Mr Oliver trained with the main group and completed the 2 and 1/2 hour session, miraculous return to full fitness

Lots of the same drills, including a lot of non preferred kicking and lots of one on one battles  and it was hot   still running on top of the ground at the end Harmes, Jones, Melksham, Bugg, Watts, Hogan  and Lewis

 

Saty, curious to know how Hullett and the Weed are going?

Also, how do you see Mitch King developing when compared to Max King (ACL aside)?

Many thanks Saty.  Good to hear about Oliver.  I'm interested to know where Melksham, Petracca and Salem are training - mids?

Cheers VP

 

 

24 minutes ago, fndee said:

Saty, curious to know how Hullett and the Weed are going?

They both look exactly what they are young developing forwards, lots of work being put into them, they were doing one on one drills and I think the Weed was put against Pencil deliberately, Pencil roughed him up which I think was the plan

11 minutes ago, Vogon Poetry said:

Many thanks Saty.  Good to hear about Oliver.  I'm interested to know where Melksham, Petracca and Salem are training - mids?

Cheers VP

 

 

As mids, Salem was one of the standouts today until near the end when the petrol started to run out, kept going though

22 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Also, how do you see Mitch King developing when compared to Max King (ACL aside)?

I hate to say it coz I liked Max as a bloke and as a player, lots of skill but not the application, Mitch is streets ahead

Thanks Saty, for being there for us!

Are we practicing the throwball the bullies perfected last year? 

I have put the pics on Instagram, Demonpk, when they were doing the match simulation, when Lewis was on the sideline was always talking, good to hear, Hibberd's left foot is a lethal weapon, couple of missiles through the centre of the ground, into forwards hands eye height

37 minutes ago, Satyriconhome said:

As mids, Salem was one of the standouts today until near the end when the petrol started to run out, kept going though

Good news about Salem, I hold great hopes that he will be a surprise to all but the avid Demon watchers here in the midfield if he can get a full preseason.

Also good news about Oliver.  Whatever the issues were they seem to have been resolved.  

Got there at 12, stayed for 45 minutes. It was very warm! Robbo was hosting a touring group, presumably the draftees families.

Rehab: Tom Mc, Pedda, Wagner, King, Hannan, Flippers

Not sighted: JKH, the prince.

Garland had some tape on a knee but was moving fine. Ben Ken had his forearm padded.

Viney, Trengove and Vanders were back in the main group.

They seem to be training more in position groups now. When I got there mids were doing stoppage drills competing in 2 teams focusing on spread from the stoppage. Clarry won one of his trade mark beast mode and fast hands clearances and then burst forwards to receive the ball away from the stoppage and got on the end of it out in front of Stretch. That had Jones and a lot of the others cheering. For all the negative chat of late it was a reminder that he's a super talent. Bugg impressed me in this drill as well just with his smarts and pace to spread, he was racking up touches.

Backs and forwards were working on kicking to or stopping leads.

They main group then split in to 2 groups working in half a ground each between the arcs just keepings off 7 on 5. They what pretty fast and decent movement up and down the area. Unfortunately someone sailed a kick high and Jetta punched it away from Stretch's reach and seemed to injure his left ankle. He was up walking off shortly thereafter but I don't think he returned to training. Hopefully it's minor. Over the other side someone kicked towards Viney near the boundary who backed back and went to mark and ran in to the fence with a crunch. It looked really dangerous and momentarily I was worried about Viney but he grabbed the fence and flipped his weight to avoid injury and I really should've been more worried about the fence.

After that they went in to 2/3rds of the ground shirts v bibs with the shirts having 2 extra in the midfield group but bibs having an extra down back and zoning. Highlights included a nice long switch from Melksham to open the ground up to then bring it in to the corridor. A kick wide from Vanders to Garlett, in to the corridor to spot up Oliver then a quick handball to get Salem running in on goal. And a nice piece of play with Brayshaw to McKenna to Gawn along the boundary line before handballing inside to a runner and in to open space. 

