Training today was at Punt Rd. Started at 8am (a bit too early for MT
so I got there at 9.15) and it finished around 10.15-10.30.
Absent were Simmo, Kingsley, Hall, Cogs, Casserly and Howat. I don't know why Howat wasn't there. In rehab was Petersen who spent most of the session riding a bike near the boundary. During the session all the squad went over and crowded around him egging him on. Towards the end of training Schulz did some runs along the boundary but he looked fine. Thursty also towards the end of training got some work done on his legs by a trainer before going inside.
The session today focussed on winning the ball out of congestion with a new drill which was pleasing to see since we are probably one of the worst sides at blocking and sheparding for each other at stoppages. In groups of 4 vs 4, the attacking team would start huddled together with the footy while the other team of 4, each wearing a special shoulder padded black top, surrounded them. The attacking team then had to work together to clear the ball into space and finally go for goal. The boys learnt fairly quickly after a few goes at it that all 4 had to get moving and work as a unit to clear the congestion otherwise you got nailed. The skill level was surprisingly very clean today.
Next up was the standard footpassing and goalkicking and then they broke up to do their own thing before going inside to do a weights session in the gym.
Joel, Petts, Thursty, Patto and Polly worked on 1-on-1s out of the goalsquare. David King spent time with Hyde, Foley, Tas, Lids, JON and Polo on taking on an opponent and evading him by changing direction. Run hard one way then switch to the other and once you've decided on a direction do it explosively otherwise you end up waddling back and forth going nowhere and in a standoff (trouble). Sounded simple but quite a few of them still waddled though which King picked them up on. Basically told them to think through the options in their mind - 1) create the space, 2) if you have space to bounce then go for goal, 3) if you can't goal hit the forward, 4) if there's no forward then pass off (backwards) and start the process again.
The rest of the squad finished off with set shot goalkicking practice.
Photos to come later tonight.
