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!
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
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| Gibbsy lining up for goal |
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| Matty Kreuzer takes a shot from 50 |
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| Walker has looked fit & sharp during pre-season |
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| Kreuzer trash talks Hampson |
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| Luke Mitchell - a picture of concentration |
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| Walker lines up from half forward |
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| Kruezer attempts to kick over Spiderman |
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| Chris Judd checks out the Optus Broadband deal Set Plays & Drills |
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| Carrazzo, Scotland and Walker practice a set play |
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| Ed Curnow juggles a loose ball |
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| Carrazzo - upset that he's not being included in the next set play |
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| Coaching staff shows Shaun Hampson how to to keep the ball away from opponents during games |
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| Mitch Carter freezes as he tries to remember how to complete a handball |
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| Chris Yarran - just lookin' |
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| Jeremy Laidler, wondering what he said to upset Andrew Walker |
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| Andrew Carrazzo handballs to nobody in particular |
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| Kade Simpson laughs at Ed Curnow's hair, while Nick Heyne & Mitch Carter decide not to get involved |
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| Matthew Watson & Jeremy Laidler in a marking competition. Watto won this one. |
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| Marc Murphy races into goal |
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| A.J. looking for someone to train with |
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| Marc Murphy, wondering which football to pick up |
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| Jeremy Laidler - pretending to be a Thunderbird |
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| A Thunderbird - pretending to be Jeremy Laidler |
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| Simmo talking up a big fish he caught during the week |
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| Juddy & Jamo - after early injury setbacks, both are looking at playing a part in the pre-season NAB Cup |
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| Jarrad Waite briefly contemplates a switch to soccer |
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| Dylan Buckley, son of 'Father of Dylan', appears to have settled in nicely down at Visy Park |
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| Chris Judd - running laps around the boundary, and around Jamo |
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| Distraught that nobody asked for his autograph at the boundary line |
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| Juddy - back to full contact training |
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| Heath Scotland, modelling a new prototype wrist-guard |
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| Simmo - still going on about that fishing trip |
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| Marc Murphy - looking to his right |
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| And now deciding which way to look next Match Practice |
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| Kane Lucas breaks away from Jordan Russell. My money is on Lucas for a breakout season |
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| Andrew Walker chases down the ball while Paul Bower closes in |
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| Heath Scotland gets a handball away before being crunched by David Ellard |
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| Eddie Betts swoops on the loose ball |
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| This guy clears from defence |
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| Matty Kreuzer and Shaun Hampson duel in the ruck |
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| This Bootsma's made for Walker |
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| McLean tries to steal Kreuzer's ball. Nobody does that |
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| The game is stopped as Andrew Carrazzo has a question |
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| That guy again, running with the ball |
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| Walker, with another clearance |
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| Bret Thornton runs sideways across the backline - crabstyle |
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| Hampson flies for a strong overhead mark between defenders |
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| Kade Simpson spots someone who hasn't heard his fish story |
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| Hampson cleverly using the force to keep the ball away from Kruezer |
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| Denis Armfield goes in hard with his fingertips |
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| Josh Bootsma is given a tackling lesson by old pro Kade 'Big Fish' Simpson |
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| David Ellard on the burst - looks set for a big season |
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| A golf cart |
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| Murphy, moon-walking in his powder blue boots |
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| Murphy - wondering who the smartass with the camera is |
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| Coach Brett Ratten, retells Simmo's story |
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| Andrew Collins asks if orange makes him look fat |
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| Andrew Walker brushes up on his netball skills |
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| Mitch launches for a big grab |
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| Before landing ballerina style |
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| Paul Bower evades an invisible opponent |
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| Jeff Garlett, another player who has looked sharp early in the season |
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| Josh Bootsma in full flight. This kid can play |
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| Brock McLean unloads, with nobody chasing him |
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| Bret Thornton, with the unusual action of moving the ball forward |
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| Chris Judd, wondering if he'll be home in time for My Kitchen Rules |
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| Simmo pumps another ball forward |
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| Aaron Joseph marks deep in defence |
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| Marc Murphy in classic drop punt pose |
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| Jordan Russell misunderstood the coach's instruction to 'take Bootsma to the forward line' |
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| McLean, not realising the game has finished |
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| Game over - the boys take a well deserved drink WrestleMania |
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| The players say goodbye at the end of a long training session |
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| Andrew Walker fights to get his sock back |
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| It can be hard to say goodbye at times |
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| Aaron Joseph and Denis Armfield. Said to be 'close' |
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| Sam Rowe thinks he's found Andrew Walker's sock |
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| Paul Bower goes in hard with the armpit |
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| Sam Rowe gives up. |
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| 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!
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