Pretty spot on Rookie Demon. I was there early and Neil Craig came over for a chat which was nice.

Just some notes that I made were Sylvia and Grimes went out back somewhere (2nd oval?) presuming to do running. No Watts/Dawes or Hogan anywhere. Trenners legs are thinner and he looked sharp . If 27 is Gillies, he's a big boy!

Pederson is underdone but just kept at it which was good . Great to see Dunn helping and with technical stuff in the body positioning etc. The session was solid and lasted 2¼ hours and the noise and encouragement by all players was excellent.

I was thinking that they weren't going to do much running today until they went into separate groups as previously posted and the drills went for about 40 minutes with footys and all running...very hard stuff it was!

Jones was good after a drill was a bit sloppy encouraging excellence etc. Viney looked a bit smaller than I thought and not as polished with his kicks but I guess he will improve. All in all it was great to see that the boys are into big time and we certainly will be fit and a much improved team in 2013!

This is what I have noticed and the kicking will get better and better, they run them really hard and then follow up with kicking, exactly what will happen in a game..you have to kick when you are stuffed and still be accurate...the fitter they get the better the kicking.....Viney is throwing himself in but the load on an 18 yr old body must be immense

This is what I have noticed and the kicking will get better and better, they run them really hard and then follow up with kicking, exactly what will happen in a game..you have to kick when you are stuffed and still be accurate...the fitter they get the better the kicking.....Viney is throwing himself in but the load on an 18 yr old body must be immense

He's not a normal 18 year old though Satyricon!

I think he could be the next actor in one of those Tooheys 5 Seeds ads. Looks like an 18 year old, but not as sweet as you think.

Pretty spot on Rookie Demon. I was there early and Neil Craig came over for a chat which was nice.

Just some notes that I made were Sylvia and Grimes went out back somewhere (2nd oval?) presuming to do running. No Watts/Dawes or Hogan anywhere. Trenners legs are thinner and he looked sharp . If 27 is Gillies, he's a big boy!

Pederson is underdone but just kept at it which was good . Great to see Dunn helping and with technical stuff in the body positioning etc. The session was solid and lasted 2¼ hours and the noise and encouragement by all players was excellent.

I was thinking that they weren't going to do much running today until they went into separate groups as previously posted and the drills went for about 40 minutes with footys and all running...very hard stuff it was!

Jones was good after a drill was a bit sloppy encouraging excellence etc. Viney looked a bit smaller than I thought and not as polished with his kicks but I guess he will improve. All in all it was great to see that the boys are into big time and we certainly will be fit and a much improved team in 2013!

I love the fact that they are working to create a team.

Have noticed over the last few years we don't pat each other on the back or talk much on the field. If the Watts incident in his first game was to happen now I suspect 10 players would run over to back him up. Nothing happened at the time which was a disgrace. Small but good signs....

I love the fact that they are working to create a team.

Have noticed over the last few years we don't pat each other on the back or talk much on the field. If the Watts incident in his first game was to happen now I suspect 10 players would run over to back him up. Nothing happened at the time which was a disgrace. Small but good signs....

Yep...it's about building a football team

An interesting thing I noticed today...about 30 guys training and I counted 15 coaches/support staff

An interesting thing I noticed today...about 30 guys training and I counted 15 coaches/support staff

Good thing isn't it?

We can finally afford a 'bloated' FD.

Thank you Cam.

He's not a normal 18 year old though Satyricon!

I think he could be the next actor in one of those Tooheys 5 Seeds ads. Looks like an 18 year old, but not as sweet as you think.

I was speaking mainly from experience, joined the military at the same age and nearly died, body just ached for weeks.....through all the training and constant exercise.......impressed by his work ethic.....really showing the way

So, has Toumpas bulked up yet or are his dodgy hips holding him back already ?

Don't change buses. Stay with us on the reality bus.

Hmmmmmmmmm Reality... now theres an idea !!

Awesome review got to hear there getting flogged after last years effort there should be few spared the easy ride.carn dees

It was a near perfect morning for training. Having read the previous reports / posts on today's training it has been summed up perfectly.

I will reflect back for those that never get a chance to see them training in the flesh.

Going back to the Bailey era, the drills were a bit hit and miss back then. They always seemed to me, as it was the same ol, same ol, with not much thought with structures, drills and fitness. It mostly was all about reflexes - handballing in close. Lacked direction somewhat.

Come last pre-season, the step up was enormous, the players were being flogged, with more considered and thoughtout training drills. It came across as they were building up their stamina,and 90% of the players were really struggling. I almost felt sorry for them.

This session, a big change again from last pre-season, from my point of view. They have the players primed to take the next step up into more structured and intense sessions. Players that looked like slowing down, were told clearly and loudly not to drop off, and do the drill perfectly.

