I Wasn't implying anything, just curious that he hadn't been in a "good place". For all I know he could be referencing Gastro, thus my enquiry.

He took 6 weeks to get over the appendix op. I don't think that is usual.

Saty, a question for the next time you speak to the boys:

I heard Dr Peter Bruckner say that the Melbourne players were switching to a high fat low carb diet, with carb loading before matches. Just wondering how the boys are coping/adapting, and if they are noticing anything different?

YES it is Jack Viney and Jones punching on!I was standing right behind them and they were going hell for leather!Hells bells.

He took 6 weeks to get over the appendix op. I don't think that is usual.

I do.

[censored]!

Does Daniel Cross ever go below 120%??

The guy's amazing! Wonder how he's getting on with his old coach?

Edited November 17, 201410 yr by jumbo returns

I Wasn't implying anything, just curious that he hadn't been in a "good place". For all I know he could be referencing Gastro, thus my enquiry.

My guess is that the kid was putting a lot of pressure on himself. It's not just those on here who have been pushing the Wines barrow, Jimmy also probably thinks he should have been further ahead of where he is.

If he is a bit more relaxed and goes about his game he will be a good player, despite what many think he does have a lot of ability.

I do.

If he was an ordinary man in the street you might be on the button but six weeks is the minimum time to recover and get your body up to the rigors of AFL football. It cruelled the rest of his season.

My guess is that the kid was putting a lot of pressure on himself. It's not just those on here who have been pushing the Wines barrow, Jimmy also probably thinks he should have been further ahead of where he is.

If he is a bit more relaxed and goes about his game he will be a good player, despite what many think he does have a lot of ability.

Thanks rjay. It's true internal expectation can be as crippling as external criticism. I just hope like hell he doesn't read demonland to garner wisdom or advice. As I said before I really want to see this kid to do well.

Re. the Toump, you need to remember that he was taking a fair while to recover from the hip surgery as well. He probably spent most of last year frustrated as hell that his body wasn't doing what he knows it can do. Long term rehabs from things like that can drive you up the wall because you feel fine, but nothing works quite right. If he's now getting his run back then it's a good sign that his body is back and working the way it should. Give him a full pre-season and we should see some good footy from the kid.

Lots of complaints from supporters about toilets and carparking last year.

Hows that working out and what changes have been made??

Can't whinge about carparking, unless you're handicapped (and there might be spots next to the stadium) it's easy to get a spot next to the tan and walk across the bridge 100m or so really. 80cents per hour or free if you find a lucky one up Anderson St.

Toilet situation still seems suboptimal with players dashing off behind trees within view of supporters (and people exiting the freeway). The little rotunda next to the ground is now enclosed by a signage banner on 3 sides as well as the area around it towards the oval been fenced off, so it provides better advertising signage that the Dees are up and about. You could easily whip out an (old) drink bottle and have a slash in there, but you'd have to put it somewhere as to not get it confused with yellow gatorade.

Still no advertising around the oval, which the pies had plenty of when they used it.

Interesting to see Watts spend a lot of time running, didn't do much ball work, just ran.

He took 6 weeks to get over the appendix op. I don't think that is usual.

I do.

If he was an ordinary man in the street you might be on the button but six weeks is the minimum time to recover and get your body up to the rigors of AFL football. It cruelled the rest of his season.

Mainly depends on how bad it was: some have been known to get back to lower level footy in a week or two. Others take much longer. Wasn't it (possibly Matt Thomas) a PA player who missed most of a season and lost ?10 kgm. Can't generalise.

Just let us all* hope that he gets to a fitness level that will let him show us all his best. *I guess the ' shoulda got Wines camp ' may not.

Interesting to see Watts spend a lot of time running, didn't do much ball work, just ran.

using the ball isn't his problem, GETTING the ball is. a big tank will help.

Interesting to see Watts spend a lot of time running, didn't do much ball work, just ran.

The thing with Watts is that if he's going to play as a running mid, he needs to build his tank. If he's going to play forward, he needs to bulk up.

He seemed to spend a lot of last year plugging gaps (mainly because of injuries to forwards, of course).

He needs to settle into one or the other.

Re. the Toump, you need to remember that he was taking a fair while to recover from the hip surgery as well. He probably spent most of last year frustrated as hell that his body wasn't doing what he knows it can do. Long term rehabs from things like that can drive you up the wall because you feel fine, but nothing works quite right. If he's now getting his run back then it's a good sign that his body is back and working the way it should. Give him a full pre-season and we should see some good footy from the kid.

