6 hours ago, Demonstone said:

There will be plenty more slabs to get through over Christmas and New Year's.

Like Tracs basketball  Disco's discoing Jack V trying to run through brick walls Clarry knocking on hairdressers doors after hours to get  plenty of product for his new Little Pony style hair arrangement. Maysie entrecoting down Grenville St  and new boy Ollie Sestan sleepwalking back to Schoolies on the GC to complete his full week there.

What  a diverse group of champion trainers we have setting the standards for all the group in 2023.

PS Hibbo is also practising his 100m dash with a large cup in hand and a full beer can in the other!! 

21 hours ago, Kent said:

Grundy forward Max kick behind play would really test most opposition sides

Agree no doubt that will stretch the oppo every fighting inch in 2023. 

12 hours ago, old55 said:

Thanks Sherlock!

I was responding to Pickett's obeservation:

"KYNAN BROWN, No 39 Really liked the look of this player, moved well has pace good skill set and plays not dissimilarly to his old man, terrific to see, "

Elementary my dear Watson

4 hours ago, Gawndy the Great said:

Max only went forward given we were missing a KPF. In 2021 he was more a kick behind play. LJ was largely ineffective when tearing down forward as well.

With Grundy and our replenished/recovered KPF stocks I think we’ll be able to return to our 2021 setup, which was an impenetrable defence. 

Grundy obviously supersedes LJ and potentially a TMac/JVR/BBB KPF line. Hunter on the D- wing are the upgrades that will add further potency in attack.

Let’s hope that we are fitter this year. 

We cannot forget the additional freedom that may well be created for Fritta in the forward line; he's a damaging player for opponents - even in times of tough player arrangements. The impenetrable defence arrangement will require some fiddling in terms of the game plan where long-bombing is no longer the preferred option, certainly down the left hand side from fullback must be addressed with our more potent field-wide potentials. It is going to be an exciting season and I would expect that the streaming mosquitos and midfielders will be tremendously valuable and creative. 

On 12/16/2022 at 4:42 PM, dazzledavey36 said:

Has come back overweight it seems.

Enjoyed himself a bit too much in Europe.

He's only human. He'll get fit faster than anyone now that he's back into training. Give him some room, he put in a terrific 2022 season for us and deserved a rewarding break; we know he'll go for another outstanding season as this short timeframe rolls by.

I’m having an early breakfast and catching up with the news and there, staring directly at me is an on line story in this morning’s Sunday Sun written by Glenn McFarlane ~

Have the Demons already solved their key forward issues?

The story also appears at the bottom of page 86 in today’s print issue under the title “Van Rooyen’s time has come at the Demons”. It’s about Melbourne’s hopes that an untried talent and an injury-prone veteran can help it overcome its key-forward issues from the latter part of this year.

“Track watchers have noted the solid pre-season form of Jacob van Rooyen, who is yet to play a senior game but came so close last season, and premiership forward Tom McDonald, who only managed nine games in 2022 due to injury. The Demons struggled to get bang for their buck when going forward last season, with their forward mix an endless source of debate.“

This made me wonder whether the people at the Hun are reading our reports  I mean the article got the drift about our hopes that the availability of JvR and TMac for senior duty in 2023 will make a difference to Melbourne’s forward set up, but that’s nowhere near the full story unfolding in front of the eyes of our “track watchers”.

Firstly, some housekeeping about fact and fiction. The article refers to JvR as a “20-year-old 191cm forward” but he’s neither. His date of birth is listed on the MFC website as 16 April 2003 which means he’s still a 19 year old and the site refers to his height in one place as 193cm and elsewhere as “[S]tanding at 194cm”. I can add to the debate by saying that from my previous observations and again on Friday at training, he’s probably a bit taller than that. At one stage, he was contesting in ruck duels against Brodie Grundy (202cm) and appeared to be giving away only a couple of inches to the Demons’ new big man. At another stage he was pitted against Harry Petty (197cm) who barely shaded him height wise. Perhaps, when the club updates its website in the new year, it might organize the players to be measured for height. In the meantime, we might be happy that the media and other clubs are labouring under a misapprehension about JvR’s vital statistics. 😀

