27 minutes ago, Demonland said:

JVR looking big and lean.

Checkers doing exactly what we would have hoped for.

Great news all round.

Massive thanks to all the track watchers. Great read

What’s happened to CJ, Salem and Laurie why aren’t they playing?

1 hour ago, adonski said:

Elite write up Brenno

Shame about Pickett x2 and Mentha. Wonder if we'll see them in the same fwd line at AFL level at some stage this year?

Hard to say mate as I haven't seen Trelly yet, but from all reports he is looking solid for R1 debut. I think Mentha is still long odds to make it personally but track watchers and a few of the clubs highlight reels show he has improved. Personally, I find the concept of Pickett x 2 and Tom Matthews super exciting!

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Cheers @Brenno

Bailey Laurie play?

Unfortunately not mate, just ran today. decent pace though so hopefully not far off.

1 hour ago, whatwhat say what said:

super positive write-up @Brenno

based on what you saw, who do you expect to make the best 23, given that there's an expectation that the likes of picketts (picketti?) come into the team from here to give us some extra zip around the contest and up forward?

From todays players that were actually available I think we will line up something like this:

But I also assume a bunch of the "light rehab" blokes should be back before round 1 and makes us a bit stronger on paper.

I would love to see a 23 like this at some point in the season:

1 hour ago, Demons11 said:

Great insights, thanks.

Did Checkers play much game time?

Played most of the match sim I believe. Hard to tell in the last qrt as the play was mostly up the far end of the ground. I would be shocked if he isnt playing round 1

28 minutes ago, WERRIDEE said:

What’s happened to CJ, Salem and Laurie why aren’t they playing?

Pretty sure they are all on managed loads, so I don’t think anything too worrying. I’d imagine all will play some time in the practice matches.

2 hours ago, John Demonic said:

He's a Goner !

Yep, might need to be scratched

Great report @Brenno

Completely agree regarding Gawny burning runners past to kick himself. He’s not too bad of a field kick mostly but it slows play down. Not sure King will want him doing this.

The point about lack of interest from McAdam. It would be hard to get motivated rolling into the club every day to run laps while you watch your teammates play footy. Why isn’t he doing even the basic warm up drills? If he can run at a good clip for 90 minutes then surely there are some drills in which he can partake. There doesn’t seem to be an integration plan with him and unsurprisingly the club have said nothing about him.

3 hours ago, Brenno said:

Blake Howes – started down back with the blue squad but later in the sim he was played on the wing vs Onley. I must say he looked really comfortable and at home there. Looked like a completely different player. I overheard some of the coaches and players chatting about it and they were also impressed. I wouldn't mind him staying there and developing his game to be a tall running wingman as we have enough mid/tall defender depth and I don't think there's a spot for him back there. Promising signs. 

They’ve finally worked it out?

Rivers, Windsor and Langford looking sharp in the guts.

7 hours ago, Greg Schneider said:

They’ve finally worked it out?

He was played on a wing at Casey for nearly 2 seasons and was going nowhere until they moved him back.

11 hours ago, Brenno said:

Blake Howes – started down back with the blue squad but later in the sim he was played on the wing vs Onley.

How does Onley look at the level?

9 hours ago, Dannyz said:

Great report @Brenno

Completely agree regarding Gawny burning runners past to kick himself. He’s not too bad of a field kick mostly but it slows play down. Not sure King will want him doing this.

The point about lack of interest from McAdam. It would be hard to get motivated rolling into the club every day to run laps while you watch your teammates play footy. Why isn’t he doing even the basic warm up drills? If he can run at a good clip for 90 minutes then surely there are some drills in which he can partake. There doesn’t seem to be an integration plan with him and unsurprisingly the club have said nothing about him.

Completely agree on why McAdam might not be brimming with enthusiasm. One of the recent training reports* said he was visibly limping and did little more than walking. IIRC it might have been a knee issue, so he may have had another set back.

*Can't remember whose but a few weeks back.

2 hours ago, bing181 said:

He was played on a wing at Casey for nearly 2 seasons and was going nowhere until they moved him back.

That’s not true. He played wing in his first year and almost broke into the seniors in 2022 but went down with a bad foot injury that finished his year. At the end of that year we recruited Lachie Hunter, Howes then spent the summer at half back because there was no spot on a wing for him anymore, and that’s where he’s been ever since, barely been given a shot on the wing

45 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

Completely agree on why McAdam might not be brimming with enthusiasm. One of the recent training reports* said he was visibly limping and did little more than walking. IIRC it might have been a knee issue, so he may have had another set back.

*Can't remember whose but a few weeks back.

Cut to the chase, put him on the LTI list and get Luamon Lual in, this situation is not going to get any better!

Did Kentfield play in the match sim. anyone

14 hours ago, Brenno said:

I popped in this morning to observe the Match Sim/Intra club. Might be some double up to my notes and it's hard to be completely accurate when the play is on the far side of the ground. But here's what I took away from today. 

