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I don't think it's the reporting of the facts that irks people, it's the use of emotive language and moral judgements that she makes. But hey if you want to applaud someone who calls our club "pathetic and disgusting"....

Either Jesse hogan was doing star jumps or scully dropped his wallet.

I will leave this alone and just laugh. "Darwin is a dump", "no money to be made in Darwin". Hilarious. As I previously stated with the airport upgrade a connection to China, a $40 billion gas project approval (Ichthys) with construction already started, a booming offshore Oil & Gas industry in which Darwin will be the major port, a connection with America through defence, booming Mine projects waiting in the wings. The possibilities are endless with sponsorship. This club needed to expand and think outside the square for our future wellbeing & I really applaud them for that. Theres also no reason why they cant still focus on other areas down south as well as Darwin either. The NT is ours and if we want it to work it will be greatly beneficial. Theres so many kids running around with Dee's jumpers like never before, its my resposibility to get them onboard. My word there is some negative people on here sometimes, stand up and support your club and support them for having a go. I love this club & the supporters and I will never knock anyone for having a crack. Theres some quality people at the club who are doing great things. Get on board. Sign up a friend. My focus is now to get an early night and go spend my last day off with the Dees tomorrow, just so I can bring you guys another training report!! If the club has lifted its standards right from top to bottom, then why cant us supporters do it as well. Sayonara.

I saw the great Robbie Flower ahead of most. I was a teacher at Cheltenham High and coach of the senior footy team. We played a game against Murrumbeena High and lost by 7 goals. We were destroyed by a very skinny kid wearing glasses who kicked about 8 goals against us playing at CHF. I congratulated him after the game and asked his name. "Robert Flower " he replied shyly. I said," I reckon you could play league(VFL/AFL) football one day". I certainly got this one right didn't I? What a brilliant player he was. When I shifted to live in Perth I was at an Interstate game WA v Vic at Subi and my friend, a West Australian, remarked to me, "Naturally, I want a WA win, but I really came along to see Robbie Flower play." I guess that sums up the brilliant Robbie Flower.

I just got back from ordering a pizza and saw a 2010 CFC magazine with a 3 page article on Mark Neeld. It was an interesting read that went through his playing career and coaching career (to that point) The main point that I picked up from this article was Mark talking about wanting to coach the hardest team to play against when coaching Ocean Grove. I must admit when I heard this when Neeld was appointed last year, I thought him to be making a stupid statement that seemed a little egotistical. It seems that this is a mantra to his coaching philosophy. He also spoke about working with the locals at Ocean Grove and that to implement his 'hardest to play against' mantra, he knew he had to build strong relationships with his players, who were mostly tradies. He went on to say they had a very good work ethic that he tapped into. Other points of this article were, He saw himself as wanting to coach at the begining of his career. Malcolm Blight gave out notes and information sheets to all his players at Geelong and told his players if they ever wanted to coach, to keep these sheets as a resource. Mark kept them all and was using them as a tool when coaching at all levels. He talks about coaching a defensive game plan when at the Jets, school coaching and Ocean Grove. He had the opportunity to go to the Western Bulldogs or Collingwood, but when he was interviewed by Malthouse. He stated they had very similar ideas and ended up coaching at the Pies. It was a very good read and this article has given me more faith in the direction Neeld is taking the club. It seems that his philospohy has not changed throughout his career. He is a successful coach at other levels and as an Assistant Coach. I believe a little more since reading the mag. On the way home my hands felt dirty from reading the Magpie mag, so i thoroughly washed them when i got home. If your asking why read the mag? It was a choice between Womens Day. A no brainer and as I said the article was very good

Disagree. It is in fact the opposite. They can now say we did everything possible and used all available resources and couldn't find evidence of rule breaking by the MFC.

Yep, then we'd never be able to find him, which kinda fits well, seems to be a mystery man.

You don't take a player for revenge, you do it because he fills a need and you rate him. Disappointing.

