With just under three weeks to go until Fremantle plays their first Marsh Series game, Freo ramped up their training with an 18 v 18 hitout at the club on Monday.
It was the first time the full group had worked together since last Wednesday after the club’s AFL Community Camp to the Kimberley late last week.
The hitout was split into six minute quarters, with occasional breaks in play where the players would separate into their lines for more intense drills to further ramp up the physical and fitness component.
Sean Darcy and Lloyd Meek went head to head for most of the ruck battle. Forward Rory Lobb also pitched in as a ruck up forward and occasionally rotated with Darcy.
Lobb said he and Darcy are working well together heading into the season.
“We’re just trying to get that connection,” Lobb said.
“I’m looking to play forward a lot more this year and having Darcy in the ruck getting those little flips going.
“He’s working well, he’s working on his craft and I’m just chopping in and out of the ruck.”
New draftees Caleb Serong, Hayden Young and Michael Frederick took part in most of the simulation, with Serong working closely with Lobb in the forwardline as he rotated forward from the midfield.
Lobb was pleased to see Stephen Hill in action and added that Griffin Logue impressed, with the emerging tall defender taking a number of intercept marks.
“It’s good to get those who have had interrupted pre-seasons, come back now and, hopefully, build towards round one,” Lobb said.
“And Griffin went really well, he’s getting his body right and he’s reading the ball really well. Hopefully, he can have a big season.”
New recruit Blake Acres was lively and won plenty of the football through the midfield while Adam Cerra also impressed as he looks to build his midfield minutes in 2020.
Lobb said it was an intense session with no substitutions for either team.
“It helps to get our kilometres up and training finished a bit earlier as a few boys got their kms up pretty quickly,” Lobb said.
“It was good to get out there and run around. We focused on a couple of things like stoppages, but it was good to just get out there and have a good hitout.”
