Saturday, February 25, 2012

Pre Season Blues


If AFL players think it's tough training in the Summer swelter, think of the poor footy fan who must endure six long months without any football!

As a step towards recovering from this long break, I've been down to watch the Blue boys train a couple of times, while they gear up for the season ahead.

I thought I would share some candid photos of some of the boys in action, to help get us through the long wait...

Enjoy!


Goal Shooting Practice

Gibbsy lining up for goal

Matty Kreuzer takes a shot from 50


Walker has looked fit & sharp during pre-season


Kreuzer trash talks Hampson


Luke Mitchell - a picture of concentration



Walker lines up from half forward


Kruezer attempts to kick over Spiderman





Chris Judd checks out the Optus Broadband deal



Set Plays & Drills


Carrazzo, Scotland and Walker practice a set play


Ed Curnow juggles a loose ball


Carrazzo - upset that he's not being included in the next set play


Coaching staff shows Shaun Hampson how to to keep the ball away from opponents during games


Mitch Carter freezes as he tries to remember how to complete a handball


Chris Yarran - just lookin'


Jeremy Laidler,  wondering what he said to upset Andrew Walker


Andrew Carrazzo handballs to nobody in particular



Kade Simpson laughs at Ed Curnow's hair, while Nick Heyne & Mitch Carter decide not to get involved


Matthew Watson & Jeremy Laidler in a marking competition. Watto won this one.


Marc Murphy races into goal



A.J. looking for someone to train with



Marc Murphy, wondering which football to pick up



Jeremy Laidler - pretending to be a Thunderbird



A Thunderbird - pretending to be Jeremy Laidler


Simmo talking up a big fish he caught during the week


Juddy & Jamo - after early injury setbacks, both are looking at playing a part in the pre-season NAB Cup



Jarrad Waite briefly contemplates a switch to soccer



Dylan Buckley, son of 'Father of Dylan', appears to have settled in nicely down at Visy Park



Chris Judd - running laps around the boundary, and around Jamo



Distraught that nobody asked for his autograph at the boundary line



Juddy - back to full contact training



Heath Scotland, modelling a new prototype wrist-guard



Simmo - still going on about that fishing trip


Marc Murphy - looking to his right



And now deciding which way to look next




Match Practice

Kane Lucas breaks away from Jordan Russell. My money is on Lucas for a breakout season



Andrew Walker chases down the ball while Paul Bower closes in



Heath Scotland gets a handball away before being crunched by David Ellard



Eddie Betts swoops on the loose ball



This guy clears from defence



Matty Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson duel in the ruck



This Bootsma's made for Walker



McLean tries to steal Kreuzer's ball. Nobody does that



The game is stopped as Andrew Carrazzo has a question




That guy again, running with the ball



Walker, with another clearance



Bret Thornton runs sideways across the backline - crabstyle



Hampson flies for a strong overhead mark between defenders




Kade Simpson spots someone who hasn't heard his fish story





Hampson cleverly using the force to keep the ball away from Kruezer


Denis Armfield goes in hard with his fingertips


Josh Bootsma is given a tackling lesson by old pro Kade 'Big Fish'  Simpson


David Ellard on the burst - looks set for a big season



A golf cart



Murphy, moon-walking in his powder blue boots



Murphy - wondering who the smartass with the camera is



Coach Brett Ratten, retells Simmo's story



Andrew Collins asks if orange makes him look fat


Andrew Walker brushes up on his netball skills



Mitch launches for a big grab




Before landing ballerina style


Paul Bower evades an invisible opponent




Jeff Garlett, another player who has looked sharp early in the season



Josh Bootsma in full flight. This kid can play




Brock McLean unloads, with nobody chasing him



Bret Thornton, with the unusual action of moving the ball forward




Chris Judd, wondering if he'll be home in time for My Kitchen Rules



Simmo pumps another ball forward














Aaron Joseph marks deep in defence



Marc Murphy in classic drop punt pose


Jordan Russell misunderstood the coach's instruction to 'take Bootsma to the forward line'




McLean, not realising the game has finished


Game over - the boys take a well deserved drink



WrestleMania

The players say goodbye at the end of a long training session


Andrew Walker fights to get his sock back



It can be hard to say goodbye at times



Aaron Joseph and Denis Armfield. Said to be 'close'



Sam Rowe thinks he's found Andrew Walker's sock


Paul Bower goes in hard with the armpit



Sam Rowe gives up.



And it all ends in laughter



And so with the NAB Cup underway, and our boys set to put in a solid pre-season tournament, I hope these few training shots have helped you through this long, hot Summer.

It's all about the footy from here on in - See you there!