Training Report: Wednesday Jan 14

[Neil Appleby]

Mild & overcast with a few light showers 20.

Not Training:
Ben Reid, Jesse White, Darcy Moore & Levi Greenwood

Modified Training:
Dane Swan – ran laps. Trained alone, but did join in foot skill sessions for the first time.
Alan Toovey, Jono Marsh, Marley Williams, Brayden Maynard, Travis Cloke, Brenden Abbott ran laps. Cloke trained longest out of this group.
Brenden Abbott escaped serious injury. No surgery necessary and he says everything is clear. This is a big unit. He’s very strong in the hips and legs.
Tim Broomhead did 100 run-throughs and sprints. He did no ball or lap work. Left the track after 30 minutes.
Brent Macaffer trained briefly. Ran a few laps. Walked a few and then went inside.
Clinton Young walked laps and then went inside.

Spied on the terraces: Dean Cox brought a group of young West Coast players along to watch training.

Player Watch: Matthew Sharenberg
Matty posted a significant milestone this morning; he joined in with the main group in running drills and, for the first time, kicking and circle work. I watched him closely when the ball hit the ground; there was no hesitation in his attack on the ball and he turned and gathered loose balls without issue. From what I’ve seen at the last couple of training sessions, Matty seems to be further advanced in his recovery than Caff.

Drills:
1.Ruck work:
A group of 5 players doing a ruck clinic. Witts V Cox, Grundy V.Keeffe, Gault was also with this group. The ball was thrown up by Rocca or Lockyer and the rucks jostled for position. Another coach unknown to me, spent time explaining foot/leg positioning and weight transfer. He was particularly interested in Gault and Cox learning to balance and being able to hold ground in the contest.
Grundy V Keeffe: Keeffe wins
Witts V Cox: Cox wins tap
Grundy V Cox: Cox wins by just standing there!

2. After plenty of running and stretching warm-up work, the players were called into the centre to be introduced to an AFL Umpire (Ben Ryan?). The umpire spoke to the players for about 10 minutes before he assisted in field umpiring. He mainly oversaw forward marking drills. I assume he was explaining new rules and interpretations.

Tim Broomhead finishes for the morning. As does Toovey, Cloke, Maynard and Abbott.

3. Swan puts on boots and joins players in kicking drills. Basically players are in 4 groups in a rectangular shape and pass the ball from one group to the other. Sharenberg takes part in this drill. From what I see in this drill, Sharenberg will play this season.

4. Ruck drill with the AFL umpire. Cox v Witts attempting to tap to Pendlebury. Umpire appears to be explaining legal body work.

5. A few players now leave the main group to do individual work. They are Elliott, Langdon, Oxley & Dwyer.

6. Main group now does a handball British Bulldog type drill.

7. Stoppage Drill:
Buckley calls 10 players to a stoppage. (5 white jumpers V 5 black jumpers) This drill is to win the ball in dispute and deliver inside 50. Let’s try to give the match ups.
At the stoppage it’s Sidey V Dwyer, Kennedy V Adams, Seedsman V Freeeman, Varcoe V Pendlebury, De Goey v Thomas. As the ball is delivered forward and a goal is scored the players return to the drill and swap jumpers and change the match ups. Prominent in this drill: Pendles, Freeman, Seedsman, Adams.
At the scoring end there are various match ups: Witts V Gault, Ben Kennedy V Thomas, Fasolo V Ramsay, Grundy V Gault, Fasolo giving Ramsay a bath. Varcoe is silky and kicks a goal from an incredible angle. Witts V Oxley, Karnezis V Sinclair, Blair V Crisp, Langdon v Grundy.

8. Now a new drill with the ball coming into the forward 50 from an erratic kick (by a coach) to a one on one forward match up. The AFL umpire helps in this drill explaining legal/non-legal maneuvering. Langdon V Karnezis. KP wins a free and goals.
Fasolo V Manteit. Manteit wins
Grundy V Brown. Grundy wins and takes an easy mark and goals.
Goldsack V Manteit. Goldy wins.
Each time the ball returns to the centre, a new full-forward/full-back pairing settles in.
Cox v Frost. Frost out-bodies him and takes easy mark.
Langdon V Karnezis. Line ball. Langdon asks umpire for a free. Nothing doing.
Gault V Brown. Gault holds ground and gets an obvious free. Goals.
Cox V Keeffe. Cox gets a bit niggly and Keeffe responds with pushing and shoving! I like it.

9. Meanwhile a new drill is taking place on the AAMI side with all centre players (5V5) doing close-in clearance work. Five players wear yellow bibs and 5 black. The black team all hold large, rectangular pads which they use to buffet the yellow players who are trying to clear the ball forward.

About 11:20 I had to leave and head off to work, so not sure what else took place.

Final observations: Although Nick’s Bulletin Board went into overdrive with Toovey’s, Moore’s and White’s injuries, the news that should excite today is:
Swanny edging closer to joining full training.
Brenden Abbott back in training and looking a powerful unit
Matt Sharenberg joining in ball work and twisting, turning and gathering in match conditions.

Taylor Adams, Nathan Freeman, Jack Crisp and Paul Seedsman continue to impress with their hard work.

Adam Oxley finally looks ready; he’s joined the main group, looks very fit and looks very poised with ball in hand. He’s a nice kick too.

Jordan DeGoey is a work-horse and continues to be impressive in every drill.

Does anybody know why Maynard was not training much today? He did a few laps and that was it. Also Levi Greenwood; I wanted to have a close look at him today but he didn’t make it onto the track.

That's all folks.

[BHPIE]

Onya neil, appreciate ya wofk n time

[stui magpie]

Mate that is a seriously special write up. Thank you.

The bloke who was doing the coaching for witts and cox about how to use their body weight and footwork, tall, short, old any slight clues?

Really like the sound that Seedsman is training at the stoppages and that my boy Corey is progressing well.

great stuff.

[Darkstranger]

Thanks again, what I get from this is that with all the players leaving early we must had 10 players left on the ground?

Brown beaten twice...not a good sign

Also what ever happen to normal kicking, hand balling and circle work and all players training together so they get to know each other on the field?

[Stupied]

The unknown coach in the ruck drills wouldn't have been Rendell would it? Isn't he meant to be one of the ruck coaches this year on top of his recruitment duties?

[Dave The Man]

Thanks for the Report again

[jackcass]

thanks for the report NA, as always, much appreciated.

[Dave The Man]

[Krakouer Magic]

Thanks for the great update Neil. Anyone know what injury Abbott has?

[Tannin]

Awesome work Mr Neil. Thankyou!

[Neil Appleby]

[Neil Appleby]

[Pies2016]

All over it, Neil. Much appreciated.

[Mossi]

[magpieazza]

Gday Neil, my two daughters and I went to training this morning, we made the trip down from NSW and was a great little experience for us. We had other things to do as well but this was of high priority.
We arrived a little late and left early.
Your description was spot on and was very impressed by Gault, De Goey, Witts and Elliott.
A lot of accurate kicking in the gusty conditions was impressive and I saw a lot of goals being kicked in general play.

Were you the man with the camera in hand and in the company an elderly man and a couple of other people on the AAMI park side of the oval?

Thanx for the report, I haven't too much to add to what you have noted.

Cheers