Training Pre season training

[stfan]

Yeah, we have to remember that we internally rate alot of our young players, but if you're not a Saints fan or a hardcore AFL fan/fantasy guru you don't really know who most of our young players are. I have friends who are just writing us off and it's hard to argue against them when we finished 12th last year,

The season in total was not good, but our last half was good. So we need more of the second half than the first. But that second half does give promise.

have some pretty big injuries early on

We were probably worse off in the first half of last season.

and our two new draft picks aren't going to play round 1.

While true, I do believe that Boxshall is Game 1 worthy.
And that Hall, Keeler, O'Çonnell Boyd have all played well enough in the preseason to justify possible selection. But not all of them. Especially I would believe Lyon will want experienced players like Clark and Jones in the 22.

TT is a possible to be the Sub too as there is no Sandy Game.

It's just easy to write us off because of history and lack of mainstream media exposure, so it's a safe pick to have us bottom 4. I think we are way better than that and will surprise a few, but only time will tell.

Yes agree, but no King, Sharman or Dougall this week makes us structurally vulnerable.

 

[dudeintheswamp]

According to this, Sandy have a praccy against North on Sunday at 1pm at Arden St.

2025 Smithy's VFL practice match schedule

The 2025 Smithy's VFL practice match schedule

www.afl.com.au

 

[stfan]

According to this, Sandy have a praccy against North on Sunday at 1pm at Arden St.

2025 Smithy's VFL practice match schedule

The 2025 Smithy's VFL practice match schedule

www.afl.com.au

So Sandy take on Tasmania too!

Sunday, May 4
Tasmania vs Sandringham (UTAS Stadium, Launceston)

 

[Jesuswasacarpenter]

Taranto and Hopper thought they were going to another Geelong who were perpetually in the window.

They both played well....Hopper in particular was catalyst like in the second quarter.

 

[Joffaboy]

Three in rehab, Coops, Doogs, no sling, Henry. Henry doing high paced run throughs, think it's part of his program, not a set back.
Viking trying to be incognito with no 56, blond hair and headband gives him away.
Carroll back in full training.
Lad are excited, lots of talk, and mindless affirmation ( wood hoo, and **** yeah etc).
Three groups mids forwards and backs, Henry in either mids.
Chito in the fluro working with the forwards.
Now in four groups all doing something different, to hard and can't be bothered to describe, typical handball, link up, contested drills. All pretty energetic.
4 rucks worked together, Chito and Viking running laps, the rest non contact match sim. Roh no fluro hat.
Can't tell from Reds v Bibs who is selected, but if going in bibs Clark and Jones may miss, but who knows? Now out of bibs, so have to wait for selection. Can't tell sorry.
Great to see Henry in full sim.
Butler and Dow in the gym, no King or Pou.
End to end ball movement, 3 groups Interchanging after every drill
Wish the oppo put on this type of pressure, we look very good. A shame the oppo tackles etc.
Henry good run and spread, not far off.
Apart from Pou and Dow we have a full set of mids to choose from.
We always look better with a full set of mids including Clark, Jones, Windy Hall, Carroll, Boxshall and Said with Wilson, Travaglia also fit for selection.
Contact match sim, Steele, Macrae, Jones, and Boyd, Roh forward with Hammer, Wilson forward, Trav in bibs v Wood on the wing.
My guess is chito not playing, running laps while dim is on.
No cuddly Ross today. Getting g stuck into them.
Roh uses his weight to put Tauru out of the contest but Gus comes across for the intercept mark.
Max turns up, signs a couple of autographs and selfies and back inside.
Chito, right shoulder heavily strapped, not unlike many players match day, nothing to worry about.
Pou walking the boundary, kicking with his left foot ( can't remember his preferred). Best case scenario, some time in May, probably June.
Back to three groups, positioning and skills work.
Winding down so
Adios Amigo's

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Joffaboy]

Wouldn't be surprised either Boyd in ruck with Roh forward and forward ruck.

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[stavro#4]

Three in rehab, Coops, Doogs, no sling, Henry. Henry doing high paced run throughs, think it's part of his program, not a set back.
Viking trying to be incognito with no 56, blond hair and headband gives him away.
Carroll back in full training.
Lad are excited, lots of talk, and mindless affirmation ( wood hoo, and **** yeah etc).
Three groups mids forwards and backs, Henry in either mids.
Chito in the fluro working with the forwards.
Now in four groups all doing something different, to hard and can't be bothered to describe, typical handball, link up, contested drills. All pretty energetic.
4 rucks worked together, Chito and Viking running laps, the rest non contact match sim. Roh no fluro hat.
Can't tell from Reds v Bibs who is selected, but if going in bibs Clark and Jones may miss, but who knows? Now out of bibs, so have to wait for selection. Can't tell sorry.
Great to see Henry in full sim.
Butler and Dow in the gym, no King or Pou.
End to end ball movement, 3 groups Interchanging after every drill
Wish the oppo put on this type of pressure, we look very good. A shame the oppo tackles etc.
Henry good run and spread, not far off.
Apart from Pou and Dow we have a full set of mids to choose from.
We always look better with a full set of mids including Clark, Jones, Windy Hall, Carroll, Boxshall and Said with Wilson, Travaglia also fit for selection.
Contact match sim, Steele, Macrae, Jones, and Boyd, Roh forward with Hammer, Wilson forward, Trav in bibs v Wood on the wing.
My guess is chito not playing, running laps while dim is on.
No cuddly Ross today. Getting g stuck into them.
Roh uses his weight to put Tauru out of the contest but Gus comes across for the intercept mark.
Max turns up, signs a couple of autographs and selfies and back inside.
Chito, right shoulder heavily strapped, not unlike many players match day, nothing to worry about.
Pou walking the boundary, kicking with his left foot ( can't remember his preferred). Best case scenario, some time in May, probably June.
Back to three groups, positioning and skills work.
Winding down so
Adios Amigo's

On SM-S908E using BigFooty.com mobile app

Pou is left footed.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

He is still a GOP. Moir was a potential pick one who had a shit draft year. Has heaps more natural talent than Owies who is a player around Jack Lonie level IMO. He's like a Bitch Stewie Jack Higgins.

