Training in cool, sunny conditions with a strong wind blowing to the cafe end.
A very relaxed atmosphere today with a winter sun glinting off the dew and the nets flapping in the strong north wind. It was a not a full training session today, more of a skills and player development session with a predominance of the younger fringe players.
Next to recruiting player development is probably the most important aspect of the football programme and today the support coaches took the session with groups of four to six players. One group was focusing on short passing with a player picking up a rolling ball and trying to deliver it to a teammate under pressure from a defender. There seemed to be some emphasis on lobbing it over the defender’s head to the receiver as well as leading sideways to space.
A second group was practising one on one tackling as the ball carrier tried to evade the tackle. In this group we saw Gleeson, Eades, Hams and Redman. McKenna’s evasive skills were very good and Hams did well. I liked Redman’s tackling.
In a third group players were practising marking running with the flight of high balls sometimes taking it with the flight and other times turning at the last moment to mark or not squinting into the sun. The drill was beefed up by a trainer with a padded bag belting them in the guts as they stretched to mark. Jake Long was one of the players singled out for development in this area and I guess all the groups had been identified for their specific needs.
Certainly this was the case with goal kicking practice where along with Grimley we saw McKernan and Joe. McKernan was being asked to practice a lot of hook shots across his body, close in on an acute angle which needs further work. Grimly kicking with the strong wind behind him did pretty well.
Skippy was operating one on one with Joe and I watched very closely. I comment on the technical aspects with some reluctance because I suspect my knowledge is somewhat limited but here are two things (I think) I observed; I thought Joe was using a shorter follow through today and punching the ball through rather than trying to put it over the stand. There was a strong wind behind him so distance was less of an issue but I thought this more compact action looked more relaxed and efficient. Secondly I thought he was kicking the ball more with the outside of his instep which was straightening his kicks up and although I didn’t keep count I thought there were more goals and near misses from slightly sliced kicks than bad misses from huge hooks.
Later on Harley and Walla practised acute angle shots from the boundary line in the cafe pocket. This was interesting and perhaps Worsfold might like to experiment with Hartley in a forward role. From memory Walla has missed his last four shots of goal which were almost straight in front but it was fascinating to watch him deal with the technical challenge of the pocket with drop punts and bananas. Walla caresses the ball - imagine if a butterfly had landed on a sleeping Nigella’s bossom and he had to pluck it off without waking her or damaging the butterfly’s wings this is how delicate his execution was and he succeeded more often than not. I would recommend to everyone to watch him while you can his skills are something special.
Michael Hurley is a never ending topic of conversations so naturally I tried to find out what I could. I spoke to a senior Essendon official and his words were “I think he’ll be right it’s between him and his manager.” Make of that what you will but my interpretation was that Hurley probably wants to stay and his manager is urging him to leave - possibly for more money. Does this take us any further forward - I don’t know and I am not at liberty to disclose my source. However I would suggest that players managed by Connors will be a live issue in future recruiting in my personal opinion.
Training in cool, sunny conditions with a strong wind blowing to the cafe end.
A very relaxed atmosphere today with a winter sun glinting off the dew and the nets flapping in the strong north wind. It was a not a full training session today, more of a skills and player development session with a predominance of the younger fringe players.
Next to recruiting player development is probably the most important aspect of the football programme and today the support coaches took the session with groups of four to six players. One group was focusing on short passing with a player picking up a rolling ball and trying to deliver it to a teammate under pressure from a defender. There seemed to be some emphasis on lobbing it over the defender’s head to the receiver as well as leading sideways to space.
A second group was practising one on one tackling as the ball carrier tried to evade the tackle. In this group we saw Gleeson, Eades, Hams and Redman. McKenna’s evasive skills were very good and Hams did well. I liked Redman’s tackling.
