TRAINING REPORT: In any project the important factor is your belief. Without belief, there can be no successful outcome. ~ William James And alas the training reports for 2014-15 begun, with the above quote the aim to ensure that everybody is able to feel the sessions as if they are there (as there are many that cannot make it) and get a lot out of it. On my way in to Goschs Paddock, the song thats stuck in my head is Oasis Dont Look Back in Anger. A perfectly apt title for the scenario - many of us choose to look back in anger from the dark old days. However, its now all about a positive future ahead, with the right people in charge in every department. Roos, McCartney, Goodwin, Jackson. Its hard not to get excited. Enough about what Im doing pre-training, it is all about what the boys are actually doing on the track. Get in, and theres a (nice) stench of a club who have gone about their business quietly this summer. Its nice that theres heaps of attention on other clubs wrongdoings for once, and that weve stayed out of trouble. The scenario at play here involves blokes who are more experienced are committed - Garland, Spencer, Cross, McKenzie, Gawn, Jamar, Jetta, Grimes, N Jones, Bail, Dunn (hes brought his young bloke along and hes playing along, so cute) are notable examples of players who are here who dont actually need to be here as theyve been on the list for more than four years. To say the least, it is an impressive number of players making the effort. Training starts, standard lap around Goschs. Run past for the first time and a few observations initially - JKH is noticeably more ripped (shredding for Stereo) around the biceps, the Casey boys who are training with us are together. Perhaps the most heartening thing here is the big bloke is training. The Hulk is out there. Running style still noticeably awkward but I dont care. Needs to be fit come Round One. Vince, Gawn and Terlich look like theyll be doing light work, Bernie of course has had shoulder surgery post-season and will have a delayed start to pre-season. Given his experience that should be no problem given hes putting in the hard yards on his legs (leg day erryday then) Standard stretch routines over the Punt Road side of the ground then. Its a bit different to what I saw last season so it indicates theyre progressing from a physical standpoint (they need to anyway - with so many young blokes you have to get them to progress) The more experienced boys go to the sidelines post-stretches, leaving the young blokes on the track. Got a glimpse of Jamar running laps - he looks trimmer and slimmer! You need to see it in person to understand. Beep tests!!! Its not the standard beep test CD I was accustomed to throughout my schooling, but its something that Ive not heard before. Will take me a while to figure out. Interesting to note Tappys presence. Must suggest he could be redrafted as a rookie. Notice Michael Evans just on the sidelines for a mo, see him spin the ball on his finger and all Im thinking is HES SPINNING THE BALL ON HIS FINGER!!! TAKE IT!!! TAKE THE BALL!!! Classic Krusty. Blokes doing a number of Jakey Kings (ahem... push ups), grapple drills, plus I see Dom on the sidelines too. Dawes here, hes on the sidelines. Hopefully does the majority of pre season this time after doing bugger all in 2013-14. Fashions on the field - the Toump has shaved his head, it seems. Looks uncomfortably like Dan Nicholson. Good to see Glenn Bartlett (the prez) down on the sidelines watching us. Number of Collingwood staff watching us - Rocca, Harvey et al. Tempted to remind them Lumumba is on holiday and doesnt come back till next week. The senior blokes have come back, seemingly doing some running or something. Fashions on the field #2 - I think Jonesy has some bright new kicks. Suppose hes earned them. Fluoro yellow, you can see them miles away. Big boy Sammy Frost working with Hogan and King in grapple drills. When I say big, I mean hes FRIGGIN ENORMOUS. And when I say FRIGGIN ENORMOUS, I say he edges out Hoges in terms of size, as well as muscle. His biceps are HUGE. Im struggling to work out why some wouldnt have him best 22 come round one - IMO he is in mine! Bloke can play. Havent seen too much of Ben Newton yet, not enough ball skills to work out who is who (see, I do it based on level of talk on the field) Some changed up drills that I havent really seen (you see as I type this theyve progressed to using the footys now). I like it. Bit of a ball movement drill now, lot of it run and carry based with handball, trying to get around an opponent (one of the coaches, cant recognise from here). More ball movements, this time utilising foot skills. Now theyre starting to really use the footy. Longer kicks now, up to about 20-25m. One thing Ive always seemed to notice with Hogan is he uses the ball very well, always hitting up teammates. Noticing teammates telling JKH to kick through the footy. Seems trivial but if you ease the footy to a teammate he could be susceptible to opposition interception. Preferably you want to hit it low and hard. One to take close note of there. Running now. They start off running 250s (thats their term - 250m runs). Hogan and Frost are impressive early on as they catch up to Viney and Evans on their first run. Up the front, its Tom McDonald (who else?) and Howe leading the way as the first group. Perhaps time trial time indications? May well have been McDonald/Viney/Howe/Evans/Hogan/Frost as a top six. Who knows. Hogan has impressed me the most. As a big hulking forward you shouldnt have any right to keep up with midfielders in front of you and hold the midfielders behind you at bay. He manages it. The bloke is an athlete. Training just about to conclude so I bugger off to Edwins where I am now.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 01:08:06 +0000
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