Country footy: Pre-season training underway already for Wodonga Raiders

The coach of a major country league team that has already started pre-season training has explained the reasoning behind the move.

Country footy clubs are back training before their AFL counterparts in a move baffling past and present premiership-winning coaches.

Trent McMicking has coached Leongatha to the last two Gippsland league premierships and believes the start date of pre-season training should be mandated not to start until the new year.

“It’s outrageous what’s going on,” he said.

“It used to be footy in winter and cricket or tennis in the warmer months and then you get into pre-season after Christmas.”

Leongatha coach Trent McMicking after the Parrots beat Wonthaggi in the Gippsland league grand final in September. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Leongatha will have five sessions starting late November for players aged 24 and under before the whole group resumes in late January.

“The only reason I do it is because I have to,” McMicking said.

“Otherwise players might decide to go and train somewhere else and you become too nervous about what might happen.”

Wodonga Raiders are into their second week of pre-season training under coach Marc Almond. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Ovens and Murray club Wodonga Raiders are into their second week of training and coach Marc Almond said it wasn’t all about “flogging them” early on.

“I’ve had groups where I’ve taken them back after Christmas and had groups where we’ve started this time of the year,” he said.

“It all depends on the group and where they’re at.

“It’s not the high-intensity stuff, there are a few learning sessions in there.”

Raiders played their last game in late August.

POLL: Is starting pre-season training in early November for country footy clubs too early? @theweeklytimes@ctryfootyscores

— David Johnston (@david_johnston5) November 4, 2023

Bendigo league club Castlemaine is kicking off this week under new coach Michael Hartley.

Peter Tossol, who coached two Ovens and Murray league premierships in the early 2000s and also represented Victoria at Australian Country Cricket Carnivals, said training before Christmas was a “complete and utter waste of time” for country footballers.

“Coaches and clubs do it to placate a handful of players who have a lesser opinion of the club if training doesn’t occur,” he said.

“Clubs then worry about negative feedback getting around and affecting potential recruiting.

“It’s a farce.”

Dual Corowa-Rutherglen premiership coach Peter Tossol.

Tossol-coached teams trained once per week before Christmas, but sessions were non-compulsory.

“Personally, I wanted players to freshen up rather than train,” he said.

“I also wanted players to pursue their other sporting interests such as cricket or tennis.

“I was very respectful of other summer sports and wanted players to commit to them.”