Ultimate pre-season track watch: The latest scouting notes and news from across the AFL in December
Pre-season training is in full swing across the league. Who’s standing out? Are any big names injured? Where’s the SSP race at? Get all the latest here.
Pre-season is heating up before the players go on break for Christmas, here’s all the latest from the track across the AFL in December.
Want more? Find out how the pre-season started in November here.
ADELAIDE
DECEMBER 3 – Matt Turner
Overlooked draftee Tom McGuane has had a setback in his bid to earn a Crows list spot.
McGuane, 18, is on crutches and in a moon boot after rolling his right ankle at training at West Lakes earlier this week.
Adelaide expected the hardworking midfielder to be sidelined for a fortnight.
McGuane, the son of Collingwood premiership star Mick McGuane, has been vying for a squad berth at the Crows with former Sydney on-baller Zac Foot since the start of last week.
Adelaide invited the Victorian duo to audition in front of coaches after leaving a list spot available after the drafts.
While McGuane’s injury would seemingly boost Foot’s chances of winning the spot, the Crows had plenty of time to make a decision.
Clubs with spaces on their list can sign unlisted players until February 20, when the supplemental selection period ends.
McGuane had hoped to be drafted to Collingwood, where he was tied as a father-son prospect due to Mick’s 152 games from 1987-1996, but the Magpies chose not to select him.
The youngster split his time between Western Jets, representative side Vic Metro and Collingwood’s VFL team this year.
Foot won VFL club Southport’s best-and-fairest this past season while also making the competition’s team of the year.
Adelaide has added five players – dual Brisbane premiership winner Callum Ah Chee, ex-North Melbourne big man Finnbar Maley, athletic forwards Mitch Marsh and Archie Ludowyke, and ex-basketballer Indy Cotton – since bowing out of the finals in straight sets.
Ah Chee arrives at West Lakes
DECEMBER 1 – Simeon Thomas-Wilson
New Crow Callum Ah Chee says Brisbane holding its ground and sending him to the pre-season draft to realise his move to Adelaide won’t impact how he views his time at the Lions.
Ah Chee trained for the first time in his new colours at West Lakes on Monday after a prolonged move from the Lions to the Crows.
While the 28-year-old was out of contract and had informed the Lions that he wanted to become a Crow, the two clubs could not agree on a deal for him during the trade period.
This meant Ah Chee had to wait until last month’s pre-season draft for the Crows to select him.
He said he still had fond memories of his time at the Lions, despite that frustration.
“It was obviously a little bit disappointing but I won two flags there,” he said.
“Played in three grand finals and my teammates over in Brissie I made long-lasting friendships with them and they will be part of my life forever which is amazing.
“I’ll never forget being able to live out my dream by going back-to-back (premierships)... and hopefully I can win one here as well.”
The Lions have been a team that the Crows have based their rebuild on closely.
While they were able to claim the minor premiership after a stunning rise from 15th in 2024, the Crows were bundled out of finals in straight sets.
Ah Chee said that was part of the journey.
“I think so, I think I joined Brisbane at a similar time,” he said.
There’s a new Crow in town.
— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) November 30, 2025
Welcome, Cal â˜ºï¸ pic.twitter.com/aYwDUH4ulH
“So I think that is where I can help out and hopefully fast-track it a bit with my experience and my journey and what I have learnt over the years I hope I can give back to the boys.
“I think you have to go through a bit of adversity together, it is not easy you don’t make premiership teams overnight.
“You’ve got to go through adversity and learn from it, you can’t shy away from it.
“The finals are hard, it is almost another season. It is not easy to win finals games but I am sure the Crows boys learnt a lot from those games.”
Ah Chee might be from Western Australia originally, but grew up as a supporter of the Crows.
That and being closer to family with young kids was why he sought a trade to Adelaide.
“I supported Adelaide as a young kid, pretty surprising being from WA,” he said.
“But my dad went for the Crows so I’ve always had that link there, which is really exciting.
“My brother lived here and played for Port so I was very familiar with the town and we are closer to family here, it is a lot closer to Perth.
“That was a really big pull for me, having been in Brisbane without any help really for 10 years has been tough.”
Ah Chee also reunites with Crows director of coaching Murray Davis.
“I have an amazing relationship with him, I won my first premiership with him and he was my forwards coach,” he said.
“And he was also my backs coach when I first started at Brissie so I’ve kind of been with him the whole way.
“He was awesome to ask questions about the club and what it was like... I’m keen to work with him again.”
WHAT ELSE CAUGHT THE EYE
With Ah Chee now at the club, nearly all of the Crows list was on the track.
