Track watch: The latest intel from Melbourne and Collingwood training
He’s only been at the club a few months, but this new Magpie is already being discussed as a key cog in Craig McRae’s plans for Collingwood’s premiership push in 2023.
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A Scott Pendlebury injury soured some jubilant scenes at Collingwood training on Monday.
Plus a Dee will be sidelined for an extended period.
Stay tuned for more updates from track watch.
PENDLES TRAINING MISHAP
The sight of a limping Scott Pendlebury just weeks out from round 1 was enough to send a ripple around Olympic Park.
But the Magpies insist their former skipper is fine after sustaining a corked leg at training on Monday.
Pendlebury was felled during a match simulation drill in the lengthy session at the club’s base and hobbled away from the main group.
Speaking with club medical staff, the 35-year-old left the track and wasn’t sighted again.
But Collingwood maintained late on Monday that the midfield star would not be hampered as the club eyes its opening round 1 clash with Geelong.
The Pies’ first hit out against an external opponent is set for Friday February 24 when they face Carlton at Ikon Park.
Pendlebury stood down as captain at the end of last season, with defender Darcy Moore announced as his successor last week.
Moore, who was hospitalised in December with a bone infection, embarked on competitive drills and completed the entire session having only recently resumed full running.
MACCA’S BACK
A familiar face hit the track at Olympic Park on Monday morning.
With a freshly-minted club hat dished his way, former Western Bulldogs senior coach Brendan McCartney oversaw drills for more than two hours.
McCartney has been engaged by Collingwood as an external consultant to cast an eye over the team and training, with the ex-Melbourne, Richmond, Geelong and Essendon assistant having joined the club last week after more than three years away from AFL.
Coach Craig McRae was inspired by a recent trip to the United Kingdom where he got a first-hand look at England’s national rugby set up under Australian Eddie Jones, where external figures are often engaged to provide feedback from outside of the inner sanctum.
STEENE MACHINE
Cheers erupted to close training with South Australian Oscar Steene feted as the newest Magpie.
The 19-year-old tall has been training with Collingwood since November and was officially signed on Monday as part of the supplemental selection period.
While Darcy Cameron has been sidelined due to injury and completed light drills, Magpies football boss Graham Wright said he could see Steene playing a “key role” among the likes of Cameron, Mason Cox and Aiden Begg this season.
“Oscar filled a position of need and has fitted into our environment seamlessly,” Wright said.
“He has shown a good ability to learn and improve his craft, and his self-development is getting better day-by-day.
“We believe Oscar could play a key role in our AFL program this year and into the future.”
The SSP closes on February 15.
JAM-PACKED PIES
It was a hot topic on the sidelines on Monday — just how will Craig McRae formulate his midfield?
Tom Mitchell is right in the thick of it, with Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Taylor Adams, Patrick Lipinski, Jack Crisp and the Daicos brothers right there with him.
Speaking of the Daicos boys, reigning rising star winner Nick’s hunger for the ball is palpable in a midfield group that honed its link work on Monday before proper match simulation began.
Forward Jack Ginnivan saw plenty of it, while forward recruit Dan McStay lined up on high-flying defender Jeremy Howe.
Nathan Krueger — who had shoulder surgery in the off-season — spent the session on an exercise bike for the session that had a few interested onlookers including a handful of Melbourne staff who watched on from the hill.
DEES TRACK WATCH
GAWN FIT AND FIRING
Melbourne skipper Max Gawn is back to business.
The Demons ruck — who suffered a hamstring injury a fortnight ago — was back in full training at Gosch’s Paddock in a Monday morning session that beat the traffic.
Melbourne took to the track just after 8am with Gawn embarking on full match simulation, including going toe-to-toe with ruck recruit Brodie Grundy.
PREMIERSHIP DEE SIDELINED
As the team prepared to travel to Seymour and Yea for its community camp, premiership player Christian Salem was restricted to walking laps and mild handball drills and is set to be sidelined as he deals with an ongoing thyroid issue.
The Demons said it was a problem that the 27-year-old has been aware of and managing, with the condition impacting his heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight.
“Christian is currently undergoing treatment for an illness (related) to his thyroid gland,” Melbourne’s head doctor Laura Lallanec said.
“Christian has had a similar issue in the past where his thyroid becomes overactive.
“He will continue to be monitored closely by his specialist and reintegrate into training as his thyroid levels stabilise.”
RECRUITS AND STARS ON TRACK
Lachie Hunter — who was traded to the Demons at the end of last season — trained with the midfield group both in the centre against Jack Viney and also on the wing.
Kysaiah Pickett spent time in the middle and up forward, while star ball-winner Clayton Oliver appeared visibly leaner, with the Demons set to take on St Kilda in a match simulation session on February 24 before a practice match against Richmond on Saturday March 4.
Track watch: Four cubs impress, will Tigers sign rookie?
— Jon Ralph
Richmond premiership stars Tom Lynch and Jack Graham will be fit for the club’s pair of pre-season clashes after overcoming worrying foot injuries that have hampered their pre-seasons.
Tigers football boss Tim Livingstone said on Sunday Lynch (plantar fascia) and Graham (turf toe) would join main training in the next fortnight and were on track for round 1.
Richmond will enter round 1 as the favourites against a Carlton side that broke a long losing streak against the Tigers in last year’s season opener.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE TRACK
But as Richmond builds for those pre-season games with Dustin Martin in exceptional shape and dominating the club’s early match simulation, a young draftee will be sidelined for months.
