Training 23/3/21

Football Discussion Dustin Fletcher Hangar
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Training on the McCracken Oval in overcast mild conditions.

This was a fairly unremarkable light skills session that went for about 90 minutes.

It was good to get to training to get away from Tiffany who has been in a grumpy mood ever since the loss to Hawthorn and somehow I seemed to be in the firing line for the three cardinal sins of Saturday night:

  1. Turnovers.
  2. Failing to run with potential receivers after Hawthorn took a mark or got a free allowing them to run on and break open the play.
  3. Goalkicking.

The club might be working on these problems at other times but I was a bit surprised that there was virtually no goal kicking practice today - Harrison Jones didn’t train but a number of the other wayward culprits were there.

Kicking and handball skills were being practised in many of the drills, but usually not under a great deal of pressure.

I guess we’ll have to wait for match simulation to see if players are prepared to man up and run with potential receivers or if this problem will be ignored.

Having got the criticism out of the way I am happy to report that players and coaches seemed pretty relaxed and upbeat and there was a good atmosphere about the place.

Further good news is that Ambrose, Stringer and Guelfi joined in most of the main training while Stewart ran at about three quarter pace around the boundary.

If you have been to training you will have noticed an electronic scoreboard on the balcony of the main building. This is obviously used to communicate the length of various drills on the oval but today it had a string of neon messages moving across the screen:

e.g. CONCEPT: SHAPE: METHOD 8.00 min. You may care to speculates as to what these three words mean in football parlance as with PRIORITY 2 10 min.

Perhaps they indicate that we are in the forefront of the latest training developments - if so this is very pleasing.

However the strange thing is that the moving band of messages stream from right to left in the traditional Chinese method of reading.

What do Blitzers make of this?

Can you ask Tiff to stop being grumpy with me?

p.s. I think the VFL side might be playing Footscray at the Hangar at 12.30 on Saturday.

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Any noticeable absentees besides Jones who I’m not surprised is missing. Had ice on that troublesome knee after the game

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1 game in the VFL and then straight in for Ambrose, we need him badly. The guy is naturally fit so fitness shouldn’t be an issue.

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I think I can speak for the Blitz when I say how did Culter train, any chance he’ll play this week?

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Jackie mate, Tiff is just angling for some hot makeup sex so just go with it…and thanks for the insightful report.

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He’s currently undertaking a first aid course to further his career as a medical emergency.

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disappointing to hear they didn’t put any focus on goalkicking

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Its Essendon training, we focus on the wrong stuff all the time

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Not really - it was alight session so lots of players are being managed so the reason for any particular absence can’t be determined.

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If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Oh wait…

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Thanks jackie

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Thanks Jackie you da best

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Thanks for the report. Tiffany give the man a break.

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Goalkicking is a solitary activity. I don’t think there’s any necessity to do it in the major weekly sessions - they’re for getting everyone in the same place and practising working together.

Goalkicking can be done more like gym work, when blokes are working solo between major training sessions.

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:laughing::laughing::raised_hands::raised_hands:

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Thanks Jackie. I do empathise with Tiffany. I’ve been pretty disappointed since the game too & today is the first time I’ve managed to venture back into Blitz.
I really hope Ambrose is ready - we need his hard hitting, no compromise, attack the contest attitude this week.

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I think it would be better done as a group. If your teammates are all watching that increases the pressure on the kicker. It’s all about trying to replicate what will happen in a game- so you are best prepared for it

Anybody can nail set shot after set shot under zero pressure.

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Great to hear that Ambrose is up and running hopefully can push for selection in 3-4 weeks

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Yeah we’re crying out for Ambrose or Stewart to be fit and available aren’t we. The Stewart one was such unfortunate timing on the eve of the season.

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As a morning training it’s only 2 a bit days past the rd1 frenetic match

As was noted it was a very light 90min session which would be expected given still would be a lot of sore bodies. And goal kicking isn’t going to be something they’d then have them do IMO given quad/hammy related stressor

I’m sure they will have them doing so at main training

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