Training Report

[Gershwin]

**Copied from big footy forum**

Author: Sunshine Sainter
Saints Training (Maroochydore) Wednesday October 7th
Who trained
- Josh Battle trained (lightly) He did the initial 30 minutes with the main group, then broke off to do sprints for 15-20 minutes. He then joined back in with the main group. He left training 15-20 minutes before the end. He was walking and running well, with no signs of a problem. He did however kick 99% of the time with his left foot only. He did do some very short passing on his right, but only a handful at most.
- He had to get through training today, which he did. He is having another scan tomorrow and a little training session (with all of the other players at Noosa) It will then be determined if he is fit to play or not. Based on his movement and sprinting as someone with no medical knowledge or idea at all, he looked 75%
- The only players in red injury tops were Gresham and Alabakis. Gresham spent a fair bit of time on the stationary bike and then walked a couple of laps
- Daniel McKenzie, Luke Dunstan, & Darragh Joyce did not train at all. Dunstan and Joyce ran a heap of laps and did sprints. Asked Dunstan if he was sore, and he said, no problem at all. So not sure why they didn't train but were moving ok. McKenzie didn't do much running at all
- All other players looked good. Lonie took about 30 minutes off in the middle of drills to run laps and do sprints. He was back and played in the scratch match.
Training Session
- Without doubt the most different training session we have watched here
- The session normally start around 9.15 am. Today most if not all had wandered on to the oval by 9.30 and were all done and finished by 11.00 (rather than the normal 11.30 am)
- Initially it was a large group of players in a circle with a soccer ball, with one player in the middle. It was a kind of keepings off, but only kicking, or head butting it to each other. Obviously hugely popular as loads of laughter
- Two 5 minutes sessions of running, stretching, movement etc
- With two teams, St Kilda and Yellow they played a game that appears to be a combination of soccer and volley ball. Each team has to take it in turns to kick, head butt etc and the other team has to go next keeping it in the air. This went for 4-5 minutes and was super loud and very popular. Doesn't matter what it is they are competitive
- Breaking into two groups to use either end of the ground, we were next to the regular forwards and some mids group. The noticeable difference today was that Max King was the primary target and he had Roughhead holding, pushing, shoving and trying to restrain him and mids were flying out of the centre, or from the wings putting the ball out in front of Max
- Other sessions there are times with the ball kicked high and deep in the forward line, but today they wasn't done once, but instead it was low and fast
- Roughead may indeed be the recruit of the year, as he is constantly teaching, advising, teasing and correcting. Once on the leading drill he was hanging off Marsh, who pushed off him and went one way for the lead. Roughy congratulated him but then spent time telling him what else he could have done and where else he could have run
- The two groups then came together and played a 15 minute scratch match. The emphasis as with last weeks scratch match was on speed and keeping the ball moving. Interestingly if a player took time with movement or making a decision, a number of players started yelling at him, for being too slow. No surprise that we are wanting to beat Richmond with speed
- The match stopped and they broke back into the two groups again and then had two teams of attack and defence, with mids bringing the ball in. With this there were 6 forwards, and 7 defenders, with one defender in front of Max King and one 10 metres in front of him. Seemed like practicing what they believe the Tigers will try to do to curb Max
- When they swapped so that the defenders were attacking etc, Max King was told to stay as the key forward and was the primary target for the second group too
- The entire group then stopped and set up for Richmond kicking out from goals. Savage kicked out and Lade was happy and that was it from the one kick out.
- Seb Ross at one stage was in the forwards drill and was very vocal to Max King on where to stand, when to go towards the centre and when to go back
- Strikes us every session on how valuable the experienced players are
- Today was very vocal, but had this mix of extremely serious when doing scratch match and training drills and then light hearted fun and amusement with soccer, and kicking / soccer activities at the end
- Hind, Marsh & Roberton all trained very well and were super switched on. Savage was pretty good in the scratch match as well. Seems all that are a chance are highly motivated
- Early in session we commented on how impressive Jack Bell is and were told that he is very good, and is a work in progress and that we wont see the best of him for another two years. I do hope that he doesn't get cut (would seem not from the comment) as he is super impressive and works as hard as Max King during training. Roughy also puts nearly as much time into Bell as he does to King.
Interesting
- At the start of the session we asked Max King that at last Fridays game, we saw that as he came off the ground after the siren, he stopped at the boundary line, looked up to the crowd, pointed, then pointed at his jumper, pointed back at the crowd and then grabbed and lifted the top of his jumper out. We said at the time that he was saying to a family member, that here he was living out his childhood dream. Max said it was exactly that, he had pointed to his brother, Ben, and was saying how good is this, living out our childhood dream. He was surprised that we had picked that out on game day. We had a laugh as to what a lovely moment that was.
- I mentioned earlier that Roughead is such an asset to the club. In the drill where he was doing everything possible to restrain and confine Max King, Jack Bell and Membrey so they he couldn't run or lead. He was really giving Max King the most treatment and doing everything possible to stop him. Gresham was walking around the boundary line with Saints Runner & Welfare Manager Tony Brown. Gresham kept yelling Roughy let him go, let him go, stop holding on to him, etc etc. After Max got loose and took the mark on the lead, Roughead yelled out to Tony Brown "Book me in with two Auskick sessions with him (Gresham) will you" Said in good fun and taken as such
- We commented to Brendan Lade when the group were off getting drinks how well training sessions go. He said that this group has a very very positive energy.
- And we thought we had seen every bizarre little kicking game possible as directed by Lade. For the final activity of the day, today he had the forwards on the far side of the ground:
- kicking into the interchange shelter to try and land the ball in a certain spot in there
- kicking around the light tower on the wing
- kicking the ball up on to the terraces, having it roll down and stop on a certain terrace
- huge amount of laughing and positive vibes. They are indeed a group of big kids
- Whilst this was going on, on the opposite Rowan Marshall was kicking the soccer ball to Geary who was head butting it towards the gap in the fence that was being defended by Tony Brown
Random observations for what they are worth.

