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Cripes, an Age journalist who actually reports fact - Demon days from go to doze . Well done Emma Quayle. The chief football writer's position awaits you!

Just been to the ground with the boys, watched the first game then everyone, except flash took off at 1/4 time in Tiwi v St Marys game which Aussie is playing. The guy still has all the skills but just not the fitness. I was only there for an hour sitting with flash, Mitch, Dom Barry & Rodan. Flash was so happy to be back home, havent talked to him much before but hes a very nice fella. Who looks fit: Grimesy Frawley - Looks ripped Jamar - Fittest Ive seen him Tom McDonald Taggert - I dont know if spotted the wrong guy but god he looks big in the chest & arms, definite midfield role looms if injury free. Tynan Dean Kent - not sure what his numbers are but hes a ripped young lad, barrel chest & a swagger to go with it. J Viney - hes a solid kid. Rodan. I didnt see Jonesy anywhere, probably went for a run the freak. Who looked unfit: Bare in mind the heat. Watts - looked stuffed & skinny, also been ill. Sometimes I want to wipe that smirk off his face. McKenzie Matt Burgan Neeldy had bark off his knees, I asked him what happened & he just laughed. Dawesy looked a bit tuckered out. Anyway not much just a little info. A lot of new faces, will get around to meeting them all soon. Dees did a training session with kids between games.

Brilliant insights. No true MFC supporter could help but be excited about what's happening at our Club. The sheer professionalism of the operation is amazing. I know we are heading in the right direction, and can't wait for the NAB Cup and beyond.

Liam Jurrah ticks all boxes but Port Adelaide set to pass on him Given that the article alludes to speculation that Liam turned up late to one training session, the reference in the headline to ticking all the boxes is somewhat misleading. I still regard Liam as a Demon and strongly believe he will come out of his March trial in the NT a free man in terms of penalty but not unscathed as a result of his experience. I consider that Port Adelaide would be mad therefore to take him on without seeing him go through a season at SANFL level beforehand. There's so much healing needed above and beyond the outcome of the court hearing and some time out of the limelight might be the order of the day for him and the members of his community. I wish them well.

Surprise surprise. The club awards more votes to the players that do their jobs. Fancy that. That should make Sylvia very nervous given he has NEVER finished inside the top 5 in a B&F in 8 years..... Trapper was similar 2 top 10 results in 10 years!! A first and third. The Blight story about looking at players who consistently perform poorly when team's get beaten is still the best gauge I reckon...

Sensational. We have come such a long way. I was actually blown away by the preparation of the various activities and the then the review of them. I had no idea. I was team manager of the senior side in 1979. In those days it was a run in the pre season and some drills. Then some match practice. Then maybe a smoke or a burger with the lot and fries plus maybe a thick shake. This is light years away from that. I enjoyed some of the minor things in the photos. I liked seeing the healthy lunch provided to the boys. I also noticed a photo where Watts had his arm around Neeld. That to me signals a new relationship between the players and the Coach. It is clear from that article that no stone is being left unturned in order for us to succeed. I feel proud to be a member of this club and I know success will come. Go Dees. BTW, CW, you can get stuffed, with all your negativity towards us. PS . I am going to email Emma on a great football article.

well i got mine and promptly spent $300 online in the shop. id have pretty much ignored an email.

smartarse is not funny. hospitals are not fair game. hospitals do important life-and-death stuff, while smartarses contribute nothing but a dumbing-down consumerist attitude to other people and stuff that matters. funny is funny and I like it, but there are a lot of very unfunny "comedians" who can only push abuse, denigration and mindlessness mockery - the "humour" of cruelty - that has a lot in common with bullying - it tears down the innocent, and makes a public spectacle of others' discomfort, etc. I am inclined to think it is motivated by the desire to highlight how someone else is even dumber than they are themself. Why on earth would our culture see merit in giving such people a public platform from which to mould the attitudes and sense of humour of others?

Do my eyes deceive me or is that colour really red?

I did, but to an honest & Innocent person, who believes in peoples integrity, then they're not playing by the same Rule Book. they should have informed the girl about the joke in an inclusive way at best. they let her hang, & probably the first she new about it was from being reprimanded by her boss??? Now a nice person has died thru greed for adulation & arrogance. & smartarse ratings... Its the innocent who pay the hurt, & this needs to be turned ass about. the bosses must be sacked for not implementing a code of behaviour. and the board should stand down themselves for a better model. this sarcastic type humour is caustic, & corrodes our culture. & imo is a reflection of our inner sadness & a helplessness to change where we've gone to, as a society. out of frustration...

yeah probably better off not writing somebody's life story when they are in their early 20's.. just in case the person goes on to become an attempted axe murderer who craps all over the club that gave him his shot

I have never contacted a journo before, but emailed Emma Quayle today to express the sentiments above and to say how nice it was to read an article about the MFC that was free of politics and personal agendas

Tidy message management by the Demons.

