Training - Friday 10th February, 2017 at Olympic Park

[DemonLad5 1,642]

I'll be attending the first preseason game against the doggies next week. Then we'll be able to see who the real improvers are 

[Gator 17,612]

While they're most definitely welcome, I take little from the reports and these shortened games.

I remember a few years ago supporters overly excited by Toumpas who kicked 3-4 goals.  I walked away thinking he'll never make it.

Fwiw, from someone who was there too (not me and take little notice)

3. Jones

2. Gawn

1. Petracca

On the latter, thinks he looks ready to bust a game open.

Also loved Brayshaw's second half, Frost in the backline, Garland (and he's not a fan), Oliver, JKH, Weideman (build and competitiveness - smart footballer with good handballs), Hunt, Pedersen, Lewis, Salem, Trengove early, Harmes and Melksham.

But they walked away knowing that with Petracca, Brayshaw, and Oliver we have incredible young talent not matched by many in the league. 

[Deespicable 2,886]

Plenty to like and clearly the improved attacking game style last year was a Goody initiative based on what we saw today and you can expect more of the same this season.

Positional moves - Hoges playing futher up the ground with Weid leading from goalsquare, Salem in the middle, Bernie down back again.

If you take the view that our best forward six was matched against our best defensive six as it seemed to be, then Harmesy at this stage is missing out. But then the midfield was a complete swap of stars, so don't read too much into that.

There were two memorable collisions - the first involved Viney barrelling into Oliver and the second involved Harmes and Vanders. All parties gave as much as they took and it was yet another sign that we have some tough hombres now.

My best six, and clearly it depended on what side of the ground you were on a bit, were as follows:

Viney - he was part of what I'd say was a weaker 18 and was in everything and absolutely scary. The number of backward steps by some of the Casey boys when he went at them was quite evident. He is a monster - I call him Naim Suleymanoglu.

Dion Johnstone - He was everywhere for the weaker team and with Kent out there is a chance he'll get a go in a pre-season game as a high half-forward. He tackles well - but don't they all do that now. But he's really fit for a young bloke - although kicking precision somewhat questionable at times.

Billy Stretch - the longer the game went, the better he got. He just makes space and makes himself available all the time and he man's up so quickly.

Oliver - the big difference is that he now kicks the ball as well as handballs it. Everybody I take to says the same thing - he's the one that will be special.

JKH - As with Billy, he came into it more and more as the match went on. As with Dion, there's Kent's spot available at the moment, so don't write him off just yet. He looks stronger than two years ago - perhaps he just needed to fill out like Hunt.

Wagner - Okay yes I know Hunt was more explosive and we all like to put Hunt in our best six because he just attacks like a madman, but Wags accumulated the ball down back and switched with confidence. He played with the weaker back six, but he's another who might just shock a few by being named in the squad for Rd 1.

 

 

 

[DeeSpencer 26,091]

1 hour ago, The Dr said:

Just back from watching the match sim. On phone so will be brief. 

Major positive: No injuries as far as I'm aware  

Standouts: Brayshaw, Lewis, Viney, Hunt, Salem, Jones, Oscar Mac. JKH and Melksham also impressive in bursts  

Little disappointed in Hogan and Weid: too often play from behind. Really hope Hogan is given more license to roam up the ground this year rather than playing near goal all the time. 

Hogan was up the ground most of the game. The reason he and Weid play from behind is a lot because the McDonald brothers took up the positions in the zone defense to play in front. Weed got in behind once nicely. Both of the talls have to work on when to stay behind and when to get ahead of their opponent, and they have to work on smarter double and triple leads to confuse the defenders in front of them. 

[The Dr 51]

2 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Hogan was up the ground most of the game. The reason he and Weid play from behind is a lot because the McDonald brothers took up the positions in the zone defense to play in front. Weed got in behind once nicely. Both of the talls have to work on when to stay behind and when to get ahead of their opponent, and they have to work on smarter double and triple leads to confuse the defenders in front of them. 