You would imagine that they should get a lot more out of Motlop too. He's at the right age to start to impact.

 

[The Punter]

Last training session was today.

 

[Yawkey way]

He is still a GOP. Moir was a potential pick one who had a shit draft year. Has heaps more natural talent than Owies who is a player around Jack Lonie level IMO. He's like a Bitch Stewie Jack Higgins.

You would imagine that they should get a lot more out of Motlop too. He's at the right age to start to impact.

Motlop is a terrible player, selfish, low footy IQ, average skills.

 

[shlong]

Videos

An exclusive insight into how we develop our young talent, thanks to our coaches partner Westinghouse.

www.saints.com.au

Is a great watch to see first-3rd years train

 

[Mowman]

Videos

An exclusive insight into how we develop our young talent, thanks to our coaches partner Westinghouse.

www.saints.com.au

Is a great watch to see first-3rd years train

That was Very good

BJ was impressive

 

[gringo2011]

One swallow does't make a summer, Champignon. Matt Owies wasn't the difference either.

 

[Dard Ball Get]

One swallow does't make a summer, Champignon. Matt Owies wasn't the difference either.

I know this, just wanted to hear from you

 

[TheJackal]

With our preseason training sessions wrapped up I better get a wriggle on and give my thoughts on our midfield.

With three quarters of the team capable of running through the midfield I'll try to stick to just guys I haven't previously spoken of.

First up I'd like to just sing the praises of Jack Macrae. I don't think he's missed a single session, he has been so consistent with his training. Anyone thinking Jack came for a retirement package will be eating humble pie. His best moment all preseason was an epic smother. Looked like he'd fielded in gully all of his life with his horizontal dive, smothering it out of bounds, jumping to his feet, flexing his muscles and roaring. No really, that happened, it was lighthearted but it was perfect intensity and personality and showed he was up for the challenger. He has this innate ability to find a teammate with a 20m kick on an angle that has no right to get to them. Often that kick is into our F50 and they almost always hit their target. Pencil him in for 30 plus every week, he's got something to prove and I'd be shocked if he wasn't top 3 in our B&F and possibly even AA squad.

Macrae is just that good, but he is complimenting Jack Steele's game really nicely. The two have been together in most of the running groups and you can tell they just understand each other's game already. For the record, Butler, Steele, Macrae and Sincs were often running together. So not with the elite runners, but just doing what they had to do to get the kms in the legs. Something about Steele is different this year. He seems very fit, not carrying that extra muscle/bulk of a year or two ago. It's like he's happy again, like the weight of the world is lifted from his shoulders. Maybe it's Macraes arrival, maybe it's the younger guys taking the reigns more - but he seems to be in a good place.

Whilst I'm on the topic of similar midfielders I'll talk about Hugh Boxshall. Well everyone, we have a proper midfielder. It's funny, of all of the draftees, he was the least impressive in the first fortnight or so. Whether it was nerves or just finding his feet, he looked pretty average in the drills with probably 50% of short kicks hitting their targets under no pressure. Then, as soon as any form of match sim began and they integrated into the main group, he just lit it up. Ok, lit it up is a little over the top but my perception of him he just completely u-turned. He was running into good spots, hitting targets under pressure and looking comfortable with ball in habd. He has worked closely with the two Jack's, often lining up on either one of them. It's hard to explain but his midfield craft is going to be brilliant. He knows how to use his body in close, protect the ball, protect his teammate, push off at the right moment, he's just made for gametime. He is still raw, but I think we may just have recruited our newest ball pig. Learning under Macrae, Steele, Hayes, Harvey, Goddard, he really does have the foundations there to have a pretty special career. I don't usually do player comparisons, but with Hugh, there is one player who I think he is so similar to that I have to say it - Josh P Kennedy. With teams already announced, I like that he will be developing for a bit in the twos with the pressure of having to be a key part of a midfield set up.

Hard act to follow after that, sorry Hugo. Hugo Garcia then, what can I say. Darcy Wilson is an athletic freak, Hugo, well, he's just got heart and doesn't wasn't to lose, like, ever and he often keeps up. Noone goes harder at everything than him, he puts pressure on in the simplest of drills and the intensity just lifts the standards everywhere. There were a couple of occasions with the forwards taking it easy running into goals and suddenly getting pantsed by Garcia. I think Higgins, Sharman and Wilson were all made to look silly at some stage. I think Rory Lairds record of 20 tackles in a game might be under threat if Hugo can nail down his spot. At times he still struggles with that kicking, it could possibly be a composure thing with his maniacal approach. Having said that, he's finished many a goal this season so the skills certainly aren't lacking.

Someone who I see as a similar player to Hugo is Marcus Windhager. I remember screaming at the coaching staff for having him in the 2s a couple of years ago. He was there to hone his midfield craft and improve his running patterns. I fear he continues to get a little bit lost out there. As I type this I realise perhaps it's why his best performances seem to be those run with roles he has had. He hasnt really cleaned up his short kicking as much as I would've hoped - as I said at times he seems to lose his way a bit out there. I was actually surprised that he was selected on the field for round one but I'm super happy for him. He always trains hard, is in incredible shape, if he can clean up those few things he's got a great chance to cement his spot.

