Training at Tullamarine in mild sunny conditions with a moderate north wind blowing down the ground.
The atmosphere was workmanlike today, perhaps even a little flat, but I imagine the build up and intensity will increase as we get closer to ANZAC Day.
Absent Walla and Watson.
Watson’s disposal has been a little below his best so far this year and although he is reading the play well he is not getting to where the ball is on some occasions. I suspect much of this is a bit of rustiness coming back to the senior side after a long absence under immense personal pressure. I note that he is now a vegetarian but I cannot say whether he is unaffected by the change or whether he is playing better or worse as a result. I also note that he was virtually unused in the last quarter against Adelaide and that he is absent from training today which must raise some doubts about his fitness but he is the type of person who will be desperate to play and continue to assist Heppell.
Some players are being managed. Hooker who had a quiet day against Adelaide was doing some running on the small oval with Heppell and Bird and Morgan, who has a number of fans on this website, cut a sorry figure running slowly and walking along the boundary line.
On the positive side Ridley appeared on the the fringes of the oval in front of the Hangar with Kelly who was a spectator for the match simulation. David Myers and Ben Howlett both joined in full training. Howlett could go straight into the senior side after his minor injury but I think David Myers will need to come back through the reserves.
Looking at the last two losses I get the impression that we are not defending the ground properly and applying enough pressure which is giving the side structural problems that the coaches are reacting to. Whether this explains the absence of Gleeson and Hartley from the senior side I cannot say but I wouldn’t expect wholesale changes this week although whatever they do they must also plan for a shortened turnaround after the Collingwood game which means that one or two players may be rested this week or next.
I noticed that McNeice was in the side wearing the blue jumpers that seemed to contain most of the senior side so perhaps he is edging closer to a debut after some good form in the VFL which has possibly edged him ahead of Longy.
Stewart also trained well in a blue jumper on the forward line in the absence of Hooker. Frances continues to train well although he is trying to spear some of his kicks grubbing three at training yesterday and another today. Personally I would bring him in - his aggression against Sandringham was something the senior side has been missing.
I noticed in the match simulation today that ball movement tended to be straight down the line with none of the cumbersome play switches on the backline which were a pox on the VFL game in the first half. Joe was a big presence today accidently flattening Gleeson who stood courageously under a high ball. Later he bested Dea who dropped a simple mark by deftly tapping the ball on with his foot before taking two bounces to run into an open goal. A frustrated Dea failed to chase, even though the situation was pretty hopeless, to the annoyance of the coach. You may have noticed an improvement in Joe’s kicking which is being attributed to William’s coaching in the hangar. Williams has been quite a success as a coach so far.
I will finish will a little cameo from David Zaharakis who had to trap a ball bouncing in front of him. With both feet together he bent his knees and let the ball hit his legs killing its bounce and momentum, pretty much like a soccer player might trap a ball, before picking it up and streaking away. It’s the little things that often make training enjoyable.