Both Picketts and Ricky Mentha were absent…..Gutted. I was really looking forward to seeing Trelly play in the flesh for the first time!

From the blokes who were there but didn't play in match sim; Salem, CJ, Laurie Petty, Luka didn't look too bad to my uninformed and uneducated eye. They all ran laps or sprints at stages and none of them looked far off it. Mcadam also ran laps but sadly, he just doesn't look anywhere near it to me. Doesn't look fit and dare I say interested. I could be wrong but that's the vibe I got. Poor bloke. 

Didn't see much activity from Melky, Bowser, Hendo & Kalani. Not sure what the issue with Kalani is but he was in thongs when he walked past me on the boundary. 

The 1st “quarter” started off with what looked like the 1st choice 22 (BLUE) vs the rest (GREY). This may have excluded the mids who chopped and changed throughout the day. Gawny was also in the “others” group. I suppose this was to give Moose the chance to be the main man for a while and let Max gradually get into match conditioning.

The starting key Backs (Blue Team) looked like Tmac, Lever and Disco with XL XT and Howes as the small defenders. They really were not troubled very much unless Gawn floated down and clunked it inside 50. Gawny had one of his trademark shank kicks at goal in the second quarter. Vintage Gawn. 

The front 6 for blue looked like JVR, Checkers, Fritch, Jeffo Sharp and I think Chandler. And I must say, they were looking quite connected and worked well together as a group, especially the talls (admittedly against weaker opponents). 

The mids rotated quite often and it was hard to tell who was in the guts at times but all of Windsor, Culley, Sparrow, Riv, Steele, Kolt, Chandler  had cracks in there throughout the day. It's going to be really interesting who the starting mids will be this year, but if I had to guess ... .Rivers, Steele, Koz, Windsor will be the main 4 until Viney is back.

As you can imagine the Blues dominated the first 2 (out of 3) “quarters” and were 50 odd points ahead at half time. 

It was very noticeable how much faster we were moving the ball when in offense compared to previous seasons. The overlap handball was on whenever possible and the movement ahead of the ball was worlds apart from our stagnant forward lines of the Goodwin era. Mistakes were made but they just kept having a crack which was nice to see. 

In the second half/third quarter, the first choice defense and forwards played against each other and the contest became much more even. Unfortunately Culley came off hurt and stopped the play for a while. The boys were clearly getting fatigued by this point and the pace of the game had reduced noticeably.  Wrapped up the 3 qtr and it looked like there were back to running drills so I headed to work. 

My main concern today was just how many VFL top up players were out there and how many of our squad were on the sidelines. Hopefully no more injuries to come and we can get a few back before round 1. Overall it looked like a solid hit out and I am excited for what season might bring. I am not sure how we will go this year as it's hard to know how this style and the list will measure up against real opponents. But either way we are going to be much more exciting to watch in 2026!

Individual Notes: Just a summary of a few notes I took during the day:

Harvey Langford – Looked strong and composed, although It looked to me like he played majority on the wing today and drifted forward and only occasionally went inside. Might not be a starting mid just yet, but I am convinced he will be our best-player at some stage.

Xavier Lindsey – Seems to have Bowser's job for now and at times showed he has very similar class. Took most of the kick ins for the Blues and offered great distribution out of defensive 50. Looks very comfortable back there, though he did shank one straight to the opposing Jeffo at one point though which was horrid. 

Xavier Taylor - looks so sure of himself out there. Full of confidence and personality, at one point he jokingly told Jared Rivers to call him either “Redge or Daddy.” Looks like a Round 1 lock to me. Super exciting addition, Gave me Vlasutin vibes.  

Jed Adams – I was very impressed by his foot skills for a big man. He was on the seconds team but had some nice moments. Closed a large distance at full pace for a desperate last minute spoil on the wing that was very nice. Got a bunch of cheers from the lads. 

Tommy Mathews – very impressive given limited preseason and last year’s injury. I feel he will play senior footy at some point this year. Hard to describe what it was about him but he just has that AFL gun small forward look to him. Something about the way he pumps those legs. Dare I say “Nick Watson like”. Could be an absolute steal for the pick we used. 

Koltyn Tholstrup – busy and impactful for both teams. Definitely not one to write off. Did some great stuff both offensively and defensively. He probably isn't in the same talent category as XL, XT Windsor and Langford but he is coming along nicely in my view. Also love the energy and spirit that he plays with.

Caleb Windsor – looking very sharp and using his pace well. Not sure he is a first possession guy, but he was used a few times as second position and no one could catch him. He is going to be so fun to watch this year. Kicked a nice long bomb from a CBA and looks ready to take his game to the next level. I don't think he will ever be an elite user of the ball but with that leg speed he probably doesn't need to. Impressive today, hope he can bring that output into the season consistently. 