Zac Jones, I just dont know what to say/think about Jones. Floats in and out of training, along with Stocker hes very vocal. I cant pick him, as in, I don't know if he's grumpy, alpha, a smart ass or an absolute douchebag. I'm sure it doesn't actually matter, he is very 'instructional' out there, clearly knows and understands our structure very well. He did well to finish off last year, I often think if we are to improve guys like him need to be pushed out of the team.

Another guy who some will have in a similar category to Jones is Hunter Clark. Im going to say something to make everyone laugh, they did a sprinting drill and this guy actually has some decent wheels on him! No really, i was shocked! I know he is often slow during games, is it a fitness/repeat effort thing? I dont know, but i can say he has some real straight line speed (in an isolatedtraining drill haha). His injury this preseason really sucked, it was the fittest and strongest I'd ever seen him. I made this joke previously which didn't get any love, so I'll try again. His spaghetti arms were looking more udon noodle arms. Anyway..... can you guys believe he is still only 25 years of age? He's a strange one, his kicking with both feet in a non game situation is absolutely sublime. I don't know what happens but he seems to fall short with many of his kicks. His added fitness from before his injury seems to have helped his game. We still don't have many guys with as much natural ability as Hunter has. Footy IQ and ability to read the play was on show at training recently - if he stays fit for a season I think a few will be eating humble pie with Clark.

The saddest moment this preseason was definitely the injury to my boy, Mattaes Phillipou. He was (is) ready to rip the AFL apart. The work he did over the summer was just incredible, keeping up with Darce and Hugo and absolutely getting every last inch of effort out of himself. He was just dominant in every sense at training, be it running, dedication, skillwork, leadership, the package just felt so complete. I was even thinking, is he in the running to share the vice captaincy with Wilkes? If watching him was the only reason to go to training, it was still worth it. Which is why it's such a damn shame this injury happened. His late season form in the middle continued into the preseason, he was learning a lot from Macrae as well. It was interesting that Macrae came out and said he's never done so much running in his career, especially after training. We are going to be fit as hell this year running out games - but you'd have to question if it contributed to various stress related injuries like Pous.

I feel a little guilty not mentioning Jack Carroll until now. He must be having an interrupted preseason with niggling injuries because hes been sporadically sighted in full training in recent times. Its a shame because what I've seen I've really liked. He is dynamic, breaks lines, has a wicked sidestep, clean hands and good by foot - it must be soreness or injury holding him back. He's absolutely lit up an intra club (match sim) early on, but he's not always been on the track for whatever reason. If he's fit, I'd have him in the team, simple as that. I think Jones and Windy would probably be making way for Carroll and Henry when both are fit.

Liam Henry, have I spoken about him yet? I think i may have mentioned him with the forwards. I believe a bit of a barometer for our team, he has the ability to provide a spark unlike many of our other more vanilla types. I desperately want him to follow Sinclair's leg program though I'm so scared they will snap again.

Oh, the wings, oops. So Mason Wood still has a bit left in him. When he started training, Irish looked like he took a backward step as we could see Mason's class. He might be slowing down a tad, but he's still super dangerous on that wing with his ability to hurt in the air and on the scoreboard.

Brad Hill just keeps doing Brad Hill things. Super fit, energetic, always smiling similar to Henry. He is such a smart footballer with his kicking, I'd have him as good by foot in a game as Nas - despite Nas being a much better kick. Keeps on running, directing, supporting, just a wonderful guy to have around. I feel almost ill that I was uber critical of him in his first season or so with us. He is everything our club could've asked for and our troubles were no fault of his, he is a natural leader.

I guess all that really left is poor old Paddy Dow. He looked in absolutely ripping shape when training started up last year. I dont know if he will make it, but I would love for him to be able to get out there consistently to at least give himself a shot at it. There is a chance that guys like Boxshall and Carroll will shoot past him, but I still think there's a successful AFL career in him if his body lets him.

So I've talked up our midfield brigade. Our achilles heel, our weakest line... that's just it, I am not convinced it is. Perhaps we need all our guys fit but I think our forwardline and defence is more of a concern leading into round 1.

Macrae, Steele, Phillipou, Carroll, Henry, Garcia, Hill, Hall, Windy, Wood, Dow, Clark, Jones, even cameos from Sincs and Nas, then Said, TT, Boxshall, Irish, Hastie... these guys can absolutely provide everything that it takes to have a solid midfield capable of beating most others on their day.

 

[jwint43]

With our preseason training sessions wrapped up I better get a wriggle on and give my thoughts on our midfield.

With three quarters of the team capable of running through the midfield I'll try to stick to just guys I haven't previously spoken of.

First up I'd like to just sing the praises of Jack Macrae. I don't think he's missed a single session, he has been so consistent with his training. Anyone thinking Jack came for a retirement package will be eating humble pie. His best moment all preseason was an epic smother. Looked like he'd fielded in gully all of his life with his horizontal dive, smothering it out of bounds, jumping to his feet, flexing his muscles and roaring. No really, that happened, it was lighthearted but it was perfect intensity and personality and showed he was up for the challenger. He has this innate ability to find a teammate with a 20m kick on an angle that has no right to get to them. Often that kick is into our F50 and they almost always hit their target. Pencil him in for 30 plus every week, he's got something to prove and I'd be shocked if he wasn't top 3 in our B&F and possibly even AA squad.