Encouragement was given constantly to press that home. And most time the players were doing it right. They kept encouraging each other to go harder or at least keep to the level required. You can be sure, on the track, the players are giving everything they have.

Its pretty full on, whether it was the repeat spints (100mtr x 3) short break for a min then another 100mtr x 3. Then that group moved on to another drill. No break. Went straight into, leading and hitting a running player with 30mtr passing to handballing to a running player.

Lots more running, its non stop. All this over 30-40mins before they had a breather.

I can add, MY (our) favorite player, No 12 has a slight injury and they are easing him through it. My thought was, 'yeah, whats new, he always seems to find an out, whether a fault of his own, or a mishap from elsewhere'. I was told, fairly bluntly, he is well aware of the need to be involved, and nobody knows better than himself. It was also added, after I dropped a subtle hint, he needs to step up, and was told Col is well aware of that, and wants to show he can perform better so perhaps a new Col this year. (if he completes all the drills, instead of being an onloooker)

Pickles said he will be ready soon, He should be right to go for the third practice match. He had learnt a hard lesson, by coming back too soon.

He is raring to go, is back on track, and looks like his probelms are behind him (lets hope).

No Neeld, (stayed with the new recruits at the Gold Coast). No Watts, or Hogan. They were at AMMI.

Magner has trimmed down, looks more like a greyhound, as do most of the players. Rodan is built like a mini bulldozer. Flash was struggling with the running drills. He looked to be moving ok, just his tank is ½ empty.

Everyone else there, looked fit, and look ready to keep building on their fitness levels.

Overall it was a long, intense and impressive training session. The players are all under the pump to compete, without making mistakes.

If I were to put in into 4 phases, we have entered phase 2, nearly ready for phase3.

The difference now with a handball drill, has changed a lot, from years past, they would almost stand toe to toe, and fire handballs to each other (and we wondered why, under pressure, they shot off a handball to a standing target, then that player would be buried)

Now in groups of 10 (x2 groups), they do the keeping off, from the other group who were trying to put pressure and win the ball back for their group.

If the group that had control of the ball, they had to work their way through traffic and pressure, and try to keep possession.

It was full on, only the tackling wasnt slightly eased, nobody got dumped.

If somebody in either group, erred, it was 10 pushups,no just for the player, but the entire training group, that happened a few times.

Footnote: I stumbled across this. Always interested to hear where our ex players endup after being delisted etc. Seagulls secure Ex-Demon

Photos on the AFL website.

Photos on the AFL website.

Where are the photos of the weedy guys like me?

Couple of points.

Thank heavens Dunn is being taught how not to get into an opponents back.

Rodan looks like he will demolish someone.

And seriously where are all the stick figure players we got used to?

And seriously where are all the stick figure players we got used to?

They are currently 'filling out' and will be ready sometime in December 2017...

What is with the photo captions? Sounds like a pre schooler wrote them.

Where are the photos of the weedy guys like me?

And seriously where are all the stick figure players we got used to?

They are currently 'filling out' and will be ready sometime in December 2017...

Mostly offloaded because they either couldn't or wouldn't bulk up to the required standard. Tough game at the top level.

How about C.P.

Didn't post but in no way should we call the guy Pedo Bear.

Pedders will do and doesn't lead to uncomfortable conversations old lady supporters when they ask me why I am calling him Bear...

what about Guy Smiley? Pedo Bear is a dead ringer

Spot on Deevoted!...I did notice Blease really struggling late in the running?..really struggling a lot ! He worked so hard!

Love the shot of Howe tackling Jones and the bag .. lovelovelove.

Thanks to everyone who goes to training and writes up these fantastic reports. Great for those of us who can't get down there to see how the boys are going.

Thanks to everyone who goes to training and writes up these fantastic reports. Great for those of us who can't get down there to see how the boys are going.

Agreed. I wish I had time to get out to some of these sessions and compare to what I saw under Bailey. It's great to get this sort of news and detailed descriptions of what they guys are up to.

Thanks so much to everyone for the reports. One of my favourite things this time of year. Can't wait to get to some training sessions myself. Also, noticed Dunn rucking against Spencer in the photos on the club site. Does anyone know if this is a new role for him? HBF pinch hitting in the ruck would be a new one.

Folks, thanks for the training update.

The misses and I are currently in New York, she's shopping and I'm starved for a football fix so I really appreciate any info I can get about the team because believe it or not there is nothing about the Dee's in

the New York Times or Rupert's Wall Street Journal.

Gee - it seems the guys really are training the house down! I'm starting to feel quietly optimistic about next year and I reckon I've gone from a glass two thirds empty pessimist to a glass one third full optimist in a couple of short weeks.

Keep up the good work.