Patience Grasshopper...We must strike at the right time. We may only get one shot at nailing it properly.

Calls it as she imagines it more like it. Anyway, this was a really interesting and insightful article, but of course it's not sensationalist or controversial so it won't get the same attention that other junk got.

Agreed - but also, reading an article like this, only brings home how much work goes on behind closed doors, and how little we really know/see of the players.

The most positive aspect of that article is quote from Shannon Byrnes, a guy that played in a premiership saying we are heading the right direction that's music to my ear

My Brother was reminiscing the other day about when he saw Greg Parke having a dart at 3/4 time.

The club should give McLean back his $5k ( or $15? or whatever) and wipe his name from the Foundation Heroes list. He's forfeited the right to be a hero of this club in any sense of the word. In fact he's the one who should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute!

It's an interesting point, much discussed within marketing and advertising agencies ... but a hard copy version is a completely different reading experience. There are still many people (me included) who would prefer to have and hold the real thing, even if the info is available online.

So Jude Bolton after a mammoth season runs a better 3k time trial than last year. Yes he is simply wonderful as a team man, a leader, and a player. I wonder if players like Col Sylvia or the like ever look at players like Jude and think to emulate. Apart from Jones we rarely seem to hear much about our senior players bettering their pre season year on year.

Give me one Jude Bolton over 20 Liam Jurrahs every day of the week.

Awesome Article Really good look at a day in the life of the MFC here. There is also some really good information about the innovations and technical improvements that the club have made that I am really excited about. Points that stood out to me: -We have our own app that the coaches use to film drills and give instant feedback to the players on the spot. -We film every session and make the footage available to the players on the same day (and it seems to be saying that they edit to show each player their own performance within the group too). - Yes, we DO have enough GPSs for everyone to wear one. - Everything a player does is monitored and scored, and the scores are displayed for the entire team to see. - I love the comments from the new players that we are going in the right direction.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-days-from-go-to-doze-20121207-2b1ij.html

Try pronouncing those names with half a carton under your belt Jack!!!

You do realise that those members tend are often staffed by volunteers, and that it is a big cost and effort for the club to do these things. On line membership costs the club nothing on staff costs and is available all the time, no lines, and the couple of staff we do have are fantastic if you call them up. Your attitude is appalling and selfish. If you are truly a club supporter, support them, and realise that you are one of 35 thousand people whose details and money they need to collect in the space of a few months and that there is probably only 10 hours of membership tent time per year.

The Dees on the front Page of the saturday Age and for all the right reasons. Great article by Emma and a real endorsement of the coaches and management at the club. Let's hope that next year we make the front page of the Age after belting the opposition by 100 points.

hahaha! Kerry was God of the 9 Network. He was a good man. Rough as guts but never forgot a handshake. The same thing as above happened to Doug Mulray....

Agreed. I don't need to read an article about something or other and have to put up with the claim that a particular club is supposed to have forfeited games or, when its about a Kangaroos player for it to mention that he plays for "cash strapped North Melbourne" or in the case of Dane Swan that he's been "associated with drinking and drug use". As long as Wilson does this however, every time she gets mentioned on Demonland we should add an aside that it's been alleged that she's a pretty arrogant and average human being who claimed to have bonked an international golfer in her younger days". Anyway, I've digressed. Congratulations to Emma Quayle - you write beautifully and I enjoy your work.

I would be none too impressed if we took another VFL inside midfielder. We've already got Magner, Couch and M Jones, if we go for another one they'll be 4th in line for only one spot in the team unless they are versatile. I'm still keen on outside types and particularly a small forward.

Emma Quayle is the Chief Football Writer She writes about the game. Great read GO DEMONS.

15 years is probably our time frame to be powerful again. the vital element IMO is to start winning games We need progress not the wandering in the wilderness that the last 6 years as produced

Thought it deserved it's own thread, great read.

This article is a must read for all Demon fans. It is an excellent insight from Emma Quayle into what goes on behind the scenes in a day at the MFC during preseason. It proves to me again that we have the right people in charge to lead the club to success. I was particularly heartened by Shannon Byrnes' comments at the very end of the piece. Well done and thanks, Emma! Demon days from go to doze

Yet another fine article by Emma Quayle in the Age today. She writes simply and honestly without any suggestion of vitriol or hatred and dare I say she knows her stuff. She's coming to get you kero ! P.s. she has such a lovely smile as well, unlike Kero who looks like someone has rubbed a dog turd under her nose.

Rokie draft, pick 40 GC Suns - Aliir Aliir, what a great story! Best of luck. Family drives draft hopeful and former Kenyan refugee Aliir Aliir

Ah yes, the age when there wasn't such a thing as a professional sports person and where players ate pies and drank beers at half time. I'm as nostalgic as the next guy, but a player back then wouldn't last a season now. As you mentioned talent is vital but if you aren't fit/physical enough then don't bother. Using your example - look at Morton and Gysbets... Players born 50 years too late.