Brayshaw came off limping and had trouble with an ankle or even a foot. It had me worried about his foot, but they seemed to tape him up and then have him run up and down the boundary. Another one to watch.

Tyson impressed me today with his movement and kicking. He's not fast by any means but he just looks a bit sharper to me and to have found a nice rhythm to his kicking. I don't think he's done a full preseason yet in his career.

Salem had an impressive moment when he ran forward inside 50, the kick went to him but defenders closed in, so he spoiled or dropped the mark in front of him, kept his feet running on to the ball and very nonchalantly gathered and snapped a goal. 

The Weid got on the end of a couple of kicks but he did run up and down on the spot when he was chasing, was very warm though and we do have some defenders who can run now.

Thanks DS.  Sorry to be dumb but who the heck is "Flippers"?

I popped in for about an hour and it's always interesting to watch players close up.

Because of all the talk on here, I just wanted to double check that Oliver had started to look more like a strong young man and there's no doubt he looked fit and fired up. He's not so round (pear shaped) across the shoulders and clearly has been doing weights to become more broad shouldered - he's now a bit like Adam Cooney in shape. When the mids did a boundary throw drill, he and Jonesy were the standout pair - the two hardest to stop, although Viney with grunt and Tyson with deft touches were also hard to beat in the contest. The thing with Oliver, and the reason why we all of us seem to focus on him (a bit like the old Wattsy days) is that he the key man at clearances for us. Sure Jonesy is more evasive and other may have more finesse but he may yet be our Cripps at the clearances. Some doubt his fitness and sure he may not win our 1km reps, but he is still very quick and when he realises that he is among the fastest at the club, he will grow in confidence and run with the ball a bit, rather than just give it off. His other drawback is that when he kicks it, he often drops the ball from too high and as a result can spray the odd one more than Jonesy or Watts, but the coaches are on to him when he does this, and you can tell by his anger when he mis-kicks, that he gets it. He clearly has vision, he clearly has pace and he has the toughness - of all our young players he is the one that I am tipping will become a star of the game. But it may not happen this year as he has to win his way into a line-up that is mega-deep and he will have to cope with being tagged before too long.

Of the others today I was ultra impressed with Chunk - I had him tipped to play off half-back this year and he still might - but I'm not so sure now we want to lose his evasiveness at clearances, particularly when you have Oliver and Viney going for the first touch off the rucks. Petracca, significantly, wasn't part of the clearance drills, and is being programmed again for a high half-forward role. But Brayshaw was a part of the midfield group, as was Jordy, Trenners, Stretch, Vince and ANB - no surprises there I guess.

I watched the Weid for a while today as well and he is starting to make progress IMO. He still has to improve his agility, but his kicking at speed after a mark is improving and he generally looks less like a kid nowadays. Whether he has enough pace to be the man on the lead-up is yet to be determined, but he'll play at some stage this year barring major injury.

I've got to say I really liked the way Spencil moved today. Maybe Gawny was having an off day - but Jake was doing everything you want from a back-up ruck - working hard to impact a contest, even if Gawny got the tap.

I also had a good look at Dion Johnstone - the kid from NT via Scotch College. He is pretty skilfull, and seems to be fairly quick, but I'm not sure if he's explosively quick, so it may make it hard for him to win a spot as a forward flanker. But that is not surprising given the depth we have these days.

 

23 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

 I also had a good look at Dion Johnstone - the kid from NT via Scotch College. He is pretty skilfull, and seems to be fairly quick, but I'm not sure if he's explosively quick, so it may make it hard for him to win a spot as a forward flanker. But that is not surprising given the depth we have these days.

 

I didn't know Warrnambool was in the NT.

1 hour ago, Satyriconhome said:

They both look exactly what they are young developing forwards, lots of work being put into them, they were doing one on one drills and I think the Weed was put against Pencil deliberately, Pencil roughed him up which I think was the plan

Spencer is a lot more to this team than just back-up for Gawn (touch wood). His presence at training and Casey is going to benefit a lot of the younger, developing players.

