Training report- Friday 24th January- 2020

[warburton lad]

The substantial midsummer rains have kissed the Yarra Valley’s rolling hills and, as I board the train at Lilydale, I reflect on the blessings of having avoided the bushfire cataclysm visited upon other parts of this nation thus far. My admiration for those who’ve experienced varying degrees of loss only grows with each revelation of selfless acts and amazing generosity in response to the horrors. I’ve had my share of physical pain of late managing six broken bones, but my bones will heal in time; I pray every night that those whose lives and communities have been fractured by this disaster will experience their own healing, however that looks for them.

I alight at Richmond Station and I make my way towards the Holden Centre for the second time in three days, amongst the throng of tennis fans heading toward their Mecca of Rod Laver Arena. Tennis has never been of great interest to me although Warburton Lad Jr is somewhat of a fan of young Estonian star Anett Kontaveit. To be truthful, finding any Estonians who are keen on tennis is becoming as difficult as finding Melbourne supporters who can actually recall seeing their team win a Grand Final live.

The tennis crowds are abuzz with excitement over the prospect of watching elite athletes belt hell out of a tennis ball; punctuated, as their games are, by slaking their thirst with litres of drinks to replenish electrolytes and mopping their furrowed brows with towels held by eager, starry-eyed boys and girls. Good luck to them, but frankly, I would rather watch grainy, old VHS recordings of Uncle Olaf’s fly-fishing holiday in Lapland from the early 1990’s.

Amidst the mob, but facing away from the epicentre of tennis activity, are individuals who have handouts for all sorts of life’s ‘must-haves’: discounted pedicures (I haven’t seen my toes since the 1980’s), swimming lessons (aqua-phobic), health insurance (several weeks too late for that one) and, finally, a wizened, older man who handed me an A5 sheet of paper containing a quote from the 1st Letter of Paul to the Corinthians: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” I’m not an overtly Christian man, but I thank this traveller for his kindnesses and continue the journey on to my personal place of solace.


Today, I am graced by the presence of Mrs Warburton Lad; her eternally youthful Nordic looks shine in the early morning glow of the Melbourne sun belying her many years of life as a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother and tireless worker in the service of community. She has no great interest in the code, but is an amazingly supportive partner who recognises my passion for the Pies and encourages me to pursue my love of sharing tales of training with my fellow fans. May God bless her with long life and many years of good health as we enter our twilight years on this planet.

The weather at Holden Centre is almost perfect; the sun is behind early morning cloud and a two goal breeze is blowing toward the Yarra River end. Pigeons outnumber the Carrawongs five to one on the sacred turf, however, their feeble beaks cannot penetrate a training surface which appears firm despite a liberal dose of rain just 36 hours previously. To my dismay, the Glasshouse Cafe is unable to serve food due to the space being reserved for functions associated with the ubiquitous Australian Open. However, a pop-up barista run by the Cafe folks satisfies our thirst with delicious coffees and hot chocolates. Again, given the reality that communities in this state remain isolated and reliant upon food drops, it would be churlish in the extreme to complain about the absence of a fresh muffin treat.

The balls are out early this morning and the energy levels are high as the majority of the squad hit the track. As reported prior to Christmas, there is a desire in this group that is palpable- each player expresses that in a different manner: some verbalise it, some show it through their deeds, all display it in their intensity at each component of what is a rugged training session. I can report that C Brown, Maynard, Moore & Bianco hit the track early and were quite bouyant. Believe me when I say, this is a close-knit group.

The ‘Sier or Wills’ debate has been the focus of much supporter forum bandwidth this preseason. The question many ask is, how can we accommodate both in the team? My view is that there is probably only room for one provided Taylor Adams is 100% fit. Three inside beasts is probably one too many in these days of ‘run and gun’, but each man goes about their business on the track like iconic tanks of the Second World War: Adams is solid, dependable and reliable in any terrain, like a Russian T-34, Wills is as indomitable as the infamous Panzer IV and Sier is like an M4 Sherman, brutal in close quarters and, seemingly, not stopping for anyone or anything. Sier attracts a fair deal of criticism but his physique suggests that he is ready for an authentic, breakout year. We have an embarrassment of riches in the inside-mid department, it would seem.

To this observer, Taylor Adams is tailor-made to be a future Collingwood captain- this Taylor is not swift, but he is built like a mini- Taylor Lautner, has an astute football mind and an obvious willingness and capacity to encourage his peers to greater output on the track.