Macrae is just that good, but he is complimenting Jack Steele's game really nicely. The two have been together in most of the running groups and you can tell they just understand each other's game already. For the record, Butler, Steele, Macrae and Sincs were often running together. So not with the elite runners, but just doing what they had to do to get the kms in the legs. Something about Steele is different this year. He seems very fit, not carrying that extra muscle/bulk of a year or two ago. It's like he's happy again, like the weight of the world is lifted from his shoulders. Maybe it's Macraes arrival, maybe it's the younger guys taking the reigns more - but he seems to be in a good place.

Whilst I'm on the topic of similar midfielders I'll talk about Hugh Boxshall. Well everyone, we have a proper midfielder. It's funny, of all of the draftees, he was the least impressive in the first fortnight or so. Whether it was nerves or just finding his feet, he looked pretty average in the drills with probably 50% of short kicks hitting their targets under no pressure. Then, as soon as any form of match sim began and they integrated into the main group, he just lit it up. Ok, lit it up is a little over the top but my perception of him he just completely u-turned. He was running into good spots, hitting targets under pressure and looking comfortable with ball in habd. He has worked closely with the two Jack's, often lining up on either one of them. It's hard to explain but his midfield craft is going to be brilliant. He knows how to use his body in close, protect the ball, protect his teammate, push off at the right moment, he's just made for gametime. He is still raw, but I think we may just have recruited our newest ball pig. Learning under Macrae, Steele, Hayes, Harvey, Goddard, he really does have the foundations there to have a pretty special career. I don't usually do player comparisons, but with Hugh, there is one player who I think he is so similar to that I have to say it - Josh P Kennedy. With teams already announced, I like that he will be developing for a bit in the twos with the pressure of having to be a key part of a midfield set up.

Hard act to follow after that, sorry Hugo. Hugo Garcia then, what can I say. Darcy Wilson is an athletic freak, Hugo, well, he's just got heart and doesn't wasn't to lose, like, ever and he often keeps up. Noone goes harder at everything than him, he puts pressure on in the simplest of drills and the intensity just lifts the standards everywhere. There were a couple of occasions with the forwards taking it easy running into goals and suddenly getting pantsed by Garcia. I think Higgins, Sharman and Wilson were all made to look silly at some stage. I think Rory Lairds record of 20 tackles in a game might be under threat if Hugo can nail down his spot. At times he still struggles with that kicking, it could possibly be a composure thing with his maniacal approach. Having said that, he's finished many a goal this season so the skills certainly aren't lacking.

Someone who I see as a similar player to Hugo is Marcus Windhager. I remember screaming at the coaching staff for having him in the 2s a couple of years ago. He was there to hone his midfield craft and improve his running patterns. I fear he continues to get a little bit lost out there. As I type this I realise perhaps it's why his best performances seem to be those run with roles he has had. He hasnt really cleaned up his short kicking as much as I would've hoped - as I said at times he seems to lose his way a bit out there. I was actually surprised that he was selected on the field for round one but I'm super happy for him. He always trains hard, is in incredible shape, if he can clean up those few things he's got a great chance to cement his spot.

Zac Jones, I just dont know what to say/think about Jones. Floats in and out of training, along with Stocker hes very vocal. I cant pick him, as in, I don't know if he's grumpy, alpha, a smart ass or an absolute douchebag. I'm sure it doesn't actually matter, he is very 'instructional' out there, clearly knows and understands our structure very well. He did well to finish off last year, I often think if we are to improve guys like him need to be pushed out of the team.

Another guy who some will have in a similar category to Jones is Hunter Clark. Im going to say something to make everyone laugh, they did a sprinting drill and this guy actually has some decent wheels on him! No really, i was shocked! I know he is often slow during games, is it a fitness/repeat effort thing? I dont know, but i can say he has some real straight line speed (in an isolatedtraining drill haha). His injury this preseason really sucked, it was the fittest and strongest I'd ever seen him. I made this joke previously which didn't get any love, so I'll try again. His spaghetti arms were looking more udon noodle arms. Anyway..... can you guys believe he is still only 25 years of age? He's a strange one, his kicking with both feet in a non game situation is absolutely sublime. I don't know what happens but he seems to fall short with many of his kicks. His added fitness from before his injury seems to have helped his game. We still don't have many guys with as much natural ability as Hunter has. Footy IQ and ability to read the play was on show at training recently - if he stays fit for a season I think a few will be eating humble pie with Clark.

The saddest moment this preseason was definitely the injury to my boy, Mattaes Phillipou. He was (is) ready to rip the AFL apart. The work he did over the summer was just incredible, keeping up with Darce and Hugo and absolutely getting every last inch of effort out of himself. He was just dominant in every sense at training, be it running, dedication, skillwork, leadership, the package just felt so complete. I was even thinking, is he in the running to share the vice captaincy with Wilkes? If watching him was the only reason to go to training, it was still worth it. Which is why it's such a damn shame this injury happened. His late season form in the middle continued into the preseason, he was learning a lot from Macrae as well. It was interesting that Macrae came out and said he's never done so much running in his career, especially after training. We are going to be fit as hell this year running out games - but you'd have to question if it contributed to various stress related injuries like Pous.

I feel a little guilty not mentioning Jack Carroll until now. He must be having an interrupted preseason with niggling injuries because hes been sporadically sighted in full training in recent times. Its a shame because what I've seen I've really liked. He is dynamic, breaks lines, has a wicked sidestep, clean hands and good by foot - it must be soreness or injury holding him back. He's absolutely lit up an intra club (match sim) early on, but he's not always been on the track for whatever reason. If he's fit, I'd have him in the team, simple as that. I think Jones and Windy would probably be making way for Carroll and Henry when both are fit.

