To the people who went yesterday, was there any invitee's training with us yesterday??

Whos the tall guy next to Dan Nicholson???

It's Maia Westrupp

At least you didn't have the red top on pulled up to show half your fat gut.

Were you trying to get a good dose of vitamin D in the sunshine Ben? Good for you.

It's Maia Westrupp

Really? If so he seems to have bulked up a bit.

Were you trying to get a good dose of vitamin D in the sunshine Ben? Good for you.

Seriously mate, either go on a diet, or improve your wardrobe.

How is the Toump looking now? An injury free season might see him being a bolter next year, all class with his foot skills.

Really? If so he seems to have bulked up a bit.

You would expect that he has,,, but then again, it could be a trick of the lens... the old chiaroscuro effect.

Whats with all the personal attacks towards people??

That's the thing these days, people spend more time worrying about how they look on the outside when they should be concentrating on whats on the inside and respecting each other.

What i get from this thread is that the club needs to invest in a large bucket and a Foldable japanese dressing shade.

Some supporters such as the master are trying to fix the beautifully unbroken.

I understand the Master wants Howe to hit the ball with speed for easy marks but trying to teach him not to leap is like telling Picasso to cut out the cubism.

on the urine issue-the bucket ,when full, can be given to ASADA for a team sample .

Daisy-I "liked" your "stream of consciousness"on the issue and the "fluid solutions" you provided.

Surely we should spend a penny to water the horses in case we a are caught short again.It's a No 1 issue.

At least you didn't have the red top on pulled up to show half your fat gut.

You're probably one of those people who only wants to see this fashion style when the wearer has a six pack. This guy is obviously just as proud as them of his one pack. Probably put in just as much hard work building it as well. I'm not loving the sudden deterioration into personal insults on this thread. It's just good to hear people are out there supporting the Club without them having to be subject to personal abuse from fellow supporters.

Seriously mate, either go on a diet, or improve your wardrobe.

The most interesting and intriguing thing about all of this, is that you, in all your infinite wisdom feel the need to engage in personal attacks with another poster for their physical appearance on an AFL supporters forum.

For someone with much to give when it comes to knowledge of the game, I think there are a couple of other areas in your life you need to work on Ben.

You got a lot bottled up big guy.

What i get from this thread is that the club needs to invest in a large bucket and a Foldable japanese dressing shade.Some supporters such as the master are trying to fix the beautifully unbroken.I understand the Master wants Howe to hit the ball with speed for easy marks but trying to teach him not to leap is like telling Picasso to cut out the cubism.on the urine issue-the bucket ,when full, can be given to ASADA for a team sample .Daisy-I "liked" your "stream of consciousness"on the issue and the "fluid solutions" you provided.Surely we should spend a penny to water the horses in case we a are caught short again.It's a No 1 issue.

Post of the year? Anyone?

You're probably one of those people who only wants to see this fashion style when the wearer has one of those six packs. This guy is obviously just as proud as them of his one pack. Probably put in just as much hard work building it as well.

Nah, I have no problems with people being overweight, but don't have half of your gut showing while you're wearing a full length shirt. Especially if you're a middle aged man.

The most interesting and intriguing thing about all of this, is that you, in all your infinite wisdom feel the need to engage in personal attacks with another poster for their physical appearance on an AFL supporters forum.

Who engaged who ?

This is all just an amusing pastime for me, but if others feel offended even better.

The most interesting and intriguing thing about all of this, is that you, in all your infinite wisdom feel the need to engage in personal attacks with another poster for their physical appearance on an AFL supporters forum.

For someone with much to give when it comes to knowledge of the game, I think there are a couple of other areas in your life you need to work on Ben.

You got a lot bottled up big guy.

You are kidding me about BH's knowledge, it is all second or third hand, the ink isn't dry on his birth certificate yet, hence the puerile personal attacks on anybody who questions him or he has nothing valid to add

Going back to topic

Maia Westrupp has been hitting the weights for over six months now, so yes he is bulking up

Toumpas is really intense at training already, hardly smiles, hardly speaks, just pumping it out, he looks 'November' great

Read the comment before it got deleted..