Captain Jordan Dawson was out there after he was one of only a handful of senior players who did not report for day one of pre-season last week.
Izak Rankine only walked a lap or two before going inside but the Crows have said it is nothing serious.
Last year’s top draftee Sid Draper was inside as he deals with a back issue.
Fellow draftee from last year Tyler Welsh looks to have gotten leaner after his first season at AFL level.
BRISBANE
DECEMBER 2 – Callum Dick
Brisbane Lions co-captain Harris Andrews says the onus is now firmly on the playing group to prepare as best it can for a potential premiership three-peat after the club’s draft and trade period “retooled” the list for another successful season.
It was all hands on deck at Springfield on Monday morning with every player on the Lions’ list recalled for the crucial pre-Christmas training block after the first to fourth-year players began their mandatory sessions last week.
And as is the case every pre-season there were some notable inclusions and absences from only a few months earlier, headlined by the arrivals for big-name recruits Sam Draper and Oscar Allen who joined from Essendon and West Coast respectively during the trade period.
But the Lions also lost some star talent in the form of lockdown defender Brandon Starcevich (West Coast), reliable utility Callum Ah Chee (Adelaide) and incumbent ruckman Oscar McInerney (retirement).
“You are always evolving as a footy club,” Andrews said.
“To lose Starce, Cal and obviously ‘Big O’ has finished up now we will miss those guys but we did have a fair bit of changeover the year before as well.
“We are not naive to the fact that guys are going to move on at different times and we will get new players in as well so we need to keep evolving as a group and I feel like we have done a really good job (of that).
“Big shout out to Dom (Ambrogio) and the list crew that look after the team and squad – and Danny (Daly) here who do a power of work in that space.
“They are really retooling us as a footy club to keep competing and now it is up to us as players to go out on the track, train hard, recover well and make sure we are getting better day by day.
“Off the back of a couple of long seasons we have started a little bit later than some other teams so it’s really important that we set ourselves up well for a good Christmas break to go away individually and train hard so when we get back in January it’s full speed ahead.”
Headed by All-Australian Andrews Brisbane’s backline has been the bedrock on which its back-to-back premierships have been forged.
Starcevich’s return home to Western Australia will leave a noticeable hole in defence however Andrews said the Lions proved last season that they would be able to manage without him there.
“Obviously you miss Starce down there he is one of the all-time great teammates to play with, so tough and resilient down there, we will obviously miss his ability to lock down on the really dangerous small forwards,” Andrews said.
“But at the same time I think he missed maybe 13 or 14 games (this) year and through the start of the season we were able to work our way through that.
“When guys unfortunately leave the club other guys step up and that has been a real mantra of ours for the last however long I have been at the club – one out, one in.
“I’m sure some of the boys will train with the backline over the summer … so that when the opportunity arises they will be ready to go.”
ESSENDON
DECEMBER 3 – Ed Bourke
Essendon young gun Archie Roberts has revealed his long-term captaincy aspirations as he declared the Bombers have “full confidence” in the club’s revamped high performance department.
The third-year Bombers defender said he wanted to one day lead the club but would not be throwing his hat in the ring to replace Zach Merrett after his resignation last week.
Roberts said Merrett’s message to teammates following his decision to stand down had been “unbelievable” and well received by the group as they prepared to vote on a new leader early next year.
“Zach’s such a respected player and such a loved player of our group. What he said was unbelievable, and he’s been an unbelievable person and captain for this club for so many years,” he said.
“He’s handed it down, but he’s still an excellent person, we love him, and we can’t wait to see his game go to another level this year.”
The 20-year-old left-footer, who averaged 25 disposals per game across halfback in an impressive second year, agreed fellow defender Andrew McGrath was one of the lead contenders to replace Merrett.
“There’s obviously a few boys in the mix, Andy (McGrath) is a great one, but it’s a player vote, so we’ll see how it all unfolds,” Roberts said.
“There’s so many boys who can step up and be unbelievable leaders, and keeping growing and inspiring (other) leaders as well.”
Asked about his own leadership ambitions, Roberts did not shy away from his ambition to captain the Bombers.
“Yeah, I see myself as a leader of the younger crew, and aspiring to be a leader of the older crew as well,” Roberts said.
“Leadership is something I think is one of my strengths. I’m just going to be here to help guide and help support this next captain, whoever it is.
“Hopefully in a few years, we’ll see what happens, but for the moment I’m just going to try to support and lead this club, and do my part in supporting and protecting this culture.”
Roberts said the players had complete faith in the high performance department led by newcomers Mathew Inness and David Regan despite a “frustrating” spate of recent setbacks to players including luckless duo Jordan Ridley and Kyle Langford.