G'day all. I apologise for my posts being a bit all over the place but I was in a rush yesterday and nearly missed my flight due to posting on here! Here's some more info for everyone. Neeldy was fairly quiet during drills compared to Neil Craig who was very active and vocal along with Jade Rawlings and Leigh Brown. Players were screamed at by Rawlings and Brown when they missed targets by foot during drills "not good enough" they would say and all of the group would have to do sprints before re-starting the drill again. Sprints looked to be 3 x 50m. There's definitely no love lost between Rawlings and Joel Macdonald. Rawlings was into him non stop, at the end saying "you love me don't you Joel", "I'm easy on you aren't I Joel" and the best was Rawlings asking him if he wanted to be business partners. Jade said "we will start selling balaclavas and you can be the model". Joel didn't say much, probably terrified that anything he did say would probably result in sprints. Neeld was also into Jade about not getting up before the players to go to the gym, obviously the FD is also trying to lead by example. During the match simulation young Jack Viney had his top ripped to pieces, I said to Neeldy I think that's going to be a common occurrence isn't it, he laughed and said "he's just a terror, he terrorises everybody, even us, he hates losing"! I will say again he's a solid bugger, no fear, the year at MFC has obviously been instrumental in him being ready to go for 2013. I'd like to think this will be the same for Jesse Hogan, who was absent at training along with Mitch Clark. Misson joked and said they're back in the pool at the barracks having a cuddle. Players were calling Jack Watts "silky" all session, but honestly between Barry, Strauss, Tappy, Toumpas and Kent you couldn't pick a fault in their foot skills. There were cameras set up remotely all around the ground and all players obviously had GPS's on, I was sitting next to one of many laptops where all data from all players was outlayed and you could see who was hot, who's putting in, distances, temperatures, who's slacking off etc. Lots of ball drills, which has been a common theme and not normally this involved at other clubs before Xmas. I think in previous years balls didn't come out until after January 5th so it's great to see they're getting their hands on the ball as well as building a great fitness base. Where our fitness stands with other clubs I'm not sure but it's only a matter of time and patience before it all clicks. Also great to see a team culture and great camaraderie between players, where if someone's down a bit then another player will lift to cover him and help out, something I've really noticed this year, no selfishness between anyone. Other than that Sells & Mags wanted me to take them fishing. I was first to report about Neeldy's knee-still no answer! Without trying to get everyone's hopes up it is the fittest I have seen the players, ever. Everyone looks ripped, especially Howe. Also it's the sharpest I've seen our skills since the late 90's. And we look to have some pace out there too. Anyway I'm off, I'll report back soon.

Maxy may never play another game for the dees but could still be the most influential player of the decade.

Time for Gawn to prove some potential. Relying on the best rookie ruckman to come along and save our backsides is a concern although I admit these stories do eventuate. Currently I relate Max Gawn to knee injuries and comedy.

Fan, do you remember me calling for our list to be turned over back when Daniher was coach ? I made note about how few picks we'd had in the ND. Far less than other clubs over a 5 year period. It might be somewhere in the ether. It was about 6/7 years ago. I'm rapt that we're finally turning the list over. There's not one player I regret losing. Not all of the new ones will make it, but Neeld is now starting to get his list.

