Just got back from watching training today. Great day out there.
Virtually the whole squad was there today which was good to see after the 12 missing last week. The only ones absent were Pickett, Cumberland (covid) and of course Colina (Hawaii). I didn't notice Caddy or Parker other there either but they may have been on the other side of the ground as the other track watchers didn't mention they were absent.
Will Martyn was back for the first time after his glandular fever.
Dusty is now back into full contact training.
In rehab were:
Lynch - rumour is he has a hammy. Just did light jogging along the outer boundary.
Brown - not sure what is wrong but like Lynch only did light jogging.
Lambert - started in rehab then did one run and kick drill with the main group before returning to rehab. Didn't look right. Was walking as though he had a slight groin injury but can't confirm.
Draftees Sonsie (first time), Banks & Clarke mixed between joining the main group and joining those on the sidelines in rehab. Didn't see anything. Just think they are being managed as newbies. Only Gibcus did the full session with the main group.
Sheds and Grimes also only did 2/3rds of main training. They are fine as they were doing laps and 200m sprints with Sonsie.
Unfortunately, it appears as if Graham did a hammy towards the end of training. He was feeling the back of his upper leg and left the track with two trainers
.
The schedule today involved match simulation drills for the first time this preseason:
- Warm-up .....
- Kicking/handball receive drill ........ (rebounding off HB to HF).
- Exit D50, switching and entering F50 with opposing players wearing orange tops applying pressure and trying to intercept.
- Full ground match-ups starting with stoppage work (either centrebounces, wing throw-ins or HB free kick).
- Long balls deep inside 50 to pack contests plus crumbing.
- Inside 50/rebound 50 full length ground work again with opposing players in grey tops this time applying pressure and trying to intercept.
- Conditioning.
The match simulation had a couple of ring ins to complete the numbers. I'm told they may be Vic Metro kids but not confirmed. Balta played both as a forward (twice) and as a defender. Nank vs Soldo in the ruck duels. Bolton spent more time up forward then went into the middle towards the end. Stack like Balta seemed to play at both ends (better in the footy drills is Syd - more on that below). Baker very busy as usual. Tarrant (barring injury touchwood) is going to be very good for us. He's fitting in well into our defensive set-up. Cotch ran down Gibcus and tackled him to the ground. A lesson for the young cub from the old skipper. Best today of the mids IMHO was Ross. Keep this up and he'll be playing round 1. All up as a squad it was a much better session as far as footskills.
The conditioning for part of the group involved running from one end of the ground to the other. Stack (returning from a week off - covid?) finished well behind the others in each run.
Any questions just fire away.
