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Marrara Training - Friday 6th July, 2018

Tarax Club
in Melbourne Demons

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Good Evening fellow demonlanders, as posts from Darwin seem rather thin we shall attempt to fill the void. Team arrived at midnight last night, according to our source the flight was delayed. Consequently the training session was delayed somewhat, commencing just after 11:30 am this morning rather than the advertised 10:30 am start. Which was just fine, the Marrara ground is a picture, its surface is well grassed and some additional 'outdoor' new seating has been built on the outer side of the ground adjacent to the Michael Long Centre. The grandstand now honours the late Maurice Rioli no doubt Junior Boy will be in attendance come Saturday night. Being the nominated 'home' team Demons really get the pick of the facilities using the more modern change rooms and gym facilities of the Michael Long Centre. Fremantle get the more antiquated visitors dungeon deep in the bowels of the stadium we assume. Perhaps a swap of change rooms would be in order after Captain Viney's call for the team to get back to the 'basics'!

Goal kicking practice for a few of the forwards was the first appearance of players on to the ground. Led by a Tom McDonald mini-clinic, he has a rock-solid goal kicking technique, head and ball position is maintained prior to a faultless ball drop and an efficient and linear kicking action, a bio-mechanics masterpiece. Even Bayley Fritsch struggled for accuracy deep in the forward pocket but Tom split the middle consistently. Goody appeared and purposely strode up to the coaches box to take in the view, which was decidedly smoky after recent scrub fires close to the oval. Sunset will indubitably be enhanced, hopefully it will not affect athletic performance game time. Meanwhile the small advance party were  called back inside for what appears to be another meeting. The bane of the modern workplace it seems, although contemporary orthodoxy suggests footy as well as being a "game of inches" is won or lost between the players ears. Hope they were listening. Whilst this was going on one of the factotums was placing colourful plastic position discs around the forward fifty arcs both ends of the ground. The full team session was about to begin!

Max Gawn demonstrated his ability to kick the high degree of difficulty checkside goal with ease from the tightest forward pocket position as the team positively bounded out of the team meeting on to the ground. The team approached training in a spirited and positive frame of mind. The mostly brief drills initially focused on sharp ball handling skills, hand-balling, short-passing by foot and some contested drills gaining possession in packs without much contact. After the the first series of ball-handling drills the team divided into forwards, mid-fielders and defenders. For what appeared to be succinct on field tutorials with the line coaches. Sam Frost joined the defenders, as did Bernie Vince who seemed to be the only emergency traveling up. But surprisingly, given Goody's mantra about total team defense, much of the later part of the training session was dedicated to ball movement into the forward fifty. The colourful plastic position discs came into play, with a complex drill which almost seemed to mimic marching girl precision with speed, with variations on a big "W" pattern. Anyway lowering the eyes, delivering a well weighted and directed pass either by foot or by hand was the theme.

Post-training those fans in attendance including your top-end correspondents got to meet the players. After last year's disappointment here against a resurgent crows outfit, the guys seemed to be enjoying the territory warmth and hopefully can re-discover the spark to re-launch our assault for a finals berth. Go you Mighty Demons :lol:!

 

 

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    • Like 38
    • Thanks 4
     
     

    Thanks Tarax, lived up to your word. Interesting to hear Frosty was training with the backline. Can you remember if Petracca was with the forwards or mids? Felt like I was there. 

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    • Author

    Cheers Kev,

    As the attendance at training was for the dedicated few and faithful, your top end correspond team did get the opportunity to interact with a few of the key personnel who will represent the MFC in tomorrow night's game. Some splendid fellows there, interestingly some guys are more relaxed, open and friendly in person but on field their demeanour is at poles opposite to that. Where others appear to be more introspective in person and perhaps more extroverted and expressive over the white line.

    Christian trained with forwards but don't read too much into that, the training session was all over in 45 minutes. Frosty may get his opportunity in defense, he appears to be mindful of last year's team performance. Wish him well he has some excellent attributes.

    Edited by Tarax Club
    punctuation error, omission

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    • Like 3

    Thanks again Tarax, 

    like your use of words, the humour, colour and expressions. 

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    • Like 4
    1 hour ago, Tarax Club said:

    Good Evening fellow demonlanders, as posts from Darwin seem rather thin we shall attempt to fill the void. Team arrived at midnight last night, according to our source the flight was delayed. Consequently the training session was delayed somewhat, commencing just after 11:30 am this morning rather than the advertised 10:30 am start. Which was just fine, the Marrara ground is a picture, its surface is well grassed and some additional 'outdoor' new seating has been built on the outer side of the ground adjacent to the Michael Long Centre. The grandstand now honours the late Maurice Rioli no doubt Junior Boy will be in attendance come Saturday night. Being the nominated 'home' team Demons really get the pick of the facilities using the more modern change rooms and gym facilities of the Michael Long Centre. Fremantle get the more antiquated visitors dungeon deep in the bowels of the stadium we assume. Perhaps a swap of change rooms would be in order after Captain Viney's call for the team to get back to the 'basics'!

