PRESEASON TRAINING: Saturday 7th December 2024

[Whispering_Jack 30,886]

Boys are on a run this morning at a sponsor/coterie member’s function.

[Demonland 73,265]

Players not in attendance: Max, TMac, Melksham, Lever, May, Salem, Petty, Bowey, Tholstrup, McAdam, Hore, Lindsay. 

[Kent 2,916]

Fawkner Park??

[Demonland 73,265]

3 minutes ago, Kent said:

Fawkner Park??

MCG Car Park. The short training session featured run throughs of about 150m up a steep hill. 

[Demonland 73,265]

Koltyn Tholstrup and Kalani White arrived a little later. 

[buck_nekkid 6,054]

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

Koltyn Tholstrup and Kalani White arrived a little later. 

kalani’s shoes ain’t made for running!

[old dee 23,908]

My god when I see recruits these days they look so young. I used to think I could be there grand father. Today I am thinking great grand father. 

[Ethan Tremblay 31,165]

@Ghostwriter, shows us ya snags 

[old dee 23,908]

1 minute ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

@Ghostwriter, shows us ya snags 

I actually feel like a Bunnings snag ET.

[Ethan Tremblay 31,165]

5 minutes ago, old dee said:

I actually feel like a Bunnings snag ET.

I went there last weekend, purely for one. Didn’t step foot inside the store. 

[Ghostwriter 2,515]

1 hour ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

@Ghostwriter, shows us ya snags 

Then get ready to cop an eyeful… we had so many left over that me and my long-suffering  teenager and our chooks will be eating nothing but sausages ‘til Xmas (again). Also brought eight loaves of bread home; seems sponsors don’t go crazy for a snag in bread like we expected.

Most of the players also chose not to partake and those who did only had one which is pretty much like having none coz who the hell only has one, amirite?!

edit: for the young boys this was their first taste of this type of event. They appeared to handle it well. Harvey looked a little out of his comfort zone at the beginning but soon looked relaxed talking to the sponsors. The sweetest thing though… Ricky literally didn’t leave Kozzie’s side. 🥹

Edited December 7, 2024 by Ghostwriter

[Ghostwriter 2,515]

6 hours ago, Demonland said:

Players not in attendance: Max, TMac, Melksham, Lever, May, Salem, Petty, Bowey, Tholstrup, McAdam, Hore, Lindsay. 

They all turned up to the chats with sponsors part. Shane Mc and Marty were the only ones not there.

 

[JJJ 1,321]

I chatted to Langford briefly. When he fills out he will be a massive human. Nice kid.

I had a good chat to another youngster and he mentioned that his parents get their gossip from Demonland….

All the players were pretty good and happy to take plenty of photos with kids etc.

The running session didn’t reveal much of interest. All the players looked comfortable enough.

[Ollie fan 3,492]

2 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Then get ready to cop an eyeful… we had so many left over that me and my long-suffering  teenager and our chooks will be eating nothing but sausages ‘til Xmas (again). Also brought eight loaves of bread home; seems sponsors don’t go crazy for a snag in bread like we expected.

Most of the players also chose not to partake and those who did only had one which is pretty much like having none coz who the hell only has one, amirite?!

edit: for the young boys this was their first taste of this type of event. They appeared to handle it well. Harvey looked a little out of his comfort zone at the beginning but soon looked relaxed talking to the sponsors. The sweetest thing though… Ricky literally didn’t leave Kozzie’s side. 🥹

You probably forgot the onions. As a veteran of a number of school fetes etc manning the sizzle, you soon learnt that if you want a queue, fry the onions - the smell attracts the punters like....(insert own analogy here)

[Ghostwriter 2,515]

24 minutes ago, Ollie fan said:

You probably forgot the onions. As a veteran of a number of school fetes etc manning the sizzle, you soon learnt that if you want a queue, fry the onions - the smell attracts the punters like....(insert own analogy here)

We actually started frying the onions before folks arrived. The thing is, our marquee was set up in a silly position, the back was facing the gathering. Yes, people could smell the onions but I guess they need to see the actual inside of the marquee. All good though, I was tasked with periodically roaming the area trying to attract customers and was mildly successful. It’s amazing how threats can kickstart someone’s appetite 😁

[Beetle 4,688]

5 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Then get ready to cop an eyeful… we had so many left over that me and my long-suffering  teenager and our chooks will be eating nothing but sausages ‘til Xmas (again).

Edited December 7, 2024 by Beetle

[Earl Hood 6,115]

10 hours ago, Demonland said:

Koltyn Tholstrup and Kalani White arrived a little later. 

Wow, great photo, forget the players, where is that scar tree in the background? 

[Older demon 2,790]

Gee it was humid there this morning and it was exhausting just watching them run up that slope. A lot od the players mentioned as not training rocked up later. Some had been in the gym others in the pool.

FWIW I had a chat with Kalani. He confirmed he is 200 cm and can high jump 2 metres. He signs his autographs with the number 34 K White maybe that gives a hint where his loyalties lie.

Had a great chat with Trac, I  can understand why he was so traumatised by his injury and the confronting environment of an ICU with extremely ill people.  and had a lot to do with the trauma unit. He was happy to talk. He is MFC thru and thru and don't believe all the [censored] you have read about him. He wants the best for the club and the players with everyone treated equally and with respect. In his words this group with the new guys are tight and all in.

