Training 2022 Training Blog - Training Reports only - *NO DISCUSSION*

Remove this Banner Ad

W

windows1

Premiership Player
Veteran
Sep 8, 2018
4,968
30,623
AFL Club
Carlton
Back for season 2022 :smallfooty:

Posts training reports in here.

Starting off with windows1

Cheers

Aph



Preliminary observations (May be more later:

Injuries (first thing I look for in preseason)
  • Weiters and TDk were (to me) surprise non trainers. Hope they’re ok.
  • no stocker Obvs
  • Cunners, Marchy, Ed C all running laps. Newnes and Doc too (more on Doc to come).
  • Paddy Dow started training but left very early.
  • Philp did most of the training but I think left early.
  • did MCG leave ever so late in the piece? Maybe.
  • cc managed his loads for about 10 mins and had me worried but he Finsihed the session fine.

Overall I guess injuries not too bad.

Positives….
  • well Chuckie C you just took my breath away. He just moved like….well Charlie Curnow. He looked EASILY the best player out there. He was just too ****ing good for….everyone. Young, Kemp, MCG, anyone who went near him wasn’t good enough. His agility is 1000 percent back. His power is there. He is clearly avoiding jumping but I would be stunned if the enormous leap isn’t there based on how he’s moving. He was back to his old “run them into the ground” tricks. He rag dolled and manhandled McGovern and Kemp. He was too smart and athletic for Young. The long bombs are there. I’m just blown away at how great he liked. Hands superb. Marked everything.
  • my second highlight of the day was a player who didn’t even join training. Doc. Not for any romantic notions about it “being great just to see him out there”. But actually because of his size and fitness compared to what I was expecting. I think he may only be 5kg off his best weight now. And more importantly his running was terrific. He did a LOT of interval work and he ran superbly. I was super impressed and pleased. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s aftuslly ready for round one. But barring injury or set backs I expect to see him very early in the year. Great news. Just great.
  • Cripps looked in great shape. Not too big, not too lean. He ran and moved fantastically. A couple of ‘get out of my ways’ and lots of what you’d expect to see from him.
  • Walsh was ok, may have added a bit of size (which I don’t really want to be honest). McKay was very quiet. But looked in great shape.
  • Young was a bit of an enigma to me. He was destroyed by Chslrie in the match sim (Charlie would have kicked 2, set up 1 at least and had 8-10 touches in a bit over 30 mins). But when he played on McKay he did much better. Perhaps match ups are key for him. I didn’t leave the ground either writing him off at one end of the spectrum nor embracing him at the other. He’s in the ‘need to see more of him’ category.
  • Cerra was smooth and classy and all the things you’d expect. He’s not amazingly athletic so I’d caution against going over the top in excitement about him. But he’s a very good player.
  • mCG played down back and early on made the odd mistake or two. He warmed to the task and did well as a third tall. He didn’t quite get to intercepting as much as I’d like but the sample size was small. He seems pretty fit. He did some powerful sprinting towards the end but then May have gone off a little early. Hope he’s ok.
  • Williams looks in good shape. Was with the defender group all day so that’s clearly where they see him playing. Did the whole session. Very happy to see him out there and moving well.
  • Martin also seems in shape. Really (surprisingly) vigorous work in one on one drills. Outmarked mcg with intensity once or twice. Hope he stays on the park.
  • Saad had his thigh bandaged but did the whole session. He didn’t train with a lot of intensity but seemed ok.
  • Pittonet was terrific. Strong and moved well. Totally owned Mirkov (who looks a mile off it). Regardless of TDK’s fitness will give the number 1 spot a real shake to start the year
  • I was impressed with Kemp and Philp. Kemp was thrown around a bit by CC but so was everyone. He fought on well and he looks to have improved. Genuine chance for a defender role (he trained with the backs the whole day.)
  • SOS was SOS
  • Motlop took a nice mark but didn’t do much to catch my eye. Doesn’t look ready.
  • Carroll looked ok at times but I can’t quite warm to him

Overall I was (1) really excited about CC joining our elite group (McKay, Cripps, CC, Weiters and Walsh) and (2) happy about the strengthening of our ‘second tier’ with Cerra, Willliams looking fit, Saad, Martin and maybe a reborn MCG. Doc will make me cry for sure when he plays. Which will be soon. And he adds to that second tier.