Secondly, McFarlane has only covered part of an intriguing story that’s unfolding with regard to repairing the issues that derailed Melbourne’s premiership defence this year. At this time of year there is always the matter of pre-season preparation of the team for the year ahead and the development of tactics and strategies but this year, the big story is what the club’s ruck set up will look like with Gawn and Grundy, both leading practitioners of their craft. And based on Friday’s training session, that “untried talent” might also have a role to play in that story as well.

18 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

“Track watchers have noted the solid pre-season form of Jacob van Rooyen, who is yet to play a senior game but came so close last season, and premiership forward Tom McDonald, who only managed nine games in 2022 due to injury. The Demons struggled to get bang for their buck when going forward last season, with their forward mix an endless source of debate.“

 

I see that Demonland Training Reports have been uncredited again. 

We basically went straight into pre season not long after the GF. TMcs injury did not help. No doubt many unreported niggles.

Perhaps we did not manage players adequately and should have rested players allowing recovery and players at Casey to be tried out.

I think that would have been reviewed over the break this year.

 

5 minutes ago, manny100 said:

We basically went straight into pre season not long after the GF. TMcs injury did not help. No doubt many unreported niggles.

Perhaps we did not manage players adequately and should have rested players allowing recovery and players at Casey to be tried out.

I think that would have been reviewed over the break this year.

 

I hope so Manny,in my view it was very poor management and we were absolutely cooked by the first final

After last year's GF Vic was still in lockdown with curfews and only a few hours of 'day release'.  It meant there was no chance for players to R and R. 

So they didn't have much to do except exercise/train.

When I read some of the training reports I get a bit anxious that we are repeating last year's error of going too hard too early (Max said the 2022 season felt and extension of 2021 with a heavy preseason workload). 

But I stay positive and think we have learnt to pace the preseason better this year.

Edited December 18, 20222 yr by Lucifers Hero

24 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

After last year's GF we were still Vic was still in lockdown with curfews and only a few hours of 'day release'.  It meant there was no chance for players to R and R. 

So they didn't have much to do except exercise/train.

When I read some of the training reports I get a bit anxious that we are repeating last year's error of going too hard too early (Max said the 2022 season felt and extension of 2021 with a heavy preseason workload). 

But I stay positive and think we have learnt to pace the preseason better this year.

From the reports, Luci, it certainly sounds as if Gus has learnt to pace his preseason. 

4 hours ago, Deemania since 56 said:

He's only human. He'll get fit faster than anyone now that he's back into training. Give him some room, he put in a terrific 2022 season for us and deserved a rewarding break; we know he'll go for another outstanding season as this short timeframe rolls by.

The Brayshaw Xmas 100 x 100 challenge should sort things out.

1 hour ago, Neil Crompton said:

From the reports, Luci, it certainly sounds as if Gus has learnt to pace his preseason. 

Preseason at the hofbrauhaus - works for me.

8 hours ago, 58er said:

Agree no doubt that will stretch the oppo every fighting inch in 2023. 

I’m not so sure on this. Gameplay this year was to run the ball off half back and transition before the d50 could settle. 

Our f50 pressure and forward turnover has to be sorted out if we are going to have any success.

Teams know they cannot allow us to setup our defence. 

 

On 12/16/2022 at 5:12 PM, dazzledavey36 said:

Has come back overweight it seems.

Enjoyed himself a bit too much in Europe.

Gus has never been the lean ripped looking athlete, but asides from injury getting in the way, I think he generally knows what it takes fitness wise to play at the level and doesn't shirk the track work to get there - he's basically mr work ethic when it comes to this stuff.

I'm unconcerned.

