You are all BOG's today for turning up and seeing it through in the bad weather, guys.

Thanks for your efforts!

r

Edited January 18, 20233 yr by kev martin

Grundy looked a long way off all session. Positioning and marking aren’t a strong suit, and whilst he got involved with some ground balls with good vigour he didn’t do anything with it.

He was probably the biggest individual downside.

The tempo is incredibly fast, I’d still like to see more switching and run and carry with forward handballs to open up space. There’s some lovely fast aggressive kicks that pay off but faster long down the line purely for the sake of being faster won’t make us better.

I agree Chandler had a strong session with some good positioning, attack at the contest and tackling.

Pickett, May, Hibberd, Salem, Petty, Langdon, Melksham were others that looked good.

McVee was the big improver. Not sure about top end speed but he looks genuinely quick, and he was scything through traffic with ease with solid disposal. My immediate thought was he’s likely to debut this year. 

JVR was his typical energetic self, crashed in to some packs and his follow up is exceptional, he has a desire for tackling that we haven’t seen from a tall. Need to see a dry day to see if he can hold a few more. Hibbo and Petty mostly had him covered.

Big Kyah contested for a mark with Gus and quickly came down and was back on to the loose ball. Whilst he’s a long way off it’s nice to see the athleticism is as advertised. 

Was good to see Deak Smith back in training too. 

K Turner had some moments, he covers ground very easily and looks a natural runner for a tall. D Turner had a great goal saving tackle at one point, he looks super fit and lean. Lockdown back has to be an option for him, and I even wonder if he finds himself stuck in the key back log jam if he can contribute to the midfield. 

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

Still moving out to the right, the kicks they should be practicing are 45-50 metres where they run in on an arc instead of kicking over the man on on the mark more misses than close in.

4 hours ago, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

Thanks, Uncle*.

I might be reading too much into it but his responses seemed 'cautious' in his interview on the Club website (though he did look pretty good in the training vision!) It felt like there was still a little bit there and that he might be still (and possibly remain) on the edge of reinjury?

(*Thanks @Dee Zephyr and @Stiff Arm too)

Don't think he was that cautious. Simply said he is good and is not overdoing it to risk any situation at this stage. But plenty of work going into training and nearing peak would also be an appropriate comment. 

32 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

 

K Turner had some moments, he covers ground very easily and looks a natural runner for a tall. D Turner had a great goal saving tackle at one point, he looks super fit and lean. Lockdown back has to be an option for him, and I even wonder if he finds himself stuck in the key back log jam if he can contribute to the midfield. 

Can someone please remind me. Is Kye Turner a listed player, a rookie or a train-on player (or something else)?

33 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Can someone please remind me. Is Kye Turner a listed player, a rookie or a train-on player (or something else)?

 

Train on player from Frankston Dolphins, 19 yrs of age.

Unless Grundy’s physically cooked for good and we’ve bought an absolute lemon, then I’m not concerned in the slightest despite today’s disappointing training reports.

It was only Anzac Day 2022 when he kicked the sealer from 50 metres out on a seriously injured knee and never played again for the year.

The bloke has talent and I refuse to believe that we didn’t do our due diligence.

3 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Unless Grundy’s physically cooked for good and we’ve bought an absolute lemon, then I’m not concerned in the slightest despite today’s disappointing training reports.

It was only Anzac Day 2022 when he kicked the sealer from 50 metres out on a seriously injured knee and never played again for the year.

The bloke has talent and I refuse to believe that we didn’t do our due diligence.

Yes. Today's Oi Weh's about Grundy are typical DL propensity to pull gloom from a clear blue sky.

I went along today too with a mate who used to work with a couple of AFL footy departments. He was useful to stand next to …

The emphasis was on quicker movement but we will still play wide. I overheard one of the coaches telling a player to “keep it tight on the attacking side”. I think the coaching was directed at Burgoyne as he had held the ball a bit too long moments earlier.

Of the younger players, I found Woewodin, JvR, Disco and McPhee the most interesting. Woewodin maybe lacks x-factor but moves well and runs without a second thought for the betterment of the team. I can see him playing 100 games of senior footy if he continues to develop.

JvR attacks the ball, the body and the man. Our forward half pressure will lift with him playing. 

Disco is smart and a neat kick. Size might be his problem in the long run but he looks good in sims.

McPhee is a better athlete than I thought. Worked hard and handled the ball well in slippery conditions. He’s behind a lot of good players for a senior spot but he looks better than I remember.

Of the next group Rivers, Bowey, Sparrow and Kozzie all look really strong, composed and sharp for mid Jan. Kozzie was the most influential player during the sims in my eyes. Left or right foot his skills were excellent. Defensively roams with a certain amount of menace much like his uncle. Sparrow is just so strong. He can absorb a fair bit of contact and dispose neatly.

Special mention to Chandler. He was within the top 3-4 on the field. Covered ground well, tackled hard and hit targets. His intensity was very high in the drills and sim. 

Some other bits of info I gleaned:-

Grundy is 6 weeks behind in his running but will be good for Rd 1.

Brown is being managed but they’re not worried.

Jefferson has impressed the coaches with his application and has a bit of flair to his game. I must admit, watching him today, I didn’t see the flair. He is a lovely kick though.

Expect to see 30-35 players play in the preseason. Club thinks our depth is now a strength.

Just back at The Manor and thawing out - I dressed for a balmy day rather than arctic conditions.

The comprehensive reports above cover most things but I will add couple of observations.