Injuries seem the key to me now. Session was 2.5 hours. No running drills (which I love).

More later maybe.
 
Quick wrap on my observations, even though I couldn’t stay till the end.



Standouts:

Zac Fisher – looks to be back in the midfield rotation, put on a bit of size, but skills and smarts look so impressive. Recruited as a mid, and now that he is no longer built like a 15 year old, looks ready to take the next step.

Sam Walsh – just keeps getting better, makes the right decisions and does everything correctly – even little things like sticking tackles and taking players to ground. So excited for his year ahead with more midfield support

Charlie Curnow – I don’t want to jinx him, but he is back. Looks fit as, moving well, and showed a lot of the Charlie before his injuries



Others

1. Jack Silvagni - did nothing today that really stood out. Everyone loves what he brings, but still not sure of his best position

2. Paddy Dow – hardly involved in game simulation and saw him walking the boundary at one stage. Not sure if he got a knock

3. Jesse Motlop – really clean skills and can use on both sides. Took a belter of a mark. Exciting kid

4. Lochie O’Brien – will continue to frustrate supporters with his less than elite skills, and lack of physicality. Missed a couple of easy targets and just cannot break tackles

5. Adam Cerra – fairly low key today but looks super fit and when he gets the ball, uses it well

6. Zac Williams – looks like he will stay down back and not join the midfield rotation as we initially recruited him for

7. Matt Kennedy – physically looks fantastic and probably the best shape he has been in. Tank has improved and can see him cementing his spot in the 6-8 core midfield group. Also like that he can drift forward as a mid and take a mark which he nearly did today

8. Lochie Fogarty – can see him getting pushed out by the emerging young small forwards we have recruited. Won't play midfield so his only option is a small forward

9. Crippa – looks amazing. Him and Walshy will really blossom with the inclusion of Cerra and Hewett and improvement of Kennedy and others. Very vocal on ground and looks like the captain of the team. Bloody hell he looks like a physical specimen at the moment. Tall and ripped, and field kicking was quite good today

10. Big H – did Ok but really needs to work on his body work in 1v1 contests both before the ball gets to drop zone and during the contest

11. Mitch McGovern – I think he will surprise this year. Obvious that his move down back is permanent, and I think between him, Weiters and Young, will be a decent back 3. Looks fit too and presented really well in match simulation. Actually think he is a decent field kick too which is needed for key backs and where Liam Jones sometimes let himself down. And if we need to swing someone forward if things aren't working, could be that swingman

15. Sam Docherty – Voss said no return date set for him, but did laps with Newnes and was tracking well and I was surprised at how well he looked. Some upper body size that he needs to regain though

16. Jack Carroll – expected a bit more after seeing some preseason shots. Heard that Diesel is a big wrap for him too. Still looks like a bit of development needed before getting a decent crack. Missed a shot in the game from 40m out – not sure his kicking is elite

17. Brodie Kemp – not sure what positional player he will turn out to be. I thought he was a mid but clearly involved in the back half. Another player that needs to work on his disposal

19. Corey Durdin – looks a pocket rocket, but his size does worry me. Has put on a bit of bulk but is very short. I know he is playing the small forward role, and really hope can become a Tom Papley type, but let’s be honest, only few players of his stature make it

20. Lachie Plowman – Supporters were on his back after 20 mins. Had easy ball option down the line but got smothered by Cottrell. Interesting to see if he holds his spot this year

