m 6h 1I50 4R50
Geelong 17d 0g 0p 12k 7m 0t 5h 0I50 2R50 0cl (81%tog)
North 7d in 62%tog

The North game was well below his earlier good form. Will need to provide more consistency or may suffer the same fate as Seedsman.

Oxley “Below Average”

Intra 12d 0g 0p 6k 4m 6h 2R50
Geelong 15d 0g 0p 9k 4m 2t 6h 0I50 5R50 0cl (82%tog)
North 17d in 78%tog

Oxley has been solid without being spectactular. He is one of a handful of players on the cusp of selection, but will need to step up to cement a place.

Macaffer “Poor”

Intra 17d 0g 1p 6k 3m 11h 3I50 3cl
Geelong 9d 1g 0p 4k 1m 6t 5h 1I50 0R50 0cl (47%tog)
North dnp (rested)

Easing back into it. Offers something, but I’m not sure he’ll be best 22 despite being in the leadership group.

Aish “Poor” (predicted up in 2016)

Intra 15d 1g 1p 6k 6m 9h 2I50 3cl
Geelong 15d 0g 0p 6k 2m 1t 9h 0I50 2R50 1cl (80%tog) Buckley was impressed with the performance of another recruit, James Aish, who enters his first season as a Magpie after two years with the Brisbane Lions. "Any time you change clubs and put on a new guernsey there is a bit of eagerness to make sure you make a first positive step. There was a lot to like in his game," Buckley said. Aish had 15 disposals against Geelong and ran hard from the wing. He also laid a tackle that led to a goal to Brent Macaffer and got the Magpies moving in the third quarter.
North 19d 2m 4I50 3cl in 73%tog

Seems to be taking a step up each game so far. If he can keep improving then he will get a look in at selection.

De Goey “Poor” (predicted up in 2016)

Intra 30d 0g 0p 15k 8m 15h 7I50 2R50 6cl
Geelong 24d 0g 0p 17k 6m 6t 7h 7I50 2R50 5cl (77%tog)
North dnp (rested)

Seems to have taken another step up. Has earnt his way into my best 22 with his performances to date.

Reid “?”

Intra 25d 0g 0p 18k 11m 7h 6R50
Geelong dnp [pulled up sore after intra]

Reid is being managed carefully after a calf complaint but is a potential starter against the Dogs. "We're looking for Reidy to play (the Bulldogs).” [March 5]

Ben Reid will likely go into the home and away season without having played in the NAB Challenge. He was out on the track for training but had limited involvement. "He didn't do any of the footy work today [March 8] with the main group and we'll be looking for him to do that on Thursday," Buckley said. "He's touch and go for Saturday (against the Dogs). Probably more likely to miss than to play." [March 8]

North dnp (sore)

Looks sublime at half back and provides another mark for the let out kick from full back. Geez we look so much better when he plays. I hope they sort out this latest issue.

Moore “?”

Intra 13d 4g 1p 11k 7m 2h 2I50 4HO 2cl
Geelong dnp (sore)
North 5d in 73%tog

Darcy showed a bit last season, but he has probably played himself out of selection so far this pre-season. If Gault gets promoted then, on form alone, you would have to select Gault. At least we have options and can give the youngsters a bit of a rest at times during the season.

Maynard “?”

Intra 7d 0g 0p 4k 2m 3h 1I50
Geelong 3d 0g 0p 2k 1m 1t 1h 0I50 0R50 (33%tog)
North 18d 3I50 6R50 in 86%tog

A busy game against North, but the 5 clangers are what hurt him (and the team). Needs more time in the VFL for mine.

Ramsay “?”

Intra 18d 0g 0p 8k 2m 5t 10h 3I50 3R50
Geelong 12d 0g 0p 4k 3m 8h 2I50 2R50 0cl (84%tog)
North 8d in 35%tog

Appeared to hurt himself (some kind of knock?) in the North game. I have really liked what Ramsay has done so far (coupled with his great early season form in 2015).

Marsh “?”

Intra 13d 0g 0p 7k 4m 6h 1I50 2R50
Geelong 10d 0g 0p 2k 0m 4t 8h 1I50 2R50 (87%tog)
North 7d 3m in 78%tog

The kid’s a talent, but he’s just not ready for serious AFL action yet. He got carved up by Ben Brown (watch the replay and listen to Gerard Healy’s commentary). Probably learnt a lot from the experience. Reid’s (potential) injury may open the door, but he’s nowhere near capable of filling those shoes and I suspect Langdon would get that role and we would seek a less accountable role for Marsh.

Scharenberg “?”

Long term injury (ACL in November).

Nuf said.

Wills “?”

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp

What’s going on with Wills?

Phillips “?”

Intra 11d 1g 0p 10k 4m 1h 3I50 5R50
Geelong dnp
North 11d in 69%tog

Has looked quite good in patches, but I’m not convinced he is ready to run out a full game with the big boys (yes I know he beat Steele in the first 3km time trial).

Crocker “?”

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North dnp [Played VFL PM#1] After being selected with pick 65 in the 2015 National Draft, Ben Crocker showed a natural goal-sense with majors in the first and fourth quarters. In a similar nature to his Oakleigh Chargers days, Crocker played predominantly in the forward line and showed leadership beyond his years in a confidence-boosting display kicking 2 goals.

Sier “?”