For me, the standout player across all drills was May. He started with some goal kicking (pretty good too) but was very prominent in all the simulation drills.He wasn't saying much but was very physical and aggressive towards getting possession and using it well. He was setting an example and a standard . He looked super fit (although I didn't stay for the final run throughs) and, on today's showing, I'm really looking forward to an AA season.

It appears BBB still has some work to do. He looked ok in the short goal kicking drill but when he had a kick from about 50 it fell well short. I didn't see much of him after that and I suppose he's on a special program.

Saw a first (for me anyway). Clarry came off during one of the simulations. He was blowing a bit and was handed an inhaler. He had a couple of puffs and seemed fine. Is this usual for him?

Had a few looks at JvR. Good shoulders and lean rather than bulky upper body muscles. There's physical development left in him. He flew for a couple of marks but I didn't see one stick. However, he wasn't alone in that given the conditions.

My overall impression of the session was intensity and enthusiasm. I was close to the "interchange area" for one of the match sims and was interested to note that players on the "bench" were having animated discussions about tactics and positioning - again a high level of passion about doing the job well.

The overall "vibe' was very upbeat and made me very upbeat about 2023.

Hey Trackwatchers,

Was there any sense of Brayshaw's position in the sims? I.e. Was he with the back line, the mids or too hard to tell?

Thanks

16 minutes ago, JJJ said:

I overheard one of the coaches telling a player to “keep it tight on the attacking side”.

Wonder why with skills of the modern player that both sides are not the "attacking side"

13 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

Hey Trackwatchers,

Was there any sense of Brayshaw's position in the sims? I.e. Was he with the back line, the mids or too hard to tell?

Thanks

In some of the starts, he was in the centre, playing a mid/follower type position. Also spent some time at half-back, doing the leadership type stuff of organising the position and zoned area. 

39 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Unless Grundy’s physically cooked for good and we’ve bought an absolute lemon, then I’m not concerned in the slightest despite today’s disappointing training reports.

I'm not as critical about his session today as some.

I thought Grundy did some good things, especially later in the sim when others were tiring. I was on the far side of the paddock, so maybe had a different view of the proceedings.

36 minutes ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Saw a first (for me anyway). Clarry came off during one of the simulations. He was blowing a bit and was handed an inhaler. He had a couple of puffs and seemed fine. Is this usual for him?

Guessing on this, but if he's asthmatic then due to the sudden temp change/storm last night it's close to the 'asthma storm' conditions they talk about so might have just been more prone to it.

59 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Wonder why with skills of the modern player that both sides are not the "attacking side"

 The coach may have been talking about the field structures and corridors. 

Tight on the "attacking side" would be sensible, as the defensive play would be unstructured if a turnover occurs, allowing for a quick counter attack.

I imagine an attacking area/side would have space, one on ones, attacking type of players and opposition players chasing the leads.

Edited January 18, 20233 yr by kev martin

 

Cheers to all the track watchers on the reports 

 For those that crave some amateur footage, Ben did have 3 young guys cheering him on from the fence for every kick. 

 

 

 

Pleased Judd McVee and Taj Woewodin are getting some favourable reviews from our knowledgeable trackwatchers.

In the VFL big dance last season they were the most noticeable of the uncapped younger guys out on the park. For sandgropers they stood up well in the inclement, heavy conditions not unlike today by the sound of it.

Like Kade Chandler’s intent too, his determination will hopefully be rewarded this season. Go Demons!

MFC should treat all 2023 practice matches like theyre H&A games for points. Try all the top 4 or 5 VFL players and give as much game time as possible. We want to grab this season by the throat from  R1.

2 hours ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Just back at The Manor and thawing out - I dressed for a balmy day rather than arctic conditions.

The comprehensive reports above cover most things but I will add couple of observations.

For me, the standout player across all drills was May. He started with some goal kicking (pretty good too) but was very prominent in all the simulation drills.He wasn't saying much but was very physical and aggressive towards getting possession and using it well. He was setting an example and a standard . He looked super fit (although I didn't stay for the final run throughs) and, on today's showing, I'm really looking forward to an AA season.

It appears BBB still has some work to do. He looked ok in the short goal kicking drill but when he had a kick from about 50 it fell well short. I didn't see much of him after that and I suppose he's on a special program.

Saw a first (for me anyway). Clarry came off during one of the simulations. He was blowing a bit and was handed an inhaler. He had a couple of puffs and seemed fine. Is this usual for him?

Had a few looks at JvR. Good shoulders and lean rather than bulky upper body muscles. There's physical development left in him. He flew for a couple of marks but I didn't see one stick. However, he wasn't alone in that given the conditions.

My overall impression of the session was intensity and enthusiasm. I was close to the "interchange area" for one of the match sims and was interested to note that players on the "bench" were having animated discussions about tactics and positioning - again a high level of passion about doing the job well.

The overall "vibe' was very upbeat and made me very upbeat about 2023.

How many pints did you manage afterwards mate?

Sounds like an exhausting morning. 

Great to see no post-surgery bandaging or strapping on Clarrie’s injure hand.

1 hour ago, Deeoldfart said:

Great to see no post-surgery bandaging or strapping on Clarrie’s injure hand.

At one stage in the handball game, Clarrie performed a tackle, and came off second best clutching his hand. I got the tingle, after he grimaced, held his hand and moved away from the area. it appeared to be just a middle or index finger issue. He got on with it pretty quickly. Bit nerve wracking, when the contest is eager, and they have been at each other this preseason.