44 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Got there at 12, stayed for 45 minutes. It was very warm! Robbo was hosting a touring group, presumably the draftees families.

Rehab: Tom Mc, Pedda, Wagner, King, Hannan, Flippers

Not sighted: JKH, the prince.

Garland had some tape on a knee but was moving fine. Ben Ken had his forearm padded.

Viney, Trengove and Vanders were back in the main group.

 

you beauty!   carn Trenners!

thanks for the reports all.  you're all legends

14 minutes ago, Big Kev said:

I didn't know Warrnambool was in the NT.

He has Indigenous roots so isn't he automatically from the NT? Isn't that where all Indigenous people are from?

 

45 minutes ago, Vogon Poetry said:

Thanks DS.  Sorry to be dumb but who the heck is "Flippers"?

A dolphin who was a pet of a park warden and his sons in the 60's tv series or Lachlan Filipovic.

Take your pick.

19 minutes ago, Big Kev said:

I didn't know Warrnambool was in the NT.

That's the original Warrnambool. Our one came later.

If you are still around Saty how is Harmes going? Got a soft spot for this bloke who i think has a big heart and could still be a  special "bobber upperer".

2 minutes ago, willmoy said:

If you are still around Saty how is Harmes going? Got a soft spot for this bloke who i think has a big heart and could still be a  special "bobber upperer".

Nut is one of my faves also, giving himself every chance, his kicking is improving every session, particularly the non preferred, looks super fit

2 hours ago, Demon Disciple said:

Also, how do you see Mitch King developing when compared to Max King (ACL aside)?

Max had a lovely kick for a big guy but his body didn't come on at all and he was often in the rehab group. Mitch looks more solid this year after the year off, but he's in the rehab group so it's hard to judge. Macca was getting in to him after he dropped a mark on the lead to just keep attacking the ball hard and he was doing that. His kick is decent and leaps ahead of Spencer and probably ahead of Gawn for the same age. There's not a lot more to report until he gets back in to full training and games.

1 hour ago, Gorgoroth said:

Are we practicing the throwball the bullies perfected last year? 

They are doing a lot of fast paced handballing under pressure including handballing over the shoulder and even underground handballs in some drills. Not sure it's at the Dogs level of throwing it but I guess the coaches are working on the theory of practising handballing legally and hoping the umps clamp down on the Dogs.

52 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

I watched the Weid for a while today as well and he is starting to make progress IMO. He still has to improve his agility, but his kicking at speed after a mark is improving and he generally looks less like a kid nowadays. Whether he has enough pace to be the man on the lead-up is yet to be determined, but he'll play at some stage this year barring major injury.

I've got to say I really liked the way Spencil moved today. Maybe Gawny was having an off day - but Jake was doing everything you want from a back-up ruck - working hard to impact a contest, even if Gawny got the tap.

I also had a good look at Dion Johnstone - the kid from NT via Scotch College. He is pretty skilfull, and seems to be fairly quick, but I'm not sure if he's explosively quick, so it may make it hard for him to win a spot as a forward flanker. But that is not surprising given the depth we have these days.

 

Athleticism and holding his marks are my concerns with the Weid but I agree he's slowly filling out a very solid frame and he does have a lot of class with the way he can gather and kick. I think he leads to all the right spots as well. 

Totally agree about the Spencil. Although he still managed to falcon one throw in. He just looks stronger, faster and far more coordinated at the moment than he has before.

I really like DJ's kicking on both sides and he doesn't panic with the ball in decision making drills. I doubt he'll play much in year 1 but long term I think he'll be groomed to play forward and midfield rather than as a forward pocket specialist.

Haven't heard alot about Jordan Lewis how is he traveling?

59 minutes ago, Big Kev said:

I didn't know Warrnambool was in the NT.

Might as well be