“Everything’s moving in the right direction,” he said.
“These injuries are annoying, but we’d rather let them happen now than in the season, and we know what they’re doing is getting us right for the season.
“We have full confidence in the new high performance department, and we know those boys are going to come back stronger, it’s not going to be a repeat of last year, for sure.”
‘SHATTERING’ MOMENT MARTIN WENT DOWN
Roberts said he and teammates had witnessed the moment Bombers star Nic Martin slipped and damaged his reconstructed knee in a season-ending training setback a fortnight ago.
“It’s been a tough few weeks for ‘Mart’, we saw the incident happen, and it’s pretty shattering,” Roberts said.
“Seeing an injury like that, particularly to a guy like Marto who went through it all four or five months ago, but we’ve wrapped around him, we’ve made sure he’s OK.
“I think he’s having some time off now ... he’ll be back in and ready to go.
“He came in and was my locker buddy, sort of took me under his wing and gave me some brutal feedback at times when I needed it, some honest feedback, but also some words of encouragement when I did things (well).”
BOMBERS HONE IN ON ‘HARDEST SEVEN MINUTES’
Wednesday’s session at The Hangar was the Bombers’ middle session for the week and at a lighter intensity, but they still conducted some high-speed ball movement drills as Roberts said they were targeting the “hardest seven minutes of games”.
He explained it as preparation for a period in the game where play continues for an unusually long time without stoppages or scores, which the Bombers have identified as an area to improve in next season.
“It’s when the game is at its toughest, so being the fastest and the hardest-working stands out,” he said.
“That seven-minute period of running where you don’t get a break, don’t get water, that’s what we’re trying to target here and emulate that.”
FREMANTLE
DECEMBER 1 – Eliza Reilly
Fremantle midfielder Hayden Young is supremely confident that his injury woes are behind him after spending a week training at the world-renowned Aspetar Sports Medical Clinic in Doha.
Young endured an injury-ravaged 2025 campaign, playing just nine games due to a series of soft- tissue setbacks.
The frustrating run stemmed from the final game of 2024 when Young broke his leg against Port Adelaide, delaying his start to pre-season.
Aspetar has quickly emerged as a popular retreat for AFL stars. Fremantle teammate Sean Darcy compiled his most consistent season in years after a visit to Doha, while Jeremy McGovern and Elliot Yeo have also spent time at the facility.
While the 24-year-old has returned with some new strategies and focuses for 2026, Young said there is no substitute for doing the work.
“The overwhelming feeling is I left there with a lot of hope and optimism,” Young said.
“When you have an interrupted year, you can get down on yourself and feel like you’re prone to injuries. That’s not the case. I left there with a lot of solutions and things I can work on.
“A lot of it is to do with my preparation. The reality is that last year, I completed 27 per cent of pre-season.
“It’s not like I need a secret formula. It’s just getting out there and doing the work at training.
“Last year, I had a broken leg and didn’t do much of my off-season program. This year, I completed all of it.
“It is hard when you miss a lot of training to prevent injury. You can do all of the work, but sometimes you’re prone to risk and some things are out of your control.”
The big takeaway from 2025 is that Young was still able to be one of Fremantle’s best players in the games he did play despite lacking confidence in his body.
He won his first Glendinning-Allan medal against West Coast after racking up 23 disposals and three goals in just his second game back from a long-term hamstring injury.
Young was also crucial in the Dockers’ final round win over the Western Bulldogs to book a finals return after overcoming an abductor strain.
“The promising thing for me is that despite all of my adversity, I was still able to come back and perform,” he said.
“It gives me a lot of confidence that, despite what happens in pre-season or at any stage of my career, I can do my job for the team.
“Already, I feel really confident. Coming back last year and playing, there were times I didn’t feel confident in my body. It’s not a great feeling going out there and playing big games while not being confident about your body holding up.
“Hopefully, I can give myself the best chance to play a lot of footy next year. I’m feeling really optimistic about 2026.”
TRAINING NOTES
The mercury soared to 39 degrees in Perth on Monday, with several players spotted feeling the effects towards the back end of a testing session
With Fremantle’s 5+ year players returning to training, the players were put through a new fitness test by new head of performance, Adam Beard
The 30/15 shuttle test required players to run for 30 seconds and rest for 15 seconds in between sets, with the speed increasing each rep in a fight against lactic acid, designed to simulate the high-speed intensity efforts seen on a football field
Michael Frederick was a standout, NGA draftee Toby Whan impressed in his first hitout, while Corey Wagner, who missed Fremantle’s return to finals with a pec injury, caught Young’s eye
New recruit Judd McVee checked in for his first session at Fremantle and Young noted the former Demon “looked pretty lively”
-he Dockers have noticeably been trying to put more speed on the ball coming out of defence in the early stages of pre-season and some players were visibly disappointed when they ran into trouble on Monday
Young was spotted competing in the ruck against Luke Jackson in one drill with Sean Darcy on light duties, the midfielder noting, “I was ripping into Doggo because I think I was 2/2. He was saying I was crossing the line, though. It was a bit of fun.”
