Track watch: All the latest news as clubs ramp up preparations for 2025 season
The Pies, Roos and Dees were on track today, with some star recruits impressing onlookers. Check out all the news, pics and see which senior players reported for pre-season early here.
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It was the long bomb 50m-plus goal off a couple of steps from the pinpoint boot of new Magpie Dan Houston that had his new teammates excited and Collingwood trackwatchers drooling in a routine November training session on Monday morning.
Houston was one of a number of senior Magpies, including Isaac Quaynor, Jeremy Howe, Jack Crisp, Brody Mihocek, Tom Mitchell and Mason Cox, who joined the club’s one-to-four-year players at the AIA Centre.
The session lasted more than 90 minutes with Houston’s field-kicking already shining out as a potential weapon for the Magpies next year.
The back-to-back All Australian defender was one of the big talking points of the trade period, and the former Port Adelaide star has dived right into training with his new club.
Wearing a black training top without a number, the 27-year-old defender-mid looked sharp in the drills and was vocal throughout the session.
He worked for a time alongside young Magpie Wil Parker, who showed some good signs in the backend of the 2024 season in defence.
Quaynor looked sharp - and leaner - on his return to preseason training as he looks to re-assert himself as one of the best rebound defenders in the competition.
The 24-year-old made the initial 2023 All-Australian squad and was top six in the Copeland Trophy during the club’s premiership season.
But he wasn’t quite as impactful this season, while nursing some injury issues, and missing out on the top 10 of the best and fairest in 2024.
Mitchell has thrown himself back into preseason and has barely missed a beat after the frustration of playing only six games this year, due to injuries.
Having recently won a new one-year-deal, Reef McInnes will try to bed down a defensive role next season. He played that role in the back end of the season in the VFL and will look to add to the Pies’ defensive structure next year.
Ed Allan looks bigger, stronger and ready to blossom in midfield role, buoyed by the impact he had in the final round game against Melbourne (21 disposals and a goal.
VINEY LEADS THE WAY
Melbourne vice-captain Jack Viney wasn’t due back to preseason training until next Monday, but he has thrown himself into work with the Demons’ young players.
He has barely missed a session since the Demons’ first-to-four-year players returned last week, and he is leading by example on the track.
Melbourne has had a revolving sprinkling of experienced players back on track, with those on Monday including Viney, Jake Lever, Tom Sparrow and Harrison Petty.
Bayley Fritsch and Christian Salem also trained before the main group session.
Christian Petracca is set to return next Monday when Melbourne’s senior group are due back. It will be his first session since he suffered serious internal injuries in the King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood in June, after which he expressed some frustration with the direction of the club.
Max Gawn is currently overseas on a cycling trip with Ed Langdon, but the pair will also return next Monday.
KEY ROO HIT WITH SURGERY AS PARKER HOPS IN
Luke Parker looked at home in blue in his first day at North Melbourne, as key defender Wil Dawson faces a stint on the sidelines following shoulder surgery.
In his first steps as a Roo since last month’s trade from Sydney, Parker pushed through a running session on Monday and didn’t join in drills with teammates.
The 293-game veteran looked in top shape as he ran the boundary before some light ball work with development coach and AFLW skipper Emma Kearney.
He was far from the only Roo running the boundary.
Zane Duursma battled through laps with Geordie Payne after finishing last season with a sore shoulder and at one point was heard to say to teammates the running “f---ing takes it out of you”.
Duursma was one of three Roos in pink caps – a sign to teammates they are carrying injuries – alongside defenders Aidan Corr and Jackson Archer, but those two took part in most of the two-hour session.
Swingman Charlie Comben ran with coach Tom Lynch following post-season shoulder surgery, while Zac Fisher also worked away from the main group.
Dawson sat in the interchange bench of much of the session, with his left arm in a sling.
The teen played three AFL games in the middle of last season before copping a knock to his shoulder.
He was training last week but re-injured the joint and went under the knife on Thursday.
George Wardlaw stepped out of drills late in the session to take in some light kicking as the Roos work on his training loads.
Talented forward Brayden George moved well in light kicking with Kallan Dawson and Josh Goater.
North Melbourne has maintained high hopes for the uncapped George, who ruptured his ACL for the second time in June, planning for him to slot in at half-forward next year.
Plenty of veteran presence was on hand for the Roos, with those over four years experience not officially required back until next Monday.
But co-captains Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald, ruck Tristan Xerri and forward Nick Larkey led the way.
Simpkin clearly looked to set the tone, leading from the front in all running drills after a 2024 season in which he was at times pushed out of the main onball rotation.
Darcy MacPherson?? pic.twitter.com/IBVN0OrEsx
— Batesy (@mitch23bates) November 18, 2024
Forward Paul Curtis showed off a rare new football look, wearing colourful blue and white basketball-style shooting sleeves over both arms.
Former Sun Darcy MacPherson was spotted training with the Roos as he chases an AFL lifeline after 97 games for Gold Coast.
The Roos explored a “salary dump” trade involving MacPherson in 2021 but he stayed in Queensland, playing 25 games in the past two years — but only two in the club’s first campaign under Damien Hardwick.
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Originally published as Track watch: All the latest news as clubs ramp up preparations for 2025 season
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