21. Jack Martin - Was very busy early in the game. Skills are great and hope he can kick 20-30 this year

22. Caleb Marchbank – ran laps only and looks a fair way off playing. Not sure if he will hold a key back spot, and would’ve thought with all this time on the sidelines there would be more upper body physical development

24. Nic Newman – just played his role and will be one of a few vying for a spot in the back 6

26. Luke Parks – mostly ran laps. Difficult to recognize initially as he’s cut his hair

27. Marc Pittonet – had some good contests with Mirkov and performed really well, but also seems a better option when ball comes to ground

28. David Cuningham – did laps most of the day but looks in great condition. Had Ed Curnow as his pacemaker for most of the morning but as it got further and further, couldn’t keep up with Ed. Could be a chance for a Rnd 1-3 return

29. George Hewett – will be the unheralded player of our midfield. Covers the ground really well and gives defence a chop out and can shortly after be found providing an option up forward. Will really help our midfield mix. Just noticed he doesn't have a very penetrating kick though. Chips it around a bit and struggled with a kick from 40m out

31. Tom Williamson – I just think he will struggle to cement a spot this year. His pace off half back is good, but with players like Saad and Williams playing that role, will struggle. May need a move to the wing instead

32. Jack Newnes – not sure if injured but was doing quite a few laps. Will be used sparingly this season, and might be his last

33. Lewis Young – has been wearing #41 during preseason so I wonder whether there has been a change. Was very impressed with him today, even though Curnow caught him out on a couple of occasions. Good size and skills, and will be a handy #2 behind Weiters. Adding McGovern to the back 6 will help him as well.

34. Sam Philp – very intriguing as I’m not sure what recruiters saw to snap him up with a top 20 pick. Serious pace and good skills, but just struggled to get into it today. Into his 3rd year, will need to take some big strides. Maybe the wing is his spot to grab as it's the one position we haven't got players locked in for

35. Ed Curnow – beast! His worth is massive before he even walks out for a game. Such a team player and standards he sets are ridiculous. Clearly someone that helps players reach required fitness levels as he was doing with Cuners today

36. Josh Honey – between him Owies, Durdin and Motlop, some great young forward talent. There’s just something exciting about this kid

39. Oscar McDonald – will be a great back up option for both forward or back. Did ok in his 1v1 duels today

42. Adam Saad – a bit low key today. Did have his thigh strapped so may have had something to do with it. Finding it difficult to provide that dash out of defence which I think he has struggled to do since coming across. Key for Voss will be to unlock that as that is clearly the reason we went for him

43. Will Setterfield – very underwhelming. Coming from a long way back now

44. Matt Owies – probably the first picked of the small forwards at this stage. Great peripheral vision and smarts

45. Alex Mirkov – I thought he’d be too big a project but actually like what I see. Massive boy learning the craft and got outplayed a bit by Pitt, but something there I think

46. Matt Cottrell – absolute workhorse. Chases, tackles, runs – just kicking really lets him down



Overall:

  • Players looking in really good physical condition
  • Match simulation was very scrappy with a lot of targets missed
  • Forward pressure is going to be massive for Vossy – as is overall ground pressure. Has mentioned it a few times now
  • No sign of Weiters or DeKoning – haven’t heard anything but some absences could be covid related
  • Surprised Stock not out there doing some work even walking laps or handball drills
  • Can't see Crippa's brother getting a spot. Honestly think Jesse Glass McCasker will get it
  • Current Carlton Shop is embarrassing. My local coffee shop is bigger


Great to be back – Go Baggers!
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Thought I may as well chuck it in here, but these were the teams for the match sim today:


T1 Forwards - Charlie, JSOS, Owies, Fog, Philp

T1 Mids - Cottrell, Walsh, Carroll, Kennedy, Fisher

T1 Ruck - Pittonet

T1 Defenders - Williams, Gov, Saad, OMac, Marchy


T2 Forwads - Harry, Honey, Durdin, Martin, Motlop

T2 Mids - Cripps, Cerra, LOB, Hewett

T2 Ruck - Mirkov

T2 Defenders - Kemp, Young, Newman, Plowman, Williamson, Boyd
 
Good:

Charlie is eye catching and looks supremely fit.

