Training 2025 Pre Season and Training Reports Thread

[Mojorisin]

That doesn’t happen in the AFL. Never.

It’s not even worth discussing.

He’s fine as depth especially considering we’ve lost Keath but he should be the very last option after we’ve gone through JOD, Buss & Buku.

It does happen all be it not very often. I believe Stewart of Essendon was the last one.

 

[House_of_Dahl]

Should have eaten his contract

Maybe why we considered Crossley

 

[grassman75]

Maybe why we considered Crossley

And I can just about guarantee that he would have become a whipping boy on here for being to fat and slow. If the Essendon rucks were doing him over around the ground then you know hes not the right pick

 

[blagodellago]

Maybe why we considered Crossley

Crossley looks capable of eating a few contracts

 

[Deadly Darcy]

Crossley looks capable of eating a few contracts

Poor bugger will be regretting a few of the super supremes that have been downed over the last few months.

 

[Libba39]

I’m think I’m just frustrated at Buss’ speculated lack of progress. If he is behind JOD and Gardner in the pecking order, what’s going on. Maybe I’m reading too much into it and he will debut soon. I hope so.

I think the fact that Busslinger hasn't got a look in so far says a fair bit about where he's at. To me he seems like a solid player but there is nothing that jumps out at you. If you think of our other defenders:

Lobb - very tall, physical and seasoned player. Great intercept mark.

Jones - physically strong presence, backs himself, fast first 20 metres, good mark, backs himself to play on.

Odonnell - fairly quick against the lead, quite courageous in the games I've seen

Gardner - despite his deficiencies Gardy always give 100%. He is physically strong, and gutsy (hence his propensity for injuries)

Khamis - backs himself, very good intercept mark. Learning when to peel off his man.

I know we haven't seen Busslinger at the top level but I have watched him at vfl level and I'm just not seeing anything you can hang your hat on. He's not quick, not that big, not that strong. He can take a mark, has ok disposal from a standing start. There is no dynamism here.

Not saying he can't or won't make it, but I think the calls for him to be in round 1 are purely based on his draft number.

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[King Harold]

I think the fact that Busslinger hasn't got a look in so far says a fair bit about where he's at. To me he seems like a solid player but there is nothing that jumps out at you. If you think of our other defenders:

Lobb - very tall, physical and seasoned player. Great intercept mark.

Jones - physically strong presence, backs himself, fast first 20 metres, good mark, backs himself to play on.

Odonnell - fairly quick against the lead, quite courageous in the games I've seen

Gardner - despite his deficiencies Gardy always give 100%. He is physically strong, and gutsy (hence his propensity for injuries)

Khamis - backs himself, very good intercept mark. Learning when to peel off his man.

I know we haven't seen Busslinger at the top level but I have watched him at vfl level and I'm just not seeing anything you can hang your hat on. He's not quick, not that big, not that strong. He can take a mark, has ok disposal from a standing start. There is no dynamism here.

Not saying he can't or won't make it, but I think the calls for him to be in round 1 are purely based on his draft number.

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Still time on his side , but as you say no outstanding attributes except maybe he is an excellent kick from the few times I’ve seen him play.

 

[Bigthirsty81]

I thought he was good against Essendon. I do think Larkey would kill anyone we have except for Jones

Loosing your feet and going to ground at full back and letting Essendon walk in for an easy goal was prime Gardy

 

[Bigthirsty81]

Usually scragging and holding him with no free kick that Curnow or Hawkins would get

Agreed. Also the Afl are shooting themselves in the foot here imo, it he got the treatment those guys got and they pumped him up as the next Wayne Carey would up there marketing/profile.
I think if Bont wasn't around you would see him get a title push WWE style

 

[DognBones]

Just thinking out loud, but if had we missed out on Busslinger (Pick 13) in the 2022 draft I wonder whether we had Josh Weddle (went Pick 18) as a next option. Weddle is quick, aggressive and provides run from half back, attributes we could certainly benefit from now.
If Busslinger can't break through with Jones out and two non-established competitors in O'Donnell and Khamis are selected before him, then it could be another lean season for him in terms of AFL exposure. In the scheme of things, his apprenticeship should now be bearing fruit.

 

[Testekill]

Loosing your feet and going to ground at full back and letting Essendon walk in for an easy goal was prime Gardy

I think Mofra was talking about Busslinger

 

[Mofra]

I think Mofra was talking about Busslinger

Correct. 10 touches and a few marks in a half of football as a FB.
We have to see the kid at senior level sooner rather than later.

 

[stefoid]

In the 5 seasons he’s played (not counting 2024 since he was injured most of the season), he’s had a win rate of 58.5% (31 wins, 22 losses). This includes playing in all 3 of our finals wins in 2021, but not in the GF.

The team in that time period had a win rate overall of 56.6% (64 wins, 49 losses).

I’d argue Gardner has had next to zero effect on our position as a team. He’s a role player who doesn’t move the needle (unlike someone like Jones who actively makes us more likely to win).

If we’re so cooked as a side that playing Gardner would cause us to lose, we would never have gotten anywhere in the first place. If we’re choosing JOD, Gardner or Khamis for that KPD role, it doesn’t make that big of a difference tbh. So long as he doesn’t replicate that Essendon game every week, that is…

Thats a really obscure way to paper over a crack.

Gards is the golden fist and thats it - entirely one dimensional - rarely intercepts, vulnerable when the ball is on the ground and timid with the ball in hand.

We should be able to do so much better

 

[JTCWBFC]

Thats a really obscure way to paper over a crack.

