I went to training yesterday. After previous disappointments I now ring the club first on 96521111 to confirm location.

The rehab group as previous indicated by Goodoil concentrated on handball drills and with asst coach Williams starting by throwing one or two balls at and between the players who are staggered in a semi-circle fronting Williams. He then progresses to drilling mongrel kicks from close range to improve reflexes, ball handling etc. The player who misses the ball or fumbles it goes to the far left and when time is up the player who is at the far right side is deemed the winner - of what

I don't know.

The fit players were split into several competing groups (tops vs skins) and did a number of drills from touch footy style, one with tennis balls and another with footballs (handballing). Others did kicking drills and/or running drills similar to a beep test however instead on all being in a line it appeared they each ran a separate 'u' shaped track. As compared to previous years it appeared the players were doing a fair bit of running as part of these exercises. There was no 'all in' running drills. In another exercise groups of 4 players, lead by a captain, had to run and handball across the width of the oval running criss-cross patterns to avoid two defenders. Several teams were put through this drill and then it was expanded to two teams combining to avoid up to six defenders.

While Sampi was with the rehab group (with Davey along with the others id'd by Goodoil) both he and the other players were definitely including and accepting of him. He appeared to be enjoying himself - as did Davey in particular. It will be interesting to see him when he joins in training proper.

In all they trained for in excess of 2 hrs and it was pretty hot.

When would they do weight sessions?

Whould it be after a session such as this or the next day?

When would they do weight sessions?

Whould it be after a session such as this or the next day?

Would be a different day and it wouldn't be the whole team at one time as they'd all have different weights programs.

Would be a different day and it wouldn't be the whole team at one time as they'd all have different weights programs.

i would assume that they would have team sessions set out ie at certain times, and things like weight sessions could probably be done according to your program, at any time. ie maybe before or after a group session, or on a day off, but the times on those wouldnt be as strict would they?

I missed this one obviously. Why is Newton in the rehab group?

I don't mean to single you out TonyMelb but comments like these and some of the others above; "falling back into the old self satisfied mode and slipping up on the old basic service to its members -yet again!!" sound like EXACTLY what the 'passionate' fans on this site are doing!!!

Having a good whinge about the situation without offering a solution to the problem.

I will play devil's advocate and say that the club response will be "we don't control the website".

Here's a possible solution.

Perhaps those who MAY be able to slip past a training session or two regularly should do us all the courtesy of ringing the club the day before and POSTING THE TIMES AND LOCATIONS HERE instead of relying on the 'club' website.

Surely that can't be too hard for diehard passionate supporters who seem so concerned about those fringe supporters who might want to see the boys train over the summer period and not end up dissappointed, is it?

Another solution is..perhaps the club could be encouraged to email the administrators of this site with the up to date information?

I'll do my bit and post the dates and times if and when I can get to a training session in Bulleen......which won't be too often unfortunately.

Let's get on the front foot and make a difference to OUR club rather than whinge and WAIT for someone else to change it.

GO DEES - "insert your own 2008 catchy, upbeat, rhyming jongle here"

I'm one of those 'passionate supporters' who are fortunate enough to be able to go to training. Last friday was a shambles. I went to Trinity. The Kangaroos were there. I rang the club etc etc. I'm getting cheesed off, not with the players or the losing or games, but with the administration. They all 'talk the talk'. This club has had 149 years to establish itself as the club with the best facilities and supporter base. It has everything going for it, yet it can't even organise a proper training schedule. This is not a new problem. Ever since my family moved to Melbourne from Nyah West so my brother could train with the under nineteens...that was 1956, through good times and bad I've been supporting our team and attending games. At times, at training, I and probably many others have been made to feel like intruders. The Club needs us more than we need them. I've been accepting how we get treated for more than fifty years. I know how much the club needs corporate money but getting and keeping 'rank and file' members that actually love the team has got to be just as important and the way to do that is to encourage, not just give lip-service, to people and make them feel welcome. I don't want to hear any crap about 'Essendon does this' or 'Collingwood does that'. Melbourne is the senior and most important team in Australia. We should be setting the pace and the other clubs should be saying "but MELBOURNE does it like this".

I'm sure that if enough people give feedback (another word for whinge?) to the club administration they will eventually take notice. I've written several times and sent back my grey and blue lanyard. What the hell do I want a grey and blue lanyard for? It may be trivial but our colours happen to be red and blue. There's not even anything on the outside walls of our social club, the Leighoak to suggest that it is our social club.

I could go on as I am passionate but I don't want to be seen as too negative. There are lots of positives about the club as well, but for our new coach Dean Bailley to even suggest that our most decorated player, David Neitz, may not be captain in a very signifacant year seems to me to be marketing suicide. With all the hard work and time the administrators and staff put in they seem to take some things for granted and 'shoot themselves in the foot' on other things.

(I suppose I should take my wifes advice, not be concerned about the welfare of the club and get a life).

By the way...my membership is already paid for next season so the club already has use of MY money. Catch you all at training.

DMax

Can someone at the club actually come out and apologise for misleading those of us who had the time to travel to the advertised training venue???

Can someone at the club actually undertake to post on the club website, and here and Demonology current training plans??

Does anyone at the club actually care??????????????????????????????????????

It is a pretty simple matter to notify us fans when the players are (presumably) notified of the venues.

I could go on as I am passionate but I don't want to be seen as too negative. There are lots of positives about the club as well, but for our new coach Dean Bailley to even suggest that our most decorated player, David Neitz, may not be captain in a very signifacant year seems to me to be marketing suicide. With all the hard work and time the administrators and staff put in they seem to take some things for granted and 'shoot themselves in the foot' on other things.

For what it's worth, Neitz is on record as saying he wants to hand over the captaincy to someone else before he hangs up the boots. However, lately he's been fairly tight-lipped, so that's not to say he wants to give it away for this season.