Liam Henry, have I spoken about him yet? I think i may have mentioned him with the forwards. I believe a bit of a barometer for our team, he has the ability to provide a spark unlike many of our other more vanilla types. I desperately want him to follow Sinclair's leg program though I'm so scared they will snap again.

Oh, the wings, oops. So Mason Wood still has a bit left in him. When he started training, Irish looked like he took a backward step as we could see Mason's class. He might be slowing down a tad, but he's still super dangerous on that wing with his ability to hurt in the air and on the scoreboard.

Brad Hill just keeps doing Brad Hill things. Super fit, energetic, always smiling similar to Henry. He is such a smart footballer with his kicking, I'd have him as good by foot in a game as Nas - despite Nas being a much better kick. Keeps on running, directing, supporting, just a wonderful guy to have around. I feel almost ill that I was uber critical of him in his first season or so with us. He is everything our club could've asked for and our troubles were no fault of his, he is a natural leader.

I guess all that really left is poor old Paddy Dow. He looked in absolutely ripping shape when training started up last year. I dont know if he will make it, but I would love for him to be able to get out there consistently to at least give himself a shot at it. There is a chance that guys like Boxshall and Carroll will shoot past him, but I still think there's a successful AFL career in him if his body lets him.

So I've talked up our midfield brigade. Our achilles heel, our weakest line... that's just it, I am not convinced it is. Perhaps we need all our guys fit but I think our forwardline and defence is more of a concern leading into round 1.

Macrae, Steele, Phillipou, Carroll, Henry, Garcia, Hill, Hall, Windy, Wood, Dow, Clark, Jones, even cameos from Sincs and Nas, then Said, TT, Boxshall, Irish, Hastie... these guys can absolutely provide everything that it takes to have a solid midfield capable of beating most others on their day.

Good write up, needed some positivity and a reminder we have genuine talent on our list. I'm a Clark defender to the point where it's a running joke with my friends, but I just believe that his skillset is something that only a handful of players possess and we have yet to see his best footy. PLayers who are two sided present opportunities in transition that the defense is not prepared for because you don't need the extra time to find your preferred foot, and in the backend of last year he was showing how damaging he can be. He made our midfield mix far better in the back half of 24 and hopefully this continues on from round 1.

 

[Miha]

Time to lock this thread. Embrace the pain!

 

[gringo2011]

With our preseason training sessions wrapped up I better get a wriggle on and give my thoughts on our midfield.

With three quarters of the team capable of running through the midfield I'll try to stick to just guys I haven't previously spoken of.

First up I'd like to just sing the praises of Jack Macrae. I don't think he's missed a single session, he has been so consistent with his training. Anyone thinking Jack came for a retirement package will be eating humble pie. His best moment all preseason was an epic smother. Looked like he'd fielded in gully all of his life with his horizontal dive, smothering it out of bounds, jumping to his feet, flexing his muscles and roaring. No really, that happened, it was lighthearted but it was perfect intensity and personality and showed he was up for the challenger. He has this innate ability to find a teammate with a 20m kick on an angle that has no right to get to them. Often that kick is into our F50 and they almost always hit their target. Pencil him in for 30 plus every week, he's got something to prove and I'd be shocked if he wasn't top 3 in our B&F and possibly even AA squad.

Macrae is just that good, but he is complimenting Jack Steele's game really nicely. The two have been together in most of the running groups and you can tell they just understand each other's game already. For the record, Butler, Steele, Macrae and Sincs were often running together. So not with the elite runners, but just doing what they had to do to get the kms in the legs. Something about Steele is different this year. He seems very fit, not carrying that extra muscle/bulk of a year or two ago. It's like he's happy again, like the weight of the world is lifted from his shoulders. Maybe it's Macraes arrival, maybe it's the younger guys taking the reigns more - but he seems to be in a good place.

Whilst I'm on the topic of similar midfielders I'll talk about Hugh Boxshall. Well everyone, we have a proper midfielder. It's funny, of all of the draftees, he was the least impressive in the first fortnight or so. Whether it was nerves or just finding his feet, he looked pretty average in the drills with probably 50% of short kicks hitting their targets under no pressure. Then, as soon as any form of match sim began and they integrated into the main group, he just lit it up. Ok, lit it up is a little over the top but my perception of him he just completely u-turned. He was running into good spots, hitting targets under pressure and looking comfortable with ball in habd. He has worked closely with the two Jack's, often lining up on either one of them. It's hard to explain but his midfield craft is going to be brilliant. He knows how to use his body in close, protect the ball, protect his teammate, push off at the right moment, he's just made for gametime. He is still raw, but I think we may just have recruited our newest ball pig. Learning under Macrae, Steele, Hayes, Harvey, Goddard, he really does have the foundations there to have a pretty special career. I don't usually do player comparisons, but with Hugh, there is one player who I think he is so similar to that I have to say it - Josh P Kennedy. With teams already announced, I like that he will be developing for a bit in the twos with the pressure of having to be a key part of a midfield set up.

Hard act to follow after that, sorry Hugo. Hugo Garcia then, what can I say. Darcy Wilson is an athletic freak, Hugo, well, he's just got heart and doesn't wasn't to lose, like, ever and he often keeps up. Noone goes harder at everything than him, he puts pressure on in the simplest of drills and the intensity just lifts the standards everywhere. There were a couple of occasions with the forwards taking it easy running into goals and suddenly getting pantsed by Garcia. I think Higgins, Sharman and Wilson were all made to look silly at some stage. I think Rory Lairds record of 20 tackles in a game might be under threat if Hugo can nail down his spot. At times he still struggles with that kicking, it could possibly be a composure thing with his maniacal approach. Having said that, he's finished many a goal this season so the skills certainly aren't lacking.