Gov very trim and moving the best he has at the club.

Philp was a real positive out of the session. Got to good spots and his kicking really seems to have improved a lot

Same with Durdin, high energy and looked much cleaner than the glimpses we saw last year

Kemp’s willingness to take the game on and his confidence is terrific. Will be a serious player

Don’t see how he gets a game without injuries, but Boyd is a beautiful kick of the footy.

Jsos continues to make good things happen wherever he goes, high effort and good decision maker

Not so good:

I’m not sold on Young. Good size but takes an eternity to get the ball on to his boot and when he does it’s an adventure.

Willo is a terrific athlete, but he made a couple of really lazy skill errors which in season we can’t afford. Not sure where he sits just yet this year

Generally a little disappointed with the skill level by foot, but it’s preseason and the ground was obviously wet so they deserve some slack

Overall thoughts:

Enjoyable session. They kept drills to no longer than around 10 minutes but the boys were on the park for near enough to 3 hours so a solid hit out. Obviously there’s a lot going on so it’s hard to take too much away but it was pleasing to see some younger players taking a step forward and a pretty small list of non participants.

Quickly on the train on players: Tyreece Leiu is miles ahead of younger Cripps for me. Did a few nice things while Josh looks years away.
 
Was a good hit out this morning with plenty of positives:

Intensity was high throughout and almost every drill was match sim of some sort. Definite emphasis on executing under pressure, winning contests and there was no holding back.

Doc looking in great shape, involved in full match sim (limited minutes) and reading the play beautifully.

Charlie moving as well as ever and seemingly no knee concerns. Won most of his ball further up the ground (70m out) while Harry on the other team played closer to goal. Harry led well and was hit up nicely a few times.

No mid in particular dominated but all had great moments (Walsh, Cripps, Dow, Cerra, Hewitt).

Setterfield was prominent in the first match sim and Fish on limited minutes looked dynamic.

Carroll, Durdin, Philp (2 goals) and Owies all showed glimpses to get you excited about their future.

Young looks balanced and composed for a big man but McDonald competes so hard it will be difficult to overlook him as the Jones replacement in rd 1

MMG will make a great 3rd defender if his body holds up. His raw speed (fitness willing) will get him to contests and his leap could see him intercept marking or at least spoiling often. With his fast break and good hands he’ll also be a great target from kick outs.

O’Brien, Williams and Williamson were providing plenty of dash. O’Brien looks ready to go.

Cuningham and Marchbank ran laps but DC in particular looked in the best shape he’s ever been.

TDK was mainly put through his paces with trainers and very limited non contact work.

Definite emphasis on winning the ball in tight, executing under pressure and transitioning through the corridor. One of the match sims being full ground length, very narrow width.





On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
Finally got down to training.

Doc running laps brought a tear to the eye.

Then I realised he looks the best he has ever looked. Has packed on the muscle in the last month.

Would be an amazing story, and genuinely think he can get back to great footy. Just remember how good he was for a few games on ball before the knee.

Could be an outstanding winger for us given his elite ability to read the ball. The backline is chockers, so think he would be an excellent wing option. Not the greatest kick, I admit but reads the play and can run.

Zach W looks a lot fitter (but IMO nowhere near as lean as someone entering the prime of his career should be) and was basically worst on ground during the sim with multiple turnovers leading to shots.

Cripps looks great. Bigger than his slimmed down version but running well.

Tom Willo now has elite athleticism but still just fu**s up the footy side of it. Actually won a 200.

TDK not physically ready to be a force yet. Clearly has a bright future but 2+ years away from being dominant.

Charlie looks outstanding. They had one drill where it was clear that want to set up Charlie to get the ball anywhere within 70m no matter what. Slotted a 60m shot easily but then was awful being overly hungry on a few plays burning good leads for long shots.