All of this reminds me very much of the adage "Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread " There is a very good reason why the whole issue of "list management" had been let alone. Its quiksand. Wiser heads at the AFL ( not necessarily cleverer ones, just wise in this instance ) simply realised that once you set of down the path to Tanksville that you would invariably at some point become so immersed in the quagmire that extradition becomes near on impossible. For this reason it was left alone , ne denied for years. There's no problem ( well there is now and its really of our own creation , so no admission there..lol ) What was once a seemingly harmless exercise now had grown into serious use of the end of season ( or for some the whole season ) as a building block , a conduit to rebirthing a team. As with all cultures ( especially those of the Petrie dish variety ) they grow. This one morphed quietly into a monster. Demteriou realised that the only real way to deal with this was to effectively starve it and let it die away of natural course. Eventually if all carrots were removed then with no attraction teams would move on to other avenues of recourse in reshaping teams and it ( the AFL) would have been spared the agony of dealing with the beast. As is often the way of things some form of influence and opportunity just becomes so dazzingly attractive to some that they leave all forms of sense at the door and go right on in. The whole "inquisition" was born out of, in my estimation , an opportunity for some to make a name for themselves and in so doing cement their position within an organisation. This someone who , for sake of argument call ...."A" thought he saw gold glittering away in the pan. He ought to have known it was Pyrite after all it had been unearthed by the Queen of Fools herself and abetted by others similarly twisted in their views and with their own barrows of bile and gurge to push. In his rush to prize the shining morsel he ( "A") forgot to seek counsel. This was to be HIS prize. For surely these scribes wouldnt have published anything if there wasnt some elements of fact even if unsubstantiated. They must be there to validate. Too good to be true he wonders ? Apparently not for the poor demented one is now blind to reason. As with others who have shown scant regard for wariness and circumspect adherence to such wise ideas as , dont poke the monster, "A" stepped forward and with great fanfare announced the lifting to the lid of Pandoras Box. As with Raiders an d the Ark , once the lid was prised off there were indeed Demons galore but not the type he had been hoping for. These would not be his prize, his trophy, his head upon the platter, they would be his undoing. The material EVIDENCE to to unequivocally support the media innuendo simply wasnt there to be found. It wasnt there , for it didnt exist. Demetriou knew and understood this. "A" didnt. In his rush to judgement he tripped over himself and even then took scant notice of those who would rush to his help, for they were also impotent. This crusade will eventually come to nought. It will because it has to. There are any number of reasons why, some go to politics, some to ego, some go to the powers that be wresting control back form the insurgents. The greatest reason , however is quite simple. The journey was always aboard a Ghost Train fueled by myth and story. Like all great myths it starts from a misunderstanding then grows into 'certaintly' as others give credence by way of adding layers to help themselves. What some thought was tanking was a reflection of their own prejudices. Just as the 'roar of the sea' when listening to a conch is nothing more than the sound of one's own bloody rushing internally , so is this inquisition nothing more than the self serving of those with private agendas.. Of course it came as no surprise to Demetriou when Andersen tendered his recognition having fallen upon a sword as the sword was most conveniently left by Demetriou for him to do so. The Crusade has now become not much more than a lost and riderless horse whose days are spent wandering aimlessly and ineffectually nibbling here and there in the blind hope of stumbling upon the fabled cluster of clover, the Lassiters Reef of proof. The poor beast will follow its rider into ether in time.

Sylvia is smiling. Obviously not being pushed hard enough.

He was named on a wing in the Herald Sun's best team of the decade in the 1970's and the 1980's. Imo he's the greatest wingman of all time. He's without question the greatest goal kicking wingman of all time. One year he kicked 40 goals from a wing. When representing Victoria he was often BOG and if not invariably in the bests and this included players of the calibre of Matthews, Madden, Ablett, Doull, etc. He was one touch - didn't fumble, he had a magnificent baulk, he was one of the best marking midfielders I've seen, he had pace, he had the most amazing footy brain that summed up difficult situations perfectly every time, he had grace, he had balance, he bounced the ball left handed running down the wing when he was a right foot kick, he was right up there as one of the best tacklers I've seen despite his slender frame, he had courage in the air, he was selfless and loyal. He had class off the field and on. He's the only player that has ever tugged at my emotions. He was the reason I went to the footy.

If this can become a fortress like Launceston is to the Hawks and the finances add up, why not. If the players can use the camp to cool down their core tempreture from humidity training and give us an advantage, great. I like the idea of pencilling in two wins at the start of the season. Also, they love there football in Darwin. If the club can tap into building more members/supporters, like the Hawks have done it bodes well for the club.

