Week on the track ends well
January 19th 2007 21:00
Week on the track ends well
11:27:33 AM Mon 15 January, 2007
Luke Mason
for collingwoodfc.com.au
Collingwood completed a solid week of training on Friday, and Luke Mason was at Gosch's Paddock to cast an eye over proceedings.
COLLINGWOOD PRE-SEASON TRAINING REPORT: 12/01/07
Kicking off at 9am, Collingwood arrived at Gosch’s Paddock under sunny skies accompanied by a calm breeze, creating perfect conditions for football, and no excuses for mistakes.
The playing group hit the track in different coloured and numbered jumpers, with Nathan Buckley decked out in the number one, and Shane Wakelin donning number five. Half in the orange Wizard tops and the others in the standard black indicated that some match practice was to be carried out.
Beginning with some simple kick to kick, followed by the compulsory stretching, the group took their time on the warm up drills, before carrying out some criss-cross handballing. The lanes gradually widened to incorporate kicking, Rhyce Shaw’s booming voice to be heard to be believed.
Meanwhile, Brad Scott, the club’s newest assistant coach, took a small group aside and began pummelling the ball at them, honing in on their reflexes and ability to cleanly handle the ball when under pressure.
Following a huddle in midfield, the team divided themselves into separate groups, which worked on pinpointing targets in attack, with one-on-one pressure from assistant coaches and defenders.
With the pace of the game never quicker, the emphasis is continually on speed and endurance, and it certainly appears that many are set to step up for the Magpies in the coming seasons.
The drills then merged to become an end to end drill. Rhyce Shaw looks all the better for effectively a whole year in the gym due to his knee injury suffered against Melbourne midway through 2005. With a steady-as-she-goes approach adapted to his recovery last year, Shaw only began to hit his straps in the latter stages of the season, and was one of the better performed players in the humbling at the hands of the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final.
Despite the added bulk, he still has not lost any of his trademark speed, and it is quite amazing to consider how much muscle he has managed to stack on since he was drafted by the club back in late 1999, when he was just a slip of a boy.
Meanwhile, although the club may have targeted height at the recent AFL Draft, the pace factor was added to significantly by the recruitment of Brad Dick. In the coast to coast work, Dick looked settled amongst his larger teammates, and worked well along the wing.
The group converged in another huddle with Blake Caracella calling the bulk of the shots, asking the players in one coloured shirt to run the ball up the ground and score, and then allowing the other team to do likewise from the resultant kick out.
One of the match ups watched keenly was the duel between Travis Cloke and the matured bodied draftee Nathan Brown, the pair seeming to nullify each other.
The end to end work didn’t end there, with the whole group running up and down Gosch’s Paddock with Gavin Brown and Caracella stationed 30m out from goal at either end, acting as the key forward, feeding off to the runners alongside.
In contrast to 12 months ago, Dane Swan looks fitter than ever and set to take another step en route to becoming one of the Magpies prime movers in the midfield.
The aforementioned drill continued for a good 20 minutes, with the group splitting up later into three, some working on tackling, others on handballing.
The forwards worked under the watchful eye of Caracella, looking to find space on the lead.
On the far side of the field, the coaching staff bravely stood their ground, aided by the padding of 'specky' bags, as players reached for the skies, plucking marks from nowhere, hopefully something we’ll see plenty of in 2007.
Many are of the belief that the club has lacked a dominant ruck team since the halcyon days of Damien Monkhorst and faithful sidekick James Manson, with Josh Fraser and Steve McKee holding up the fort in the early stages of the decade.
Now fans can rest easy, in the knowledge that Fraser will be assisted by two willing and able partners at full fitness, in Chris Bryan, a Frankston product, and a young man by the name of Guy Richards, who is in the process of completing his best pre-season since he joined the fold in late 2000.
Forced to bide his time due to a slender frame, Richards showed glimpses of his potential in 2004 on debut, before injury derailed his progress midyear, in turn wiping out his 2005, before returning to some of his best last year, albeit curtailed by tendonitis in his heel.
A fit and firing Richards will be a boon for the club, in the hope that he will be able to release Fraser into attack.
By now, half the squad had left the track, destined for the gym, leaving the other half to complete agility runs, before lining up as one, running at the player in front of them in control of the tackle bags, bumping, retreating, bumping, and so it went.
Finally, with the sun’s ferocity gaining in strength, the remaining players finished off with some short sprints before leaving the track for the lure of the weekend.
11:27:33 AM Mon 15 January, 2007
Luke Mason
for collingwoodfc.com.au
Collingwood completed a solid week of training on Friday, and Luke Mason was at Gosch's Paddock to cast an eye over proceedings.
COLLINGWOOD PRE-SEASON TRAINING REPORT: 12/01/07
Kicking off at 9am, Collingwood arrived at Gosch’s Paddock under sunny skies accompanied by a calm breeze, creating perfect conditions for football, and no excuses for mistakes.
The playing group hit the track in different coloured and numbered jumpers, with Nathan Buckley decked out in the number one, and Shane Wakelin donning number five. Half in the orange Wizard tops and the others in the standard black indicated that some match practice was to be carried out.
