First training for me this season and the change in body shape of many is very noticeable esp. Fitzpatrick.

Has Fitz bulked up? With his height and being one of the fastest blokes in the club, added bulk could become a devastating combination. I really hope this is his year, we've seen glimpses, I'm ready for consistency

Crazy talk. Grimes has his issues, but he is in the LG which reflects how poor our collection of senior leaders is. There is no chance in hell he would be left out for some kid with zero runs on the board, just won't happen.

I think you are being a little harsh on Jack G. He is held in very high esteem by the other players hence part of the reason why he is in the leadership group.

I'm up in Daintree and would find it difficult at the moment to get to training however I recollect that players look at other players at moments when they feel that the person they are observing discreetly just has a certain little edge or finesse or polish when they do things than some others.

I know it is a team game and all that but I would love to think that we have a little this year. I guess you gotta watch the eyes.

Hogan IS the difference , a forward line that has:

Kent Dawes ?

Garlett Hogan Gawn

thrown in with a Watts, Newton, Petracca , JKH

is a quantum leap from where we were last year.

Forget Watts! He hasn't done enough work.

I think you are being a little harsh on Jack G. He is held in very high esteem by the other players hence part of the reason why he is in the leadership group.

Didn't mean to be.. but I think it's fairly accurate to say he doesn't mind a turnover or two

I'm up in Daintree and would find it difficult at the moment to get to training however I recollect that players look at other players at moments when they feel that the person they are observing discreetly just has a certain little edge or finesse or polish when they do things than some others.

I know it is a team game and all that but I would love to think that we have a little this year. I guess you gotta watch the eyes.

In the Daintree... is it mushroom season up there?

Has Fitz bulked up? With his height and being one of the fastest blokes in the club, added bulk could become a devastating combination. I really hope this is his year, we've seen glimpses, I'm ready for consistency

No, not in my view. He seems much slimmer. As does most of them, even Pedo looks thinner.

No, not in my view. He seems much slimmer. As does most of them, even Pedo looks thinner.

This is the concern for me. Slimming down but maintaining strength is great in theory but, in a game like ours we're strength and size are so important around stoppages and marking contests, that it leaves me a little worried that someone like Fitzy who isn't the smartest contested mark, might get shoved out of the way.

Then again, with the bump almost dead....

No, not in my view. He seems much slimmer. As does most of them, even Pedo looks thinner.

If the reduction in weight results in an extra length of speed it will be great, it might be a point of difference which gives them an edge over their opponents.

Dunn, Frost, McDonald, Grimes, Lumumba Jetta

Jamar, Jones x 2, Tyson, Cross, McKenzie

Hogan, Dawes , Gawn, Kent, JKH, Garlett

Toumpas, Salem, Newton, sub: petracca

Personally don't think Frost, Mckenzie, JKH or Petracca will play round one.

Vince, Howe and watts will be given every opportunity to play, Garland and Bail will start.

If we line up like this against Gold Coast we will be convincingly beat I think!

Edited February 11, 201510 yr by Mad_Melbourne

No, not in my view. He seems much slimmer. As does most of them, even Pedo looks thinner.

strength weight speed.......pick any two

This is the concern for me. Slimming down but maintaining strength is great in theory but, in a game like ours we're strength and size are so important around stoppages and marking contests, that it leaves me a little worried that someone like Fitzy who isn't the smartest contested mark, might get shoved out of the way.

Then again, with the bump almost dead....

Look at Hawthorn from 2012 to 2014. Their whole list lost weight, but gained strength and endurance.

The game is less physical now than it was even 5 years ago, so less muscle mass is needed in the upper body to absorb the hits (the tackles are as ferocious as ever, though). The strength is in the core, hips, glutes and thighs to shrug tackles and for acceleration away from the contest.

Jack Gunston is the absolute model. He shrugs tackles with ease, but is 193cm and 84kg. c.f. The archetypal 90s and 00s kpp whose weight (in kg) was typically their height (in cm) minus 100; but moved like a truck.

1 - I am really sick of that too. It's football. Pretty much everyone on here has a more complicated job to get a handle of on a daily basis.