Harry looks in good nick but going at 70% the whole day. They just need him to stay fit and he'll kick 60.

JSOS is the embodiment of effort. Not overly talented but jeez he tries. Still a best 22.

Saad clearly very limited physically and then hurt his shoulder. Need to get him right. Pivotal to our running game.

Markov on the way but really should just be doing squats and eating KFC all year.

Philp looked better than I've seen him. 2 goals on the end of good play.

Didn't notice Cerra.

Hewett is the perfect get. Low cost 20 disposal player. Hard as. Got fairly smashed in the running. Anyone expecting him to blow up is in for a shock though.

LOB is a hard one. Got burned so many times in good position by players trying (and failing) to go corridor at all costs. When he finally drifted more central was very good. We need to actively seek him out, not burn him.

JW solid as a rock.

Ditto SW.

GOV looks way thinner and fitter. I genuinely expect a huge season down back but he has been so horribly disappointing. Would love a little more lean mass on him for his expected role.

Overall was great to get down and see the boys.

Hoping to see a better year based on better game plan, Cripps being back to himself and Charlie fit. Not convinced we'll have a lot of others go to another level based on what I've seen but that should be good for a 12-14 win season.
 
Report from the game today


As a whole I'm tempering expectations for the season as today was neither overly promising nor worrying.

We looked a lot more sound defensively as a unit, I noticed Weitering being very vocal in shifting OMac and Pitto around all game to plug the holes in our defensive zone. One would man the main tall to provide body work, the other would line up loose to be there for a swooping spoil and they generally had Pitto and briefly Mirkov standing about 5m in front of King to block the space ahead of him to prevent him getting a run to the ball. Omac as a whole was really solid both as the loose spoiler and manning up King and while he will likely never provide the intercepting spectacle of Jones I have full faith in him being able to wrestle and win 50 50 contests to prevent KPF getting a hold of us.

The midfield pressure was far far better than what I've seen over the last few years, far less slicing and dicing us upon turnover. I noticed the Saints were forced into a lot of snaps around the corner and long bombing into the fwd 50 due to the defensive pressure provided which was sustained throughout all qtrs. Unfortunately much of our midfield rotations will be thrown out of wack when Walshy returns so we will have a much different look on ball with him which means some of the players who performed well today may not see the same opportunities when he returns

The forward line was in some ways fantastic and in others quite concerning. Charlie looked well blanketed by Battle and with no other real key talls up there looked bare. I dont think we can expect Charlie to carry the forward line for the time being, not until he can build back into some form. If Harry were to miss I'd be as concerned as I was last year. He is the vocal point of our forward line and sures up our structure as he's always the deepest forward, at times we were left kicking to Owies, Fogarty, Kemp etc who just cant be relied on to stop oppo's from intercepting and rebounding out easily. Reminded me of when Gibbons was somehow our FF under Bolton, simply doesnt work.

As a whole I felt like it was a step in the right direction, players had very identifiable roles in the team and will only grow more confident and comfortable as they get used to the game plan and their skills work into the season. I didn't find myself looking at our defensive zone thinking geez this is breaking down a lot on rebound, scores generally came from individual skill errors (which was concerning early on but they got better throughout) in the back half of the ground which both teams were prone to this early in the year.

But I'll go on to players individually.