[skeptic]

Incredibly detailed report

Thanks

[saynta]

Great report

[realdeal]

That was fantastic, thanks!

[BackFromUSA]

brilliant

[fugazi]

Awesome thanks

[Wayne42]

Great report, well done

[sendmehomehappy]

That was a brilliantly detailed report; you could never get anything like that from media in general or even the club.
I especially enjoyed your comments about Max after the siren...he will surely help land Ben.

[freely]

great report - thanks or posting!

[SaintPav]

Lloyd says Battle will probably play.

[minneapolis]

Thanks Gersh.

What a report. As they say in London "Dead Brill".

So Hind in for speed?

[st.byron]

Thanks so much Gershwin. Great report

[Laurie]

Great insight and well detailed report.
Very much appreciated

[Moods]

That report is exactly why I subscribe to footy forums. Actually fwded it on to some mates who are saints fans.

Love the fact that players are being chastised for slowing the bal down. Run and gun, and tackle like mad men in the contests. That’s our only chance.

[Junction Oval]

Thanks. Nice light read.

I got the feeling that I was there too

It sounds like we will be in for a fast shoot-out, which looks the way to go.

[Sanctorum]

brilliant

I second that, very much appreciated Gershwin!!

[bangaulegend]

Thanks mate bloody good effort

[Impatient Sainter]

Sensational effort.

[sunsaint]

Sensational effort.

hmmm BigFooty effort

[sunsaint]

also noticing them do a lot of little meditation type exercises
Eyes closed, then moving the ball between the group - or just holding each other kumbaya style and "group deep breathing"
Perhaps tony74 can fill us in

[Gershwin]

also noticing them do a lot of little meditation type exercises
Eyes closed, then moving the ball between the group - or just holding each other kumbaya style and "group deep breathing"
Perhaps tony74 can fill us in

I'm assuming it was you who wrote this report. Great write-up. I just posted it.

[sunsaint]

also noticing them do a lot of little meditation type exercises
Eyes closed, then moving the ball between the group - or just holding each other kumbaya style and "group deep breathing"
Perhaps tony74 can fill us in

I'm assuming it was you who wrote this report. Great write-up. I just posted it.

nah

[sunsaint]

but has anyone else noticed these little meditation thingies?

[sunsaint]

oh and PPPPPS
and this really really REALLY ticks me off no end
Most video reports of training you see of the saints is labelled "noosa"
Its bloody well not, they have been down at Maroochydore now for a few weeks
its a much better ground than the crap Noosa Tigers rock hard ground

[remboy]

but has anyone else noticed these little meditation thingies?

They showed them doing it during one of the games this year. It’s a mindfulness exercise involving focusing on your breathing.