Ditto with backmen. Scharenberg continues to shine and Greenwood looks as fit as any player of his vintage has the right to look. Murphy, Howe, Maynard, Roughead, Quaynor, Crisp, Noble and the effervescent Moore, who has returned in magnificent shape, give us a hungry, talented, and deep pool of backmen from which to choose a back six. As much as I admire Lynden Dunn and his tremendous desire to crack back into the best 22, I wonder if our preseason draft pick may be better invested in a younger option who is blessed with great pace. Langdon is not sighted on the track and, if he were to return, it would only serve to push the incredibly dedicated and determined Dunn further back in the pecking order.

Our forward stocks are also of premium quality; we have Stephenson (light duties), Elliott (looking super-fit), Hoskin-Elliott (back with the main squad), Cox (imposing overhead), Mihocek (non-stop, gut-running), De Goey (wow, just wow- he is Hercules-class for strength in contested ball), Callum Brown (making his mark as a crumbing forward of some quality) and Will Kelly(hitting contests hard aerially and then following up at ground level equally as hard). Josh Thomas also impresses in this session- he appears to run with freedom of movement that deserted toward the back end of 2019. Another option for extreme forward-pressure role is Bosenavulagi- the 19 year old former Australian rugby sevens player stands out for his willingness to prevent rebound from the back half. With a second preseason under his belt, he certainly presents as a young man who has a sense of what is needed to break into our strong forward six. Whilst seemingly not endowed with the freakish skills of the all-too-soon departed Kayle Kirby, Atu has very solid disposal skills and goal sense.

Match-sim allows all players to show their wares under the heat of battle- it is pleasing to report that the Macedonian Marvel Mark II did well today. Josh displayed all the Daicosian tricks that older Nicksters may recall when his father was a midfielder; the key point to note is that Josh has now eschewed the dinky, sideways kicks into forward 50 and seeks to move the ball quickly and with some penetration in his kicks- without compromising the quality of service for the leading forwards. Like C.Brown and Murphy, he has supplemented his frame with extra muscle; this is an important year for Daics to fulfill the promise which saw the club draft him several years back...

Lynch, Cameron and Grundy are massive units- there is a very pleasing competitive edge to the way that they go about their work. Cameron is rather better than the highlights package the club posted on the website when he was traded into the black and white late in 2019. His marking in particular being a feature on this mild morning. I congratulate Lynch on the very obvious improvement in his aerobic capacity- he moves over the ground far better than season’s past- testimony to the last few years preseasons where he has hitched his star to Grundy as the League’s top ruckman did his running work. I will not fawn over Grundy today, but the man is set for an enormous season if physical conditioning is taken into account. A little voice inside my head wonders how much better he may be if an authentic ruckman such as Damian Monkhorst was his mentor.

Varcoe is a loss; he is that hard-bodied player every team needs and one who keeps opposition backs ‘honest’. His absence/unavailability open the door for another player to make his mark. Tyler Brown continues to show why he receives the rave revues- he has some tricks and the strength to hold his ground. Rantall has the physique but there is more to the game than a freakish ability to run; mercifully, he demonstrates some footy-smarts in a variety of scenarios. Trent Bianco is quite a talent- I’ve heard others compare him to Hawthorn great, Sam Mitchell; this is high praise and certainly not warranted at this stage for a lad who has yet to debut. However, I note that he is equally at ease off either foot or hand, has good running speed and clearly relishes being on the list at his beloved Magpies. It is every boy or girls’ desire to represent the team they grew up supporting and from Trent’s happy disposition as he trains, he is living the dream.

Of the younger players and those on our rookie list, Wilson and Murphy are the standouts. Wilson, at 194cms could quite capably play the Jack Gunston-role of third tall forward, but has the jets and game-awareness to be a very damaging midfielder. As a former basketballer, having represented his country at Under 17 and Under 19 level as well as having played in the United States and Serbia in addition to being on the Sydney Kings roster in the NBL, this fellow is no stranger to elite sport; get excited Pies fans. Murphy is almost a like-for-like physically with Tommy Langdon and is showing great promise after a frustrating run of injuries and illness in his short time at the Carringbush. His dedication in the gym is clearly evident as his upper body size shows a considerable improvement in development of biceps and chest size. Expect good things from this young Pie...

Tim Broomhead continues to ply his trade at the Pies- he turns 26 in March and has had a well-documented wretched run with a number of serious injuries. It’s sometimes hard to recall that he came to the club the same year as Grundy and with great promise. To see him still giving 100% in every session I have attended is inspirational- he will often be labelled as a ‘list-clogger’ but this tag is both cruel, vindictive and inaccurate when applied to one who is so generous in his support of his teammates as they go about their work. If he is given another opportunity, do not rule out him making an impact at senior level as his training form this day is of a high level.