GEELONG
DECEMBER 1 – Dan Batten
Geelong assistant coach Nathan Buckley believes Tanner Bruhn has the “world at his feet” after serious charges of sexual assault against him were dropped.
Bruhn was stood down by the AFL for the 2025 season while the Cats midfielder and a co-accused fought the allegations which were withdrawn last month.
The 23-year-old was welcomed by Geelong supporters at training on Monday, with one yelling, “Very happy to have you back”, over the fence.
Bruhn had an extended chat with the fan after he left the track early.
He trained away from the main group completing a running block as he builds fitness following a year working as a farm hand away from the club.
Buckley said Bruhn, who returned to the Cats ahead of schedule last week with the first to fourth year players, will continue to be supported by the club.
“I had a few chats with the young fella, and it’s obviously been a challenging period for him – and every everyone else in the situation as well,” Buckley said.
“The club are very circumspect with the way they manage these things, and they’re happy to do it in private.
“Tanner is a young man who has the world at his feet, and being able to reconcile his last 12 to 18 months is something that will be a challenge for him and something he will get lots of support around.”
Geelong’s senior players returned to training to Monday, with torrid conditions resembling midwinter rather the first day of summer.
All-Australian Bailey Smith was among those to hit the track for the first time after their grand final loss.
Smith greeted Buckley like they were long lost friends with a hug and loud clasped handshank that rang around the oval at Deakin Waurn Ponds.
“I’ve had a few chats with Bailey. His first day back today, but most of the senior boys have had time away to recharge and regenerate and be back into it, and he’s no different. He’s ready to go,” Buckley said.
Bronzed from his time up on the Gold Coast, Smith completed running and kicking with club runner Shannon Byrnes off to the side during full-ground drills.
Cats star Tom Stewart was in a non-contact hat with his wrist strapped following off-season wrist surgery, but he took part in most of the session before some high-speed running during match simulation.
Geelong has taken a cautious approach with Jack Martin since he joined the club, and he eased back into training with handball drills on the sidelines with first-round draftee Harley Barker, recovering from an ACL rupture, and second-year tall Jacob Molier.
Goalsneak Tyson Stengle and Irish duo Mark O’Connor and Oisin Mullin have been granted additional leave.
O’Connor was keeping fit with Gaelic football this off-season, helping his hometown club Dingle break a 77-year drought in the Kerry Senior Football Championship in late October.
STANDOUTS IN TRICKY CONDITIONS
You know conditions are tough when Gryan Miers misses a target.
Swirling wind and intermittent rain made things challenging for Cats players on Monday, including a rare miss from Miers’ deft right boot.
Recruit James Worpel warded off a desperate Miers tackle in the middle of the ground but then slipped over, while captain Patrick Dangerfield also took a tumble right in front of the cameras on the wing.
Dangerfield’s slip-up handed his opponent Lawson Humphries an uncontested mark, with Shaun Mannagh jokingly calling Humphries a “cheat” for his loose checking.
Humphries admitted that he suffered second year blues last year, but he was everywhere during match simulation as his kicking on both sides and reading of the play stood out.
Ollie Dempsey was another who impressed with his run and class.
Ollie Henry and danced around a tackler nicely at one stage, but draftee Jesse Mellor didn’t escape the clutches of Jed Bews who claimed him holding the ball. Welcome to AFL footy, Jesse!
New draftee Nick Driscoll was off sick last Wednesday, but the last pick of the 2025 rookie draft caught the eye with his clean hands and disposal throughout the session.
Lenny Hofmann also looks a likely type after sitting out most of last season with injury. The 2024 draftee fended off an opponent with ease in defence and has plenty of acceleration at either end of the ground.
Later in the session it was no surprise to see Miers and Max Holmes leading the way in the running.
GOLD COAST
NOVEMBER 27 – Callum Dick
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has made a promising start to life as a Gold Coast Sun with vice-captain Sam Collins declaring the former Bulldog “looks like someone who wants to get back to playing his best football”.
Ugle-Hagan reported for his first official day of pre-season this week but has also been involved in the various optional skills and running sessions organised by the playing group over the past month in a sign he is serious about reinvigorating his AFL career.