Intra dnp
Geelong dnp
North 2d 0g 0p 0k 0m 0t 2h 0I50 0R50 1cl in 26%tog

I think the coaches were just giving him a taste. I doubt he will be ready in 2016

Goodyear “?”

Intra 12d 1g 0p 6k 1m 6h 2I50 1R50
Geelong dnp
North 13d in 68%tog

Cleary a way down the depth list for our midfield, but did a few nice things.

Golds Rookie List

Intra 9d 0g 0p 6k 5m 3h 4R50
Geelong dnp
North dnp [Played VFL PM#1] Former GWS Giant Golds improved as the game went on, and was highlighted by stand-in coach Tarkyn Lockyer at three-quarter time after an outstanding third quarter. 23-year-old Golds showed poise and athleticism as he played at half-back, often pushing higher up the ground to drive the Magpies attack.

Gault Rookie List

Intra 6d 5g 0p 6k 5m 1I50
Geelong 6d 3g 0p 5k 4m 0t 1h 1I50 in 43%tog
North 9d 3g 0p in 75%tog

A stand out performer this preseason. A few have been “Joe the Goose” plays, but the kid has kicked 11 goals straight so far. Let me repeat that … 11 goals straight! He must be promoted and, frankly, at the risk of upsetting Dave he deserves to be selected ahead of Moore right now.

Smith Rookie List

Intra 15d 0g 0p 9k 9m 6h 1I50 2R50
Geelong 8d 0g 0p 3k 1m 2t 4h 2I50 1R50 1cl (21%tog) [injured ankle] Magpie rookie Josh Smith appears set for a stint on the sidelines after injuring his right ankle in Collingwood’s eight point NAB Challenge win over Geelong. Smith landed awkwardly on the wing in the second quarter before being helped to the interchange bench by trainers. The 21-year-old didn’t return to the game after what was encouraging opening in the midfield. “He rolled over his ankle,” coach Nathan Buckley told the media post match. “The early prognosis is that he’ll miss some time. But we’ll get the scans and have a look,” Buckley said. A product of the Redlands Football Club in Queensland, Smith made the most of an impressive pre-season campaign and was named in Collingwood’s 29-man squad for the NAB Challenge opener. He started on the wing in his first taste of senior action and had eight impressive disposals in the early stages of the game. It was enough to impress Buckley, who lamented the loss of the rookie post game. “He showed really early that he was capable. He played that wing role really well,” Buckley said.
North dnp

[I think Smith trained on Tuesday 8 March … can anyone confirm?]

Wyatt Rookie List

Intra 6d 1g 3k 3m 3h 2I50
Geelong dnp
North dnp [Played VFL PM#1] Wyatt experienced a debut of a different kind. The former basketballer played up forward and in the ruck in his first game of organised football since his early teens. He put an exclamation point on his performance with a strong mark and goal in the third term as the Magpies tried to extend their slender lead over Werribee.

Cox Rookie List

Intra 6d 0g 2p 4k 2m 2h 8HO
Geelong 7d 2g 0p 5k 4m 0t 2h 2I50 (85%tog) Buckley said American rookie Mason Cox showed he had made significant progress since his last NAB Challenge appearance 12 months ago. Cox played after Darcy Moore was rested because he was sore and kicked two goals but looked to have good hands and a leap that made him hard to match up on. "He took his opportunity," Buckley said. "That was his first taste as a forward and he looked like he has got some skills at the level."
North 5d 4HO in 75%tog

Looked a bit lost in the North game. More time needed in the VFL.


(legend: dnp=did not play, d=disposals, g=goal, p=point, k=kick, m=mark, t=tackle, h=handball, I50=inside 50, R50= rebound 50, HO=hitout, cl=clearance, GA = goal assist and %tog=% time on ground)

[thompsoc]

Love your effort but in the age of twitter no
one is going to read that large volume of work.
Maybe you should make it into a PhD.
It is that long!
But again I admire your passion.

[rand corp]

Awesome effort, well done and thank you:

My comments:

I'd say Adams looks to have stepped up

Crisp is still getting better,

Maynard looks a real good player,

Aish should be a fantastic addition, looks a smart footballer with elite skills.

De Goey looks extremely exciting, especially his clearance work.

Fasolo seems to be going on with improvement made last year.

Gault might be a find

Rucks are competing well

Ball movement looks much better

Back line has looked a bit shaky at times and experience still needed, (Brown, Reid, Marley)

Ramsay's gone alright till injured against Roos

Moore progressing nicely

Cloke's kicking still disappointing and never going to get any better.

Ellliot and Howe being late starts is a disappointment

Our intent and intensity has been good so far for practice games and the new game plan looks exciting.

Trealor is going to add a lot to the midfield which already looks better than last season.

[HAL]

Can you remember any time that Gault might be a find Rucks looked competing well Ball movement looks much better Back line looked shaky at times and experience needed Brown Reid Marley Ramsay's gone till injured against Roos Moore progressing nicely Cloke's kicking disappointing and did it?

[Neil Appleby]

Outstanding effort. That would have taken hours of hard work. Much appreciated.

Some of those Champion Data ratings are a bit questionable though surely. DeGoey is rated as poor? Surely he couldn't be rated as a poor. He was a first year player who showed plenty. I'd say their stats model is found wanting under certain scenarios. Something went haywire if DeGoey could be ranked as "Poor".

[thompsoc]

[MightyMagpie]

[HAL]

Can you think of another example?