Oscar Berry – far better than expected for someone just coming into the system. Keeping a lid on it for now but he looked like the best Category B rookie I've seen in red and blue by some margin. Took kick ins for Grey and got involved in general play. used the ball quite well too. One to watch.

Moose Heath – Looked very strong in the air and was involved in general play quite consistently. I am normally against playing 2 rucks but from what I saw today I feel like gawn playing ruck/def and Moose playing Ruck/fwd would be worth a trial. Huge man.

Trent Rivers – Probably BOG for me, worked his [censored] off to find space and provide the next link all day. Used the ball well and must have kicked 3-4 goals by my count. Ready to be one of the main men this year. Make him VC!

Blake Howes – started down back with the blue squad but later in the sim he was played on the wing vs Onley. I must say he looked really comfortable and at home there. Looked like a completely different player. I overheard some of the coaches and players chatting about it and they were also impressed. I wouldn't mind him staying there and developing his game to be a tall running wingman as we have enough mid/tall defender depth and I don't think there's a spot for him back there. Promising signs. 

Jai Culley - This dude is massive. Really looks like he belongs with the key position players at his height. Thought he was solid in the guts without being a standout today. Come off after a solid tackle holding what looked like his wrist. Didn't look good but hopefully it's not too bad. 

JVR - Looks super fit, He was covering the ground much smoother and at one point had a big hard run down the wings taking a few bounces. I had to double take as I had not seen that from him before. 

Disco, Tmac, Lever - Solid as a rock these 3. I expect Petty will take the Tmac’s spot at some point but the loss of May won't hurt us at all. These blokes have it covered and all 3 are real leaders out there. Lots of “F*%K Yeahs” coming from Rick today as he encourages the young lads. He is by far the most vocal out there and he himself is looking fit and rejuvenated. 

Gawn - Just cruising. Still kicked the ball too much for my liking and needs to use the overlap hands more often but what can you say about Gawny. In second gear all day and still looking great. GOAT!

Jack Steele – So reliable and efficient. Looks and plays like a bloke who has mastered his craft. His experience and leadership will be huge for the kids moving forward. Great pickup and stopgap to reduce the impact of losing Clarry and Trac. 

Mat

t Jefferson - I should start by saying I have never been a Jeffo fan boy and had mentally moved on from the thought that he had much to offer us moving forward……However! I must admit he looked very good and impressed me in patches today. He is starting to look like he believes he can play the level and I saw a desperation in his game today that I had not seen before. Don't get me wrong he is never going to be the bloke who drops in front of a pack or put his head over the ball and busts through an opponent but he convinced me today that he definitely has something to offer us.

I can try answer some questions if anyone has any! GO Dees!

Report on mfc website

melbournefc.com.au

Match simulation report | Windsor runs rampant

Third-year Demon Caleb Windsor looked at home through the midfield.

Not to sure what to make of the opening paragraph:

"The below match report has been produced by Melbourne Media, and does not represent the views of the club or coaching staff".

Is such a disclaimer necessary or even desirable? (Bold typeface is how it was written).

Good governance would require someone at the club (in this case the FD) to review media releases to ensure everyone is on the same page so no need for disclaimers !!!

49 minutes ago, Coolx2 said:

Did Kentfield play in the match sim. anyone

I think still under concussion protocols, same as Petty.

16 hours ago, Adam The God said:

So the footage I've seen of Windsor today is difficult to gauge. There's no pressure on the outside, so you've got flat footed guys being bypassed from stoppage and no one tracking Windsor.

If I'm coaching against Melbourne this year, I'm sitting someone on Windsor and seeing if that completely stifles our ball movement.

I haven't seen any of pre season, but those who have, do we have more bounce than just Caleb up our sleeves?

Don't get me wrong by the way, love Caleb, but he can only do so much.

Also, what were the numbers today? 16 vs 16? That also impacts on the amount of space for Windsor to operate in.

Thanks in advance.

I'm hoping that Steele and other defensive minded mids will also be helping release Windsor. Still, if he can collect ground balls at speed I don't see many players keeping up with him.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by MrFreeze

What’s up with Melksham?

16 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

What’s up with Melksham?

On 05/02/2026 at 11:07, Deestar9 said:

Isn’t our intra club against North at Casey on Friday Feb 20 at 4.30 pm. Casey Demons are playing Richmond earlier & it’s a big fun/family day ?

The Richmond game is in Ballarat.

14 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Know how that feels

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

Cut to the chase, put him on the LTI list and get Luamon Lual in, this situation is not going to get any better!

Agree 100% pf. The last 2 years plus his time at the crows shows he doesn't have the body that is needed at the senior level. Are we just doing this for his mental well being because he clearly will not play in 2026 or beyond.

2 hours ago, chook fowler said:

What’s up with Melksham?

I’ve asked this a few times over the summer and nobody can answer.

FWIW Mitch Cleary was told by the club that he’ll make an appearance in one or both of the pre season games.