He has also been spotted hanging out with Geelong superstar Bailey Smith, who has been holidaying on the Gold Coast in recent weeks.
Smith is a fitness fanatic who enjoys training in the Queensland heat during the off-season. Ugle-Hagan’s work ethic and desire to “earn his stripes” has impressed his new teammate, Collins.
“I think Jamarra has been on the Coast pretty much since he knew he was coming here, staying with Dimma (coach Damien Hardwick) and now he is in with Harbs (Indigenous leader Jarrod Harbrow),” Collins told this masthead on Thursday.
“All I have seen from him is a kid who is absolutely hungry to train his hardest. He brings good energy to the group as well which I think can’t be underrated.
“He reminds me of a new kid coming into a new environment wanting to earn his stripes again and I think that is all we ask from any of our new players through the door.
“Whether you have maybe had a bit of a rough 12-month trot like Jamarra and you are trying to put that behind you, or you are one of the new draftees coming through the door, we just want boys who come in, buy into the program, train really hard, add value and build some connection with each other.”
It is notable praise from a no-nonsense operator like Collins, who is one of the big culture and standard setters at the Suns.
The key defender was one of many senior players to report back early for pre-season this week, revealing the playing group was hungry to build on its promising 2025 campaign when it made finals for the first time in club history.
“Last year, while that was great, we are looking to go again and we have got some exciting young boys through the door and then obviously Trac (Christian Petracca) and Jamarra as well which is going to be pretty exciting for us,” he said.
“I think what was most noticeable last season was how much more enjoyable football is when you are winning more consistently.
“Full credit to Dimma and the coaching staff for making it a place where we all wanted to be and we were looking forward to playing games of football because we knew we could win every week.
“Unfortunately we got bowled out a bit too early but we are looking forward to going a few better next season.
“The sky is the limit for us, we just have to make sure we don’t get complacent in the way we go about it.”
GWS
DECEMBER 2 – Lachlan McKirdy
Giants captain Toby Greene believes former Melbourne premiership star and three-time All-Australian, Clayton Oliver, could be the biggest recruit in the club’s history.
Oliver, 28, joined GWS after being told by the Demons to explore his options at the end of the 2025 season. The Giants didn’t waste any time, and within days, were pitching Oliver the benefits of a move to the Harbour City.
Although the trade went down to the final hours of deadline day, Oliver is now set to bring his premiership-winning experience to the Giants’ midfield for the next five seasons.
And based on the early signs at training, Oliver’s new captain is excited that GWS has brought in a player who could be the difference in their premiership aspirations.
They're back. pic.twitter.com/S5Gnr3YAal
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) December 1, 2025
“(He’s) a guy in his prime,” Greene said. “Melbourne probably didn’t think that, but we’ll be trying to get the best out of him.
“He’s turned up in unbelievable nick. He looks sharp. I’ve only seen him for a day, but he looks good. Really looking forward to seeing what he can bring to our team, our midfield. A guy that’s been there, done that and been one of the better players in the competition in the last seven or eight years.
“Guys like Finn Callaghan and Harry Rowston. Those younger midfielders, (Clayton) is a guy to really look up to and learn a bit from. It definitely brings a bit of energy to the group.”
While Oliver has still produced consistently at AFL level over the past two years, he has been involved in several off-field issues that overshadowed his final seasons in Melbourne.
The Giants are confident that a move to Sydney will bring the best out of Oliver, while Greene is more than happy for his club to earn a reputation for helping players turn their careers around.
“It shows you’ve got a good environment where guys can try and get the best out of themselves,” Greene said. “It’s certainly away from the spotlight a bit as well, which helps some individuals.
“(I’ll) just help him settle in to start with. He’s a pretty driven individual; you can see it from the way he trains, the way he came up here, and what he wants to achieve in the next couple of years. I don’t have to help him too much in that area.
“Sydney can be a big change … the hard work he’ll do himself, I know that. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Oliver’s arrival adds to the Giants’ impressive midfield stocks alongside the likes of Callaghan and Tom Green. And although it’s already a crowded area, Greene is also hoping he can spend more time around the contest in one of the few changes GWS is set to make to their orange tsunami game plan.
“From a team point of view, we want to be playing deep into finals and trying to win the premiership,” Greene said. “There’s not much in terms of our game plan that’s going to change, but we’ll make little tweaks.
“I’ll probably train a little bit more as a midfielder to try to bring that more back into my game. Playing higher half-forward as well again. I just need to make sure I nail pre-season and get my body feeling ready and primed for a big season.
“I’m confident we can compete this year … It doesn’t just happen, don’t just click your fingers. We’ve got a lot of work to do and make sure we give ourselves the best chance.”
