If we're going to discuss the circumstances at this exact moment in time, then yes, it is true that our situation is less than perfect, and the gym isn't yet built at Casey and the Olympic Park facility is also incomplete.

While I am happy that we will soon have excellent facilities close to the G with a training ground nearby, Pringle is right when he says that having to use Casey as it is and where it is, is a disadvantage and disincentive to some AFL players. I understand the reason we are at Casey and if our membership grows heavily as a result it will be a suceessful decision. The fact remains that teams like carlton with a top facility and all staff, next to their training ground, in inner Melbourne and available 24/7 all year round, have a distinct significant advantage over those that don't ( us ).

that unco hack will watch his brother holding up the premiership cup and think 'dammit'

Wow looks like this thread went off topic pretty quickly.

While I am happy that we will soon have excellent facilities close to the G with a training ground nearby, Pringle is right when he says that having to use Casey as it is and where it is, is a disadvantage and disincentive to some AFL players. I understand the reason we are at Casey and if our membership grows heavily as a result it will be a suceessful decision. The fact remains that teams like carlton with a top facility and all staff, next to their training ground, in inner Melbourne and available 24/7 all year round, have a distinct significant advantage over those that don't ( us ).

Well said Redleg.

Inner, I never said the facilities will be of a lesser standard. They will be top notch. But the fact remains that Carlton and the Dogs (as an example) have their facilities in their back yard overlooking their training ground - a MUCH better arrangement. We still have to drive between two very distant training venues. We will have offices at the MCG and the new stadium (and ? at Casey). Where do the boys go to sit down for their video analysis, for example, or for recovery sessions? Carlton just walk off Corruption Park (VISY) and into their plush rooms. We may need to drive all the way back from Casey to the new stadium or the G to do this.

And it is not laughable to suggest that training schedules will have to fit in according to other teams' schedules. Whilst we may organize these things well in advance, they still need to be carefully planned. Carlton can just decide at a moment's notice to head to their home base for an impromptu session whenever they want. Sorry if I was wrong about the vixens, but that doesn't prove your point. Even the hapless Tigers will soon have their own base at Punt Road to use as they please and when they please. And if the arrangement is so good, why are we already considering a move elsewhere?

Our new arrangement is better than the old, but still not as good as what others have in terms of player convenience/comfort... which has a big say in why the top players won't even consider coming to Melbourne (apart from our poor performance in recent years). The Blues attracted players despite their poor performances. And don't bring up their spoons, as they are irrelevant and occurred in the absence of an elite training facility.

I thought Warnock was pretty good last night.

Mobile, willing to have a go, and did well when he was in the ruck.

But it's perilous to judge any Carlton player based on last night. Richmond were terrible, as per usual.

Our training oval is directly adjacent to where our change rooms are. It's not down the road (which incidentally is what Collingwood have had for years) it might be all of 100m further away than Carlton or Bulldogs. Non-issue.

This idea that we drive back and forth between the venues is another misconception. Our AAMI facilities have everything that you're wondering about. The meeting rooms, theatres, recovery, even an in-house physiotherapy practice, the lot. We will not be doing a skills session at Casey then jumping in the cars and heading to AAMI for weights or analysis. Casey, which will have complete gym & recovery facilities within a month or so, will be used in the pre-season while AAMI will be used in-season. The two venues will not be used on the same day.

I'm not going to concede this ridiculous idea of the ability to hold 'impromptu sessions'. It's utter nonsense. Every day of the year is planned out in advance with exactly what the training schedule is on that day. There is no such thing as an impromptu session at any AFL football club, anywhere, anytime. Christ, I've never even heard of an impromptu session in amateur footy outside of an impromptu parma & beers session.

I know it's only the first quarter but he looks rubbish.

Happy he chased the money.

Like normal-- your judgement is in your rear end. How you cannot admire this young man's performance after 2 years out is just ruddy ridiculous. I just hope Spencer and or Gawn can play blinders like he did last night.He would really be in my best 22 if he was Demonland.He started in the ruck and basically killed Carlton in the first 20 minutes.They did not know what hit them.Tap work was brilliant..Up against some other ruckman - maybe different however.His fitness was exemplary also.You was right in questioning his around the ground situation..I'd give his performance last night as a 8.5 out of 10.

