Our year from hell finished this morning with the final training session of the year.

If the world doesn't end tonight then the players then go on a two week break before the real fun starts on 7 January ...

On the off chance that the Mayans got it wrong could someone please post a report on the session?

Got there 40 minutes late. The following is not in order of what I saw. I'm just compiling this as I go.

Talk was good. Much more than the last time I watched training and that was late November in 2011. Mark Neeld not present. (I couldn't spot him)

As I walked to the oval, on the rugby pitch Watts, Dunn, Grimes, Taggert and Dawes were doing interval sprints the length of the field. Jamar, Clisby and Toumpas ran laps around them at slow pace. Dunn looks like a true athlete; has definition.

Clark sat down with the meds on the boundary line in a moonboot and crutches as expected. Looked happy. Left at about 10:20.

Dawes, Gawn (who has bulked up a bit) and Grimes ran laps on Gosch's Paddock at the back end of the session at decent nip. Dawes looks trimmer than last season. The tape on his right knee will be a mainstay as support for his ACL injury early in his career I assume.

Aaron Davey looks sharp. Dom Barry has got potential. He moves gracefully and kicks very well. Nathan Jones is easily the best player on the list. Colin Sylvia looks good but seemed like he was giving ¾ or ½ effort throughout. But I did enjoy seeing him teach Matt Jones where to run when the mids were doing a stoppage drill. Good to see him showing some leadership. Speaking of M Jones he moves well and has a decent kick. Lean and tall (a better Gysberts?).

Terlich, Stark, Clisby, Viney, Toumpas, Gawn, Taggert and Evans did handballs and short kicking for 20-40 minutes. Evans then joined in the main session doing set shots when this ended.

There was a full ground transition drill which occured twice.

The ball started 20-30 metres out on the boundary in backline. Kick went to a leading mid from the centre of the ground who then handballed to a running player who switched the ball to the opposite HBF. The next kick was down the line to a spreading mid and the mid then delivered into the fwd line to Pedersen/Tapscott/Byrnes/Davey/Howe/Blease. There were crumbers at some stages (Blease and Byrnes). Ball movement was good but the kick down the line missed the target a little too much for my liking.

David Rodan will be a bargain pick up or the club. Great talker and encourager and has still got it from what I saw. Pedersen is a big bloke and should be handy in 2013. Shannon Byrnes is pacy and has a really good nouse for positioning himself for the crumbs but misses a lot of opportunities. During the full ground drill he missed a lot of chances and his set shots aren't the most accurate. He'll get that right I'm sure.

And thats all I can remember. I don't take notes when I'm there.

On a side note the Dons were there watching the back end of the session and trained after us. I left during their warm up.

Ask me some questions if you like and you may spark my memory. Also I see future captaincy material in Toumpas and Viney. They took charge of the handball drills and practically ran it. I was loving it!

Good turnout from the Demon supporters to watch the final session. Much more so than Collingwood who were on the oval before us, and Essendon who followed.

We didn't have use of the main ground, as Victory were using it.

Not much really to report as things seemed to be a little less intense than previous sessions and there would have to have been some respite after Darwin.

Points:

* a player reported that for the Darwin sessions 7 minutes was the maximum allowed before rehydrating/cooling down. That surely puts a lot more stress and requirements than poncing around in Arizona!

* the players were put through a series of shuttle runs AFTER running a couple of laps of the oval, and some serious sprint and warm-ups.. Standouts were Gillies and Davis? Special mention to Spencer and Fitzpatrick who were still around near the end.

* Grimes running laps. Fairly freely and getting lots of encouragement from the rest of the team as he passed by on each lap. Hamstring and quad recovery apparently.

* Watts, Gawn, Dawes, Dunn, Nicholson on another oval in rehab.

* Clark back in moon boot, but probably to protect the foot after removing the staples this week. Also has lost his beard.

* Howe trying to sell his car, after winning a new Toyota for mark of the year. Said he needed a new one ... looking forward to next year's model as well ...

* a few rucking/clearance exercises to finish, but nothing as stenuous as what Misson is putting them through.

* another player reported that the work rate is up 30% on last year. Given that was up 30% on the previous, it should show in the fitness levels in 2013 OR we were REALLY bad when Misson first arrived.

Deelirious - is Rodan with the mids or forwards or both?

Thanks

Deelirious - is Rodan with the mids or forwards or both?

Thanks

Mids and was doing well. Had a long period of set shots with the fwds though.

I love these training report threads!

You lads do a great job, keep up the good work.

Well reported lads! Have a great Christmas everybody!

Not much really to report as things seemed to be a little less intense than previous sessions, and there would have to have been some respite after Darwin.

* Grimes running laps. Fairly freely and getting lots of encouragement from the rest of the team as he passed by on each lap. Hamstring and quad recovery apparently.

* Watts, Gawn, Dawes, Dunn, Nicholson on another oval in rehab.

I think you are right with the intensity being down a bit but still a solid session. Post Darwin pre Christmas, I would expect the intensity to be up significantly towards the end of January.

Nicholson went in early with Garland, they did some light work before the main group started. He wasn't with the rehab group. Grimes was with that group before moving on to the main oval to run some lap times as did Dawes.