BH you really are a [censored] of the highest order.

I understand the Master wants Howe to hit the ball with speed for easy marks but trying to teach him not to leap is like telling Picasso to cut out the cubism.

Picasso gave away Cubism in 1973 in favour of Deconstructionism which he has successfully been doing ever since. Not to mention that Picasso paid his dues as a superb draftsman prior to his dabbling and then immersing himself in Cubism; that is, in Howe's case. he might need to go back to perfecting his basic skill set in order to give more substance to his more creative approach to the game.

The most interesting and intriguing thing about all of this, is that you, in all your infinite wisdom feel the need to engage in personal attacks with another poster for their physical appearance on an AFL supporters forum.

For someone with much to give when it comes to knowledge of the game, I think there are a couple of other areas in your life you need to work on Ben.

You got a lot bottled up big guy.

He's big and gruff on the outside but inside hes just a little boy with a huge collection of footy cards with "SPUD" written across most of their faces.

I volunteer to help counsel Ben in to the new millennium.

I will need some help of course- and I will be enlisting Lord Weaver and BBO for their famous retreat/re-birthing clinic.

Ben isn't much into the new wave stuff but we will tell him it's a boot camp for the soul.

When I arrived about at about 10, the main group was doing similar circuit work they did on Friday, although only using two thirds of the ground rather than the whole ground they did on Friday. They did the same long kicking to targets, fast running and receiving handballs and then long kicking to position, although I didn't think it had quite the same intensity as I saw on Friday. It was nevertheless similarly impressive. The skill levels appear to be pretty good for this time of year.

After they broke up into smaller groups to do hand-balling and tackling at close quarters, they did another exercise i had not seen in this form before. I would call it an Aussie Rules version of the old British Bulldog we used to play in primary school. That is, two teams of about 12 a side who face each other across an oblong field about 80m long, one group is given the ball at one end of the field,facing the other group at the other. The group with the ball would then run at the other group and try and break the defensive lines via running and handball. the defensive team then tries to stop them via normal tackling and blocking. Once the breakout is achieved, then the ball carrier is required to kick it to the goalsquare about 60 metres downfield. The defensive team then is given a ball and is required to break the lines of the other team in a similar fashion. This went back and forth about a dozen times with Roos taking personal charge of the exercise and occasionally calling everyone together to given instructions about position play, blocking and tackling.

His key message seemed to be the importance when the teams changed over for the attacking team to quickly get back into defensive positioning. He was constantly on about this to Jack Watts. Often it was Jack who broke the lines with great skill and delivered the ball to the goal-square with pinpoint accuracy. The message I think Roos was trying to get across to him though was you job is not done, you have to deliver on defensive play as well as attacking. I think i heard him shout at Jack three or four times. "Get back Jack, get back quickly". I didn't hear this message to any other player in such tones, although he might have I was a fair way away.

I think we all know that Jack has wonderful skills and excellent natural attacking inclinations, but it is his intensity and willingness to run back defensively which worries a lot of us. If today was any guide i would say Roos is well onto this, and onto this very early in the pre-season. If he can get this right in Jack's game, then i have no doubt Jack will end up an All-Australian next season. This alone has the potential to deliver big time for the MFC. To be fair to Jack, i have not seen him look as fit, as big, as fast or as focused as he does at the moment. I'm quite sure Roos will get the absolute best out of him.

I also see a much greater intensity and confidence in the two Jacks, particularly Jack Trengove who seems to have his explosive running back, was taking great high marks, and kicking 50-60 metre goals. Jack Grimes is as committed as ever, and will be a star if he can keep his fitness up.

LOVE this post!