Edited March 26, 201015 yr by jayceebee31

OK then... tell us all about our current circumstances... tell us all how you, as an AFL footballer, would rather be involved with the MFC, drive to Cranbourne all pre-season to a facility without a gym, come back to Melbourne to do your weights session, making sure it fits in with other professional sporing clubs schedule so that you can become a grand final winning team...

Or would you rather join Carlton, drive a few minutes down the road to a cushy 20 milllion dollar facility of your own, with large photographic tributes to players from your own club staring over you... who have graced the hallowed playing fields of the AFL/VFL for the last century... Oh no, our unfinished shared 'home' at the Olympic Park precinct and as yet unfinished 'home' at Casey Fields are much better... in fact, so good that we are already looking at a new Docklands 'home' for the future... because we have the best facilities in the state...

Not saying I'm 100% right. In fact would love to be proven wrong... But please give us a bit more than your assertion that I have given a "Shocking misrepresentation of our circumstances grounded in no informed knowledge of the true state of affairs." Happy to be proven incorrect if you have the inside scoop an Inner Demon would have.

I'm just not yet convinced that we have solved the problem of our biggest disadvantage to training and recruiting. I have personally seen the facilities at carlton, Collingwood and Western Bulldogs. I have also seen Richmond's facilities. We are paupers compared to the first three clubs. We are on par with the Tigers. We are at the same end of the ladder as the Tigers. We are not at the same end of the ladder as the Dogs, Blues and Pies. Discuss...

AGREE - AGREE -AGREE - I have been singing this message for 12 months now- and has not got through to the mass's heads.However, it will be a MASSIVE difference next year--the training facilities will be brilliant.This is also a factor why we did not get Judd. The other being the MONEY....

Edited March 26, 201015 yr by jayceebee31

The facts are that we've had substandard facilities since we left the MCG.

The fact is that at Olympic Park we have first class facilities which, in practice, we won't share because we will have our times to use them.

Casey is a summer precinct which by next summer will have excellent facilities for the club and also gives us an opportunity to grow the "Brand"

In the future the club may well move to a stand alone base in the docklands.

Is this as good as Carlton's arrangement? No

Once settled in Olympic Park will our players be finally on level pegging with the big clubs? Very, very close but not quite.

Would it be ideal if we moved to a stand alone facility in the Docklands whilst still maintaining a presence in Casey? Yes

The facts are that we've had substandard facilities since we left the MCG.

The fact is that at Olympic Park we have first class facilities which, in practice, we won't share because we will have our times to use them.

Casey is a summer precinct which by next summer will have excellent facilities for the club and also gives us an opportunity to grow the "Brand"

In the future the club may well move to a stand alone base in the docklands.

Is this as good as Carlton's arrangement? No

Once settled in Olympic Park will our players be finally on level pegging with the big clubs? Very, very close but not quite.

Would it be ideal if we moved to a stand alone facility in the Docklands whilst still maintaining a presence in Casey? Yes

The most sensible and accurate post you have ever made.. Gee I am starting to respect your view. Agree--agree-agree. We will be such an improved side next year based on your post alone..However it also be a huge factor in recruiting players from now on also..I may have a little of mine on the Dees this week also..Did you take the 5.40 on offer?

Just diverting back to the Warnock topic briefly. I'll reserve judgement until he's gone up against Mitch Clark next week. Ty Vickery is just a pup and unfortunately for Troy Simmonds it isn't 2004.

Clark is the same age as Warnock and I will be surprised if he doesn't give him a clinic.

The most sensible and accurate post you have ever made.. Gee I am starting to respect your view. Agree--agree-agree. We will be such an improved side next year based on your post alone..However it also be a huge factor in recruiting players from now on also..I may have a little of mine on the Dees this week also..Did you take the 5.40 on offer?

Consider my post deleted

Warnock is probably 2 years ahead of our "other" ruckman who are behind Jamar. The Russian is our stand out and we fall away dramatically from there but with signs of "upsides" for Spence and hopefully Gawn.

The facts are that we've had substandard facilities since we left the MCG.

The fact is that at Olympic Park we have first class facilities which, in practice, we won't share because we will have our times to use them.

Casey is a summer precinct which by next summer will have excellent facilities for the club and also gives us an opportunity to grow the "Brand"

In the future the club may well move to a stand alone base in the docklands.