Gards is the golden fist and thats it - entirely one dimensional - rarely intercepts, vulnerable when the ball is on the ground and timid with the ball in hand.

We should be able to do so much better

Quite often using that golden fist to spoil his own team mates too

 

[Doggies7]

That doesn’t happen in the AFL. Never.

It’s not even worth discussing.

He’s fine as depth especially considering we’ve lost Keath but he should be the very last option after we’ve gone through JOD, Buss & Buku.

Yes it does and yes it is.

In fact it has happened so very recently as in last off-season with Tom Clurey being de-listed by Port despite having a year to run on his contract.

The Bombers de-listed James Stewart at the end of 2023 with a year remaining on his contract.

The Roos de-listed Jared Polec at the end of 2022 despite having one year left on a huge contract and the Eagles did the same with Zac Langdon with a year to run still.

So it's absolutely an option if we were to be more aggressive with our list management, whether or not it's the right call is another matter, but you can't say this NEVER happens.

 

[Bald]

Yes it does and yes it is.

In fact it has happened so very recently as in last off-season with Tom Clurey being de-listed by Port despite having a year to run on his contract.

The Bombers de-listed James Stewart at the end of 2023 with a year remaining on his contract.

The Roos de-listed Jared Polec at the end of 2022 despite having one year left on a huge contract and the Eagles did the same with Zac Langdon with a year to run still.

So it's absolutely an option if we were to be more aggressive with our list management, whether or not it's the right call is another matter, but you can't say this NEVER happens.

It has to be mutual though - Gardner would be on a better wicket than he'd get working outside of football, he's largely under the radar in the sense that nobody would know him if they saw him down the street, he gets to hang out with his mates for a living all the while enjoying the perks of an elite sporting program in his late 20s.

Why would he mutually agree to terminate his contract?

 

[Libbaaaa]

It has to be mutual though - Gardner would be on a better wicket than he'd get working outside of football, he's largely under the radar in the sense that nobody would know him if they saw him down the street, he gets to hang out with his mates for a living all the while enjoying the perks of an elite sporting program in his late 20s.

Why would he mutually agree to terminate his contract?

He’d still get his cash though wouldn’t he?

 

[NthBondiDoggies]

Watching a few other teams pre-season - we can’t take too much from them but certainly teams playing what they have available but if fit - many have a standard 3 tall KD and 3 tall KF. But really depends on who they are playing.

GWS is an early favourite for the business end. BTW - I hate GWS! But

They have:

Taylor (AA level FB but injured). Leek Allir a good back up. Athletic but just not as experienced yet

HH (Excellent CHB) - very athletic and so don’t lose anything form his size.

Buckley - hard lockdown defender. No nonsense

Also have Conor Idun - hard fast medium tall (193) and Lachlan Keefe (proven KP and ruck rotation and Wade Derksen.


Forward they have

Hogan - 75 goal forward

A.Cadman - great you kid

Riccardi - 198cm hard working KF

And arguably best small forward group. Also like Max Gruzewski as a young exciting forward mid sized at 192. And now Stringer.

Thats is incredible depth.

Sydney - beat them easily with a much smaller team. Rain helped the smaller team.

Couldn’t be bothered doing both other clubs but it feels like more have two settled talls and then utilities for the third. For example Melbourne - where they have three but Petty doesn’t get a settled role down back so they play him forward and MacDonald also.

So just a man-on-man (yes I know this doesn’t work in n a game but is more about talent).

If you go all dungeons and dragons - never played so maybe a bit off:

Jones v Taylor = 9 v 10. GWS

Lobb v Himmelberg = 8 v 8. Draw - both have different strengths

Buckley v JOD, Buss = 8 v 5 = GWS

Keefe v Gards = 6 v 4 = GWS

Idun v Khamis/Coffield = 7 v ?? = GWS

Man for man it is a massacre

Forwards a bit different

Hogan v Naughton = 9 v 8 (though Hogan doesn’t do as much around the ground)

Cadman v JUH = 6 v 8

Riccardi v Darcy = 6 v 8 (Darcy isn’t proven to the extent of Hogan but has already shown he can change games.

We don’t have others with exposed form. Like Croft, Davidson, Poulter

But for talls we win -

Smalls to GWS but we are one contributor short.

Greene, Daniels and Jones, McMullin, Bedford etc

V

Weightman, West, Artie, VDM and M Neil

 

[Bald]

He’d still get his cash though wouldn’t he?

Yes of course - he's a pro, it's perfectly reasonable to say he'd rather enjoy the perks of an elite sporting club whilst getting to enjoy time with his mates every day.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

I'm not worried about Buss. The club makes their mind up on KPDs pretty quickly (see: Collins). The club fought against opposition to retain him on a two year deal. They rate him. He'll get a chance when they feel he's ready to succeed.

 

[cleveland]

If bevo picks bloody Gardner round 1, i am done with him

 

[TheScriptorWL]

If bevo picks bloody Gardner round 1, i am done with him

Agreed. At least I could see and understand what aspects of Vandermeer's game Bevo froths over. Gardner is stock standard and as bland as unbuttered toast.

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[BallaratBulldog]

Dogs lost 2021 because Garnder was dropped. Won other 3 finals. The difference

 

[King Harold]

Have we decided on the list spot ?
Wasn’t Crossley told he will get the nod ?

 

[weltschmerz]

Have we decided on the list spot ?
Wasn’t Crossley told he will get the nod ?

Neither Crossley nor Brew was signed, the spot remains empty.