LOL @ Moi
Anyway as Moi said it was bloody hot
at the training session today. The boys didn't get out onto the track until 11am which is good because I didn't show until then lol. They finished around 12.40pm. No sign of Tambling and I didn't notice Casserley out there either. Of the rest once again Chaffey was separate from the main group but he did run with boys in the last drill although he stayed on the outskirts and mainly helped out instead of participate.
Today's drills focussed on stoppages and clearances especially in the second hour.
The first drill was about forward forays. The squad was split into four with two of the groups acting as forwards at either end of the ground and two midfield groups who would alternate goes. The drill then became full on match conditions with yellows vs blacks 1-on-1 with each other (yellows attacking towards the Station end where we were). Some really good contests and some pretty good hits with big Angus Graham copping a pseudo shirtfront from a couple of the smalls while Browny and Joel wrestled for the ball then themselves by the boundary line in front of us (Joel won the wrestle after not appreciating Browny's tackle lol). Hartigan had a good battle with Browny with Browny getting on top in the end with some nice marks on the lead out of a forward pocket. I would say in my eyes it's the first time Browny has moved as freely like his pre-injury self.
The second drill was a standard mark and pass over 30m one. The squad was split into a hexagon with the boys criss-crossing passes between the six groups. Skill level was very good today.
I hardly saw the ball touch the ground.
The third drill was designed to work on clearing from stoppages. Once again the squad was split into two groups at either end of the ground plus two midfields. One midfield would kick to the Station end while the other the Yarra Falls end. The task would move through the main three stoppages in modern footy - the centre bounce, ball-ups around the ground and throw-ins. The latter two were performed on the wing. As with the first drill the boys were set-up 1-on-1 yellows vs blacks. Overall the task was well done and very clean. Some nice peripheral vision too spotting up teammates who had run hard into space for the switch to the opposite HFF. Sugar's work in the middle stood out. I'll need to look at the photos to remember the exact match-ups and teams. IIRC Pettifer was on Thursfield as one of three pairings up forward.
The final drill was just working on clearing the ball from stoppages. The squad was split into four groups with the two groups at either end working on ball-ups close to goal (about 25m out) while the two groups on either wing worked on clearing the footy from ball-ups and throw-ins. Once again it was yellows vs blacks 1-on-1 and within each group each team had to win the ball and clear to a assistant coach nearby (about 20m away). Those groups close to goal would have one team attacking the goals while the other clearing to a asst. coach at CHB. After each passage was complete the groups would rotate to the next task. The idea was to simulate getting to the next contest and reorganizing ourselves strategically during a match. Terry would also bring them into the centre quickly for a quick chat and then have them run back and regroup.
The best pieces of play were one where Thursty (I think) got a terrific tap straight to Lids who dished out a quick handball to a teammate running past for a goal (got a round of applause from the crowd too). The other was Rodan using his arms and hips to spin out of trouble from a couple of opponents so none of them could grab hold of him and break clear for a goal. Overall the groundwork nad skills were clean. The snaps at goal initially could have been better but the boys started nailing them more often as the drill went along.
That was about it. Patto, Polo, Limbach and Tucky did some goalkicking practice after training while Cogs, Raines and Rodan did ball-reflex work in tandem off the vertical trampoline. For a couple of the OER ladies, yes many were shirtless by the end of training but a certain someone with the initial "Moi" had headed off during the last drill and missed out on promised pics for Julz lol.
Photos to come and if we're lucky possibly a movie clip too with original commentary from Moi
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