You can't win. Posters complain the club was negligent with Jack Trengove when he was 'obviously' injured. Yet wit the Toump they say he's useless and should be over his medical problems by now.

Gotta laugh.

Interesting to see Watts spend a lot of time running, didn't do much ball work, just ran.

Would like to see him doing a lot of the boxing as well as well as running.

I choose to liken the Toump to Nick Malceski. similar run, carry, distributor type players, albeit Malceski is a bigger body.

Malceski was a slow developer also, was drafted in 2002 and didn't consolidate his senior spot at Sydney until 2007. Nobody batted an eyelid because he was taken at 64 in the draft and, like Toumpas, was recovering from some injury troubles.

Has gone on to become an All Australian and one of the more damaging half backs in the game.

If Toumpas wasn't an early draft pick, we'd probably be taking the pragmatic view that he is young, developing, managing a developing body and an outside player, who will also struggle in a side that has great difficulty winning and keeping the footy.

Malceski struggled in the Swans 2's that was playing in the Canberra league and winning by 100 plus points every week. Toumpas was running around in a Casey side that was getting smashed, in often heavy conditions and had lost their best inside ball winner from the previous year in Magner. I'm still amazed at how he was able to play his best senior game for us in 2013 in horrendous conditions in Geelong.

We're all a bit jumpy because it is vitally important to us that he develops into the player he was drafted to be.

Give him time, he'll be fine.

Would like to see him doing a lot of the boxing as well

Preferably cage fighting

Edited November 17, 201410 yr by chook fowler

I choose to liken the Toump to Nick Malceski. similar run, carry, distributor type players, albeit Malceski is a bigger body.

Malceski was a slow developer also, was drafted in 2002 and didn't consolidate his senior spot at Sydney until 2007. Nobody batted an eyelid because he was taken at 64 in the draft and, like Toumpas, was recovering from some injury troubles.

Has gone on to become an All Australian and one of the more damaging half backs in the game.

If Toumpas wasn't an early draft pick, we'd probably be taking the pragmatic view that he is young, developing, managing a developing body and an outside player, who will also struggle in a side that has great difficulty winning and keeping the footy.

Malceski struggled in the Swans 2's that was playing in the Canberra league and winning by 100 plus points every week. Toumpas was running around in a Casey side that was getting smashed, in often heavy conditions and had lost their best inside ball winner from the previous year in Magner. I'm still amazed at how he was able to play his best senior game for us in 2013 in horrendous conditions in Geelong.

We're all a bit jumpy because it is vitally important to us that he develops into the player he was drafted to be.

Give him time, he'll be fine.

I don't see any threads about Jayden Hunt, and how we should have picked Eli Templeton instead...

I don't see any threads about Jayden Hunt, and how we should have picked Eli Templeton instead...

I guess that's the beauty of getting picked up at the forgotten end of the draft

A few answers.

Why waste money on advertising at a training ground, cameras only there now and again, it is also a public use oval as well, always has been

Toilet situation is still the same, so go before you go

Other posters have already partially answered about Toump, his hardest maker is himself, he was really flat at times last year as every time he was up and going something else happened to hamper his progress, he felt he was letting everybody down (I asked) he went away this year did a lot of work over the preseason, returned injury free and is doing everything asked of him now, you can see the difference in his demeanour

Tyson has been using one of the harness thingys with a trainer or another player hanging on whilst he tries to run

Poor old Col Sylvia will be missing most of the pre season with an ankle.

Just needs that pre season and he'll be a star. Might never happen.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-18/delayed-start-for-sylvia

Poor old Col Sylvia will be missing most of the pre season with an ankle.

Just needs that pre season and he'll be a star. Might never happen.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-11-18/delayed-start-for-sylvia

What is this about?

"Meanwhile, the club would not be drawn into Sylvia's early exit from the club's best and fairest awards night last Saturday.

The club confirmed that Sylvia left the function at Crown Perth before 10pm due to illness and that the football department was aware of the situation on the night but did not comment any further on the nature of his illness".

The thing with Watts is that if he's going to play as a running mid, he needs to build his tank. If he's going to play forward, he needs to bulk up.

He seemed to spend a lot of last year plugging gaps (mainly because of injuries to forwards, of course).

He needs to settle into one or the other.

We've been saying that for 6 years. Watts isn't going to get any bigger now, he's reached his genetic potential. And to be fair, he's a lot bigger now than he was when drafted.

Just needs that pre season and he'll be a star. Might never happen.

I was going to ask what might never happen. That he will get a pre-season in or he'll be a star - but I realised the question was redundant.