2 - Disagree on the grounds of sheer quantity - I look at our list and I see about 16 players I am happy to take into an AFL match with confidence - for the other 6 spots in the side I honestly think we have about 18 'could-be' type players competing for them. Some of them are brand new draftees and others are closer to veteran status. It gives me great confidence that at the end of the day we should be taking a highly competitive 22 into battle each week regardless of who those 'could-be' players are, the ones that outperform the others to earn their spots. It's going to be fascinating to see who is there at the end of year, I think we are in for some big surprises, and no doubt Roosy has some things in store with regard to players in roles we weren't expecting. Can't wait.

I think your right that whichever 22 run we can be guaranteed they will play as a competitive unit but I think it will be in twelve months time we will truly have the depth many believe we have now.

So it finally dawned on me why the club trained at Casey Fields today.

It was the first leg of the two day AFL Community Camp to Leongatha and Wonthaggi (February 11-12).

According to Twitter the boys moved on to Tarwin Football Club for a training session with Gippsland Power Under 15s.

Players were also at Meeniyan Dumbalk United with Daniel Cross taking the handballing drill.

Tonight, Nathan Jones spoke to the audience at a function at the Wonthaggi Workmen's Club. Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw spoke about their goals for footy and their future in the AFL at the AFL Gippsland Official Function.

If anyone attended any of the above, you can post about it here.

In the Daintree... is it mushroom season up there?

Lighten up HT don't you remember your time in Graphic Arts at Swinney? A few joints going down every time I passed by on my way to the Governor Hotham for a gut full of cheap beer on a Friday!

I'm up in Daintree and would find it difficult at the moment to get to training however I recollect that players look at other players at moments when they feel that the person they are observing discreetly just has a certain little edge or finesse or polish when they do things than some others.

I know it is a team game and all that but I would love to think that we have a little this year. I guess you gotta watch the eyes.

The eyes have it will, only ours have been cross eyed for the last 6 years...

Lighten up HT don't you remember your time in Graphic Arts at Swinney? A few joints going down every time I passed by on my way to the Governor Hotham for a gut full of cheap beer on a Friday!

All this talk about joints in a training thread makes me think of Geoff Hayward.

"Marijuana?"

"No Laurie, hash. It wasn't just any seagull - it was the prince of seagulls!"

No one was really poor but Dawes, JKH, McKenzie and Terlich looked second rate. while the likes of Vince and Bail were hardly noticed.

Why did JKH look so poor? Dawes has his critics and I can understand the other 2 but I thought JKH was a good trainer it's what got him games early last year.

Was Toumpas training down back again?

Edited February 11, 201510 yr by WERRIDEE

Why did JKH look so poor? Dawes has his critics and I can understand the other 2 but I thought JKH was a good trainer it's what go him games early last year.

Was Toumpas training down back again?

I was curious about that as well. JKH killed it in the 3km time trial and in the sessions I have seen he has been really clean with his disposal.

There are few players (more than I can ever remember) that I think could really surprise this year with their improvement and JKH is one of them

Why did JKH look so poor? Dawes has his critics and I can understand the other 2 but I thought JKH was a good trainer it's what go him games early last year.

Was Toumpas training down back again?

I was curious about that as well. JKH killed it in the 3km time trial and in the sessions I have seen he has been really clean with his disposal.

There are few players (more than I can ever remember) that I think could really surprise this year with their improvement and JKH is one of them

He looked a bit off at training, his kicking for goal wasn't great and wasn't moving around as well as he could have, he trained with the forwards and looked out of it, could just be the day we will have to wait until Friday to see what he brings up. He looks more solid than last year but other than that nothing else has improved from what I can see. I could be wrong so i'll wait until Nab cup to see his progress. Toumpas was training in the midfield and looks to been trying to cement his spot there Werridee

I have covered the Fitzy size issue previously, he is now 99kg it is just spread out over 200cm, they don't want him any bigger

I have covered the Fitzy size issue previously, he is now 99kg it is just spread out over 200cm, they don't want him any bigger

I want him to be stronger.

I want him to be stronger.

I'd like him to be taller

Why did JKH look so poor? Dawes has his critics and I can understand the other 2 but I thought JKH was a good trainer it's what got him games early last year.

Was Toumpas training down back again?

It is a personal opinion, Newton had a poor session at Goschs a couple of weeks ago. so did Brayshaw, probably an off day, McKenzie, Dawes JKH and Terlich (since he came out of rehab) have been good to really good in the sessions I have watched (which are quite a few)

I want him to be stronger.

They are working on it Clint, now his shoulders are fully functional he is doing a bit more weights, he knows he needs to be stronger, they just don't want him bigger, so as I have mentioned before it is an individual progam for him