But before Greene pulls on the orange and charcoal again next year, he’s desperate to get a chance to wear the Big V in next year’s State of Origin return in Perth.
“It would be awesome,” Greene said. “Everyone would want to be a part of that, and hopefully it’s something really big going forward.
“Optus Stadium will be sold out, 60,000. So that would be better than playing a practice game. I’d love to play, it would be good fun.”
MELBOURNE
NOVEMBER 29 – INSIDE THE CAMP WITH ED BOURKE
“Somebody connect their phone!”
Kysaiah Pickett wants to lift the energy level in a team minibus rumbling its way up towards the top of Mount Porepunkah on Friday morning.
For about 10 minutes, the van has been tailing two Demons players on mountain bikes as they tackle one of the toughest climbs in the Victorian High Country.
The pair of players have to give “maximum effort” for three minutes before they hand off their bikes to the next duo and jump back inside the van.
It’s the gruelling final episode of Melbourne’s pre-season camp, which began with school clinics and community activities in the Alpine region before high performance boss Selwyn Griffith was given command for the final two days on Thursday and Friday.
The main theme for the trip is “connection”, and while it was a word uttered countless times by Melbourne officials last year, it’s been recast for different reasons ahead of 2026.
With a first-time senior coach and a monumental shift in the playing group after Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver’s departures, the camp was viewed as an important first step to build relationships.
The Herald Sun was invited to stay with the club in Bright to observe the final two days of the Demons’ camp.
“Here, Kozzy,” says Jack Steele as he leans forward from the second row of seats to fiddle with the Bluetooth settings.
Pickett is sprawled out in the back seat next to his riding partner Andy Moniz-Wakefield after a tough first set on the bikes.
It doesn’t take long for his phone to strike a connection with the van, and the Demons superstar’s pick for the first track of the climb is Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Some light tapping on the steering wheel suggests the introduction of music has been welcomed by new coach Steven King, who is driving this van and directing most of his focus towards not running over the current cyclists on duty – Jake Melksham and strength coach Tommy Turner.
The set timer rolls over and the former St Kilda captain Steele is on the clock next, faced with the difficult task of keeping up with his roommate for the week, Harry Sharp.
Sharp, a former junior national champion steeplechaser, has been in his element over the last two days of the Demons’ camp.
“I kept yelling out to (Sharp), telling him not to make me look stupid,” Steele says after his spell on the bike.
“He’s a freak runner, it turns out he’s pretty good on the bike too.”
Steele manages to keep Sharp within a kick’s distance for the full three minutes and sets the tone for the pair of big-bodied midfielders to follow him – Harvey Langford and Riley Onley.
There are a few reasons big-bodied midfielders are not commonly found in pelotons during the Tour de France, and this pair’s job is made tougher with a particularly steep incline ahead of them.
With the benefit of a pre-season already under his belt, Langford opens an early gap on his new teammate, but Onley digs in with some encouragement from the support van.
Melksham rolls back the door to call out to the draftee, and Pickett also pokes his head out.
“C’mon Onley-Fans,” Pickett yells.
It has been a whirlwind week for Onley, who was on the hook for three nights before he became the fifth and final draftee to join the Dees with pick No. 3 in the rookie draft.
The 18-year-old Murray Bushrangers recruit was pushed to his limits during a post-training session 6km run through the Mount Buffalo National Park.
The first three kilometres on the uneven surface were entirely uphill and a handful of players had to call it quits – but not Onley, who stormed home with a big grin on his face.
“I saw Jesus today,” he told King afterwards.
Pickett and Moniz-Wakefield put in another three-minute effort on the bike climb before there is momentary confusion as the van misses a turn and the next riders start descending the other side of the mountain.
Moniz-Wakefield, who looks in good nick after a season ruined by an ACL injury, is outraged as Melksham gets to cash in on a downhill segment.
The veteran forward descends so aggressively that it takes more than a minute for him to return to the van’s sights after the end of his set.
“Where’s Melky?” King asks as the players on the left-hand side of the van peer nervously down the embankment on the side of the road.
Once Melksham is safely back on board, King turns the van around and finds the path to the summit, where they are the last group of Demons to arrive.
It marks the end of a physically and mentally challenging two days for his new side, and it builds nicely into his aspirational first theme for the group.
“You had to buy in and throw yourselves into it. From a coaching perspective, you’ve taken care of footy, but more importantly you’ve thrown yourselves into any work that we’ve done,” King says.
“I haven’t heard anyone whinging or moaning, you’ve just been like, ‘What’s next? Get after it’.
