31 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

How is Mentha adjusting to the training loads? Keen to know what his skill set and speed is like from the regular attendees?

Early on, shy and a bit star struck. It effected his cleanliness with the ball. Ricky Mentha is starting to get into it now. Lovely feet movements sends him to the space in a flash, has that lateral step which is smooth, fast and transitionless to straighten up again. Hands are getting better, shape of ball needs a little work but gets that lovely spin on it, occasionally over hits it.

You could see a difference with the other new boys. They had good coaches who drilled them within an AFL program and they fit in easily. Ricky will need some help in knowing the expectations and the finer aspects of AFL. He appears to be picking it up quickly as I see a marked improvement within the short period he has been with us.

He is under Kossie's wing, who seems to be enjoying the leadership role.

Edited December 6, 2024Dec 6 by kev martin

Appreciate the update @kev martin 👏

7 hours ago, VNightCityLegend said:

I have had enough watching that sh*t club Tottenham embarrass itself over and over again. 🤣😂

AFL round 1 v GWS cannot come quick enough! Let’s hope Melbourne can deliver. 

I have switched to Ips for the rest of the season, i know its wrong but fair dinkum.

14 hours ago, waynewussell said:

Fritta just chased Ed and Howes from behind wing to inside 50

What did they do to him?  

17 hours ago, old dee said:

It's 5th December and he has yet to threaten for a senior game, let's not get over excited. I will be very happy with 7-8 games next season.

Heard a lot about him gaining size this pre-season but yet to read of him hitting a pack for a contested mark or taking marks on the lead in match sim or out-muscling Maysie etc. 

Felt when Roo was turning the corner I read about a lot of those things in the pre-season.

1 minute ago, The Jackson FIX said:

Heard a lot about him gaining size this pre-season but yet to read of him hitting a pack for a contested mark or taking marks on the lead in match sim or out-muscling Maysie etc. 

Felt when Roo was turning the corner I read about a lot of those things in the pre-season.

Not even I’m expecting that from McAdam. He’s not a bustling forward.

Just now, Roost it far said:

Not even I’m expecting that from McAdam. He’s not a bustling forward.

It was a reference to Jeffo

22 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

Heard a lot about him gaining size this pre-season but yet to read of him hitting a pack for a contested mark or taking marks on the lead in match sim or out-muscling Maysie etc. 

Felt when Roo was turning the corner I read about a lot of those things in the pre-season.

Not everyone plays like JVR

The boys will be up and about early this morning. They have a running session followed by a chat to sponsors followed by a snag in bread (if they’re game). It’s a player sponsors’ event In recognition of The Jim Stynes Foundation (Loveya Jimmy) so the snags are on the house meaning I won’t be till-b!ttch and instead will be on the grill. I sure hope the fellahs and their sponsors loves them a snag burnt beyond recognition coz that’s what’s on the menu. 😁

Edited December 6, 2024Dec 6 by Ghostwriter

6 minutes ago, Demons11 said:

Not everyone plays like JVR

My point is:

I’ll hold my pre-season excitement for Jeff until I hear he is taking pack/contested marks, working over key defenders and/or taking marks on a lead.

 

1 hour ago, Ghostwriter said:

The boys will be up and about early this morning. They have a running session followed by a chat to sponsors followed by a snag in bread (if they’re game). It’s a player sponsors’ event In recognition of The Jim Stynes Foundation (Loveya Jimmy) so the snags are on the house meaning I won’t be till-b!ttch and instead will be on the grill. I sure hope the fellahs and their sponsors loves them a snag burnt beyond recognition coz that’s what’s on the menu. 😁

Ghostwriter, you truly are amazing. People like you, and you in particular, are so important to a club - volunteering for everything, chatting to and supporting the boys, endlessly positive - I tip my hat!

1 hour ago, Ollie fan said:

Ghostwriter, you truly are amazing. People like you, and you in particular, are so important to a club - volunteering for everything, chatting to and supporting the boys, endlessly positive - I tip my hat!

I too dips me lid !!!

Great to see you back  ...    ❤️💙

 

22 hours ago, Ditcha said:

I attended some of the training session this morning. Very impressed with the fitness,  and how they are trying to keep the ball moving. I heard Trac swearing at himself after a poor kick. During match sim Choco told Billings to take his time when having a shot at goal. 

I hope Billo can put it all together in 2025. 

Has his detractors but can be very useful if he cleans up his disposal and kicking for goal.

20 hours ago, Deespicable said:

Ok, I went down to training and after writing a lengthy report for you on Monday was going to quietly avoid putting fingers to the laptop. But then, the shot that was heard around the world happened and I thought you'd enjoy knowing about it.

Ok, what shot. Well here's a test guess which player I am talking about from this detail.

The ball heads long to the wing and Roo looks set to mark but in comes this strong looking Dee with hunger and nudges Roo aside and takes a really strong mark. He then goes back to kick with his left foot and seeing Roo overcommit on the mark, beautifully baulks him and charges down field, get his balance and sees a player 65m away hoping for an over the back in the goal square. He balances after the baulk and then thumps his left footer over the top to his waiting teammate. It was by far the play of the morning and given I was standing on the far side of the ground, I had to check my glasses weren't fogging up. Could it be No.26. Surely not. I looked again as he made his way back and yep it was No.26 - Jed Adams.