Flynn Appleby is another who many have assigned to the ‘prefer-others’ basket. If this is based on his awful day against GWS last year, then it is equally misguided. One may ask, rhetorically, if the selection committee select a player of 187cms against a beast of an opponent, then who is at fault when things go pear-shaped? Was John Wayne a terrible actor because he was once miscast as Mongolian warlord, Genghis Khan (The Conqueror, 1956)? Ditto when Sir Sean Connery played Russian submarine Captain Marko Ramius (Hunt for Red October, 1990)?? Appleby, like Broomhead, is dedicated to his craft and only turned 21 yesterday; if he remains upright and returns to his early career form there is a future for this lad. Pace is the new black in football of 2020; and Flynn has clearly acquired some over the break as he covers the ground speedily during both drills and match sim.

Brody Mihocek is arguably the best-value player in the competition. For those more familiar with WWF than AFL, he is a mere 1cm shorter and the same weight as Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura. Whilst Mihocek has never been a member of the United States Navy Underwater Demolition team and will never be governor of Minnesota, he shares Ventura’s willingness to maximise his strengths and wear down his opponents by staying strong in the contests for longer. As always- his training form this day is exemplary.

Mark Keane from Cork continues to bob-up on my radar as a key-position prospect- the young Irishman has filled out physically, is very good aerially and has really improved his ground level attributes. He was born a stone’s throw from the famous Blarney Castle, but it’s no exaggeration to think that he may make his debut in 2020. At 194cms, with a desire for the physical contact inherent in AFL, there is much to like. Similarly, Anton Tohill may impress in 2020- he is 198cms and has made important strides in holding his ground in marking contests- this is an area that is foreign to many learning the game, but he has clearly been well mentored by our development coaches- the addition of, I would say, five kilograms to the frame of this lad from Derry have not hurt either.

Mrs Lad and I, weary from what, for us, is a very big day out, step onto the Lilydale-bound train and begin our long trek home. By Glenferrie, she is already asleep, her brunette hair falling softly across my shoulder. Conscious not to disturb her slumber, I reach into my pocket and draw out the Biblical quote I’d received several hours previously and continue reading... “Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” How can the words of this early Christian writer from 2000 years ago have any meaning in my life today? I consider how my deep and abiding love for the Pies does always hope and always perseveres and how, despite years of despair for opportunities missed, always trusts.

However much I love this code and our club, I give thanks and praise for having a life-partner who accepts me with all my foibles, whose love IS patient, whose love IS kind and who keeps no records of wrongs. On this midsummer’s day, I am once again grateful for all the wonderful blessings that both the club, at whose altar I worship, and the woman I am eternally in awe of, have brought to my humble and simple life.

Floreat Pica my fellow Magpies; I trust that today’s report has brought at least a modicum of joy to your lives

[kashyboy]

Loved reading your report WL. Thanks so much. I am excited this year (like I am every year) and looking forward to watching Keane and Murphy play seniors. Go Pies

[The Average Tourist]

I was to make the trek this morning but unlike Mrs Lad
Mrs Tourist and her two accomplices both Ms Tourist's plotted successfully to thwart my chosen endeavour.

I been advised that I will be allowed to entertain myself at the Holden Centre in the next few weeks to watch and enjoy.

But after reading this review I feel I have attended or am informed on more than if I had attended and observed myself.

I was pleased to see my "unfortunate favourites" you gave a call out Broomie, Apples and three I hope for great excitement being Murphy , Keane and Kelly all get a good mention from you Mr Lad.

Thank you Mr Lad

and Floreat Pica

also my reference to "unfortunate favourites" as historically this included Chris Curran, Terry Keys, Damian Houlihan, John Mrakov and Luke "the Ryno" Shakleton amongst others.

[BazBoy]

With a moderately serious hit out some 6 weeks away WL as you have seen the group out on track I have some questions.

One is with the inclusion of three untried kids and Cameron from Sydney where do you see us going from lookers on to premiership medal recipients

Is anything displayed at training that points towards “medals around knecks”

Question two is our defence which across the 2019 improved IMO —Noble ‘Howe,Moore ,Roughead ,Crisp and Maynard would be my selection
Where would a Dunn or a Quaynor fit if all 8 were cherry ripe

Any one else comment

[Cam]

Beautiful references to your wife Mr Lad.

[matrix10]

As always WL- Thank you!

[warburton lad]

[Pies2016]

[BazBoy]

Yes two of that four of Quaynor,Murphy,Kelly and T Brown I have high regard for and for mine would if they do a Millennium Falcon and hit hyper speed can break into and if put in the required effort be kept in the twenty two

Murphy and Kelly won’t be that far behind—-the youth is where we grow

[KenH]

Love your work "Lad". Always get excited when I see your posts!