DEFENCE

#6 Zac Williams
Looked in the best condition since he has arrived at the club by an absolute mile. Ran and carried the ball all day and being looked for by team mates all game along with LoB to utilize his kicking skill and penetration. Would have had to have been close to the leading disposal getter on the ground due to being fed so much but played a fair bit higher up the ground as almost a halfback/wing zone which linked up perfectly with our midfield mix. Poor execution of a few kicks but his general long penetrating kicks were fantastic at getting the ball into the forward line, probably just needed some stronger aerial presences up the ground to make the most of it. He had a few kicks in particular that just split the field open completely and resulted in scoring opportunities for us which was great to see but the main thing to note was he was running all over the ground with repeat efforts throughout.
#11 Mitch Mcgovern
Have to say I was a bit disappointed in Gov. He definitely looked more suited to his role down back but he just wasnt involved enough to wet my appetite. He had a few nice plays here and there but he was far less imposing than I thought he might be going off prior track reports. While he can intercept, he seemed like he was unwilling to zone off his man and float across the front of a contest to take an intercept mark. It was much more like if his opponent was the target of an inside 50 he was able to come in infront of him to intercept. Compared to his brother or a Jake Lever type who seemingly patrol the entire defensive 50 and intercept everyone elses contests too I just left the game saying it was a bit 'meh'. Hopefully he can build into it and grow confident enough to patrol more but that will undoubtedly take time.
#23 Jacob Weitering
All the usual praise, solid as a rock. Still struggles with the King twins a bit due to their athletic make up... but he was all his usual great self. Directing the backline, barking orders, spoiling at will and taking a few big marks in 50 50 contests. Would like him to find a way to intercept a bit more one day but for the time being hes just as great as usual.
#24 Nic Newman
An honest game for Newman, its a bit hard to pick which way his career will go from here as there was a definite shift from his usual long kicking self to tie in more with the contested ball focus of the new game plan. He was sound defensively and looked stronger in the contest than last season, probably just having that knee and elbow feeling 100%. He reads the game well and makes good decisions but given we focused so heavily on getting Saad and Willliams the ball out of defense I doubt we ever see him return to his first year at Carlton form where he was basically all of our rebound out of defensive 50.
#31 Tom Williamson
Looked as fit as can be and in the best condition out of almost any player on the list. Still makes some costly mistakes here and there but more than adequate depth for Willo. Wouldn mind seeing him push to a wing one day for his run and carry.
#37 Jordon Boyd
Very ordinary display. Think it would have been mostly nerves but he made a few bad mistakes by foot and overall didnt provide much of anything for us.
#39 Oscar Mcdonald
Very confident with OMAC, think he will be stepping straight into Jones spot as Weiterings 2nd in command and play the role perfectly. He knows hes not a superstar player and he doesnt look to chew off anything more than hes capable of. Spoil, Wrestle and take the easy option with ball in hand to try to get it to our classier players. Lock him in for 22 games if his body holds up.
#42 Adam Saad
Seemed to play deeper on the field than Williams. Still provided run and dash and his skills were lovely all day but I think it was clear that Williams would be more of a roaming half back who is happy to push up the field more while Saad's focus is on defending his man more and rebounding the ball out of the defensive 50 without wandering too far up the field.