Someone who I see as a similar player to Hugo is Marcus Windhager. I remember screaming at the coaching staff for having him in the 2s a couple of years ago. He was there to hone his midfield craft and improve his running patterns. I fear he continues to get a little bit lost out there. As I type this I realise perhaps it's why his best performances seem to be those run with roles he has had. He hasnt really cleaned up his short kicking as much as I would've hoped - as I said at times he seems to lose his way a bit out there. I was actually surprised that he was selected on the field for round one but I'm super happy for him. He always trains hard, is in incredible shape, if he can clean up those few things he's got a great chance to cement his spot.

Zac Jones, I just dont know what to say/think about Jones. Floats in and out of training, along with Stocker hes very vocal. I cant pick him, as in, I don't know if he's grumpy, alpha, a smart ass or an absolute douchebag. I'm sure it doesn't actually matter, he is very 'instructional' out there, clearly knows and understands our structure very well. He did well to finish off last year, I often think if we are to improve guys like him need to be pushed out of the team.

Another guy who some will have in a similar category to Jones is Hunter Clark. Im going to say something to make everyone laugh, they did a sprinting drill and this guy actually has some decent wheels on him! No really, i was shocked! I know he is often slow during games, is it a fitness/repeat effort thing? I dont know, but i can say he has some real straight line speed (in an isolatedtraining drill haha). His injury this preseason really sucked, it was the fittest and strongest I'd ever seen him. I made this joke previously which didn't get any love, so I'll try again. His spaghetti arms were looking more udon noodle arms. Anyway..... can you guys believe he is still only 25 years of age? He's a strange one, his kicking with both feet in a non game situation is absolutely sublime. I don't know what happens but he seems to fall short with many of his kicks. His added fitness from before his injury seems to have helped his game. We still don't have many guys with as much natural ability as Hunter has. Footy IQ and ability to read the play was on show at training recently - if he stays fit for a season I think a few will be eating humble pie with Clark.

The saddest moment this preseason was definitely the injury to my boy, Mattaes Phillipou. He was (is) ready to rip the AFL apart. The work he did over the summer was just incredible, keeping up with Darce and Hugo and absolutely getting every last inch of effort out of himself. He was just dominant in every sense at training, be it running, dedication, skillwork, leadership, the package just felt so complete. I was even thinking, is he in the running to share the vice captaincy with Wilkes? If watching him was the only reason to go to training, it was still worth it. Which is why it's such a damn shame this injury happened. His late season form in the middle continued into the preseason, he was learning a lot from Macrae as well. It was interesting that Macrae came out and said he's never done so much running in his career, especially after training. We are going to be fit as hell this year running out games - but you'd have to question if it contributed to various stress related injuries like Pous.

I feel a little guilty not mentioning Jack Carroll until now. He must be having an interrupted preseason with niggling injuries because hes been sporadically sighted in full training in recent times. Its a shame because what I've seen I've really liked. He is dynamic, breaks lines, has a wicked sidestep, clean hands and good by foot - it must be soreness or injury holding him back. He's absolutely lit up an intra club (match sim) early on, but he's not always been on the track for whatever reason. If he's fit, I'd have him in the team, simple as that. I think Jones and Windy would probably be making way for Carroll and Henry when both are fit.

Liam Henry, have I spoken about him yet? I think i may have mentioned him with the forwards. I believe a bit of a barometer for our team, he has the ability to provide a spark unlike many of our other more vanilla types. I desperately want him to follow Sinclair's leg program though I'm so scared they will snap again.

Oh, the wings, oops. So Mason Wood still has a bit left in him. When he started training, Irish looked like he took a backward step as we could see Mason's class. He might be slowing down a tad, but he's still super dangerous on that wing with his ability to hurt in the air and on the scoreboard.

Brad Hill just keeps doing Brad Hill things. Super fit, energetic, always smiling similar to Henry. He is such a smart footballer with his kicking, I'd have him as good by foot in a game as Nas - despite Nas being a much better kick. Keeps on running, directing, supporting, just a wonderful guy to have around. I feel almost ill that I was uber critical of him in his first season or so with us. He is everything our club could've asked for and our troubles were no fault of his, he is a natural leader.

I guess all that really left is poor old Paddy Dow. He looked in absolutely ripping shape when training started up last year. I dont know if he will make it, but I would love for him to be able to get out there consistently to at least give himself a shot at it. There is a chance that guys like Boxshall and Carroll will shoot past him, but I still think there's a successful AFL career in him if his body lets him.

So I've talked up our midfield brigade. Our achilles heel, our weakest line... that's just it, I am not convinced it is. Perhaps we need all our guys fit but I think our forwardline and defence is more of a concern leading into round 1.

Macrae, Steele, Phillipou, Carroll, Henry, Garcia, Hill, Hall, Windy, Wood, Dow, Clark, Jones, even cameos from Sincs and Nas, then Said, TT, Boxshall, Irish, Hastie... these guys can absolutely provide everything that it takes to have a solid midfield capable of beating most others on their day.

I think it's been thinned out by injury more than a bad line. It looks like one of our strongest now bizarrely.

Adding a more tap focussed ruck and Macrae will be interesting to watch.

 

[Saintbloke]

I just hope our midfield can string together a solid four quarters. We have had ongoing issues with the midfield letting the opposition get the upper hand in one quarter, or the best part of a quarter, and in a lot of games where we had the upper hand and then lost it. If we can get more endurance and consistency out of the group, then we will do a lot better.

 

[Jade Buddha]

Think the midfield will be fine. Cray, steely, Hunter, Zac, Hugo and Roma and Boydy.
Windy as impact and part time tagger.