“I think this can be a foundation for us, moving forward. And especially where we are right now … there’s going to be some hiccups along the way, but we’re looking to get the top of the mountain.”
King poses for a photo on the mountaintop with Melbourne skipper Max Gawn after the ride.
“Four metres of leadership,” King jokes.
Gawn is first to admit he would not be near the front of the group during running drills on an oval, but he powered up the daunting climb during the Mount Buffalo run on Thursday and then led all-comers when they were then made to hike 10km to a lookout near the peak.
“This is my type of stuff,” he says to photographer Michael Klein at the end of the hike.
As well as the captain, key forwards Luker Kentfield and Jacob van Rooyen were among the most impressive on the Thursday run, which Harry Sharp won by a significant margin.
Exhausted but pleased with his run, van Rooyen plonked himself down near the finish line – only to find he was on top of a bull ant nest.
“Aw, just keep moving mate,” King said with genuine concern as the 22-year-old jolted upright clutching at his backside.
Friday began at a slightly more gentle pace for the Dees as they paired up in inflatable kayaks to travel down the Ovens River from Bright.
Stephen Smith, in his first week as Melbourne president after taking over from Brad Green, joined Shane McAdam in a kayak.
PORT ADELAIDE
DECEMBER 2 – Simeon Thomas-Wilson and Dan Batten
Port Adelaide youngster Will Lorenz is hoping a dual focus of putting on size but also improving his speed can win him a consistent role in the new look Power.
Lorenz has played eight games for the Power over the past two years, with six of them coming in 2025.
It has been a period of big change at the Power and the 20-year-old is hoping he can be a part of the new era.
A spot on the wing should be up for grabs after Travis Boak’s retirement but Lorenz said he felt like that was not the only path into Josh Carr’s team.
“I think for me personally, it’s obviously to play more senior games,” he said.
“I’ve had a few chances here and there last year and in my first year. So I’m sort of looking to lock down a few more games I think (there is opportunity there).
“I feel like I’m quite versatile as a player, so I’m open to playing many different positions, whether that be on the wing, inside or half back. So yeah, I’m pretty happy to play wherever.”
To do this Lorenz had two main focuses in his off-season.
“The main thing for me was just putting on a bit of size and (working on) my speed,” he said. “That sort of area, just trying to get a bit quicker. So, if that helps me play a bit more inside mid then that’d be good.
“I’ve put on, since the end of season, probably six kilos. I’ve just been eating and being a gym rat really.
“Yeah, it’s definitely tough (balancing putting on size with improving running).
“Obviously putting on weight, you’re going to be heavier, and it tends to mean that you’re going to be a bit slower.
“But I worked with a sprint coach back in Melbourne, so I think that’s put in good stead for this year.
“It’s an area that I know I need to improve on. So I got in pretty early, and got a sprint coach there, and went to the track and did a bit of stuff there.
“I think anything that can grow my game and give me more opportunity to play at senior level, then definitely embrace that.”
Lorenz signed a one-year extension to the end of 2026 after the end of the Power’s year.
He said playing more senior games would take care of this.
“Obviously it’s been my dream for a long time to play AFL. And to sign an extension for one year is great,” he said.
“And then this year is definitely a focus trying to get another one and like I said before, try and play some more senior games.”
Meanwhile, overlooked draft prospect Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier has been the fourth player offered the chance to try out for a list spot at Port Adelaide after a successful medical last week.
The North Adelaide product was one of the hard-luck stories of the 2025 draft with a handful of clubs, including the Power, considering him late in the piece.
Oudshoorn-Bennier completed a medical with Port Adelaide on Friday morning and began training with the Power on Monday.
He is vying for one of the two open rookie spots at the Power, along with his SA teammate Balynn O’Brien, former Magpie and Roo Jaidyn Stephenson, and 21-year-old East Fremantle small forward Mitchell Zadow.
Oudshoorn-Bennier had an eye-catching season while playing through a tear in his shoulder socket, opting against surgery that would have sidelined him for the national championships.
A powerful 181 centimetre mid-forward with a penetrating kick, Oudshoorn-Bennier impressed under duress for South Australia throughout their championship-winning campaign.
He went on to shine at SANFL reserves level for North Adelaide, where he averaged 25 disposals and five clearances across six matches, and broke through for two league games for the Roosters in round 18 and 19.
Stephenson announced his shock retirement at the end of 2024 after 122 games but reignited his passion for the game captaining his junior club Ferntree Gully in the Eastern league this year.
Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee noted last week that he had made a promising first impression.
ST KILDA
DECEMBER 2 – Josh Barnes
Injury prone forward Max King has taken his biggest strides yet towards full fitness, completing a 90 minute running block at St Kilda training.