Headlines for the next few months: "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our pre-season: Neeld" "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our Christmas: Neeld" "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our New Year: Neeld" "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our January training: Neeld" "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our February training: Neeld" "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our NAB Cup preparations: Neeld" "Tanking enquiry hasn't affected our first-round preparations: Neeld"

What the film footage (as wonderful as it is) cannot convey is the whole-ground impact he had. When he got the ball, or was moving to where he would get it, even as the roar went up your eyes would leap 80 metres down the ground. You didn't want to miss a thing he did, but no way would you get any sense of it if you just watched him. Forwards (Biffin especially) would take off, defenders must've felt panic, everyone changed gear in the instant and the whole game would split open. To see this stuff is what TV cannot give you, and it is the best. Cameras follow the player with the ball, but the really great players instantly impact half the ground when they take possession - and while everything suddenly moves faster, at the same time they seem to have all the time in the world. Diesel Williams was slow and rooted to the spot in the centre, but he opened the game dramatically with his lightning-fast and creative handballing. The original "distributor" of the ball (as far as I ever saw) was Polly Farmer - he fired the ball out by hand to runners 15 metres away and cut the game open every time. But Robbie was without question the most spectacular I ever saw in his capacity to regularly make 80 metre moves - and he did it with such lightness and pace. As extraordinary as anything about him was the degree of improbability of him as a footballer. To look at him or listen to him speak, he was so mild and inoffensive and slight, you just could not imagine him out there with the tough guys. He was the ultimate proof that our game is more than just numbers - it has at its very pinnacle players who defy all the rules and use imagination, vision, desire and almost certainly a sixth sense to transcend the great struggle. It is its ability to showcase such rare, almost mystical capability that for me makes football the greatest sport I know. Beyond the slog and the drills and the set-plays, the gym work and the game-plans and all that stuff lies a zone that is pure art - it is both poetic in its slowing/intensifying of time, and breathtaking - the world of Daicos and Ablett Snr and unlikeliest-looking of the lot, Robbie Flower. Jack Dyer once commented that Robbie Flower knew by instinct exactly where everything around him was, even what was behind him; he said this capacity had been identified in gridiron players, where it was reckoned there might be half a dozen players at the most who has any sense of it - and watching Robbie Flower, Jack Dyer realised what it was the Americans had been telling him. Tiger Crosswell once said that if you ever beat Robbie Flower you might as well hang up your boots - there would be nothing left to achieve in football. To watch him play - nothing has ever compared. Now and then you see something that reminds you a little of it...

Interesting that the boys got around him and wished him all the best. This is a healthy culture - the players are responding and working hard. Mark Neeld is putting so many good structures into place and I can't wait for 2013. Incidentally, Stef Martin will play 5 or 6 games with Lions before he gets dropped to the QAFL. Scoop.

Watch this space........... Was just sitting next to Matthew Green – Chief Operations Officer, Ben Groom - General Manager - Strategy, Tom Parker - Strategic Relationship Manager on my flight back from Sydney, fancy that. A Dees social club is high on the priority list and it was talked about most of the flight with some ideas of places. Unfortunately my lips are sealed as to where but the club is being active in this area. They are up here to also do the Kakadu Trek with some business partners.

How any self-aware, conscious humanoid can think Wilson has reported 'the facts' is beyond me (cue a facetious remark from what I will dub The Flaming Moderator ©). She REPORTED we had a code-named meeting. She REPORTED we had a specific tanking meeting. She REPORTED that CC threatened staff in this tanking specific, code named meeting. She was wrong on these major items that a large proportion of the public haven't been re-educated on. Her editorial was hers to do whatever she wanted with and she went off the deep end into a pool that is rapidly drying up. Where be her gibes now? They are nowhere, and so are the gibes of those that follow her.

Well she NEEDS to be right to have any credibility IMO. If the AFL had the evidence to punsih us severely and Connnolly and Schwab to be sacked then any manner of legal threat wouldn't have deterred them. Whats does it matter if she's wrong? Surely you're joking. She stated we match-fixed. If the club being investigated was Carlton I would have thought they were toast, then when nothing happened immediately I would have suspected she has mislead me and tarnished Carlton's name. If you trust her "insight" then you may as well give up now.

This whole scenario has now become high farce

You're kidding yourselves if you think Caro will eat humble pie if we cop a slap on the wrist or less. She will merely sneer: "I'm not wrong - everyone knows what Melbourne really did."