 

[ESPN8 The Ocho]

That was Very good

BJ was impressive

I loved his pointing.
V professional.

 

[Teflon]

I agree Diehard Saint. I think his full term ends this year, but there is a mechanism in the Club Constitition for the Board and Members to reappoint him beyond the max. terms.

Here below a link to the 2021 St.Kilda Football Club Constitution, but any member (maybe anybody) can also obtain a current copy of the Constitution by contacting the Sectetary of the Club.



Basically, if the Members and Board feel strong enough about the idea, then an exception can be made regarding the max. term for any particular President.

Hope this helps.

Must extend
Been years since we had a prez with smarts and relevance
Can’t let him go just yet
Tie him to Lyon

 

[jwikked]

(ii) Every Life Member shall have all of the privileges, duties and
obligations of an ordinary Member but shall not be required to pay
subscriptions referred to in Article 3.5.

It never occurred to me to check the club constitutions lol, I had to wait until I spoke to a life member to ask the question.

10.3 The Board of Directors shall be constituted by the President, one or two Vice
Presidents and other Directors in office at the relevant time provided that the Board
does not consist of more than the maximum number of Directors determined by the
Board. The Board shall elect from amongst its number the President and one or two
Vice Presidents, provided, however, that a Director who has served as President for a
total of 6 consecutive years is not eligible for re-election as President at any time
during the 3 years immediately following the end of their tenure without the prior
approval of Members by special resolution.

38.1 AFL Approval
The AFL Licence provides that any alteration or amendment to this Constitution must
have the prior written consent of the AFL, which shall not be unreasonably withheld.
Accordingly, the Secretary must, within 30 days of an amendment of this Constitution,
forward to the AFL a certified copy of the amendment for the AFL’s approval, which
approval will not be unreasonably withheld. Any amendment will not take effect until
approval is received from the AFL.

I don't think changing the constitution is a good thing, but I don't want Basset to be forced out of the role either. Hopefully the board keeps him in place.

 

[Diehard Saint]

With our preseason training sessions wrapped up I better get a wriggle on and give my thoughts on our midfield.

With three quarters of the team capable of running through the midfield I'll try to stick to just guys I haven't previously spoken of.

First up I'd like to just sing the praises of Jack Macrae. I don't think he's missed a single session, he has been so consistent with his training. Anyone thinking Jack came for a retirement package will be eating humble pie. His best moment all preseason was an epic smother. Looked like he'd fielded in gully all of his life with his horizontal dive, smothering it out of bounds, jumping to his feet, flexing his muscles and roaring. No really, that happened, it was lighthearted but it was perfect intensity and personality and showed he was up for the challenger. He has this innate ability to find a teammate with a 20m kick on an angle that has no right to get to them. Often that kick is into our F50 and they almost always hit their target. Pencil him in for 30 plus every week, he's got something to prove and I'd be shocked if he wasn't top 3 in our B&F and possibly even AA squad.

Macrae is just that good, but he is complimenting Jack Steele's game really nicely. The two have been together in most of the running groups and you can tell they just understand each other's game already. For the record, Butler, Steele, Macrae and Sincs were often running together. So not with the elite runners, but just doing what they had to do to get the kms in the legs. Something about Steele is different this year. He seems very fit, not carrying that extra muscle/bulk of a year or two ago. It's like he's happy again, like the weight of the world is lifted from his shoulders. Maybe it's Macraes arrival, maybe it's the younger guys taking the reigns more - but he seems to be in a good place.

Whilst I'm on the topic of similar midfielders I'll talk about Hugh Boxshall. Well everyone, we have a proper midfielder. It's funny, of all of the draftees, he was the least impressive in the first fortnight or so. Whether it was nerves or just finding his feet, he looked pretty average in the drills with probably 50% of short kicks hitting their targets under no pressure. Then, as soon as any form of match sim began and they integrated into the main group, he just lit it up. Ok, lit it up is a little over the top but my perception of him he just completely u-turned. He was running into good spots, hitting targets under pressure and looking comfortable with ball in habd. He has worked closely with the two Jack's, often lining up on either one of them. It's hard to explain but his midfield craft is going to be brilliant. He knows how to use his body in close, protect the ball, protect his teammate, push off at the right moment, he's just made for gametime. He is still raw, but I think we may just have recruited our newest ball pig. Learning under Macrae, Steele, Hayes, Harvey, Goddard, he really does have the foundations there to have a pretty special career. I don't usually do player comparisons, but with Hugh, there is one player who I think he is so similar to that I have to say it - Josh P Kennedy. With teams already announced, I like that he will be developing for a bit in the twos with the pressure of having to be a key part of a midfield set up.

Hard act to follow after that, sorry Hugo. Hugo Garcia then, what can I say. Darcy Wilson is an athletic freak, Hugo, well, he's just got heart and doesn't wasn't to lose, like, ever and he often keeps up. Noone goes harder at everything than him, he puts pressure on in the simplest of drills and the intensity just lifts the standards everywhere. There were a couple of occasions with the forwards taking it easy running into goals and suddenly getting pantsed by Garcia. I think Higgins, Sharman and Wilson were all made to look silly at some stage. I think Rory Lairds record of 20 tackles in a game might be under threat if Hugo can nail down his spot. At times he still struggles with that kicking, it could possibly be a composure thing with his maniacal approach. Having said that, he's finished many a goal this season so the skills certainly aren't lacking.