22 hours ago, Kent said:

I hope so Manny,in my view it was very poor management and we were absolutely cooked by the first final

Agree, looked totally cooked

Really difficult to know how to manage the team throughout last summer.  Preseason comming off the back of a premership isn't an issue that the MFC has needed to manage for a fair while.  That said, we had the 2018/19 experience to learn from.

But when you look at the Burgo mantra of train hard/at match day intensity and supreme fitness throughout the season, I struggle to see how we could have done things much differently.  The main call I hear is perhaps JVR could have been played at the end of the season and/or Petty forward.  While it just might have got us closer to snagging another flag in 2022, I'm glad that we didn't rush JVR and hopefully there is a stack of flags there for the taking that he'll be a huge part of over the next 3-5+ years.  If we can blood him alongside a fit TMac, that would be so much better than throwing him in the deep end and letting him take all the heat early on.

I guess the only other obvious disappointment in retrospect is that Bedford and/or Chandler didn't get more of a run.  Guess we could have rested ANB and/or Spargo on occation, but both remain pretty key players as observed by Spargo's pretty much league high for hitting targets inside 50.  Dunstan got a few games, but didn't exactly set the world on fire when he did.  Disco did get that debut against the Pies and I think it was only crule fate that stopped him getting more games.  One other potential resting of players i can think of that we might have missed in retrospect was Bowey for Salem, but maybe we though Salem was on tge cusp of comming good and wanted to give him the continuity to get his form right.

But over all, my take is that 2021, we managed it almost perfectly and had almost everything fall our way in terms of lack of injuries to key players and easy run home at the end of the home and away season.  2022 was the opposite, but we weren't that far off.  I think it does go to show how hard premierships are to win in the AFL era and particularly back to back ones.

Edited December 19, 20222 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

On 12/16/2022 at 5:12 PM, dazzledavey36 said:

Has come back overweight it seems.

Enjoyed himself a bit too much in Europe.

Any evidence that this is the case or is he carrying an injury?

Does anyone think that they tried too hard to fulfill their (and our) desire to win a flag at the MCG as soon as possible?

I do.

4 hours ago, picket fence said:

Agree, looked totally cooked

It was also about not adjusting the game plan regarding forward line entries, blind Freddie could see that from around round 10 the coaches tried to change it too late.

58 minutes ago, tiers said:

Does anyone think that they tried too hard to fulfill their (and our) desire to win a flag at the MCG as soon as possible?

I do.

"Tried too hard" that was  Goody trying to keep the same 23 together snd not drop some players that were clearly under form or carrying injuries snd came back into the AFL team without an appropriate VFL preparation as a grounding viz Riv Salo Lever Gawny etc 

That's  why we were banged up and too tired in the second half of games after Round 10! 

Also no new players developed in 2022 to replace out of form and keep pressure on the AFL team. 

Font believe Selwyn Griffiths is to blame for this it is the coach and selectors. 
 

 

On 12/17/2022 at 12:58 PM, Demonland said:

 

I've never noticed Oliver to look this muscular before. Has he changed or have I been blind?

10 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I've never noticed Oliver to look this muscular before. Has he changed or have I been blind?

His legs look mostly the same to me. He’s possibly even leaner in the hips and waist but he’s been heading that way for a couple of years. 

Probably a bit more muscular in the shoulders - he’s had many summers spent rehabbing shoulder injuries, don’t think that was the case this year 

On 12/16/2022 at 11:59 AM, 12345_54321 said:

He’s a determined character and is quite aware at 25 at his third club this is his last shot at it. What he was told in his talks in coming to Melbourne was to work his butt off, put on some size and leave no stone unturned. And the way he came back has proven he’s going to give it his all. He’s aware he’s got a lot of untapped potential. So hopefully that holds him in good stead. Hasnt put a foot wrong so far. 

Are they creating a Tomahawk? That would be the monster forward we need

On 12/18/2022 at 4:23 AM, 58er said:

PS Hibbo is also practising his 100m dash with a large cup in hand and a full beer can in the other!! 

Top priority this one.  Also, who is the one that we are training up as an understudy to Hibbo for this role as part of future succession plan?