Training yesterday was at a warmish sunny Vic Park. The whole group was present and trained except for Cotchin and Meyer who were in rehab. I missed the first part but they would've trained for 2 hours all up.
Initially the squad was split into smaller groups all doing different things. I was told the Storm boys were down again to take tackling practice. Simmo, Cartledge, Gus, Patto and Putt were practising ruck work. Others were doing handball and kicking drills. They then all came together for a standard longer kicking drill and circle work.
Next up was a newish drill where it looked like it was designed to make players spread out into space and encourage longer forward handballs to runners (rather than little sideways or backward handballs) and to have the attacking team linking up properly with overlap and support. Terry was constantly barking out instructions especially if he felt there wasn't enough support for the player with the ball and he couldn't move the ball on quickly as it should've been. Plough should use this drill more often as it's the less possession quick forward moving footy we should be playing. As for the drill itself it began with about 12 mids (6-on-6) at CHB and the attacking team had to get to one of the two forwards. There were a few straightforward marks dropped today for some unknown reason. Clever dropped one and to add insult stubbed his toe on the lead but he's okay. Polak dropped a couple of marks also and then missed a set shot at goal so Terry said to him "if you can't do it Polly you can't play there". Polly then marked and kicked the next one and Terry said much better Polly. Polak also laid on off to Tuck rather than have a shot himself 30m out on a 45 degree angle.
The last drill was an inside 50 passing one like last week. They had a 3-on-3 contest on the HBF where the attacking teammates had to handball their way out of it and then pass to someone just outside 50. Sometimes it worked well with one quick handball and a long handpass or kick out to someone who had run hard out into space; other times it didn't work too well when they didn't spread out and the player with the ball had to dodge and weave, or they overhandballed. Once clear into space they then had to pass to a leading forward who needed to kick the goal otherwise everyone bar the kicker had to run a lap. Jack kicked one and missed one from his two shots. Edwards missed his shot. Lids kicked his. Tambo nailed his to end the drill and the whole group ran to him.
Training was then finished off with about 8 ~200m goal to goal runs. The boys were breathing pretty heavily by the sixth run but after a drink finished strongly. Blingers and Axel received praise. Cotch, Meyer, Thursty, Petts, Bowden, King, Collins, Cartledge, Connors and Tucky didn't do any running at the end.
Chocco Royal showed he still has the skills kicking grubbers from the boundary through the goals 9 out 10 attempts
. A trainer near us then said at least he (Royal) can show them what to do unlike the bloke we use to have who didn't have a clue not naming names of course
.
Any questions just fire away.
