Pre-season: what we know so far
We're not going to pretend we have all the details yet.
Here's exactly what's locked in, what we're still waiting on, and everything you can do to be ready before the first session.
WHERE THINGS STAND
Confirmed, and not confirmed yet
Pre-Season Training Venue
We've applied for our preferred ground and we're waiting on council approval.
We can't announce a location until that comes back - and we won't guess, because a wrong address costs a family a wasted trip.
Expected to be able to confirm during September.
Start date and session times
These follow the venue.
Once we have the ground, we'll set the nights and times by age group and publish them here first.
Pre-Season is happening
Every age group will have a pre-season. The only open questions are where and when, not whether.
Waitlisted players are welcome from session one of pre-season
You don't have to wait until registration to start training.
If your child is on the 2027 waitlist, they train with us from the first session.
How you'll hear about it
Session details go out through the Team Stack app and our Facebook page, and this page is updated at the same time.
Nothing is announced anywhere else first.
Want to be told the moment it's locked in?
Join the 2027 waitlist and you'll be on the list that gets the venue, dates and times before we post them publicly.
If you're already on it, you don't need to do anything — we'll come to you.
FOR FAMILIES NEW TO JUNIOR FOOTY
What pre-season actually is
If you've come from Auskick, or this is your child's first year of club footy, "pre-season" can sound more serious than it is.
It isn't a trial. Nobody is being cut, ranked or assessed for selection. Turning up doesn't win a spot and missing a week doesn't lose one.
It's about getting ready and getting comfortable. Running, skills, getting used to the ball again after summer - and just as importantly, your child learning their teammates' names and their coach learning theirs before round one arrives.
It's where the season is actually made. The kids who turn up to pre-season aren't the fittest ones in April. They're the ones who already feel like they belong to something by then.
Start date and session times
These follow the venue.
Once we have the ground, we'll set the nights and times by age group and publish them here first.
GETTING READY
What to bring, and what to sort out now
You can get all of this done before we've even announced a date. Nothing here is expensive and most of it you may already have.
Football boots
Any football boots will do - they don't need to be new, and hand-me-downs are completely normal here. One rule from the league: no metal stops in the boots. Umpires can and do check boots before a game.
A mouthguard
Worn for matches and for contact training. A custom-fitted one from a dentist or club event gives the best protection, but a "boil and bite" from the chemist is far better than nothing and is what most junior players start with.
A big water bottle
Named, and fuller than you think it needs to be. Pre-season runs through the warm months and hydration starts before your child leaves the house, not when they get thirsty.
Sunscreen & a hat
SPF 50+, applied at home about 30 minutes before the session rather than in the car park. We'll have sunscreen at training too, and they'll need to reapply if it's a long hot session.
Don't forget to grab a Saints hat from the Saints-Shop.
Trimmed fingernails
An odd one to put on a list, but it's an actual league rule - nails need to be short enough that they can't hurt another player.
It's worth building the habit at pre-season.
Comfortable training gear
No uniform needed for pre-season. Shorts, a t-shirt or long sleeves, and something warm for afterwards. Uniform ordering happens separately - see the Join page for those dates. The does have training shorts and singlets if you wish to purchase.
The safety standards we train to
These aren't things we made up to sound good. They're the standards the AFL and our league require, and they apply at every training session - not just on game day.
HOW WE RUN A TRAINING SESSION
If you've come from Auskick, or this is your child's first year of club footy, "pre-season" can sound more serious than it is.
It isn't a trial. Nobody is being cut, ranked or assessed for selection. Turning up doesn't win a spot and missing a week doesn't lose one.
It's about getting ready and getting comfortable. Running, skills, getting used to the ball again after summer - and just as importantly, your child learning their teammates' names and their coach learning theirs before round one arrives.
It's where the season is actually made. The kids who turn up to pre-season aren't the fittest ones in April. They're the ones who already feel like they belong to something by then.
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A qualified first aid provider at every session. Not just at matches. Along with a first aid kit, proper rescue and transport equipment, and marked access for an ambulance. If those things aren't in place, the session doesn't start.
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Heat is planned around, not pushed through. We monitor Bureau of Meteorology conditions and schedule training to avoid extreme heat, with shade, cooling and plenty of fluid available. If it's dangerous, we move or cancel the session — and we'd rather do that than be brave about it.
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Sun protection is taken seriously. SPF 50+ sunscreen available at outdoor sessions, sessions shortened when UV is high, and shade provided. Hats and sunglasses where practical.
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Concussion is handled by the book. We follow the AFL's concussion management guidelines exactly. A player suspected of concussion is removed from the session and does not return that day — no exceptions, no judgement calls on the sideline, and a set return-to-training process before they play again.
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Lightning stops play. Sessions are suspended while lightning is anywhere near the ground, in line with the AFL's extreme weather policy.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Things parents ask us
If you've come from Auskick, or this is your child's first year of club footy, "pre-season" can sound more serious than it is.
It isn't a trial. Nobody is being cut, ranked or assessed for selection. Turning up doesn't win a spot and missing a week doesn't lose one.
It's about getting ready and getting comfortable. Running, skills, getting used to the ball again after summer - and just as importantly, your child learning their teammates' names and their coach learning theirs before round one arrives.
It's where the season is actually made. The kids who turn up to pre-season aren't the fittest ones in April. They're the ones who already feel like they belong to something by then.
Start date and session times
These follow the venue.
Once we have the ground, we'll set the nights and times by age group and publish them here first.