Hogan was certainly up the ground for a lot of the first 'half' but in the second, he was often deep, and I thought he was much better when he was further up the ground (I also feel the same way from his first two years at AFL level). Completely agree that both Hogan and Weid need to be better at repeat leading. 

That's not to discredit the McDonald brothers. They're very smart at positioning themselves.

[Deespicable 2,886]

A couple more things from this evening.

Best play of the night was when Salem strolled through the middle and sent a 65m kick over the Macs and down Weids throat for a goal. Weids had to make body contact with Buggy to take the mark and it hurt Buggy and he's a tough boy.

The post-game training drill - I think a Max Rooke initiative - was sensational. It was basically a one-one wrestling drill and then a lead-up. It was so mean. Watching Watts have to battle VDB was gripping and Salem and Vince was intriguing. But the main act was Petracca and Maynard. It was huge. They will all be sore boys tomorrow.

 

 

 

[DeeSpencer 26,091]

Midfield:
Rucks: Gawn took some strong grabs mainly behind the play and one forward, they didn't use him for the long bail out kick. May as well save that for the real stuff. Spencer's work rate was good and his skills ok. Gawny pushed him around at some stoppages. Flippers was a bit of a disaster but looked willing.

Inside: Clarry the stand out, only thing I'd like to see more is him straighten and pump it in from stoppages instead of  kicking it to the wingman who gets held up. Viney scratchy around the ground but willing. Jones smooth running with the ball and kicking long to players in space. Trenners with plenty of touches. Salem with moments of class. Brayshaw came on in the 2nd half and made an impact inside and out.

Outside: Lewis spent time in a number of spots but his kicking to corridor options was the highlight of the game for me. Bugg's work rate was very good. Stretch the same, he links up smoothly. Harmes spent some time on the wing and also provided an option.

Forwards
Tall - Weed with some moments, Hogan working really hard. Watts hopefully at about 50% but the class was there. Pedda looked solid inside 50 for the 2nd team. Hulett mobile and involved a lot as well, bobbed up for a few goals.

Med/Smalls - Tracc with burst, just needs to balance up. Vanders with some hard stuff but scratchy. JKH prolific for the 2nd forward team, really busting to get in to space. DJ's tackling was excellent and good positioning. Garlett missed a couple of chances but he also played a part in good passages with speed and crumbing

Backs
Tall - Tom kicked well and mopped up around half back. Oscar was solid in the air, just misses kicks when he has to judge depth and movement particularly inside 50. Frost was sharp for the 2nd side and had a few strong runs and lowered the eyes and kicked well. Garland didn't do much wrong.

Med/small - Hunt's defensive work and aerial work strong, started by doing too much with the ball but then settled in to some good options. Vince made some precise short kicks and looked decent. Melksham got a lot of the footy and was mostly decent with it, tried to take Oliver on from the mark deep in the backline and probably regretted that choice. Wagner very composed and kicking short sharp kicks.

[fr_ap 2,531]

1 hour ago, Sylvia Saint said:

Great report fr_ap.

How did Petracca go? Lots of glimpses in 2016 but he never really tore a game open, was it more of the same today?

 

As noted by another poster, the same types of glimpses. Hes eye catching the way he jumps for the ball but as one of the coaches mentioned in one of the recent updates, once he hits the deck he needs to just gain a little more composure. Sometimes rushes his kicks. But itll come.

Agreed with other posters that whilst i wrote a big report, hard to read too much into it. I got the feeling hogan vince and watts were sort of going through the motions. It was a hot day and to some extent trying to pull off plays they have practised was ruined by playing the casey fellas. 

[Roger Mellie 4,145]

Any comments on Maynard?

Thanks

[Deespicable 2,886]

5 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

Any comments on Maynard?

Thanks

He will be a very handy defensive midfielder for Casey and my crystal ball tip for the Norm Goss Medal.

He's tough, uses it pretty well - probably just doesn't get it enough to press for senior selection at this stage  - not to mention the fact that he'd have to come off rookie list.

But a welcome addition.

By the way, apart from Tyson, BenKen and Kent, the other player whom I didn't spot training/playing was Joel Smith. Not sure what is wrong with him.