Very strange times, and glad my boys (now men) didn't have to go through. Unfortunately, I didn't follow up athletics, unlike you.I have no qualms, with this program. I'm loving the idea of the Kakadu Hike.

Not if they're not fit enough to implement them, or the other team is fitter and thus better able to implement them.

Take McLardy's public lauding of Schwab as code for "we know you guys have got nothing ... and you know it, too" to Clothier and Haddad.

Love the hard copy. I have years of them. Just great to pull one off the shelf, if you are sitting around talking Melbourne footy with friends. Perhaps a check box on the M'ship form if you don't want a hard copy

The Game has entered the premiership qtr. The AFL is plonking along having the wind at its back for most of the first half. They seem to have the game in their sights but have been unable to shake the Dees who have been plucky and determined in their defence even though the Umps are murdering them so far !! The Awfuls might have gone too early as the Dees seem to have plenty of puff and fight left in reserve and now as one of the AFL's stars has retired from the game they are being shown up as possible pretenders. Its a hard game to call but you just get the inkling that the mighty Demons might finish all over this upstart mob as the Red and Blue dig deep into their spirit the AwFuLs seem to be running around rather lacklustre and down on intensity. The breeze seems to have swung around to be at Melbourne's back. 3/4 time and the Dees have their nose in front. At the huddles Melbourne troops are being fully charged by their determined leaders, if body language alone was the litmus then the Dees have it in the bag as over at the over lot shoulders are drooping and one man to another they're looking around for some purpose and direction with no one seemingly able to provide it. The Awfuls seems to just be going through the motions now., just wanting this game over. Not long to the finish now ; Go Dees

I don't know the benefits from a sports science perspective, but the bonding that will happen over the next 10 days will make us a better team. To stay together, as a team for this period of time plus face the challenges together should bring our team closer.

Gday Fellow Dee's. As some of you might be aware I'm based in Darwin for work and have been for 8 years now. I went out for dinner with the boys up here last night and it was great to see Col as I wont get home for Xmas. All the boys seemed pretty happy & nervous from what I could gather. Everyone was joking around, especially about their 5 star (1star) accommodation!! Robertson Barracks is situated about 20kms from Darwin out the road in the middle of kinda nowhere I guess. They do have quite a full range of facilities there from what i could see. Now....the weather.... What I can tell you is the last 5-6 days are the hottest for humidity I have ever experienced. Yesterday was Darwins hottest December day in 36 years. The mercury peaked at 36'c, while that may not seem too hot it is very hard to explain the hidden heat of the humidity, the bureau up here says add 8'c generally to get a feel for what it feels like, for eg: 36'c actually feels like 44'c. This time of year is called "the build-up", it is a build of heat,pressure and humidity where it will be stinking hot all day, threaten to rain but never does until one day it will finally let go and officially kick start the wet season, this is called the knock em' down rains. We have had a little bit of rain which has only made it more humid. It is by far the hottest "build-up" Ive experienced since 2004 & all locals would agree. Sorry I havent got much footy news but it was just good to see everyone and not talk footy, if that makes sense?! Everyone is gutted about Trenners also. They are catching up with Aussie while they are here also. Now I'm not au fait with the benefits of training in humidity so if theres any doctors or sports science gurus who would like to inform us??? I just find it odd that Misson says it takes 3 years to reap the rewards of training up here but we only train once a year for 3 years up here...how does that work!!!? He's the expert though so I'm sure hes correct. They will certainly lose some weight! Anyway guys, thats all I have, sorry its not much but thought you might find the weather interesting at least. Hope you all have a great Xmas & New Year. The jungle drums are a beating & the Dee's are a comin! Cheers, Hells Gates.

Calm Down Walter.

Yes you're very much alone on that statement!!, the kid (yes currently 21 years old) is going to be an absolute gun

Once the toumpass family signs up 40,000 members is a easy target.

WTF? Are you guys just trying to convince yourselves or do you honestly think that? Martin has done a good job in the ruck, just didn't really work as a forward, but geez I reckon he gave us more than Jamar this year. Plus, with the new ruck rules coming in that favour more athletic ruckmen, Martin may just thrive, as opposed to a lump like Jamar. Not saying we should have kept him, changes had to be made, but saying "anything is better than Martin" is just ridiculous.

I watched training on Monday and was super impressed with Hannath. I went over to one of the Melbourne officials to ask who he was and they said he was a potential rookie. He matched up with Jamar in some match simulation and held his own, even beating him in some hit outs. He also covered ground really well and demonstrated good kicking and marking skills. I was very impressed. From what I saw and spoke to 'people in the know' I'd say he will definitely be rookied by us. Welcome to the club Jack Hannath.

I thought our ruck stocks were brim full?