INTO THE GRAY by Whispering Jack

The gray drizzly conditions that faced the very few who braved the trip to Casey Fields for yesterday's Melbourne training session were in stark contrast to my last visit for a training run two years ago when a north wind blew, the temperature hovered above the forty mark and the flies were impossible [FAREWELL TO MADAME TUSSAUD]. This time, the ground had been soaked by heavy overnight rain that persisted into the morning and was still coming down when the players ran out onto the ground. Despite the conditions, it was a good standard work out but one needs to remember that the start of the season is two months away and training sessions such as these are a long way from the real thing.

Paul Roos watched proceedings from under cover in the grandstand while his assistants supervised on the field. There was a main group which did a spirited warm up and then there were others doing different forms of work, mainly rehab stuff but they were thankfully reasonably low in numbers. Jake Spencer ran on his own most of the time, Chris Dawes ran around a bit and then disappeared (from my view at least), Heitier Lumumba made a brief appearance, Jack Trengove was on the far side of the ground working with two assistants clad in red. From time to time, a player or groups of players broke off to do some specialised work, Jesse Hogan ran off on his own once or twice and later, we saw Ben Newton and Christian Petracca walking laps. Very few of the main list were missing altogether. I didn't see Dean Terlich and of course, Jake Melksham is off limits until November.

After some running and ball work, the larger part of the group was split into three groups of 10-12 in blue, green and white tops for a form of match simulation but because of their numbers, you couldn't really get a sense of their proposed positions or roles for the season.

Melbourne's midfield has been underperforming over the past decade. It has been a concern for years and to overcome this was one of Roos' main objectives on assuming his role as coach. We have seen good improvement since but in the main, it's been slow and it's hard to assess the change between seasons because of the operation of the midfield theory of relativity. By this I mean, that while we know the makeup of that division in the other clubs, it's difficult to work out how much we need to improve to reach the standard of the other midfields which themselves change from year to year.

We know that we have an abundance of youth in contention for midfield places alongside Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince, that Dom Tyson is emerging in class despite injury setbacks last year, that Jack Viney's an absolute tiger for the football, that Angus Brayshaw and Christian Salem are up and comers who could rise up the charts like a bullet and Aaron vandenBerg looks in great shape as a big bodied mid. There are also some kids like Alex Neal-Bullen, Billy Stretch and recruit Clayton Oliver who could burst their way into the mix with a few others like Matt Jones who looks stronger this year, the injured Newton and possibly Petracca if the coaches decide to play him in that role. Viv Michie looks the logical selection if the club elevates him from the rookie list. 

But how will they set up and how much will other clubs improve or come back to the field in this area? One session in the wet certainly won't answer the question and we've been through so many episodes of false hope over the years to guess. I remember not all that long ago, coming to this ground and witnessing Tom Scully and Jack Trengove light up the entire playing group in their very early days as young recruits at the club at a time when other young hopefuls with midfield promise were plentiful in number but look how that worked out?

That said, I liked the way the midfield worked together; their competitiveness stood out and if they have to fight for positions as hard as I expect they will in 2016, then there will be improvement.

Whether that improvement will translate to elevation out of the bottom third into the middle of the table and even better will, I suspect, also depend very much on a more than a few players from outside the midfield zone.

Jesse Hogan looked great in the wet. He's a big, brooding hulk of a man who stands out even at training. The competition's rising star gives the impression that in a bigger, stronger form in the next couple of seasons, he is going to take the competition by the scruff of the neck  and, in doing so, the team's fortunes could soar. I thought much the same a few years ago with Mitch Clark before he was injured but he simply lacked the support around him to enable the forward line to become a force. We bemoaned the lack of crumbers around Clark to take advantage of on ground contested situations around the big man if the opposition spoiled him. 

These days we will have Jeff Garlett, Dean Kent, Jay Kennedy-Harris and possibly Ben Kennedy to take roles up forward and that's not to mention the rapidly improving James Harmes and also Petracca who will possibly start as a half forward. The second key forward position might be problematic given Dawes' continuing leg problems but Cam Pedersen is one of those good honest toilers who could fill the bill (as well as provide some in game ruck relief) in the interim while some of the younger tall forward prospects develop. Alternatively, Sam Frost could be used there and of course, there is always the hope that Jack Watts' sublime skills finally achieve enlightenment with a mid career step up in the intensity of his output. Watts did some very nice things on the ground yesterday interspersed with the odd wet weather error but he moves so smoothly and disposes so neatly that he could become Paul Roos' last big challenge. Find him a role where that talent can finally come to the fore.

I doubt whether Max Gawn has had a true pre season since he came to the club already in rehab after his first knee reconstruction. He is experiencing one now and looks the goods. Known as a bit of a joker around the club, he could seriously force his way into the upper echelon of AFL ruckmen and if he does that, then the club gets an immediate lift. If he's injured or drops in form, it could spell trouble as there's not a great deal of back up depth. Jake Spencer is running laps at the moment and the King boys are a way off.

Tom McDonald is now the main man in what is looming as a solid defence along with the likes of Lynden Dunn, Colin Garland and I hope Frost is played there as well. Tom Bugg looks like someone who will fit in well with Nev Jetta and hopefully Lumumba will get back to his exciting best from the Collingwood years. 

Then there are the two former captains Jack Grimes and Trengove. They were dealt a harsh hand given the captaincy of a troubled club without the full support of a fractured playing group and things were made tougher for them as a result of some frustrating injuries. They are among the club's wild cards. If they can regain regular places and play to the standards they were once considered capable of reaching in mid-career, it would make an enormous difference to the club's fortunes. Grimes, who was showing some good signs late last season, trained solidly yesterday. Trengove is still in rehab from his foot injury woes, but worked out with some of the assistant coaches and did not look that far from resuming full training. Two years ago and just before his current injury flared, he played a dominant role in a NAB Challenge upset victory over Richmond. It's all a matter of luck and outside chance from here on in, but nothing will be achieved from lack of trying and Trengove appears to be working his butt off to claim his last chance to resurrect his career.

Clayton Oliver's 12 month journey from an overweight sufferer of osteitis pubis to Morrish Medallist and number four draft selection is well documented. It still worried me that Melbourne passed on such a well credentialed midfielder as Darcy Parish to get Oliver but seeing him out there in the wet competing with and against some experienced AFL bodies was mighty comforting. He could come very close to repeating Angus Brayshaw's 2015 effort of making the team for the first round. Sam Weideman moved well, has good height and I can see him getting game time later in the season. Liam Hulett already has a good build but his lack of grounding at TAC Cup level might mean he has to wait a bit longer. It was hard to draw any conclusions on Mitch King in the conditions and given that I didn't see that much ruck work in the hour that I was there.

Of the rookies, Josh Wagner didn't look lost at sea and contested well in the match simulation - I'm sure he'll get a chance during the NAB Challenge. I wasn't expecting much from Joel Smith given that he's a category B rookie coming from outside the system but he's athletic and keen and the day in the wet at Casey would have been a good tune up for him at the place that will be his home ground for the next twelve months. Here's hoping he becomes another Mark Blicavs.

After an hour, it was time to leave. I noticed Colin Garland leaving the field early but nothing looked amiss. It didn't leave me without a spring in the step in the expectation of the coming season which, after this weekend will creep up on us after the tennis and cricket are finally behind us.