Serious pressure for spots...

[Trisul 674]

Eleven changes to the list. Who'd have thunk it.

[PaulRB 6,435]

"Veterans Daniel Cross and Heritier Lumumba, formerly at the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood respectively, rated the session as the toughest of their careers."

That really is a staggering statement - those blokes have played a combined 23 seasons and 426 games of AFL footy! Few tough training sessions along the way, no doubt!

HIghlights that the fitness requirements of AFL footballers is increasing every year. Another reason why giving kids time to improve their fitness over an adequate amount of time is so critical.

To Curry's point about Jones being able to hit the ground running (in round 16) and play on from then, Jones started in 2006 (8 seasons ago), before the flood and the game's shift to the more heavy contested and harder running game we see today.

And as Ollie Wines demonstrates some Kids can do it.

[beelzebub 23,390]

Eleven changes to the list. Who'd have thunk it.

some of us did actually

[obbafan 128]

HIghlights that the fitness requirements of AFL footballers is increasing every year. Another reason why giving kids time to improve their fitness over an adequate amount of time is so critical.

To Curry's point about Jones being able to hit the ground running (in round 16) and play on from then, Jones started in 2006 (8 seasons ago), before the flood and the game's shift to the more heavy contested and harder running game we see today.

And as Ollie Wines demonstrates some Kids can do it.

It is yet to be seen if Ollie can keep doing it. Hope he can (except against us).

Port were the highlight of last season and if only they could have beaten Hawthorn.

May well have lost the GF but no strutting about by the Pee & Poos.

[jnrmac 20,306]

some of us did actually

I actually called for 15. Expected that terlich would be punted. Surprised he wasn't

If he is still playing back pocket mid-year it won't be good.

[daisycutter 29,917]

I actually called for 15. Expected that terlich would be punted. Surprised he wasn't

If he is still playing back pocket mid-year it won't be good.

or he has turned his game around

[3Dee 1,153]

I hope we get an A grader or two from the next year or so. How long since we have had one???

hello, Nathan Jones anyone?

[old dee 24,028]

hello, Nathan Jones anyone?

Nah B+ IMO

[daisycutter 29,917]

Nah B+ IMO

how about a- then od?

[Allen Jakovich 516]

I'll actually cry if it happens again

You mean you didn't cry last time?

[KysaiahMessiah 725]

David Neitz not an A grader? Our games record holder, Coleman Medallist, All Australian as both CHF and CHB, club B&f ????

[What 18,810]

Cant remember the last time we had pressure for spots

But i am thinking it was 2006

[Biffen 12,949]

Nah B+ IMO

You and the journos are blind then.

He is in the Top 5 midfielders in the comp.

Consistently.

Should be AA.

So should i for that matter.

[old dee 24,028]

how about a- then od?

Nah not an A anything dc

[Trisul 674]

some of us did actually

Yeah, that was kind of the point.

[Don24 103]

Yes. I know. That's why I was underlining the cost of getting one.

You clearly weren't one of the thousands who were glued to this site (and others) at the time and know exactly what I am talking about.

Point is that getting a superstar is costly. Do you disagree with that or are you just another pedant wasting everybody's time?

haha i read my fair share of stuff on this site but lets be honest 95% of it is rumours and opinions not real facts so i dont take too much of it seriously.

My point was we were never going to pay overs to get a superstar like you were hinting at. And who knows we may have got two super stars last year for a relatively good price of pick 2. I agree poaching superstars from other clubs is costly, growing your own less so but we havnt been good at that in past years.

And dont take a difference of opinion so personally mate, its a forum for discussion, I apologize if i wasted your time by not agreeing wholeheartedly with you.

[PaulRB 6,435]

Article from The Age highlights the gulf between first year draftees and AFL level - Christian Petracca and new Demons look to an easier road ahead, in it Mahoney is quoted with

"Now, there is a science-driven understanding that the gap between under-18 and AFL football continues to grow, and cannot be bridged in a summer.

"Our players went through their hardest session for the pre-season on Monday," Mahoney said. "Our first-year players completed less than 50 per cent of training, and that will be consistent with how they'll complete their first pre-season.

"Anything further than 50 per cent of a pre-season is too big a step-up for a player coming into his first year. It's something we monitor very closely. If we feel players are starting to show some signs [of fatigue] we certainly look out for them - not just in pre-season, but during the year as well."

[Ron Burgundy 8,588]

I like Mahoney.

It's good that he's actually played footy at the highest level.

And has a brain.

[jackaub 1,402]

some of us did actually

I wanted 14 changes but what the heck always next year

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

You mean you didn't cry last time?

we've lost the last NINE season openers... each time a kick in the guts after pre-season optimism.. and a confidence belter for the side

It's so important we get over this BS franchise side on the hallowed turf, and for ONCE actually start a season with some momentum

[mrtwister 652]

I'm wondering where our recruiting puts somebody like Viv Michie.

[DeeZee 7,463]

To be fair this is only Roos second year.

First year was sorting out the wheat from the chaff.

Now we have something resembling a professional AFLlist.

[old dee 24,028]

I'm wondering where our recruiting puts somebody like Viv Michie.

Amongst about ten guys competing for 2 or 3 spots in the senior side.

[mrtwister 652]

Amongst about ten guys competing for 2 or 3 spots in the senior side.

Agreed. But Viv was one that seemed to impress quite a few people as he worked through last year and some were suggesting he would be best 22.

In all fairness, he didn't get to show a lot at the top level though. Now we have our new recruits and it will be interesting where he now sits in terms of preference.

[ManDee 7,347]

I never realised how much a team could be changed over one drafting period!

All the inclusions fill a hole the team previously had; we have a line breaking defender now, a genuine small forward, we have recruited a potential 200 gamer KPD and with the young midfielders we secured, we have given ourselves every chance to have a dominant midfield in years to come.

I'd say another successful draft period next year and we can finally begin a march towards number 13!

As Lao Tzu once said, "The longest march starts with a single step". I think the beginning of our march took place, with the appointment of Peter Jackson.

Sweety we are on the way! To quote the Proclaimers "We're on the way from misery to happiness today - uha uha"

Edit:- Sweety is not intended to be condescending. If any offence taken try Sweedee