Crazy no previous coach has done this before. Attacking in a line and then teaching players to run back to defense and "holding the line", brilliant. Too often do we turn it over and the goals just leak through our midfield. Usually it's because we are down by 80 and players can't be bothered, given up & just lazy. #standbyroos

Who engaged who ? This is all just an amusing pastime for me, but if others feel offended even better.

The act of engaging between two in this case. It doesn't interest me in who started. The point is you've engaged.

For you to think its an amusing pastime is even more baffling. Schadenfreude is what it is.

I have just listened to Roos' media interview from Fed Sq yesterday, the last bit about Sam Blease made for interesting listening, paraphrase "we have to get him fit first", this is what I have thought from watching training for a few weeks, the "rehab' group seems to consist of players who have had a serious injury in last few years, or recurring niggles, they obviously have to get 'fit' before they are allowed into main group.........and they are not getting flogged, it all seems very controlled

McKenzie and Frawley with their calves

Garland with his foot and ankle

Strauss with his leg and shoulder

Tapscott's run of niggles

Blease with his leg

etc etc

LOVE this post!

Crazy no previous coach has done this before. Attacking in a line and then teaching players to run back to defense and "holding the line", brilliant. Too often do we turn it over and the goals just leak through our midfield. Usually it's because we are down by 80 and players can't be bothered, given up & just lazy. #standbyroos

We're learning how to play footy again. it worries me some that we have had to but acknowledging where you are ( like an alcoholic ) is the first step to recovery.

That we were getting so many of the basics of the 'new game' wrong is really just amazing , bordering on the ludicrous. Give these lads the tools ( skills, plan, and confidence ) to play the game and we WILL see a very different team take the paddock in 2014. Roos has even quietly at times , almost cryptically , suggested we may 'surprise" a few in 14. It seems Roos will intstill in this team the desire to play GOOD footy as opposed to being afraid of playing BAD footy.

Picasso gave away Cubism in 1973 in favour of Deconstructionism which he has successfully been doing ever since. Not to mention that Picasso paid his dues as a superb draftsman prior to his dabbling and then immersing himself in Cubism; that is, in Howe's case. he might need to go back to perfecting his basic skill set in order to give more substance to his more creative approach to the game.

Lets hope he is in better shape than Picasso is nowadays. One or two of his speccies might survive the passage of time but something tells me PIcasso's legacy might last a bit longer. I bet Howie would love a few of his speccies to be worth a few of Picasso's speccies. The painted one's not the marking ones. Although with Mr P who knows.

Nah, I have no problems with people being overweight, but don't have half of your gut showing while you're wearing a full length shirt. Especially if you're a middle aged man.

Yep that's me. But I can't get over how you saw me. I live in Sydney. It must really be hanging out.

We're learning how to play footy again. it worries me some that we have had to but acknowledging where you are ( like an alcoholic ) is the first step to recovery.

That we were getting so many of the basics of the 'new game' wrong is really just amazing , bordering on the ludicrous. Give these lads the tools ( skills, plan, and confidence ) to play the game and we WILL see a very different team take the paddock in 2014. Roos has even quietly at times , almost cryptically , suggested we may 'surprise" a few in 14. It seems Roos will intstill in this team the desire to play GOOD footy as opposed to being afraid of playing BAD footy.

Nathan Jones said as much yesterday, I was happy to see the circle work yesterday, and the actual speed, intensity and enjoyment in the way it was carried out

On Jack Watts, I asked him yesterday about playing in the midfield, said he was looking forward to it, getting himself really fit, got the impression he is doing extra runnning for endurance, close up he has toned up, but they are making sure 'not too much' Jack Grimes was there as well and said paraphrase...."wait till u see Jack in the middle"

Lets hope he is in better shape than Picasso is nowadays. One or two of his speccies might survive the passage of time but something tells me PIcasso's legacy might last a bit longer. I bet Howie would love a few of his speccies to be worth a few of Picasso's speccies. The painted one's not the marking ones. Although with Mr P who knows.

Maybe Howie would like Pablo's adoration....