Is this as good as Carlton's arrangement? No

Once settled in Olympic Park will our players be finally on level pegging with the big clubs? Very, very close but not quite.

Would it be ideal if we moved to a stand alone facility in the Docklands whilst still maintaining a presence in Casey? Yes

As to the sharing of facilities, I think it would be nothing but beneficial to share with a professional "winning" outfit anf culture like the Storm. Every time you hear a Storm player leave they have nothing but the highest praise for the club and it's structure. Hopefully the Dees can take some of that on board especially there weight's training and tackling drills!!

Spencer & Gawn will work him over a treat in a 3 years time.

And Jamar up forward

My point is that we don't need him atmo, we have Jamar who I believe at the mo is better. we'll see during the course of the year.

I don't think carlton will win a flag in 2010 - 2012, & by that time we will be making our push. I think we'll overtake them, unless they whiteant some of our players again.

Our facilities are about to be the state of the art of the AFL.

As I said, I bet we will win a flag before Carlton

Only watched half of tonight's game..(so boring) but I've been watching Warnock play - all you bleaters out there who were screaming 'We should get him!!!' where are you know? He's an absolute shocker. The ball hit him in the face when he was going for a mark, he falls over, goes for a tap and then.....stops. This guy is a shocker. I'd rather *gulp* big Spence, whose played all of 3 games?

Thanks for not coming and costing the Blues a fortune - heavens, they're already trying to pay one prostitute who eye gouges..............

Only watched half of tonight's game..(so boring) but I've been watching Warnock play - all you bleaters out there who were screaming 'We should get him!!!' where are you know? He's an absolute shocker. The ball hit him in the face when he was going for a mark, he falls over, goes for a tap and then.....stops. This guy is a shocker. I'd rather *gulp* big Spence, whose played all of 3 games?

Thanks for not coming and costing the Blues a fortune - heavens, they're already trying to pay one prostitute who eye gouges..............

He was poor last night. Maybe that is because he was against a ruckman.

Only watched half of tonight's game..(so boring) but I've been watching Warnock play - all you bleaters out there who were screaming 'We should get him!!!' where are you know? He's an absolute shocker. The ball hit him in the face when he was going for a mark, he falls over, goes for a tap and then.....stops. This guy is a shocker. I'd rather *gulp* big Spence, whose played all of 3 games?

Thanks for not coming and costing the Blues a fortune - heavens, they're already trying to pay one prostitute who eye gouges..............

Didn't see last night's game but I thought Warnock was pretty good last week.

Didn't see last night's game but I thought Warnock was pretty good last week.

Going up in the ruck against no one would make Jake King look like a capable ruckman.

I thought he was OK in the ruck (in terms of hitouts to advantage).

But totally useless in all other facets. Leuenberger and Clark had his measure.

Kreuzer, though, is a gem of a player. They hardly need another ruckman with him in the team.

I never saw him play for freo but saw him last week and last night and he looks very raw, look lost around the ground.

I'd rather have Strauss, whose pick we would probably have had to give to Freo for him

They are probably happy with Nick Suban

suck it Carlton

I think Carlton smased the Lions in the clearances last night. When either Kruizer or Warnock were in there. So I guess he did well in his first job, winning hit outs to his team.

However.... he does nothing around the ground.

I will wait for my final judgement in a couple of years, as he is still young and raw, and at least he is playing and maybe developing. People saying Gawn will be better have no legs to stand on, he has yet to play and is injured. Warnock is learning in the AFL every week.

Nevertheless, I am still happy enough we did not get him, but in 2 years we could all be saying something different.

On the other hand, I would love Kruizer in our team. Will be a STAR player.

Kreuzer, though, is a gem of a player. They hardly need another ruckman with him in the team.

It's scary how good he could become. I think he's the pick of their three no.1's, ahead of Murphy who I rate ahead of Gibbs.

It's scary how good he could become. I think he's the pick of their three no.1's, ahead of Murphy who I rate ahead of Gibbs.

Truly, though, the three are good.

I'd have Gibbs in front of Murphy though.

Let's just hope that Watts, Scully and Trengove (technically not a 1 but whatever) turn out to be as good as those three. Carlton would be so much worse without them.