Someone who I see as a similar player to Hugo is Marcus Windhager. I remember screaming at the coaching staff for having him in the 2s a couple of years ago. He was there to hone his midfield craft and improve his running patterns. I fear he continues to get a little bit lost out there. As I type this I realise perhaps it's why his best performances seem to be those run with roles he has had. He hasnt really cleaned up his short kicking as much as I would've hoped - as I said at times he seems to lose his way a bit out there. I was actually surprised that he was selected on the field for round one but I'm super happy for him. He always trains hard, is in incredible shape, if he can clean up those few things he's got a great chance to cement his spot.

Zac Jones, I just dont know what to say/think about Jones. Floats in and out of training, along with Stocker hes very vocal. I cant pick him, as in, I don't know if he's grumpy, alpha, a smart ass or an absolute douchebag. I'm sure it doesn't actually matter, he is very 'instructional' out there, clearly knows and understands our structure very well. He did well to finish off last year, I often think if we are to improve guys like him need to be pushed out of the team.

Another guy who some will have in a similar category to Jones is Hunter Clark. Im going to say something to make everyone laugh, they did a sprinting drill and this guy actually has some decent wheels on him! No really, i was shocked! I know he is often slow during games, is it a fitness/repeat effort thing? I dont know, but i can say he has some real straight line speed (in an isolatedtraining drill haha). His injury this preseason really sucked, it was the fittest and strongest I'd ever seen him. I made this joke previously which didn't get any love, so I'll try again. His spaghetti arms were looking more udon noodle arms. Anyway..... can you guys believe he is still only 25 years of age? He's a strange one, his kicking with both feet in a non game situation is absolutely sublime. I don't know what happens but he seems to fall short with many of his kicks. His added fitness from before his injury seems to have helped his game. We still don't have many guys with as much natural ability as Hunter has. Footy IQ and ability to read the play was on show at training recently - if he stays fit for a season I think a few will be eating humble pie with Clark.

The saddest moment this preseason was definitely the injury to my boy, Mattaes Phillipou. He was (is) ready to rip the AFL apart. The work he did over the summer was just incredible, keeping up with Darce and Hugo and absolutely getting every last inch of effort out of himself. He was just dominant in every sense at training, be it running, dedication, skillwork, leadership, the package just felt so complete. I was even thinking, is he in the running to share the vice captaincy with Wilkes? If watching him was the only reason to go to training, it was still worth it. Which is why it's such a damn shame this injury happened. His late season form in the middle continued into the preseason, he was learning a lot from Macrae as well. It was interesting that Macrae came out and said he's never done so much running in his career, especially after training. We are going to be fit as hell this year running out games - but you'd have to question if it contributed to various stress related injuries like Pous.

I feel a little guilty not mentioning Jack Carroll until now. He must be having an interrupted preseason with niggling injuries because hes been sporadically sighted in full training in recent times. Its a shame because what I've seen I've really liked. He is dynamic, breaks lines, has a wicked sidestep, clean hands and good by foot - it must be soreness or injury holding him back. He's absolutely lit up an intra club (match sim) early on, but he's not always been on the track for whatever reason. If he's fit, I'd have him in the team, simple as that. I think Jones and Windy would probably be making way for Carroll and Henry when both are fit.

Liam Henry, have I spoken about him yet? I think i may have mentioned him with the forwards. I believe a bit of a barometer for our team, he has the ability to provide a spark unlike many of our other more vanilla types. I desperately want him to follow Sinclair's leg program though I'm so scared they will snap again.

Oh, the wings, oops. So Mason Wood still has a bit left in him. When he started training, Irish looked like he took a backward step as we could see Mason's class. He might be slowing down a tad, but he's still super dangerous on that wing with his ability to hurt in the air and on the scoreboard.

Brad Hill just keeps doing Brad Hill things. Super fit, energetic, always smiling similar to Henry. He is such a smart footballer with his kicking, I'd have him as good by foot in a game as Nas - despite Nas being a much better kick. Keeps on running, directing, supporting, just a wonderful guy to have around. I feel almost ill that I was uber critical of him in his first season or so with us. He is everything our club could've asked for and our troubles were no fault of his, he is a natural leader.

I guess all that really left is poor old Paddy Dow. He looked in absolutely ripping shape when training started up last year. I dont know if he will make it, but I would love for him to be able to get out there consistently to at least give himself a shot at it. There is a chance that guys like Boxshall and Carroll will shoot past him, but I still think there's a successful AFL career in him if his body lets him.

So I've talked up our midfield brigade. Our achilles heel, our weakest line... that's just it, I am not convinced it is. Perhaps we need all our guys fit but I think our forwardline and defence is more of a concern leading into round 1.

Macrae, Steele, Phillipou, Carroll, Henry, Garcia, Hill, Hall, Windy, Wood, Dow, Clark, Jones, even cameos from Sincs and Nas, then Said, TT, Boxshall, Irish, Hastie... these guys can absolutely provide everything that it takes to have a solid midfield capable of beating most others on their day.

Great post thank you.
Feeling a lot more optimistic….



….Now what to do about our forward and backlines for the next 6 weeks or so

 

[SaintsSeptember]

The season in total was not good, but our last half was good. So we need more of the second half than the first. But that second half does give promise.

View attachment 2247710




We were probably worse off in the first half of last season.



While true, I do believe that Boxshall is Game 1 worthy.
And that Hall, Keeler, O'Çonnell Boyd have all played well enough in the preseason to justify possible selection. But not all of them. Especially I would believe Lyon will want experienced players like Clark and Jones in the 22.

TT is a possible to be the Sub too as there is no Sandy Game.



Yes agree, but no King, Sharman or Dougall this week makes us structurally vulnerable.

No we have Keeler ,Cordy and Caminiti for structure.
We are talently vulnerable.