Livingstone told News Corp the club’s first live draft pick in Kaleb Smith (selection 49) will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with foot bone stress that will curtail an exciting few months of training at Punt Road.
Richmond used up plenty of draft capital securing GWS midfield pair Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper but had been enthused by Smith’s breakaway pace and precise ball use.
Damien Hardwick’s Tigers will resume their regular battles with an Alastair Clarkson-coached side in the official match simulation when they take on North Melbourne on Friday February 24 before an official pre-season game on March 4 against Melbourne at Casey Fields.
Lynch’s last act of the 2022 season was kicking the contentious score ruled a behind in the knockout final against Brisbane and after being eased through training Richmond believes he is over his plantar fascia issues.
“Lynchy is progressing well with his rehab,” Livingstone said.
“He will look to begin skills with the main group in the coming weeks. The plan is for him to play game time in practice matches. We are just taking it slowly and carefully and making sure it’s right. We are pretty confident it will be fine. He seems to be running OK and has no issues at the moment.
“Everything is coming along nicely for him and I would almost cut and paste with Jack Graham. We will look to begin skills in coming weeks and game time in practice matches. The plan is that those guys will be available in round 1.”
Martin had a significantly interrupted summer entering the 2022 season as he rehabbed an internal injury, took time away from the club after round 1 and battled multiple hamstring issues.
But the proof of his renewed fitness and motivation has been obvious on the training track in early scrimmages.
“He is training well. He is fit and anyone that has been down to see any of our match sim stuff would see that he’s been playing some terrific footy. He is preparing well,” Livingstone said.
RICHMOND’S SUMMER TRAINING UPDATE
Richmond is yet to decide whether to play two regular ruckmen but is determined to settle down Liam Baker and Noah Balta into defensive roles in their backline alongside Nick Vlastuin, Dylan Grimes, Nathan Broad, Jayden Short and Daniel Rioli.
“It is a challenge for us. Big Ivan Soldo is having a good pre-season, we have him and ‘Nank’ as ruck prospects,” said Livingstone.
“Ben Miller finished off the season well last year and he can give us great flexibility. He can play back, he can play on ball and showed some good signs down forward so we have some options. Noah has been doing most of his training down back as has Liam Baker this pre-season. So we are looking to have a good settled back six down there.”
DEFENDER ON ROAD TO RECOVERY
Josh Gibcus will be back running in weeks after hamstring surgery that will put him out for the early rounds of the season but ex-Roos full back Robbie Tarrant has not missed a beat after his strong back half to the 2022 season.
“He is a terrific guy. He prepares meticulously, a great athlete and he would say himself it took him a little while last year to settle into our system but once he did he played some terrific footy and he gives us great options down there down back depending on match-ups,” Livingstone said.
QUARTET OF YOUNG CUBS IMPRESS
Damien Hardwick’s claim that the most exciting part of Richmond’s list was its future has been borne out by strong summers from wingman Sam Banks, half back Tom Brown, midfielder Tyler Sonsie and medium-forward Judson Clarke.
Along with No. 9 pick Gibcus those five players from the 2021 national draft all have huge potential, with Banks much-hyped inside Richmond as a wingman who could have an impact this year.
“Judson Clark got a taste of it last year and did some terrific things in the games he played. He just does everything right and loves being at the club and loves training,” Livingstone said.
“We saw what Josh (Gibcus) did. Tyler Sonsie came in the second half of the season and the second year he is getting a pre-season under his belt which is exciting.
“We have high hopes for Sam Banks and Tom Brown. They are showing exciting signs in the match sim so far and we would love to see them play senior footy this year because they have got real talent.
“Sam has been doing a bit of wing work and runs those patterns well and uses the footy well and Tom Brown can make it over head and can mark it, so he’s been practising mainly across half back.”
HIGH HOPES FOR LAST YEAR’S DRAFTEES
Richmond selected two national draftees and a pair of rookie selections and while none came before pick 49 (Kaleb Smith) the Tigers still have high hopes for that selection of players.
“To be honest we have been really excited about what they have been able to do thus far. Kaleb will be held up a little bit but he is explosive with the ball, has genuine speed and uses it well,” said Livingstone.
“Seth Campbell (pick 12 in the rookie draft) is a natural goalkicker and clean and has been terrific in his approach, as has Steely Green (pick 55 in the national draft) who attacks the contest with ferocity. He is a bit like ‘Bakes’ (Liam Baker) and was happy to take the number he had when he started. Tylar Young (pick 26 in the rookie draft) has been in our VFL program for a little while and hasn’t put a foot wrong. He has great athleticism for a big guy and he will benefit from having an AFL pre-season at 196cm. We think he may have a future, this young fella.”
FINAL SPOT QUERY
The Tigers are not yet set on whether it will use its vacant list spot as ex-Geelong clearance specialist Quinton Narkle and Corowa-Rutherglen forward Kaelan Bradtke push to be listed at Punt Road.
“We have got until February 15 so it’s a really tough decision,” Livingstone said.
“Both Quinton Narkle and Kaelan Bradtke have been impressive with their work ethic and character, so we can choose one or choose to hold. We are comparing a key with a mid and there is a bit of match sim coming up so we can make a decision when we get closer.”
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Originally published as Track watch: The latest intel from Melbourne and Collingwood training
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