Definatly a Cameron Ling type of player and is rarely beaten when matched against another player. Have a look at his games against Goddard and Judd this year Goddard - Season low 15 possessions / averaged 24 possessions for 2012 Judd - 21 possessions / averaged 26 in 2012 I can't think of another player who could do the job he does

I used to value and respect her articles too. She hanged us in that November article and quite frankly it freaked me out. She's not stating her opinion when she writes we'll be severely punished and Schwab and Connolly will be sacked - she's writing that as a fact. If that was so clear last November why hasn't it transpired by now? The alternative explanation is that for some reason she was wrong - and that's VERY wrong.

fair go Fan please. You are really pushing it here. Wilson in the above quote has made some very bold statements that are HER OPINION & as such are nothing to with any investigation. What exactly has been found in this investigation so far?? Emails, stickies, an unwiped Whiteboard full of instructions? No. Nothing yet. Its all been Wilson's slanted opinion on what She HOPES will happen.

There's going to be a fascinating logjam for finals in 2013 - none of the 2012 finalists will expect to be out and all of Essendon, Carlton and Richmond will expect to be in. St.Kilda felt they should have been in last year and their stars haven't gone yet - they'll reasonably be aiming for finals too. There's going to be some carnage I reckon as clubs fall short of expectations.

Some time ago I did the figures and they had a very young list with a small (by AFL standards) number of games. I think they probably feel they have enough talented youth on their list and want to bolster it with some experience. It's pretty much what we did with Byrnes, Rodan, Petersen, Jones and to a lesser degree Terlich.Anything but finals for them in 2013 would be unacceptable.

Haha, well, didn't see that coming. Surely he pays his own way back from Darwin now!

Don't think so. Just people pointing out his main deficiency. Work ethic and commitment are outstanding.

the Spanish Inquisition officially lasted 354 years, so it is early days yet :-)

Sounds to me like there got no evidence, 5 months into an investigation and no charges laid, these cronies at HQ need to be replaced, there skating on thin ice.

Nobody can question Bruce's motivation for the book i.e. to tell the narrative of Liam's journey from the desert outback to the big city. It was never intended to be purely a football story but it went belly up because of the shocking circumstances that have enveloped his community and, in any event, nobody ever claimed he was anything but human.As for Curry's post, it's lacking any sensitivity but we do live in a democracy and everybody has a right to say things that make themselves look stupid.

Fourth in the Bluey, Coaches award, never say die, one of the first picked every week ... Obviously the professionals at the club see plenty in him that you can't.

This might give you some idea. At one game against Richmond at the MCG, when kicking out after a Richmond behind, we'd put all our players on one side of the ground except Robbie. He was left on his own on the other side with his Richmond opponent. (Remember, this is in the days of man-on-man and no flooding/press etc). Richmond kicked something like 18 behinds. Out of the 18 returns, Robbie won all bar one. If I recall correctly, that might have been the last game for that particular Richmond coach. (May have been Francis Bourke - but who knows, they went through so many). Robbie was the visual equivalent of liquid Lindt chocolate.

He tweeted a pic of an icepack on his knee. Said nothing about an injured knee Caro.