A few things I noticed were Toumpas gets around and gets involved, he's creating a positive presence.

Dawes is a big unit and was working up some good pace in his run throughs, will be a handful in the coming season.

Barry is an athlete with great skills, will be interesting to watch in match conditions.

Davey is working into training, moving and kicking well.

Evans looks in great shape and hopefully gets a clear run at it.

Tommy Mc has been working on his kicking (ball drop) but will still be a work in progress, be interesting to watch when under pressure on match day to see if he can keep his technique.

Sammy Blease still has a bit of work to do on the tank but his is doing it and getting support to keep at it, he has the right attitude (and ability) and that's why he is still there and others have been moved on.

I had a quick look too and a few things that stood out to me:

• I love how tight Jack Viney and Jimmy Toumpas are, thick as thieves and really took charge in a few of the handball drills. You Can see Toumpas naturally takes charge of the younger blokes in a really good way.
• They did some stoppage work and Dom Barry was ultra impressive. He was in everything, very clean and NEVER misses a target. Pencil thin as we all know and I can't see him ever getting a whole lot bigger but has some serious class about him.
• I've been reading some of the reports about Sylvia and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought he looked fit, sharp and there's no doubt about it, he's the cleanest player on the list IMO.
• Jamar, Pederson, Spencer and Fitzpatrick did some contested marking work close to where I was standing. Spencer was the standout for mine, plucking everything. His kick still looks as though he will be a compulsory handball to a runner type his whole career.
• The feeling in the group pleased me more than anything. No doubt they were up and about being the last session before Christmas but it just seemed like they were loving being there, a really tight group and were up for the challenge ahead. Plenty of talk, encouragement of one another and a positive vibe throughout.

Great reports guys, also nice to hear a lot more support for the boys.Even better. if we had more there than the filth.

I would have got down there, but I'm in the bunker with my 2 pallets of popcorn. One wall is taken up with a 10'x8' of Robbie, anyone know what time the world ends?? I need to set my alarm so I dont sleep through it.

This mayan farce may turn out to be about as accurate as kero wilsons reports. Like her they will back track a bit and

have a 2nd & 3rd punt on getting it right.

Whats the bet, the world ends the day before the finals, when we are red hot favourites for our 13th flag.

Nathan Jones is easily the best player on the list.

Is that the same Nathan Jones that so many on here wanted to get rid of a couple of years ago?

Good turnout from the Demon supporters to watch the final session. Much more so than Collingwood who were on the oval before us, and Essendon who followed.

We didn't have use of the main ground, as Victory were using it.

...

Evans was also a stand out in the shuttle run (beep test) as he completed 3 extra run throughs after his group had all retired.

On the newbies, Howe commented on Kent's long kicking ability and surprise, surprise Matt Jones. Said that in Darwin the boys didn't know how to handle him. Great hands apparently. Was disappointed with Rivers and Petterd leaving as they were his best mates. Said Hannath could kick like a midfielder and they were hoping to keep him under wraps.

In something of an anti-climax, it appears that the world did not end yesterday, life goes on and the lads will be back at training on 7 January, 2013 after all.

I'm sure I speak for most Demonlanders who, for whatever reason, simply can't make it down to training and therefore gain so much enjoyment from reading the reports of those who are fortunate enough to get there.

Stay safe over the break and see ya in January!

Is that the same Nathan Jones that so many on here wanted to get rid of a couple of years ago?

One and the same - too slow, dreadful disposal and will never get any better :-))))

I wonder what humble pie tastes like?

In something of an anti-climax, it appears that the world did not end yesterday, life goes on and the lads will be back at training on 7 January, 2013 after all. I'm sure I speak for most Demonlanders who, for whatever reason, simply can't make it down to training and therefore gain so much enjoyment from reading the reports of those who are fortunate enough to get there. Stay safe over the break and see ya in January!

Thanks Jack for all your updates throughout the year.

Enjoy the break.

* Howe trying to sell his car, after winning a new Toyota for mark of the year. Said he needed a new one ... looking forward to next year's model as well ...

LOL :-)

is pedersen training with the fwds or does he seem as though he will be a utillity like he was at North? If he seems to be going to be largely a fwd then that can only be good news. 20 goals from 16 games is pretty good considering he was moving between back, fwd and ruck at north!

Thanks for the reports guys.

I intend to get along a bit more in Jan.

can anyone help me as to whether it will still be at the paddock.

Or will they move to the Fields?

I have some pics from this training session. How do I upload them? What are the size limits?

is pedersen training with the fwds or does he seem as though he will be a utillity like he was at North? If he seems to be going to be largely a fwd then that can only be good news. 20 goals from 16 games is pretty good considering he was moving between back, fwd and ruck at north!

With the forwards. Was presenting as a marking target in the match sim drill and spent time with one of the goal kicking groups. Less accurate than others.

With the forwards. Was presenting as a marking target in the match sim drill and spent time with one of the goal kicking groups. Less accurate than others.

I should have said while not the most accurate, has clean hands and presents strongly.

I have some pics from this training session. How do I upload them? What are the size limits?

PM Andy (Demonland) - he's the tech geek around here but do it before Xmas Day because he might be hard to find for a while after that.

Thanks Whispering_Jack