The same Jed Adams who only minutes earlier before match sim had completely fumbled and left the ball behind in a drill. The same Jed Adams who I, like many of you, had put down as one of Jason Taylor's handful of misses. The same Jed Adams who later on in the one-on-one forward drills looked confident enough to outpoint anyone.

Yep, there are signs that in his third season since being taken with pick 38, that the 20yo is finally making headway. He's not about to push out Steven May or T-Mac for rd 1, but there's no doubt he's starting to show enough to get an AFL game at some stage if we get injuries. With Tommo gone, the queue for key backs isn't quite as long and even with Petty looking likely to play there, he's only two hammy twings or twangs from being named. 

While Adams had that 'moment', there were three clear stars on the track that you couldn't help but notice on a regular basis.

The first was Clayton. Yep i know how frustrated we were with him the last two seasons, but right now he is back having fun and looking like a Brownlow Medal runner-up again. He kicked goals, he gave one off to tricky Ricky Mentha and he intercepted passes, made strong leads etc etc. He's probably 100-1 for the Brownlow right now, but given our draw, he might go close.

The second was Kossie. He may not be playing until round 4, but watching him weave and turn his way out of trouble was mega exciting. On what we are seeing so far, he may end up playing quite a bit in the middle as he is mega fit. 

The third and most important of all is the positional switch that is going to make us exciting again. And I'm not talking Petty back to defence. In match sim, there's probably just 15 a side and so there are only five defenders. No prizes for guessing T-Mac and May with Petty, who may well be just there until Jake Lever is back over his knee soreness. Jed McVeigh and his precise kicking is also there again after a late (somewhat baffling) dabble in the midfield last season. And the other small down there is our No.6 Caleb Windsor. Those of you who are Robbie fans will recall that Barass even sent Tulip down to full-back so Goody's move is only somewhat revolutionary. Caleb waltzed off half-back like he was doing cone drills and at one point he flew across in front of Roo for a nice mark. Caleb has more height than Bowser and Salem and he has more pace and he's also a damn good kick like them. he also seemed happy to switch the ball - was it just me, but I reckon our defence switched way more often than last year - another positional adjustment for those of you looking for what we are doing differently. 

Well there were quite a few other things that happened and yes I saw some improvement from Luker Kentfield and I reckon Woey looks quite a bit faster than last year and Aidan Johnson looks strong and promising and Disco Turner is up there with Olly for passion to win the footy. And I could go on all day, but I walked away from training second guessing one thing and I had to go back and ask a fellow track watcher one thing. 'Did you see Jed Adams take that mark over Roo on the wing?' I said. 'Yep' said my colleague. 'That was No.26.'

Nice write up @Deespicable 👍👌

1 hour ago, YesitwasaWin4theAges said:

I hope Billo can put it all together in 2025. 

Has his detractors but can be very useful if he cleans up his disposal and kicking for goal.

He had a number of years at St Kilda. Leopards and spots!

43 minutes ago, old dee said:

He had a number of years at St Kilda. Leopards and spots!

I tend to agree.

Can certainly get some possessions, but can be very poor with his use of them.

 

On 06/12/2024 at 08:12, 12345_54321 said:

Delisted Eagles player Jai Culley (number 1 pick in the 2022 mid season draft) will train with us over summer (like Roy George) after signing with Casey for 2025. 

Super stiff to be delisted, IMO.

On 06/12/2024 at 14:48, Ghostwriter said:

He’d be happy with Harves.

I’d like something a little more obscure like, Rabbit.

On 06/12/2024 at 11:50, Dannyz said:

I believe there is a spot for Sharp on the wing. He will be fighting with Bowey, XL & Woey for that role.

Jed Adams for mine probably isn't quite at the level and I was surprised the club re-contracted him so early. Happy to be proven wrong. 

Tholstrup would be an on-field starter in the 18. Everything he does is with intent. His defensive efforts in the front 50 are infectious.

Second ruck will be Aidan Johnson. 

You think aiden is in the 22 and will play forward/ruck? That’s why petty was moved back? 

17 minutes ago, hardtack said:

I’d like something a little more obscure like, Rabbit.

Wallbanger!

3 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Super stiff to be delisted, IMO.

Probably couldn't get on with Harley.

23 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Wallbanger!

I'm not into nicknames and never use them, but that's very good.

Probably shortened to Banger.

8 hours ago, Ollie fan said:

Ghostwriter, you truly are amazing. People like you, and you in particular, are so important to a club - volunteering for everything, chatting to and supporting the boys, endlessly positive - I tip my hat!

Thank you OFan 💕

We actually really enjoy everything we do, even working bees which aren’t supposed to be fun but we make them fun. And tonight I get to enjoy the ‘fruits of my labour’ since I scored a free ticket to the Women’s B&F courtesy of a player sponsor who can’t attend. YAY! The W B&F is way more fun than the M. ❤️💙

36 minutes ago, Gator said:

1 hour ago, chook fowler said:

Wallbanger!

I'm not into nicknames and never use them, but that's very good.

Probably shortened to Banger.

That was Robert Harvey's sobriquet.  Time for a refill?

42 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

Thank you OFan 💕

We actually really enjoy everything we do, even working bees which aren’t supposed to be fun but we make them fun. And tonight I get to enjoy the ‘fruits of my labour’ since I scored a free ticket to the Women’s B&F courtesy of a player sponsor who can’t attend. YAY! The W B&F is way more fun than the M. ❤️💙

Enjoy the night. Well deserved.