[BazBoy]

Interesting as I post on evaluating things yet to happen I feel I have to evaluate myself and wonder do I know or is it the love of the jumper

[Jezza]

Thank you, Lad

Based on your assessments of the training sessions you have seen, which player do you expect to take his game to the next level this year?

[simon tonna]

so if the pigeons cannot penetrate the surface at the HC, will evolution over time change this?

[K]

Diamond-encrusted beaks?

[Albert Parker]

Some lovely sentiments shared about your wife Mr Lad.

I attended with Albert Junior today. It was a fantastic day to be watching football. My own observations follow

4 qtrs of match sim today (about 20mins quarters each)
Black (jumpers) vs Whites.

Unavailable but in attendance at the ground

Langdon and Broomhead went off for a walk around the Tan
Dunn sprint work and really had a head of steam up
De Goey and Greenwood run throughs. Greenwood working particularly hard
Jaidyn - run throughs around the boundary
Appleby - few run throughs at the start but then disappeared

Summary of play
Bit scrappy and was interrupted and reset to new positions on the field sporadically to recommence stoppage work.
Didn't allow as much for free flowing football accordingly.
I still felt we lacked a tall marking target or two, so we kicked around the backline a lot to work down field
AFL Umpires were in use.

Game was won about 9.3 to 3.6 by the White Team

Players who left a favourable impression with me (note that I stood at one end of the ground, so some midfield and stoppage work will be overlooked)

Whites
Adam Treloar - kicked about 3 goals, 2 from stoppages and 1 bursting out of the centre. Also had a dribble snap denied on the line. Was v good today
Jamie Elliott - very busy around the midfield. Lots of pace and run. Quite damaging. Good pressure too. BOG had Treloar not kicked 3.
Phillips - racked it up but disposal let him down at times
John Noble - Very busy in the second half. Had some nice run and carry at times (on today's game, i'd have him ahead of IQ still).
Cal Brown - was busy accumulating, but not such a standout

Sam Fowler - an industrious VFL top up player from Dromana. Small forward. Got to the right position, worked hard with his pressure too. Best of the VFL crew sprinkled across the 2 teams, albeit kicking let him down at times

Other players on the team from what I recall were Howe, Atu, Magden, Cox, Cameron, Wills, Keane, Ruscoe, Kelly(limited time), Maynard

Blacks - pretty well beaten
Pendles - did some nice things, but not prolific (spent some time on team White)
Adams - kept working hard to make space. Disposal let him down at times and got caught a coupe of times too
Grundy - had the best of his opponents (Cox, Cameron) in the ruck hit outs but didn't dominate around the ground in play
WHE - showed a little bit up forward but missed a pretty easy shot on goal

Other players on the team Steele, Moore, Murphy, IQ, Lynch, Roughead, Mihocek (kicked 1 and worked hard as usual), T Brown, Sier, Reid (missed a sitter), Tohill, Rantall, Bianco, Crisp, Shaz, Mayne (maybe 1H only), Thomas

Few top up types from the VFL participated as well

Other snippets
Expect Jaidyn to rejoin the main group in drills in February but no rush

Broomy has had the steel rod removed, so taking it slowly. Maybe mid year return I believe. I fear his walking partner, Langdon, is also miles away. He's basically not stepped onto the field this pre-season, doing bike work and inside for the most part. Still, with Aish gone (and Greenwood sidelined for now), this presents an opportunity for another, for which I think Murphy is well in the mix.

Will Kelly has shot up. Now 198cm (the new Murphy/T Brown for growth spurts ). Very encouraging given he also finished Top 5 in the time trial. Genuine KPP height now.

I thought both the Irish boys still show a lack of touch with their ball handling. Tohill the more prominent of the two around the ground. I know some have high hopes for Keane this year, but I don't share their optimism. He is a good size and aggressive, but his ball handing and decision making are not the standard to play in the seniors at a top 4 level side for mine.

Barely sighted/noticed but may typically be of interest Sier, Wills, T Brown as emergent talents. All are insiders and tend to be at risk of being overlooked by me given i position myself at one end of the ground, rather than along the wings. Wills the one I noticed most.

My sense is the upside this year comes from
- Grundy having better connection with the mids. This could be a huge area of improvement (refer to Prelim Q4). De Goey would ideally spend more mid time, but he is having another limited pre-season albeit he did the first time trial this year, placing him ahead of last year.
- Murphy comes in for Aish and offers more pace, height and superior kicking.
- IQ comes in alongside Murphy and Noble and offers a bit of pace and polish (while Greenwood remains out)
- Someone can push past Mayne but I am not sure who will take that chance
- I'd like to think we can get off to a better start than last. Howe, Grundy, Crisp were all underdone in the early rounds. Each are fitter at this stage and Moore and Roughead are better established as starting back KPP's.