In a third group players were practising marking running with the flight of high balls sometimes taking it with the flight and other times turning at the last moment to mark or not squinting into the sun. The drill was beefed up by a trainer with a padded bag belting them in the guts as they stretched to mark. Jake Long was one of the players singled out for development in this area and I guess all the groups had been identified for their specific needs.
Certainly this was the case with goal kicking practice where along with Grimley we saw McKernan and Joe. McKernan was being asked to practice a lot of hook shots across his body, close in on an acute angle which needs further work. Grimly kicking with the strong wind behind him did pretty well.
Skippy was operating one on one with Joe and I watched very closely. I comment on the technical aspects with some reluctance because I suspect my knowledge is somewhat limited but here are two things (I think) I observed; I thought Joe was using a shorter follow through today and punching the ball through rather than trying to put it over the stand. There was a strong wind behind him so distance was less of an issue but I thought this more compact action looked more relaxed and efficient. Secondly I thought he was kicking the ball more with the outside of his instep which was straightening his kicks up and although I didn’t keep count I thought there were more goals and near misses from slightly sliced kicks than bad misses from huge hooks.
Later on Harley and Walla practised acute angle shots from the boundary line in the cafe pocket. This was interesting and perhaps Worsfold might like to experiment with Hartley in a forward role. From memory Walla has missed his last four shots of goal which were almost straight in front but it was fascinating to watch him deal with the technical challenge of the pocket with drop punts and bananas. Walla caresses the ball - imagine if a butterfly had landed on a sleeping Nigella’s bossom and he had to pluck it off without waking her or damaging the butterfly’s wings this is how delicate his execution was and he succeeded more often than not. I would recommend to everyone to watch him while you can his skills are something special.
Michael Hurley is a never ending topic of conversations so naturally I tried to find out what I could. I spoke to a senior Essendon official and his words were “I think he’ll be right it’s between him and his manager.” Make of that what you will but my interpretation was that Hurley probably wants to stay and his manager is urging him to leave - possibly for more money. Does this take us any further forward - I don’t know and I am not at liberty to disclose my source. However I would suggest that players managed by Connors will be a live issue in future recruiting in my personal opinion.
Your commentary in the final paragraph from what I understand could well be spot on.
Walla caresses the ball - imagine if a butterfly had landed on a sleeping Nigella’s bossom and he had to pluck it off without waking her or damaging the butterfly’s wings this is how delicate his execution was and he succeeded more often than not
If it’s true that Hurley would rather stay but Connors is pushing him to leave surely he will be staying.
What kind of trouble is the game in if managers like Connors can influence a player’s decision and make it all about money?
happens all the time in soccer. Managers/agents know they get a big payday if they can get them to move for more money. The clients happiness doesn’t matter for some of them.
Michael Hurley is a never ending topic of conversations so naturally I tried to find out what I could. I spoke to a senior Essendon official and his words were “I think he’ll be right it’s between him and his manager.” Make of that what you will but my interpretation was that Hurley probably wants to stay and his manager is urging him to leave - possibly for more money. Does this take us any further forward - I don’t know and I am not at liberty to disclose my source. However I would suggest that players managed by Connors will be a live issue in future recruiting in my personal opinion.
I wasn’t there so I don’t know who you asked or what it was that you asked them. I also don’t know if what you quoted them as saying was verbatim or paraphrasing.
But my interpretation of what the person said is “I think he will stay but like all these things its up to him and his manager to sort out with the club”. Not that Hurley and his manager need ot sort it out between them.
I can’t believe that anybody would think that Hurley can’t make a decision for himself.
Thanks for the report Jackie, nice of you to help bring our attention back to the here and now. Love your reports.
However I can’t help but nibble on the Hurley comment.
We know as given it is Connors who is shopping Hurley around. It’s his job to put to Hurley the offers he has generated on his behalf, the rest is entirely in Hurley’s court.
If Hurl’s loves Essendon more than money he’ll choose us, and we have no reason to believe he won’t.
Can’t blame him for taking a holiday and dealing with it when he gets back.