    Goal kicking practice for a few of the forwards was the first appearance of players on to the ground. Led by a Tom McDonald mini-clinic, he has a rock-solid goal kicking technique, head and ball position is maintained prior to a faultless ball drop and an efficient and linear kicking action, a bio-mechanics masterpiece. Even Bayley Fritsch struggled for accuracy deep in the forward pocket but Tom split the middle consistently. Goody appeared and purposely strode up to the coaches box to take in the view, which was decidedly smoky after recent scrub fires close to the oval. Sunset will indubitably be enhanced, hopefully it will not affect athletic performance game time. Meanwhile the small advance party were  called back inside for what appears to be another meeting. The bane of the modern workplace it seems, although contemporary orthodoxy suggests footy as well as being a "game of inches" is won or lost between the players ears. Hope they were listening. Whilst this was going on one of the factotums was placing colourful plastic position discs around the forward fifty arcs both ends of the ground. The full team session was about to begin!

    Max Gawn demonstrated his ability to kick the high degree of difficulty checkside goal with ease from the tightest forward pocket position as the team positively bounded out of the team meeting on to the ground. The team approached training in a spirited and positive frame of mind. The mostly brief drills initially focused on sharp ball handling skills, hand-balling, short-passing by foot and some contested drills gaining possession in packs without much contact. After the the first series of ball-handling drills the team divided into forwards, mid-fielders and defenders. For what appeared to be succinct on field tutorials with the line coaches. Sam Frost joined the defenders, as did Bernie Vince who seemed to be the only emergency traveling up. But surprisingly, given Goody's mantra about total team defense, much of the later part of the training session was dedicated to ball movement into the forward fifty. The colourful plastic position discs came into play, with a complex drill which almost seemed to mimic marching girl precision with speed, with variations on a big "W" pattern. Anyway lowering the eyes, delivering a well weighted and directed pass either by foot or by hand was the theme.

    Post-training those fans in attendance including your top-end correspondents got to meet the players. After last year's disappointment here against a resurgent crows outfit, the guys seemed to be enjoying the territory warmth and hopefully can re-discover the spark to re-launch our assault for a finals berth. Go you Mighty Demons :lol:!

     

     

    Your writing is excellent. Puts a lot of the so called journos to shame. Keep up the good work 

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    • Thanks 1
     

    Great report Ron but who is doing the writing you or Gerry? 

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    I'm a tad disappointed Tarax. I reckon you could have organised a Happy Hammond facsimile  (complete wuth squeezbox - a la '63 GF) to lead the players onto the ground. PS 6pm here in Athens and it's 36 degrees.

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    • Author

    All this appreciation and encouragement! We shall be soon drinking our own ? water!

    Ron of course is the “ghost writer” Gerry naturally is the ideas man. Happy Hammond is just happy where he is. The question is who really was Mr Football?

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    13 minutes ago, Tarax Club said:

    All this appreciation and encouragement! We shall be soon drinking our own ? water!

    Ron of course is the “ghost writer” Gerry naturally is the ideas man. Happy Hammond is just happy where he is. The question is who really was Mr Football?

    Uncle Norman and Joffa say hi

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    • Haha 1
    8 hours ago, M_9 said:

    I'm a tad disappointed Tarax. I reckon you could have organised a Happy Hammond facsimile  (complete wuth squeezbox - a la '63 GF) to lead the players onto the ground. PS 6pm here in Athens and it's 36 degrees.

    AFAIR Happy Hammond was on 7. Uncle Norman and Tarax Club on 9.

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    • Haha 1

    Thankfully Territory Day was last weekend else those scrub fires would've been the least of the players worries ;)

    Edited by Trisul

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    6 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

    AFAIR Happy Hammond was on 7. Uncle Norman and Tarax Club on 9.

    How could I make such a stupid mistake. Corky and Professor Ratbaggy also Ch 9 from memory.

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    • Like 1
    • 2 weeks later...
    • Author
    On 7/7/2018 at 8:34 AM, Fifty-5 said:

    AFAIR Happy Hammond was on 7. Uncle Norman and Tarax Club on 9.

    This has been gnawing away for a little while!  Thanks to our research a correction is in order! According to Denzil Howson's online archive The Tarax Show 1957-1964 http://tdgq.com.au/tarax-show/tarax_home.html   Happy Hammond initially compered the Happy Tarax Show from its first show live at Myer's Lonsdale Street window on Monday 21st January 1957  until 1960 when he left GTV9 to go to HSV7 to host The Happy Show. Geoff Corke aka Corky King of the Kids was drafted in as Happy Hammond's replacement in the role as the show's compere. Happy a keen Geelong supporter,  was accorded the honour of running through the banner with the Geelong players on VFL Grand Final day in 1963. On a sadder note Ron Blaskett recently passed away April 2018 at the grand old age of 96. 

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    • Author
    On 7/7/2018 at 2:50 PM, M_9 said:

    How could I make such a stupid mistake. Corky and Professor Ratbaggy also Ch 9 from memory.

    M_9 fyeo! check topic thread!

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