Beginning with some simple kick to kick, followed by the compulsory stretching, the group took their time on the warm up drills, before carrying out some criss-cross handballing. The lanes gradually widened to incorporate kicking, Rhyce Shaw’s booming voice to be heard to be believed.
Meanwhile, Brad Scott, the club’s newest assistant coach, took a small group aside and began pummelling the ball at them, honing in on their reflexes and ability to cleanly handle the ball when under pressure.
Following a huddle in midfield, the team divided themselves into separate groups, which worked on pinpointing targets in attack, with one-on-one pressure from assistant coaches and defenders.
With the pace of the game never quicker, the emphasis is continually on speed and endurance, and it certainly appears that many are set to step up for the Magpies in the coming seasons.
The drills then merged to become an end to end drill. Rhyce Shaw looks all the better for effectively a whole year in the gym due to his knee injury suffered against Melbourne midway through 2005. With a steady-as-she-goes approach adapted to his recovery last year, Shaw only began to hit his straps in the latter stages of the season, and was one of the better performed players in the humbling at the hands of the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final.
Despite the added bulk, he still has not lost any of his trademark speed, and it is quite amazing to consider how much muscle he has managed to stack on since he was drafted by the club back in late 1999, when he was just a slip of a boy.
Meanwhile, although the club may have targeted height at the recent AFL Draft, the pace factor was added to significantly by the recruitment of Brad Dick. In the coast to coast work, Dick looked settled amongst his larger teammates, and worked well along the wing.
The group converged in another huddle with Blake Caracella calling the bulk of the shots, asking the players in one coloured shirt to run the ball up the ground and score, and then allowing the other team to do likewise from the resultant kick out.
One of the match ups watched keenly was the duel between Travis Cloke and the matured bodied draftee Nathan Brown, the pair seeming to nullify each other.
The end to end work didn’t end there, with the whole group running up and down Gosch’s Paddock with Gavin Brown and Caracella stationed 30m out from goal at either end, acting as the key forward, feeding off to the runners alongside.
In contrast to 12 months ago, Dane Swan looks fitter than ever and set to take another step en route to becoming one of the Magpies prime movers in the midfield.
The aforementioned drill continued for a good 20 minutes, with the group splitting up later into three, some working on tackling, others on handballing.
The forwards worked under the watchful eye of Caracella, looking to find space on the lead.
On the far side of the field, the coaching staff bravely stood their ground, aided by the padding of 'specky' bags, as players reached for the skies, plucking marks from nowhere, hopefully something we’ll see plenty of in 2007.
Many are of the belief that the club has lacked a dominant ruck team since the halcyon days of Damien Monkhorst and faithful sidekick James Manson, with Josh Fraser and Steve McKee holding up the fort in the early stages of the decade.
Now fans can rest easy, in the knowledge that Fraser will be assisted by two willing and able partners at full fitness, in Chris Bryan, a Frankston product, and a young man by the name of Guy Richards, who is in the process of completing his best pre-season since he joined the fold in late 2000.
Forced to bide his time due to a slender frame, Richards showed glimpses of his potential in 2004 on debut, before injury derailed his progress midyear, in turn wiping out his 2005, before returning to some of his best last year, albeit curtailed by tendonitis in his heel.
A fit and firing Richards will be a boon for the club, in the hope that he will be able to release Fraser into attack.
By now, half the squad had left the track, destined for the gym, leaving the other half to complete agility runs, before lining up as one, running at the player in front of them in control of the tackle bags, bumping, retreating, bumping, and so it went.
Finally, with the sun’s ferocity gaining in strength, the remaining players finished off with some short sprints before leaving the track for the lure of the weekend.
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Comment by Sports Insider
Comment by Joe Blogg
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
Here's a genuine article I wrote for another organisation last week:
=============================
LOOKS CAN KILL
It was during the late 90’s when, after a spate of losses the then manager of big spending Chelsea, Ruud Gullet, explained the situation away by declaring that despite the results his side would continue to play “sexy football”.
The inference was as clear as could be – we will not revert to a boring style of play (also known these days as a defensive mindset) just to win games.
It is of course a modus operandi that has served fellow English Premier League powerhouse Manchester United well.
But leapfrog hemispheres and the message is quite different indeed.
In an era where blow-outs have become more common place than a second hand tyre shop AFL coaches almost strangle a game to death in order to save it rather than risk losing it.
It is why, as spectators, we thrill to the talents of Nathan Brown, Aker and Alan Didak.
In a football world fast becoming starved of individual flair and almost obsessed by one percenters these guys still play “sexy football”.
A friend of mine, frustrated by Richmond’s ongoing mediocrity, once confided that he no longer cared how his Tigers won just as long as they won.
His favourite player though?
Nathan Brown!
Who could blame him?
Deep down we all want to be entertained!
================================
The sentiment is legit.
I'd have him at the Pies in a heartbeat - pre leg problems.
Wooda taken Acker too.
Think about it - the Acker Didaker show!
And Meds in the mix.
Comment by Joe Blogg
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub
Comment by Joe Blogg
Joe Blogg's Blog
manchesterunited
collingwoodfootballclub