2 hours ago, Salems Lot said:

Matthew Jefferson has stepped up. Jeffo! Clap! clap! clap!

On no, not the clap.

2 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

On no, not the clap.

Might need Bill Gates to help

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.

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

WHO did you say??

I never want to see a Melbourne player fail… but if he rises up to be a good player, faaaaaark me you will be unbearable 🤣😂

From 48 seconds. Reporter claims that Viney may be out for the season. Culley sent for scans and an update expected within 24 hours.

achilles injuries are pretty nasty

no petracca, no oliver, no viney in 2026 = entirely new midfield

34 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

On no, not the clap.

Worse Chook, he’s got 3 cases of it

2 hours ago, Dees051321 said:

FROM MFC WEBSITE

A running bomb from 50 rounded out his afternoon as the 20-year-old looks to cement a place in the guts after finishing 2025 in the middle.

Skipper Max Gawn returned to match play after a stint on the sidelines with a finger fracture, proving his fitness for next Saturday’s AFL State of Origin.

New Demon Max Heath took it right up to the eight-time All Australian, using his large frame to great effect in and around the stoppages.

Brody Mihocek made his first match simulation appearance after overcoming a toe injury dating back to last year’s finals series with the Magpies.

The veteran forward paired well with Jacob van Rooyen ahead of the ball, providing a target down the line and kicking two goals across three terms of action.

The 22-year-old van Rooyen was everywhere as he continued his strong pre-season campaign, looking mobile and athletic as he presented again and again.

The midfield battle was a juicy one as Windsor, Langford, Steele, Culley, Rivers, Sparrow and Tholstrup locked horns, rotating between blue and white sides each term.

Trent Rivers showcased his ability to be a damaging playmaker through the middle, pouncing on back half turnovers to kick three majors.

Langford and Steele were busy as they racked up the football on the inside.

Daniel Turner looked the goods down back, taking a number of intercept grabs alongside Blake Howes who also turned in an impressive performance.

Bayley Fritsch (four goals) was the top goalscorer for the afternoon, with his clinical finishing around goals always threatening.

Harry Sharp was another Demon to return to the fray after suffering a hamstring injury late last year, using his pace to get free and put the finishing touches on some highlight plays.

First-year draftee Tom Matthews also got his first taste of the action after arriving at the club with a meniscus injury last year.

The zippy small forward showed run and carry and managed to finish the three terms with a goal on the board.

Ed Langdon ran hard on the wings, using his trademark engine to push from goalsquare to goalsquare and find himself out the back of the play for two goals.

Ricky Mentha, Kysaiah and Latrelle Pickett were all absent from training as they visit Alice Springs on a club community trip.

Total Goals

Fritsch 4, Rivers 3, van Rooyen, Chandler, Langford, Mihocek, Langdon 2, Mathews, Gawn, Windsor

YoPRO is feeding the Dees' pre-season progress.

From the YouTube video it seems that Jefferson kicked at least 2 yet no mention of it here

1 minute ago, whatwhat say what said:



achilles injuries are pretty nasty
no petracca, no oliver, no viney in 2026 = entirely new midfield

With that style of play and speed on the ball, Viney will struggle to impact; they will need to use him in a different way, otherwise he will be a handy pickup for Casey.

Thanks Demonland (Trent Kneise Report), Lace Out Larry, Dees051321, Gator, all posters and Special Comments, lot of great reports and action videos, real bummer losing Jai Culley (hopefully not long term). Another great thread today. 😁👍

3 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Worse Chook, he’s got 3 cases of it

Ouch.

Anything on the draftees Onley and Matthews?

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!

These match sims have got the flag in the bag I’ve only been wrong every time except 21

13 minutes 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!

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?

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by adonski

1 hour ago, chook fowler said:

On no, not the clap.

He's a Goner !

Edited 1 hour ago1 hr by John Demonic

Cheers @Brenno

Bailey Laurie play?

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?

1 hour ago, Gorgoroth said:

I never want to see a Melbourne player fail… but if he rises up to be a good player, faaaaaark me you will be unbearable 🤣😂

Ahhh yes will be happy but rest assured won't Bag anyone on this site, because as we all know can go pear shaped in a hurry!

44 minutes 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!

Great insights, thanks.

Did Checkers play much game time?

Club has an update on Culley. Broken arm, into surgery tomorrow, expected to miss four weeks.

21 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Ahhh yes will be happy but rest assured won't Bag anyone on this site, because as we all know can go pear shaped in a hurry!

I didn’t mean you would bag anyone, just “I was right! You should always listen to me!” Sort of fun 😁

29 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Cheers @Brenno

Bailey Laurie play?

Was in the rehab group on Wednesday.

35 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Cheers @Brenno

Bailey Laurie play?

Third paragraph Dazzle