[dazzledavey36 55,453]

Amazing work as usual DeeSpence. Its actually good to see a quality report unlike the pathetic MFC website who haven't botherd to put up anything. 

[daisycutter 29,795]

that really annoys me....we should have won that game easily....typical melbourne

[special robert 438]

Some observations from Olympic Park.

This must be the fittest melbourne side for years.

Hogan and Vandenburg look like they have lost kilos. Vandenburg no sign of any ankle problems whatsoever.

At the end of the match players went one on one...leading to mark. They had to start this drill wrestling with each other and the make a break to receive the pass.

Vandenburg and Watts were going at (wrestling) like madmen...followed by Hunt and someone I couldn't identify....but they could hardly walk after it. The wrestling went on for ages with the coaches yelling...'go on pull him down 'and 'don't let him make a break for it' This wrestling drill to break away was repeated a number of times ..........all after the match game was over...more than two hours into the training session...!...and it was as hot as hell. Wow! No surprise to see Harmes and others battling cramp.

Salems kicking was as usual sensational....another who I noticed was deadly accurate...J Lewis.....yes we have two now.

Frost looks like a huge unit with pace pace pace....he was a standout.

Brayshaw looks deadly...Petracca looks even more like a tank.....Viney looks like he has added another size or two to his chest. Like I mean he is noticeably wider.

Gawn outstanding but now it is not unusual, rather expected. Jones is still the captain on field telling them all when their effort was lacking.

Melksham was busy but for me is in that small payer category and we have a number of them.

The overall impression I got was a severe workout on a hot day that went for more than two hours.....full on .....and they look ready to burst out of he blocks!

 

 

[dieter 3,325]

I was a wee bit disappointed by the many examples of poor disposal.Turnovers kill ya.

I liked the obvious camaraderie, the serious effort, the emphasis on moving the ball.

I really liked the work of Gawn, Lewis, Pederson, JKH, Wagner, Brayshaw, Garland, Garlett, Hogan, Weidemann, Hunt, Melksham, Frost, Salem and Oliver. The Bugger was good too.

Noticed the lads yelling at JKH for not looking for options when he blazed away.

Because I'm not familiar with the new guy's numbers, I missed the contributions of Keilty and Smith.

Pederson looks thin, as does Spencer (Street). Both look fit and ready to go.

I still worry about poor kicking from the McDonald lads, as much as I love them. Frost seems a very likely option for a key back role to me.

 

 

[Balls14 29]

I have to agree with dieter. The turnovers, especially early in the game were extremely noticeable. Even before the game, in the match simulation, the delivery into  the forward 50 was poor. Qualify this comment by saying, session before Christmas we looked sharp and there was great improvement.

The other worrying factor was the older players looking slow. They seemed to be beaten to contest by the younger compatriots.

One thing is certain, Salem looks in terrific knick. Would love to see him given the freedom to play on the wing damage teams with his impeccable foot skills.

Oliver's clearly got the highest ceiling of potential out of any of the kids. His ability to extract the ball from the contest by hand is awesome. The pleasing part, which has been reported, was his great use of foot skills. Which he has good skills.

Hunt is a star and a future All Australian HBF. How he didn't getting a rising star nom is beyond me.

The one player that was intriguing tonight was Vince. If I'm not mistaken, he played a deep in defender, almost back pocket sweeping role. Interesting to see how he fits in defence because I'd love to see Frost on Reidwoldt round 1. Vince to Billings and play the heavy tag hence releasing Hunts run and Hibberd's foot skills.

Anyway, hopefully we can get a market on most possession for next weeks NAB cup game and clean up on Salem. At the very least, his a supercoach lock!

[monoccular 17,607]

6 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

The AFL website just reported:-

The Demons are warming up

Ben Guthrie has the latest on the Dees:

Melbourne's players have hit the track at Olympic Park Oval.

It's certainly strange to see the red and blue out on Collingwood's training ground.

The Demons will train for 20 minutes with light skills before launching into their intraclub.

The players are then going to continue to train after the match

You would hope someone could give them a lift home. 

5 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Gus just doing skill work with the boxing coach 

 

JHK work rate stands out. 

