Ok kids. Here's my perspective of today's training session.
Around 100 keen souls braved the blustery and at times wet weather to view what I would describe as an interesting training session.
I arrived early as often this is the best time catch injured players hit the training track. At 12.30 Dean McDonald trudged out with a club trainer who video taped his slow run for analysis. McDonald looked proppy but on the plus side has lost puppy fat from last season.
That was all the action on the field before the main session. We killed some time by having a look at the Social Club facilities. Nice but unfinished. Also noticed commencement of construction for coaches boxes in j dyer stand. A question for the club is this for coburg games
or training review? I suspect and hope for the former. Also noticeable were significant on field surface level differences adjacent to the new building. Anyone questioning whether we need to spend bikies on resurfacing should be shot.
At 1.30pm a vocal rehab group trotted out, incl. Riewoldt, Browne, Astbury, Moore, Cotch and Batch. The 6 paired up and mainly did stationary handball drills at the station end of the ground. Were off the park by 2pm.
1.40pm the main group trickled out, and im not going to name everyone other than to say it was a healthy group of 34, minus the rehab group, McGuane, and probably a couple of others.
Initial thoughts were:-
- Dea taller bigger. 190cm I reckon.
- Darrou nice size
- Piva is a Unit, nice soccer skills too.
- Ellis is a unit but short (newmans height).
Initial warmup was typical of what you would see after the boys run out on game day, with the exception of Post, Piva Wright, Gus and Derrickx kicking one on one Lade. Gus has leaned up a bit.
Players then split up into 3 groups (defenders, mids, fwds) and paired up within these for the first drill, which consisted of basic 1 on 1 kicking which changed every 3 min. Eg from straight kicking to kick, drop, then run and pick up and kick to running on arcs and kicking.
I note Newman and Lids were in midfield group and Griff was in defence.
Helsin's kicking was sublime. Morris was good too - he knows how to drill it. However, a number of errors from others which didn't look good.
After 15 min they moved onto what i would describe as a lead and kick drill in the same three groups. Within these, players we grouped in 4 points with another group in middle, leading from each, forming an X pattern over the ground. This was done at a higher pace than the previous drill, but again was a bit sloppy for my liking even given the sometimes blustery conditions. On the positive sided Rance was barking orders, taking the major defensive lead incl directing players to position.
Following this, there was a similar drill. Players were put into 2 groups split on either up the length of the ground (more loose and alot more running) with an end shot at goal. This was quicker again, but still a few too many kicking errors. Delivery into F50 was hmmmmmmm......Elton moved very well. Is noticeably quick. Grimes vision and reflexes were excellent, chopping off the ball/spoiling.
A 1 on 1 'win the ball' contest drill then followed. Very competitive. Mids were thrown the ball along the ground whilst defenders opposed forwards and were kicked to. Good stuff.
Then the highlight of the day for mine. Players were put into 4 teams and two teams opposed each other in a large rectangle with full match rules bar no kicking (Handball and run only). The aim was for one team to stop the other getting the ball through a set of gates at the other end 50 meters away. Full body contact allowed - good too see. The tackling in this drill was ferocious and very very good. Based on what I saw, we also must have been practicing riding the tackle, getting arms over the tackle and handball. Both tackling and breaking tackles has gone up a notch from last year. Morris in particular was ferocious, he hates losing contests, and let's his team mate know when he's nailed themin a tackle by pushing their face into the ground!
Unfortunately, Martin hurt his back (right side lower) and trudged off. Gibson went off with a sore wrist after being hammered by Morris and lids. But both seemed minor.
Other things which stick in my mind:-
Houli great skills, put in 110%. Big year coming up based on what I saw.
Connors - geez he's lost some weight. Concerning. Spaghetti arms.
Dea taller (as I said earlier). No really. He's taller.
Maric = leader. Did alot of extra work.
Morris - will be a cult figure. Angry angry man. White line fever. Think Glen Archer but with more size, and absolutely brutal in the contest.
That's about it. Alot more professional training set up than the others I've seen in previous years, and I think our playing style will be alot more physical in 2012. Unfortunately kicking skills and hitting targets appears to be concerning at times. But hey, it's still January.
Any questions fire away.