Hi All. I just went down to Dees' training this morning at Gardens Oval. Conditions were obviously hot and humid but there was a nice breeze coming through, it would help that this oval is close to the ocean. They trained for a good three hours or so this morning. Training consisted of many full match simulation drills, including what looked like a full match of 10 minute quarters. Standouts in this match included Dom Barry - this kid is something else, smooth mover and beautiful kick, dominated, got the best GPS results out of everyone, very high numbers ... he reminds of a young and better version of Aaron Davey. Others included Nicholson - by geez he is quick and didn't stop running, Jeremy Howe, Jimmy Toumpas, Rory Taggert, Aaron Davey, Tom McDonald , Chip, Colin Garland, Dean Kent and James Strauss. Jack Watts' skills were outstanding however, he left training early and when I saw him last he had strapping around his shin/calf? I'm a Watts fan but he looks skinny - maybe suited to a wing than a backman's role? There were other full ground drills where there were stoppages on all four flanks then it turned into two balls going each way then Neil Craig would yell out and there would be only one live ball which had to get down the other end for a goal, hard to explain! Lots of ruck/midfield drills, one after the other. At the end guys were doing repeat 50m sprints, taking in turns, Nicholson dominated this not slowing up once. I had a long chat with Howie who with Dom Barry absolutely killed the GPS results, up and over 20km for a training session. Howie looks so fit!!! Davey, Nicholson and McDonald also did well here. They can't get away with anything with video cameras everywhere, getting tracked up to the second with GPS through laptops around the ground. I was asking Howie, Tom McD and Sellar how they were handling the heat and they just laughed and said it's different. Howie looked spent. Tom Mc said the benefits of training in humidity were not to do with breathing but to do with muscle stamina, kind of like they push there bodies to max out here in heat then in the cooler weather they can cope for longer at a time due to their core temp - something like that!! Tom Mc also said that some players have lost 5-6kg in a 40min session through fluid loss. A big chat also to Matt Burgan in the shade, seems quietly confident but doesn't let up much. I asked Dave Misson how the players were coping and he said Friday was tough but they've acclimatised much better, they've had to re adjust the program slightly due to the humidity. I met Jimmy Toumpas - bloody lovely kid. Would like to keep him as a pet!!! Just a great happy easy going guy and is absolutely loving being a part of the MFC. Players have been great to him and he loves living with the Vineys. He's had a good time up here, not liking the heat too much but said they've eased him into training which has helped. He too come off early, as did Jack Viney. You will laugh at this - I told Jimmy Toumpas don't you dare do a Scully on us or I will hunt you down!!!! He laughed and said we don't need to worry, he couldnt be happier! Also said he's looking forward to the 38km Kakadu trek. Jones trained all morning then while everyone was having ice baths he just kept doing laps!!! Freak. Sylvia looks very clim & trim, had a decent back rub before leaving. Anyway guys I'm off. Got to fly to Sydney but I'll be back Tuesday so will hopefully get one more training report to you before the Dees fly home on Thursday. Dark horses for this year: Taggert, Tynan, Dean Kent!, Barry. I must say our skills are the best and sharpest I've ever seen.

Viney went out for a midnight swim?

I really hope we can pick up Tipungwuti.

try 48

It's easier kicking to a target in space, Jordie usually gets all his possessions in the hustle and bustle of it all where he does just move the ball forward, not going to be terribly accurate that way. But he at least gets the bloody thing and not wait on the outside to be feed like so many others.

Carlton had 4 wins in 2007 and 10 in 2008 on the back of Judd and improvement from a young Murphy and Gibbs. We don't have a Judd, but we have a better back-line and forward-line than they did. Ten wins is quite realistic imo and should be the goal with an easy draw.

Put really simply, if it wasn't for Robbie, many of us who grew up in the late seventies and early eighties, may not have remained Melbourne fans. We could take very little pride in most things red and blue back then but we could be proud of Robbie.

Mods - we have a "like" button but desperately need a "dislike intensely" button too.

Imagine a perfect diamond set in pure gold, that's Robbie. The most graceful player I've had the pleasure of seeing in 60+ years following the game. He didn't run, he would glide across the ground, leaving opposition players looking befuddled and silly in his wake. Individual highlights are too numerous to mention here, but take it from me, Robbie was poetry in motion, like no other I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

I remember him in 87 taking a mark on the Olympic park side,Punt rd end over a few players. I cant remember who we were playing but the opposition fans were laughing and hanging it on him for trying to have a shot from about 60 metres out, lining up outside the boundary. Anyway, it went straight through the middle at about half post height. He could execute every skill of the game perfectly, except maybe the shirtfront or the bump. He was as evasive as Doug Hawkins or Brian Wilson. He could hit a target every time. One on one he was virtually unbeatable in the air or on the ground. He would often win in two on ones. He was a freak.

I've just read this thread from start to finish. Congratulations to all posters (bar one, but I won't bother naming him/her) for what has been a glorious foray into football, geography, meteorology, physiology, music, history and politics. And some stuff about the actual purpose of the trip to Darwin. This is why I like Demonland.

Us Demonlanders are truly being spoilt by the quality of the training reports we are getting this year ... but I guess we deserve it! (lol). Thanks Hells Gates.