Max was surrounded by fans, Salo looks fit and well and was describing the families new dining outlet, TMac was in sandles having gone for a swim and is awaiting the impending arrival of their latest. May held court until whisked away by the demon Army but was describing his baby feeding exploits in the wee hours of the morning. Last but not least was the chat with Choco, such an interesting character. He is such a great mentor to the young guys and was seeing how they responded to having so many fans up close. He is a beauty 

Edited December 7, 2024 by Older demon

[monoccular 17,607]

Thanks all

Can we afford to be confident re KW34 and CP5?  Sound reasonably positive. 

[Superunknown 4,225]

We will Win it all next year or in 26

[Elwood 3184 1,343]

7 hours ago, Superunknown said:

We will Win it all next year and in 26

Fixed it for you.

[Lucifers Hero 40,422]

8 hours ago, Older demon said:

Had a great chat with Trac, I  can understand why he was so traumatised by his injury and the confronting environment of an ICU with extremely ill people.  and had a lot to do with the trauma unit. He was happy to talk. He is MFC thru and thru and don't believe all the [censored] you have read about him. He wants the best for the club and the players with everyone treated equally and with respect.  In his words this group with the new guys are tight and all in.

To hear Trac's commitment to the club is the best news of the preseason.  Thanks. 

Good to hear the group is all in - reminiscent of 2021.  Bodes well.

Edited December 7, 2024 by Lucifers Hero

[Whispering_Jack 30,886]

You could hardly call it “PRESEASON TRAINING” but it was about a half an hour of running uphill sprints in Yarra Park to the south of Vale Street, East Melbourne with gentle run downs and repeats with varying rates of intensity.  

Hard to believe it but a few hours later, they would all be upstaged by a 16-years-old track and field athlete who later in the day and 1,400km to the north, broke a 56 year record for 200 metres held by the late Peter Norman, a Demon fan and Mexico Olympics silver medalist in what was one of the most famous sprint races of all time. 

But the athletics theme was evident back at Yarra Park where recruit and former steeplechaser Harry Sharp who holds the draft combine 2km time trial record of 5:28m (anything under 6:00m is considered elite for AFL) held court. 

Kozzy Pickett was also looking very sharp himself and anything but homesick (I say that for the benefit of those in the media desperate to recycle yet another baseless “scoop” this week) and he will be an asset once April comes around and he’s served his three weeks for that accidental glancing blow that Darcy Moore fell into in Round 24. 

Nobody can really replace Kozzy in the first few weeks of next year and the speculation in the crowd of sponsors and coterie members was inconclusive.

Maybe, it will be a different type of player like Sharp or impressive tall youngster Harvey Langford who looked right at home with the men including fellow midfielders Jack Viney, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver - all building up to restore the midfield to the top of the tree again. Trent Rivers also looked mighty impressive as well.

Though there were no footballs out, apart from the ones held by eager kids waiting for photos with their favourite players, I got the feeling that there is a major sea change coming up among the club’s key forward line up. 

With Harry Petty going back, JvR and Disco (both looking fit and impressive) will have competition from powerful looking newcomer Aidan Johnson and yet-to-be capped first round draft pick from 2022, Matt Jefferson. I’m tipping JvR will continue to rise in the ranks of AFL KPPs with far less emphasis in him taking on the relief ruckwork. Someone should do a remeasure of his height because he looks taller than his advertised 193cm on the club’s website.

Back on the athletics theme, Kalani White, an accomplished high jumper who possibly should have been competing up north because he can cover the vertical 200cm jump which is his actual height, turned up with the Kolt. Kalani needs time in the gym plus several courses of that pasta recipe of Tracc’s nonna and in short time, he will be the next Sam Darcy, Jordan Croft or even better. The good news is that White and the Kolt had just emerged straight out of the greatest stadium on the planet - the MCG. The Gold Coast Suns play their games at a third rate bush track where it’s a struggle to get decent tucker at half time. There’s no comparison and it’s a no brainer for Kalani who needs to forget the GCS Academy. The famous #34 awaits in the locker room across Swan Street (or possibly at the magnificent Caulfield Racecourse a little further down the track). That’s where the future lies!

Anyway, we escaped from Yarra Park and the flies after a taste of the Demon Army’s hot dogs and a fantastic cafe latte early and missed some of the club’s veterans. Sorry Max.

For the players, it’s back to Gosch’s tomorrow for the last week of 2024 training and then onwards and upwards to 2025 and our restoration to finals glory.

[Roost it far 8,786]

I’ve come around to the potential of this group over the last few months. It’s got 21 vibes written all over it. There seems a real excitement within the group to get season 25 underway. We’ve got an excellent top end and an incredibly talented group of youngsters coming through. For mine the fitness of May doesn’t hang heavy as it did last year with Petty going back. We’ve got Langford as the replacement for Gus, Windsor, JVR and Turner with another preseason and the opportunity for Oliver to once again become a midfield great. Throw in a fit Rivers and of course Petracca to the midfield and all of a sudden we’re top 4 again. With Gawn still at or near the top and the likes of Chandler, Bowey, Langdon, Salem, McVee, Sharp, Tholstrup and Spargo kicking into forward 50 there’s not a lot of weak spots in the team. Throw in a fit Pickett, a tweaked game style, an easier draw and a committed coaching line up and I for one am back to being very bullish about our chances. I also think Lindsay will be best 22 and with the extra run he and others bring there’s little to stop us. 
Time to win one at the G is now. Unleash hell Demons!

Edited December 7, 2024 by Roost it far

[old55 23,794]

11 hours ago, Older demon said:

FWIW I had a chat with Kalani. He confirmed he is 200 cm and can high jump 2 metres. He signs his autographs with the number 34 K White maybe that gives a hint where his loyalties lie.

Or else Ben King is in for a big surprise!

Edited December 7, 2024 by old55