Training - Friday 10th February, 2017 at Olympic Park

[WERRIDEE 5,211]

Love the reports.

Did Jetta play?

[dieter 3,325]

2 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

Love the reports.

Did Jetta play?

No, He wandered laps with Hannan and Hibberd.

Edited February 11, 2017 by dieter

[hemingway 7,589]

2 hours ago, ProDee said:

Someone at the game told me Melksham was good and looked pretty classy on the oval.  I then read that that was wrong and that he was no good.  That sums up footy threads.

Interestingly, in Goodwin's take from the game the first player he mentions in a positive sense is Melksham.   So I think I'll back my guy.

One thing I know is that while supporters go ape over a skill error or two the coaches don't.   They know they'll happen and look at the bigger picture, i.e. competitiveness, positioning, decision making, etc.

I do rate the opinions of Vogon, Deespencer, BRFE, and some others and enjoy their contribution. 

The training reports are fantastic and hats off to all of you who allow the rest of us to enjoy the reads, the insights and the different perspectives.  

[Satyriconhome 9,982]

Melksham, I thought looked calm and composed when he had the ball, and took the right decisions

As for training schedule, playing Saturday night and the need to taper the loads so not sure, think Friday would be out

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,184]

4 hours ago, ProDee said:

Someone at the game told me Melksham was good and looked pretty classy on the oval.  I then read that that was wrong and that he was no good.  That sums up footy threads.

Interestingly, in Goodwin's take from the game the first player he mentions in a positive sense is Melksham.   So I think I'll back my guy.

One thing I know is that while supporters go ape over a skill error or two the coaches don't.   They know they'll happen and look at the bigger picture, i.e. competitiveness, positioning, decision making, etc.

I do rate the opinions of Vogon, Deespencer, BRFE, and some others and enjoy their contribution. 

Melksham won the ball well but ran himself into trouble on a numerous occasions which turned the ball over. When he took a quick first option he looked good. Not surprised Goodwin talked his boy up though and it would take a lot I suspect for him not to play round 1.

[Skuit 9,177]

The earlier blow-by-blow accounts suggested a lot of missed kicks on goals. Is this accurate? Is it the standard this time of year? Are we spending much time on goal-kicking as a group at training? Cheers.

[Pinball Wizard 272]

What the coach thought

Recruits impress Goodwin in hit-out

[Demon trucker 1,769]

Gee some like to jump the gun,  maybe viney was told to go easy, he is an aggressive player, no point him going hard at a meaningless intra game,  and hurting our own players, wow the captaincy weighing him down in a intra, talk about jumping the gun,  don't worry he will be fine. 

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Thanks to everyone who's written a report - a super enjoyable thread to read.

Taylor has seemingly earnt his wage just on Hunt. What a superb selection so late in the draft.

I'm really disappointed to read that Kent's still on the sidelines though - I was expecting him to go to the next level this year.

JKH - really looking forward to seeing him play this season. Hope he makes the most of Kent's absence.

Jordan Lewis is that rare stroke of luck that this club needed.

If Max Gawn plays 22 games this year, we're playing finals. I actually reckon it's that simple.

There are literally so many excitement machines on our list now. I can't remember a MFC team having so many talented players before.

 

[DemonLad5 1,640]

Someone please fill me in - Did Joel Smith play in the intraclub? If so how did he go?

[DeeSpencer 23,134]

33 minutes ago, DemonLad5 said:

Someone please fill me in - Did Joel Smith play in the intraclub? If so how did he go?

He didn't play. J Smith, Kent, Kennedy and Tyson were there in street clothes.

Mitch King was in training gear but I didn't see him train, same with Mitch White. Hibberd, Jetta and Hannan sat out the main game sim but did other stuff. Brayshaw played a half.

[binman 38,091]

I went last week. A couple of random football related observations:

• Agree with comments we were a bit sloppy with our disposals, particularly kicking and not jut in the match practice bit.  But it doesn't worry me. It is a practice match after all. No big deal.Even two of our best kicks in Salem and Lewis missed some easy targets. Conversely O mac nailed a beautiful clearing kick to a target when kicking across the ground so not all doom and gloom
• Melksham looked very solid and a real pro. Good depth and power on his kicks. Reads the play very well. A lock for round one.
• I didn't notice Hibberd much but he is a very sold unit and also has fantastic depth on his kicking. I can see him being a real weapon getting the ball into our forward line with long, powerful kicks
• Trac should stick to long booming kicks and ditch his little 20 metre chips that seem to miss their target every time
• Brawshaw looked fantastic and i am super excited he is likely to be key member of the side. Easy to forget how good he was in the foirts half of the 2015 season. A very smart player and a good reader of the ball
• Oliver looked in great nick. He is a tough bugger. Got smashed at one point and got straight up
• Viney is a bull. Seems to have only one speed. Some of the Casey kids must have had kittens when he came storming at them
• Hogan looks super fit as does Pederson
• My standout? Salem. if he stays fit he will be like a new top shelf recruit. He is so clean and has brilliant awareness of where his team mates are.
• Salem also has a skill that frustratingly so few players have - weighting his kicks to team mates advantage. He kicked a lovely 50 metre kick to Weeds over the back of the contest which set up a gimme goal.
• After training had finished Salem did some extra work with a coach kicking balls at him from very close and catching them in the left, then right hand. Good on both sides but amazing on the left. The ball was going at speed and the ball looked as if it was going into a baseball mit. Looks super fit as well. Played out of the centre for most of the game. 

A couple of other random observations:

• It was great to be able to go after work, have a couple of quiet ones and watch the boys train. I wonder of it is something they could do 2 or 3 times over summer (ie a 4:30 start). It wouldn't have to be at Olympic park. Goschs's would be fine
• Incredible to see how many support staff there are these days. I remember watching the dees train at the G under barass and it is no exaggeration to say there was only two or three people out there (other than the players) and one was retrieving balls for the stands (though not the one i managed to snaffle). Must be expensive to to run a footy club these days
• On a related note the Merch tent was in a stupid spot, assuming of course they actually wanted to sell merch (which given the location of the Demon store is no sure thing) not just provide shade for MFC employee being paid to do nothing. Are work experience kids in charge of the marketing department? No wait - kids these days would be much more savvy
• Stafford is very tall

 

[binman 38,091]

Oh one ore thing. Stretch looked very professional and like others is super fit