Training Thursday 10/7/14

Training at Tullamarine in cold, windy, showery conditions.


Hibberd, Gregory, Watson, Dalgleish, Gleeson and Hams ran laps. Watson ran very gingerly but as Karma Bomber pointed out his autograph hand was working very well for the school holiday hordes.


Training was upbeat with plenty of talk. Communication has been the buzz word around the club for some weeks and it has been stated that it was communication in the last minutes of the Port game that got the team over the line.


I want to talk a little bit about the Port game and try to relate it to what we see at training. The upgrade of the Adelaide Oval is very successful with the white scalloped grandstand roof providing a good laugh as Tiffany pointed out it looked like the conjoined cups of a series of brassiers. The Pregame features a blonde female spruiker revving up the ferals and bogans from Port with a voice that sounds like the dragging of a bicycle chain through a metal air conditioning vent and a ludicrously red slash of a mouth that looks like it’s scraped the chocolate off many of a Tim Tam. The noise volume is something the players have remarked upon and was another to obstacle to be overcome.


This brings me to an interesting supposition - the players have commented on the boredom involved in being confined largely to the hotel with little to do as they waited for the game that evening. Could it be that this lack of distractions enabled them to focus on the task ahead?


In the rooms after the game there was an air of quiet satisfaction amongst the players and much jollity amongst the officials and the hangers on. Tiffany and I walked back to the players’ hotel for drinks. Drunken Port supporters were in abundance mouthing off about drugs. In the urinal at the railway station one was chundering into the sink. “Hard loss Tao swallow?” I quipped to be greeted by a string of abuse.


At the hotel a band was feebly playing indeterminate music as we waited for the team bus to arrive. The players entered to lobby to cheers and clapping but quickly made their way upstairs presumably to watch the replay apart from three rascals who headed to Hindley Street, not for its fleshpots, but for McDonalds. Players are not encouraged to leave the hotel as they might be accosted by drunken Port fans but this mission was successful.


The coach entered, possibly the happiest man in Adelaide this night. Tiffany gave him a big smile and I congratulated him on the mastermove of Winderlich to the back line. Bomber put his arm around me “Its all due to your training reports Jackie.” “I haven’t done one for three weeks.” I replied. “Yes” said Bomber “You haven’t given away any secrets for some time!”


We’ll Bomber Rommel, the Tullamarine Fox, did coach well and as Karma Bomber and I watched training today I posed the question: “Remember how Bomber rode Fletch in the early pre season do you think he may have dropped Fletch last week to fire him up?” Karma answered in the affirmative - at least partly this and partly match ups.


The first half of training showed the players having difficulties with the the strong cross wind and their cold hands. Passing was sloppy and many marks were dropped but the good communication was still there and by the time the practice match got underway the standard had lifted a great deal. The coach paid close attention to Melksham urging him to get back on his man but the highlight was when Carlisle marked a bullet pass on the lead that left him wringing his hand in pain before he went back and slotted the goal which was an encouraging sign. Chappy didn’t train today perhaps he is having boxing lessons and we will miss Goddard but their atmosphere here is positive.


Expect a fighting effort on Sunday.

Will add pics when I get home

Doesnt sounds like Hibberd will get up if he is running laps?

Doesnt sounds like Hibberd will get up if he is running laps?

 I do wonder if it was genuinely an ankle, there was some other suggestion that it may have been far higher up the leg (where he has history), although I have not sought confirmation on that.

Lol Bomber Rommel - the Tullamarine Fox!

....ah, yes, training today with Jackie and Tiff!

 

Dear Tiffany was pointedly cold with the icy Tullamarine breeze and yet her positivity in the face of climatic discomfort clearly impressed Jobe as I'm sure I observed him grow a third leg and speed up as he ran passed us on his laps!

 

No doubt Tiff's presence, which was increasingly noticed by the players as the session progressed (that girl really does need to cover up a lot more in wintry conditions!!), lifted them to heights of improved performance. Towards the end of the session, Bomba had the players undertake a series of under pressure running snap shots at goal from the forward pocket. At the time of watching, Zerrett, Jerret  and Dell were standouts however Dell seemed to drop his performance when distracted by Tiff.

It is my observation that Fletch can take a little while to warm up after a break.  So it'll be interesting to see if being dropped, and getting a bit of retirement press, has fired him up for a big one.

 

Mind you, I don't know what that would entail?  Maybe kicking a few from the centre square, to go with his goal-keeping / ring-leading / spoiling / chase down / pin point 60m kickout standard game.

Hams is running!!!! Give him a month and then straight into the guts to play the Watson role!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For DJR  ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ya tease! What were they putting up on the Hangar?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

great pics mate!


 


F*ck me.
Check out the Vastus Medialis on Jobe.
It's huge !