Eagles Preseason 2015

[LF]

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2015-02-02/seeing-the-light

After a mini pre-season break, it was a case of re-igniting the flame for the final phase of the pre-season program.

With the game against the Indigenous All-Stars only a little more than a fortnight away (February 20), the players can now see the light at the end of the long training tunnel and they’re getting excited.

That much was evident after freshening up with their four-day break before resuming at Patersons Stadium today.

Training was slick and the boys enjoyed being back on track.

While Scott Selwood, Mark Hutchings and Jack Darling continue to work away, edging ever closer to joining the main group, the rest of their teammates look sharp, with the ball movement being precise and the output strong from start to finish.

Elliot Yeo, Beau Waters and Sharrod Wellingham, who have been “managed” through the program all looked to be in good touch and will be itching to get early games in the NAB pre-season series.

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/gallery/2015-02-02/back-on-deck

[LF]

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2015-02-03/the-big-three

Dean Cox’s retirement at the end of last season has opened up new opportunities for West Coast’s rising ruck stocks.

Assistant coach Justin Longmuir told SportFM on Tuesday morning that he has been impressed with Nic Naitanui, Scott Lycett and Callum Sinclair so far this pre-season, reporting that the three big men have developed a healthy rivalry over the summer.

“It’s getting really competitive between those three at the moment,” Longmuir said.

“They’ve all got some outstanding qualities that they bring. Scotty Lycett has probably put on three or four more kilos and looks really strong.

“Nic has actually done some pre-season which is a real bonus because it’s probably the first decent chunk of pre-season I’ve seen since he got drafted.

“All three of them are looking really good. The match-sim type stuff we’re doing at the moment, they’re getting really competitive against each other and driving each other to a new level, so it’s really pleasing.”

Longmuir has been impressed with the squad as a whole so far this pre-season, with many injured players returning from the sidelines after the Christmas break.

He said the past month has been a crucial part of the summer campaign and the players have made important progress in the lead up to the team's first pre-season match against the Indigenous All Stars.

“Since Christmas, it’s been a steady build,” Longmuir said.

“The first week after Christmas, you usually ease the players in, and by the fourth week, the end of January, you’re really pushing them to their limits and it’s a really high-risk period, we put them under a lot of fatigue.

“A lot of the match-sim stuff, 18 v 18 against each other, that game speed really kicks in and it’s the first time the players have been exposed to that sort of intensity since the end of last season, so it’s a really high-risk period.

“Fortunately, we’ve got through it unscathed and we’re starting to get a lot of numbers back on the track, so we’re really pleased with the way it’s progressing so far.”

[LF]

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2015-02-04/sprinkler-strategy

Usually pencilled in as a quieter day of the training week, Tuesday kicked off with a light skills workout on Patersons Stadium.

The training session lasted around 30 minutes, with the boys working on their touch, goal-kicking and familiarising themselves with the game plan.

While some big names like Jack Darling and Scott Selwood are still restricted to lighter duties, the overall list of players participating in full training for this time of year is promising.

To wrap up this morning’s hit-out, the boys tested out their skills against the sprinkler system on Kitchener Park, a ploy midfielder Matt Priddis believes will help the players improve their skills in wet weather conditions.

“So last year we were quite poor in the wet. We lost three games,” Priddis told Eagle Eye TV.

“We don’t get a lot of rain over here in WA, so we go up to Kitchener Park and get the sprinklers going and get an opportunity to handle some wet footies.”

To finish off the day, strength coach Brendan Kennedy was given the chance to remind the squad of the importance of strength training in the gym.

“We touched on football and strength and the importance that upper body and lower body strength plays in football,” Kennedy said.

“We used a test to actually measure the players’ progress. The basic underlying thing is that players need strength to win contests and be more powerful.”

[RaisyDaisy]

Scooter putting off contract talks  :-\

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-02-05/selwood-puts-off-contract-talks

[elephants]

Surely just until he gets his body right and strings a few good games together? Not much bargaining power going for him atm!

[Ricochet]

Surely just until he gets his body right and strings a few good games together? Not much bargaining power going for him atm!

Nah he's definitely going home. 100% lock it in ;)

[LF]

http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2015-02-04/duo-back-on-track

WEST Coast received a boost in a lead-up to the NAB Challenge with key duo Scott Selwood and Jack Darling back running after long injury lay-offs.

Neither man participated in the main drills during the Eagles' open training session at Patersons Stadium on Wednesday, but Selwood ran well as he lifted the intensity following ankle surgery prior to Christmas.

The 2012 best and fairest winner appears likely to participate in the latter stages of the NAB Challenge.

Darling's workload was lighter than Selwood's. He did some light running and agility work with the key forward still working his way back from a stress fracture in his foot.

The Eagles open the pre-season with a fixture against the AFL Indigenous All-Stars at Medibank Stadium in Perth on Friday February 20.

They then host Carlton in their first NAB Challenge match at Rushton Park in Mandurah seven days later.

Ruckman Nic Naitanui was held out of the match simulation, but completed a testing running session instead.

Competition for the ruck roles at West Coast will be fierce following the retirement of Dean Cox. With Naitanui fit and firing, Scott Lycett and Callum Sinclair appear to be competing for the second ruck spot.

Lycett did the majority of the ruck work in the match simulation, but Sinclair looks in excellent shape and is also capable of filling a role up forward.

[SydneyRox]

Surely just until he gets his body right and strings a few good games together? Not much bargaining power going for him atm!

if I was an eagles supporter I would be worried.... will attract plenty of interest

[DALBS]

Hope Scooter stays. With Nicnats first full preseason now, he should go close to club Champion this year.

[elephants]

Surely just until he gets his body right and strings a few good games together? Not much bargaining power going for him atm!

if I was an eagles supporter I would be worried.... will attract plenty of interest

He would sure but I just cant see him leaving I don't think

[jvalles69]

Surely just until he gets his body right and strings a few good games together? Not much bargaining power going for him atm!

if I was an eagles supporter I would be worried.... will attract plenty of interest

He would sure but I just cant see him leaving I don't think

In all honesty, I love Scooter, but he prob would be one of our best bargaining chip to get a young Wes Aussie mid fielder back from Victoria.  If he wants to go home, lets trade for some quality.

[RaisyDaisy]

In all honesty, I love Scooter, but he prob would be one of our best bargaining chip to get a young Wes Aussie mid fielder back from Victoria.  If he wants to go home, lets trade for some quality.

[SydneyRox]

In all honesty, I love Scooter, but he prob would be one of our best bargaining chip to get a young Wes Aussie mid fielder back from Victoria.  If he wants to go home, lets trade for some quality.

ok, throw a name or two up?

[Nige]

In all honesty, I love Scooter, but he prob would be one of our best bargaining chip to get a young Wes Aussie mid fielder back from Victoria.  If he wants to go home, lets trade for some quality.

ok, throw a name or two up?

Reece Conca.  :o

[SydneyRox]

In all honesty, I love Scooter, but he prob would be one of our best bargaining chip to get a young Wes Aussie mid fielder back from Victoria.  If he wants to go home, lets trade for some quality.

ok, throw a name or two up?

Reece Conca.  :o

not the hand be downs even there own team dont want.

:P