MIDFIELD

#4 Lochie Obrien
This was a hard one... in patches he was just about BOG, in others he was the same old Obrien we've grown to loathe... I have never seen LoB rack the ball up like he did today, would have had easily 25-30 touches and just like Williams was being fed the ball like anything and using his left peg to deliver it like a tracer bullet. The running and kicking was fantastic... but there were also many fumbled chest marks, weak handballs in congestion and a few silly decisions. Overall this game showed a massive step for LoB, he was absolutely carving up the Saints when he was able to get it in space and if he can just clean up the rest of his game or find a way to avoid these contested situations where he can be found out he will be a serious wingman. Really hope the team continues looking for him every chance they can get, he is one of the best kicks in the league when hes got open space in front of him.
#5 Adam Cerra
Not much to say other than pure class. Clean, strong, tackles hard, beautiful skills either side. Does everything you want in a midfielder and while he may not have the extra level to his game that Cripps or Walsh possess he is just about as much as you could ask for in a plug in midfielder. One thing for those not familiar to his game though, when he is playing full time inside minutes his weighted kicking does somewhat go missing in the heavy congestion. While hes an absolutely elite kick in open space he plays like a real bull on ball and cracks in as hard as anyone which diminishes his ability to dispose of the ball by foot as well as he does on the wing... much like 99% of players.
#7 Matthew Kennedy
I was a bit uncertain as to what exact role Kennedy was playing today if im being honest. He was almost like a high half forward who focused more on being a part of the handball chains from half back into the fwd 50 without making much of his presence in the actual fwd 50. That being said everything he did was great today, really clean, great pressure around the ball and cracked in like his usual self. Not sure if he was playing the role that Jack Martin would be playing if he was fit but he definitely looked like he was moving well and had cleaned up his disposal while remaining strong at the contest.
#9 Patrick Cripps
BOG. Nothing I can say other than 2018 Cripps was back. I wouldnt say 2019 as he wasnt trying to be a full forward in his spare time, nor trying to dance around 9 blokes (although he did so beautifully in one fwd 50 stoppage). He was just winning the ball at the source and dishing it out via hand and kicking when he needed to. Fed a huge amount of ball to LoB and Saad and just looked unstoppable over the ball. Havent seen him move as well as he did in years if im being completely honest.
#25 Zac Fisher
Very lively early, was playing mostly midfield with spurts as a high half fwd. Looked dynamic, covered the ground well and just looks like he fits Voss' gameplan to a tee. His work in the handball chains through the middle of the ground were great and his tackles stuck all day, as well as most of the others too. Looks stronger and was trying to do less dancing and flashy stuff which we know him for. Played a much more mature game today. Got moved to the fwd half more in the 2nd half and was notably down compared to his time in the middle.
#29 George Hewett
I'll be honest, I didnt notice him much but thats what you get in George Hewett. Hes just an honest hard battler who lays a lot of blocks and lays a lot of tackles. Uses it well and made good decisions but he's never going to catch the eye. Just think of an Ed Curnow without the dramatic facial expressions and a neater kicking style.
#32 Jack Newnes
Very vocal and seemed to be well across the game plan but largely just an ordinary game from an ordinary player. More than happy to have him around as depth as you know what you're going to get from Newnes but other than popping up for the occasional goal he doesnt do much to impact the game aside from defensive running and mostly clean disposals.
#43 Will Setterfield
Very Angus Brayshaw style game from Setters on the wing. Sometimes less is more in spots on the ground and I think Setters is likely to spend majority of the year playing in this spot as a defensive wingman. Uses it well, doesnt make too many mistakes and is generally a good runner. Probably not what most of us hoped for him to turn into but the other midfield options bring more to the table and its good to have a steady head across the field from LoB who can be a bit hit and miss as mentioned. Just going to be one to plug holes and go provide support on different lines.


RUCK
#27 Marc Pittonet
Thought Pitt was really solid today but given hes a ruckman and I wasn't watching on TV it was impossible to know what was happening. From afar he looked the dominant ruck and was following up well on ground level. Mentioned it earlier but he was very well directed in the defensive 50 to provide aid to stopping their KPF's from getting on a lead. He's no Dean Cox but he gets the job done and if our midfield mix is good he's more than servicable.
#45 Alex Mirkov
Very very raw. Moves well but is miles away in terms of strength, repeat efforts and body work.


