Just got back from a hot
Vic Park. An unusual training session today with half the list training first for approximately 50mins followed by the remaining half. In all the session went from 1.45pm to about 3.15pm. No scratch match; just footpassing and goalkicking drills. Obviously a lighter session given the full-scale intra-club game on Friday.
JON was the only one to do the whole 1.5 hours session with both groups. Presumably unlike the others he needs to get work into his legs after missing most of the preseason with his stress fracture. No sign of any lingering problems with that which was good to see. He trained very well too.
There was no rehab group as such although Thursty ran a few laps on his own after his training group had finished. Absent today were Simmo, Cogs, Razor, Petersen and White.
In the first training group were Newy, Gas, Lids, Polak, Browny, Riewoldt, Edwards, Knobel, Petts, Tucky, Meyer, Schulz, Patto, JON, Hyde, Tivs, Thursty, McGuane, Foley, Howat and Clingan. After their warm-up, they split into two groups, one on each HB line, and passed the footy to a player in the middle who in turn would pass it to the other group. This was repeated back and forth. Rawlings then told them to step back a further 20m and repeat the drill. Good talk from all involved and the drill overall was done okay. I was watching JON mainly as this was the first time I've seen him train with the main squad and he was very crisp with his disposal.
They then added handball in the next drill to simulate run and carry and working in 2's and 3's. A few sloppy handballs that went behind players as they were running past but the drill improved as it went along. Afterwards I overheard Tucky and Riewoldt discussing the comedy of errors in one instance.
The final drill for this half of the list was a full length of the ground rebound. Basically circle work around each wing with a straighening up pass into the centre corridor. The execution was significantly better than the previous two drills so this group finished off strongly. They warmed down with some goalkicking practice and some slips and high ball catching with a tennis ball and racket. They game of choice for everyone today lol. Tambo could have made a great slipper going by his quick hands. Like plucking apples off a tree for him.
The rest of the list - Raines, Joel, Richo, Polo, Paddy, Sugar, Kingsley, Jacko, Krak, JON, Tambo, Harts, Hughes, Casserly, Connors, Moore, Collins, Graham and King - then came onto the ground and started their training. Richo and Harts had been watching the first group in the grandstand. Wallace joked to Richo that at his age sitting in the stands doesn't look out of place lol.
For the second group's first drill they did some in close handball work followed by the same second and third drills as what the first group did. Richo, Kingsley, Schulz and Jacko acted as forward targets in the third drill. The second group's skill level was pretty much faultless from what I saw. From memory the ball only hit the ground once or twice in 50 mins of training. They finished off with a half-ground circle work drill with Rawlings blowing a whistle and the player ending up with the ball had to take a running shot on goal. The only one to miss his shot was Tambo (kick through the ball and you won't hook them to the left Richie). Joel had a long set shot to finish the session and nailed it. They then also finished off with some goalkicking practice and slips and high ball catching with a tennis ball.
Terry, Sugar and Tambo did a short video after training for some Tiger supporter overseas celebrating his bucks night.
Photos to come later to tonight.