The key forward, who did not play a game last year due to knee issues, worked through his biggest session of the pre-season so far on Monday.
While King remained separated from his teammates and with a small rehab group of Saints, he moved freely as he builds up a specified program.
The Saints plan for him to be in full training in the new year, alongside recruit Tom De Koning, who was on the track on Monday as he works through a minor calf setback.
De Koning went through some fitness drills with the rehab group, which also included runner Liam Henry, before hitting the exercise bike inside St Kilda’s gym.
Jack Silvagni was not on track as he eases into his second club on a modified program.
Speedster Dan Butler was among the other Saints who did not step on the track, as he worked on the exercise bike after a session in the pool.
Butler had his 2025 season ended early with elbow surgery after playing just six games.
The Saints had strong numbers on the track on Monday and finished the session with a lengthy running block.
Unsurprisingly, running machine Darcy Wilson led the pack with Hugo Garcia and Hugh Boxshall largely kept pace during 200m sprints.
Mid-forward Mattaes Phillipou showed some of his class with sharp left-foot passing during drills while midfield recruit Sam Flanders was active during the session.
The Saints were on centre stage at training, with cameras taking in the session for a pending documentary on their pre-season.
The doco, a sequel to the ‘Full Sweat’ film on Hawthorn’s pre-season, will air on Channel 7 leading into the season.
SYDNEY
DECEMBER 3 – Lachlan McKirdy
Swans star Isaac Heeney has sung the praises of premiership-winning coach Simon Goodwin after he joined Sydney’s backroom staff this season.
Goodwin was axed from the Demons earlier this year after nine seasons in charge, with the clear highlight being Melbourne’s 2021 premiership campaign.
After taking some time out of the game to assess his options, Goodwin opted to join Sydney in the newly created role, director of coaching and performance.
He was one of several additions to the Swans’ coaching ranks, including new forwards coach Jeremy Laidler and VFL coach Nick Malceski.
The two former Swans are set to provide invaluable assistance to Dean Cox after his coaching team was left undermanned following the late departure of John Longmire before the 2025 season.
Rather than adding coaches for the sake of it, Cox was happy to take some time to ensure he was recruiting the right people.
But Goodwin’s appointment is a major signal of intent of how the Swans are giving Cox all the tools to succeed. He is one of three former AFL head coaches, along with Longmire and head of football Leon Cameron, who remain in the four walls at the club. Longmire’s role is not football-related, but is close by if needed.
Goodwin linked up with the Swans for the first time this week and spent time getting to know the players during their community camp in Newcastle. While the 48-year-old will be an observer at training for the most part, Heeney has still been struck by Goodwin’s presence around the group.
“Coxy was probably one or two coaches down over the last year, and there was a massive load on him,” Heeney said.
“So now, for this pre-season leading into next season, with two extra coaches, Laids coming from the Giants as well, and then Goody, the knowledge and the way that they communicate is second to none.
“When they do speak, it inspires you, which is something you want as a coach. A premiership-winning coach is something you don’t see much of, so to have him under Coxy, and his knowledge, especially in attack, is second to none.
“It’s exciting, and he’s an amazing fella too.”
Goodwin won’t start full-time in his role until next year, but he is eager to help Cox in any capacity ahead of his second season as a head coach.
TRAINING THE HOUSE DOWN
December is the perfect time for the pre-season cliches, and key forward Logan McDonald is ticking all of the boxes as he pushes for a return to the footy field.
McDonald missed the entire 2025 AFL campaign through an ankle injury, but a cautious approach at the back end of the year has the 23-year-old firing on all cylinders.
While he has bulked up slightly, it’s his speed and agility that are most noticeable in the early stages. And if he can build up his body of work before March, there’s no reason he won’t be lining up in the forward line alongside new recruit Charlie Curnow.
INJURY UPDATE
The Swans’ relatively clean bill of health has taken a couple of hits in recent weeks.
Skipper Callum Mills is on a modified program after injuring his hamstring, but during Wednesday’s session, he was put through some movement drills and moved freely as he continues to build up his strength.
The other concern is draftee Billy Cootee. The reigning Norwood B&F winner was a surprise selection in last month’s draft at pick 42.
While Cootee trained during his first week at the club, the 22-year-old was on crutches during Wednesday’s session in Newcastle. He is dealing with hip soreness and is scheduled to undergo scans later in the week to figure out the issue.
However, he and Mills ensured they were still working on their ball skills, dragging Brett Kirk into a handball drill while Cootee was sitting on a chair.
Originally published as Ultimate pre-season track watch: The latest scouting notes and news from across the AFL in December
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