FORWARD

#1 Jack Silvagni
Played awesome all game. As always not a huge ball magnet but tackles hard, competes, kicked a few goals and continued his form as a chop out 2nd ruck/fwd from last year. I really see Jack as a great link up player and I'd actually prefer he was the one to play Setters role on the wing as that plug up defensive mid who uses the ball well as I think he's more creative with ball in hand, especially inside 50. We'll see what happens when the squads at full strength and TDK is back but Jack would always be in my 22 for the effort he gives all over the ground regardless of positions or matchups he finds himself in.
#17 Brodie Kemp
Kempy is one I'm puzzled by. On one hand he is an awesome swingman who is athletically as gifted as any of our list. On the other I can't help but feel he is 100% an inside mid in the Petracca/Fyfe mould. Kempy was really solid today without being amazing. He took some nice grabs but his body is still a long way off peaking in strength and explosiveness and he still looks a bit rushed in situations which is fair enough given his career is only just beginning. I want Kemp to be put in a position where he will be able to find the ball more so he can get comfortable in those contested situations, finding handballs in congestion, looking at kicks to open up the game. So ultimately I think i'd like to see him in the backline as its easier to rack up a bit of easy ball than it is in the forward line. That being said he made the most of his opportunities so cant fault him and see his scope for improvement as high as anyone on our list. Could genuinely be one of the best players in the league one day if he finds a way to burst into the midfield with his agility and size.
#19 Corey Durdin
The Wrecking ball. Arguably our most impactful player all day, was just ripping through the Saints all day long, applying pressure not seen since the mosquito fleet all on his own. He was more involved than games last year, hits contests at high speed and has elite hands in close. I think he has room to improve in finding space to be honest. He is so good at crashing into contests and laying tackles that he almost doesnt find the easy ball out the back. Think he could learn a lot from Dan Butler to be honest. His speed is his weapon and while his tackling pressure is great, he hasnt seemed to realise that if he gets space out the back nobody is going to catch him. Overall absolutely awesome game from Durdin. Felt like he laid about 15 tackles today and set up 2-3 goals.
#30 Charlie Curnow
Blanketed all day by Battle, showed signs of being back to his best in some plays but he is going to need some time to find his feet again. Think Harry returning will really free him up to play that roaming CHF role that hes suited to. Was asking a lot of him to have the Saints best defenders all over him all day but still had 3-4 shots on goal which was a positive.
#34 Sam Philp
Tackled well, handballs inside were really solid and applied great pressure in general with the other smalls. Not sure how Philipy will develop but he certainly shows great intent and gives it his all. Would have liked to see him kick a bit more today to see how he's progressed the last couple years (always thought he had a bit of a shaky disposal by foot in his first year) but overall I was happy with Philp for the time being. Can imagine him being replaced by Martin or Honey when they are back to full fitness as they are probably a bit more dynamic but Philp shows some good signs.
#44 Matthew Owies
Exactly what you'd expect from Owies. Matty Wright 2.0. Just bobs up in the right areas and always finds a way to hit the scoreboard. Tackles well and puts on really good pressure consistently. Can't see him losing his spot unless a Motlop type comes through who has a few more tricks. Very confident in what we're going to get when Owies is on the field and doesn't make too many mistakes which is always a positive.


Bit of a read and there were a few players I was unable to get a real good viewing of just given the seating situation at Ikon... but if anyone has any other observations feel free to add them but I was pretty happy with it overall. Clear difference in game style to Teague. A lot more contest based and the few players I felt uneasy about have solid replacements on their way back from injury who hopefully can take their place in the team and add some extra dimensions to our game.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Aphrodite
Training 2024 Training Blog - Training Reports only - *NO DISCUSSION*
Replies
21
Views
6K
StevieWonder
StevieWonder
Bamboo Harvester
Training 2023 Training Blog - Training Reports only - *NO DISCUSSION*
Replies
15
Views
6K
Bamboo Harvester
Bamboo Harvester
Aphrodite
Training 2024 Training - reports, pics etc
78 79 80 81 82
Replies
2K
Views
187K
Lace_Out
Lace_Out
The Old Dark Navy's
  • Sticky
Injury Blue Healers - No Discussion Injury Thread
Replies
14
Views
4K
Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Training 2023 Training - reports, pics etc
85 86 87 88 89
Replies
2K
Views
210K
Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Injury Blue Healers Discussion - 2024
107 108 109 110 111
Replies
3K
Views
177K
Bletch
Bletch
Aphrodite
Official Club Stuff 2022 Annual Report - $3,390,993 net operating for 2022 👍🏻
Replies
24
Views
1K
Jeremias
Jeremias

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top