On 14/01/2022 at 00:56, george_on_the_outer said:

Well George on the Outer was on the outer again at Casey this morning, since the gates are locked to prevent the plague ridden populace from entering...

Still got to observe through the fence, which is as good as we football starved individuals can get, so we will take it.

I counted 40ish players on the track, with Harmes and Rosman doing rehab of some sort, mainly running, stopping and restarting type of exercise.  What sort of injury that means...perhaps more of the medically trained posters can help.

Now it was difficult to see who wasn't there, due to this fence previously mentioned, and the wearing of bibs at times.  However these days they all have numbers on their backs, apart from one unidentified player.  Still I couldn't see Ed Langdon out there, although he does wear an invisibility cloak, which prevents opposition players from seeing him during the game. Perhaps he was wearing it today?

Not sure if Melksham was there, but given the numbers of Covid expemptions reported from other clubs this week, it was quite literally a healthy list on the ground.

Observations:  God awful music being played through the loudspeakers.  Screaching girl bands and moaning rejects from the Voice,  Idol or repetitive rap could only make the players listen intently to the coaches.  You sure as Hell couldn't listen to that other rubbish!

Apart from the usual warm-ups, kicking drills with the Mark Williams striped ball, and another with huge foam goal posts erected mid-ground to do what I don't know, there was one which really took the eye.

It was virtually a full match type game, with umpires, but the speed was simply incredible.  Switch, switch back and then some more saw the ball move at lightning speed around the ground and from one end to the other.  If this style is introduced through an already  Premierhsip side, watch out opposition teams. 

There was little fixed position as players roamed wide to create opportunity, and then even more.  Difficult to describe, but the team with the ball would rip right through the defenders and only a misplaced kick would see possession lost...then that opposition would do the same in return.  The poor umpires never caught up with the speed and were trying to whistle 20, 30, 50 metres behind where the ball was.

The only downside was the goal-kicking , but I suspect it wasn't the aim of the drill.  Still an excuse could be they have moved the goal-posts at Casey, and players seemed to be kicking to where they used to be.

Standouts were Oliver, Salem and May.  Oliver just steps through defenders and just keeps going and going.  Just when he looks cornered, he just bursts out again.  Salem the same, how no-one can tackle him is amazing, and he always keeps bobbing up with ball in hand to deliver accurately.  May is well over his hamstring injury from the PF, and just kept dragging down mark after mark.  Another that took the eye was Majak Daw, playing forward.  Really strong marking and leading, he was a challenge to be able to control in the air for May, Petty and Lever. 

All the new recruits were there, but with the viewing curtailed it was difficult to focus on what they were doing or not. 

And when the rain started, this wimpy reporter thought better of standing alone and headed for home, leaving the players to finish the session in peace.

Reading about ball movement at lightening speed is exciting.

While it would be hard to play better than some of what we produced across all the finals, especially the 100-7 finish in the GF, the Tigers improved after winning the 2017 GF, as their players confidence lifted and they just believed. It is a scary thought for the rest of the competition if we improve on our finals efforts, as none of the finalists got close to us, Lions being lucky to lose by only 31 points due to our poor goal kicking.

Bring on 2022!

  On 14/01/2022 at 11:22, Yokozuna said:

Geez some of you sound so old!

“Turn the music down - what is this music?”

I can only guess the music is on BECAUSE the PLAYERS like it!!

Also, they like to have noise at times to try and replicate noise from the crowds on game days. 

I would have thought that the MFC would have Mozart and Bach playing in the background, maybe some Wagner and Beethoven when grunt is required. I reckon we'd be even better if that were to happen...

  On 15/01/2022 at 02:15, dieter said:

I would have thought that the MFC would have Mozart and Bach playing in the background, maybe some Wagner and Beethoven when grunt is required. I reckon we'd be even better if that were to happen...

Perhaps Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture replete with canons to remind us of....

Bang Bang Bang !

A couple of great reports thanks guys. No one mentioned the Weid was he out there?

  On 15/01/2022 at 06:41, old dee said:

A couple of great reports thanks guys. No one mentioned the Weid was he out there?

Yes he trained but cant say that I noticed anything out of the norm!

 

  On 15/01/2022 at 01:29, leave it to deever said:

Cant wait to see this guys trajectory continue.

A post that says this ☝️ in response to one that said "Sparrow outmarking Max in a one on one" is heaven sent for a meme showing Sparrow (or even a sparrow) continuing his trajectory over some trees or even to the moon.

  On 18/01/2022 at 02:38, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

A post that says this ☝️ in response to one that said "Sparrow outmarking Max in a one on one" is heaven sent for a meme showing Sparrow (or even a sparrow) continuing his trajectory over some trees or even to the moon.

I am surprised there is enough oxygen up there to sustain the flight.

  On 14/01/2022 at 01:20, Nelo said:

I don't get why every event has the rubbish music, you go to footy training, cricket, local pool, shops and you get slammed with it. So annoying, nothing wrong with silence.

Perhaps they play the music to drown out the coaches talking to nefarious oppo observers on the outer ... 

  On 18/01/2022 at 03:39, Smokey said:

Perhaps they play the music to drown out the coaches talking to nefarious oppo observers on the outer ... 

That sounds like a Doctor Smith barb

"SILENCE YOU NEFARIOUS OPPO OBSERVER"

Im really hanging out for a new training report.. c'mon 'landers help me out.

  On 18/01/2022 at 02:38, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

A post that says this ☝️ in response to one that said "Sparrow outmarking Max in a one on one" is heaven sent for a meme showing Sparrow (or even a sparrow) continuing his trajectory over some trees or even to the moon.

Paraphrasing Aristotle, and / or Erasmus' translation, 

To be happy takes a complete lifetime; for one Sparrow swallow does not make spring, nor does one fine day; and similarly one day or a brief period of happiness does not make a man supremely blessed and happy.

But this particular Sparrow makes me very happy, and makes my whole year, not just the spring of 2021;  and that (not really brief but ongoing) period of happiness does in fact make me supremely blessed and happy  (though also very hungry for more).

  On 18/01/2022 at 10:37, monoccular said:

Paraphrasing Aristotle, and / or Erasmus' translation, 

To be happy takes a complete lifetime; for one Sparrow swallow does not make spring, nor does one fine day; and similarly one day or a brief period of happiness does not make a man supremely blessed and happy.

But this particular Sparrow makes me very happy, and makes my whole year, not just the spring of 2021;  and that (not really brief but ongoing) period of happiness does in fact make me supremely blessed and happy  (though also very hungry for more).

Yes, but let's not forget that Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle!

  On 18/01/2022 at 11:08, hardtack said:

Yes, but let's not forget that Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle!

Indeed.

For those under the age of about 50 wondering about this reference. Enjoy yourselves. (Then read Hobbes "Leviathan" and understand why the AFL needs to make rules of the game...oh, and why Governments are necessary.)