 

Garlett fumbles. 

 

These Casey blokes are ordinary 

I know it is only one workout, but maybe Jeffy  won't be an "automatic top 22" this year.  

JKH has had some good wraps already and even Dion J sounds to be progressing better than may have been expected.  

Good news - pressure on selection keeps everyone on their toes.

Many thanks, as ever, to all who have contributed to these reports. Much valued by those of us who can't get there. 

Edited February 10, 2017 by monoccular

[Striker475 696]

Just on the rough disposal that everyone is mentioning, I kind of think it's a good sign. Remember, these guys have been training together for months and some for years. They understand each others' patterns and plays. If the disposal is rough it generally means the pressure is immense, partly because they all know what they're going to do before they even do it.

For example, Hunt at the intraclub last year. You could see what he was trying to do all day but it wasn't coming off because the other guys knew where he was going to run and move to. Eight weeks later he's setting the league on fire because the opposition isn't ready for those tricks.

[Whispering_Jack 30,928]

Dees intra club wrap

 

[The Chief 697]

Enjoyed watching last night, always amazed at the extreme level of fitness AFL players have to reach.  Amongst others things, two key takeouts for me:

1. While Weiderman's confidence and physicality has definitely improved, if we're picking a team purely to win and not to develop, Pederson has him covered at the moment. 

2. Maybe a bit unfair, but after the intra game when everyone was obviously knackered, watching the Jack Watts & AVB wrestling/leading drill, Jack still doesn't fully extend his arms in 1:1 marking contests and use his height advantage, with AVB easily and repeatedly punching the ball away from Jack.

[Gorgoroth 13,124]

People mentioned Trenners gettingbtye ball alot, how did he look moving across the ground? Have the sprint work they have done with him make a difference?

 

What about Stretch, was he in the contest much? Where did he play?

[Whispering_Jack 30,928]

Jordan Lewis shines while Clayton Oliver looking leaner in Melbourne intra-club match 

Jordan Lewis is driving high standards and Max Gawn continues to ruck well but this is the part I liked the most ~

"Clayton Oliver, who looks significantly fitter this year, seems destined to build on his solid debut season. He worked hard through the midfield, while Christian Petracca and Christian Salem were also prominent.

"Angus Brayshaw only played one of the periods in his return from a calf issue, but provided plenty of highlights both in attack and in the middle. He looks set for a big year, having battled complications with concussion in the middle of last year, before playing the last seven games."

 

[GawnWithTheWind 604]

Did Hibbo not play? 

Id be interested to hear how Bern went too. This year could go one of two ways for him, he gets back to his best or he starts tailing off into retirement.

[Tough Kent 2,137]

1 hour ago, GawnWithTheWind said:

Did Hibbo not play? 

Id be interested to hear how Bern went too. This year could go one of two ways for him, he gets back to his best or he starts tailing off into retirement.

Hibbo trained prior to the intra-club and they were doing a backs v forwards drill. He didn't take part in the intra-club though.

[JTR 2,868]

2 hours ago, Gorgoroth said:

People mentioned Trenners gettingbtye ball alot, how did he look moving across the ground? Have the sprint work they have done with him make a difference?

 

What about Stretch, was he in the contest much? Where did he play?

He didn't look too bad to me, except one moment when we was manning the mark vs frost, who stepped and burst away like Trenners wasn't even there.

It was frost though I suppose, and he'll do that to many

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

2 hours ago, The Chief said:

Enjoyed watching last night, always amazed at the extreme level of fitness AFL players have to reach.  Amongst others things, two key takeouts for me:

1. While Weiderman's confidence and physicality has definitely improved, if we're picking a team purely to win and not to develop, Pederson has him covered at the moment. 

2. Maybe a bit unfair, but after the intra game when everyone was obviously knackered, watching the Jack Watts & AVB wrestling/leading drill, Jack still doesn't fully extend his arms in 1:1 marking contests and use his height advantage, with AVB easily and repeatedly punching the ball away from Jack.

How did Maxey go Chief?

I heard he had a few shots on goal but....