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Being new to the group, I assume he is a little sheepish?

I went down to training and made a few notes: In order: Gawn started with a kick to kick drill with one of the coaches only the ball would drop short and he would have to predict the bounce etc. Dawes and Blease ran medium pace laps. Nicholson, Frawley, Davis, Couch and Joel Mac were doing a kick and leading to space drill (probably to improve kicking). Kent is huge and was running with the Kiwi (I took a photo of him). Bail was doing some kind of physical test where he then had to fill out a form. Main group did a drill where they had to dodge a tackler. Dawes and Blease then did run-throughs/testing. There were loads of coaching staff on the boundary (a few were drinks people I think). Trengove and Clark were moving and kicking very well (agree with the speed of Trengove through the middle of ground). Strauss actually was very quick running out of defence (at one stage the coaches were all really happy with him because he stuck on Davey and did not let him get the ball). Tappy was really lively and tackling everyone in the forward line and creating goals. Jetta seemed to have a physical examination in the tent and then left early. Viney was in match simulation and then did his physical test with Kent and Blease (Viney was also kicking with the Kiwi and although his kicking style looked silly it was effective over 30m). Viney then had 3-4 shots on goal from 40-50m out that all fell short? The main group did a kind of match sim but it was all really up to Neeld what happened (eg take the kick 70m from the whites goal) Hughesy (radio/comedian) came to the training session and crouched in the goal square with a helmet and let all the players have a shot at him (with ball) and not one player hit him (from 30m) All in all, I thought the speed and skills were good although I have never been to a training session so hard to make comments.

seriously ? going with lame New Zealand sheep humour ? Ewe should know better....

Clark looks good. He hasn't lost his skills and he still oozes leadership out on the ground. I reckon he will play round one.

Gawn outmarking Jamar in one on ones and also looks fit.

For anyone who missed it, Garry Lyon singled out Frawley as the player to watch from the Dees this year. Said he was carrying three serious injuries last year but played on because of the horrible year we were having, but expects him to be back to his AA best now that he's fit and good-to-go. I'm hoping that with the further development of McDonald and Dunn as KPDs it'll take some of the pressure off him as well. Link here.

Personally I wouldn't have bothered with a ball either.

Someone asked what the plural of machete was, followed by a poster who got it wrong. That's why I posted the definitive answer. I couldn't care less what you can and can't spell. However, what should be of concern - to you if no-one else - is your lack of understanding or cavalier disregard (which is it by the way?) for the rule of law - in this case the presumption of innocence. Despite your ignorance, I hope you are afforded it if ever you have to face a courtroom.

Robbie I think I walked past not long after this had happened. Altercations around the court happens occasionally, the worry is when this spills over into the town camps at night when alcohol is consumed. It's hard to understand the sense of expectation upon especially the young men from this region to stand for their kin. Liam becoming involved was probably inevitable, but still disappointing. But what must be understood by those contributing to this thread is that this is a very complex situation. Those posters, including myself, who refuse to pass judgement on this situation, due to their distance to the issues involved, are probably taking the appropriate path. This comment is not to stifle comment and opinions, but rather ask for this case to play itself out with respect to a past player of ours under siege.

Just walked past the courthouse here in Alice Springs to see a worried and tense Liam standing on the steps being both yelled at and cheered by opposing families in this feud. Across the road in the park tensions simmered, police intervened as Liam strode back inside. A little reminder to you all during your bickering, that while we can chip in and switch off as we please, the fighting, the threats and the realities of the hard circumstances indigenous Australians live with, rolls on impossible to escape.

I actually don't mind him, either. He's a boofhead and a bit simple at times, but you can't doubt his passion for footy. He lives and breathes it, sometimes audibly! Unlike a certain cynical tabloid gossip columnist masquerading as a football journo at The Age. I don't think she even particularly likes the game, just her own overhyped notoriety and erroneous sense of power in relation to it.

Lost his cool a bit too readily there, Bomber. It's awesome that this is hanging over the Essendon's season. Awesome.

Maybe he's actually going to be picked for the Third Test in India.

I miss when we would debate whether or not he was a star. Life can turn so quickly.

It won't matter. If Danks goes down the Bombers will follow. This is above AFL jurisdiction. The article on todays HUN Backpage is fairly damming i thought.

me me...pick me

I'll admit I didn't see the whole game but bits I saw included the obligatory Jamar tapping the ball directly to the ground underneath him. i.e. not to advantage and with very little follow up himself. I would even go as far to say he looks timid when jumping at the ball sometimes. Part of the problem could be a co-ordination with his mids but he is 1/4 of the 'team' at the stoppage so the he has to take some responsibility for us faling to get clean ball. Personally I'm looking forward to a fit Gawn to be given some game time to see where the future is.

jamar has had one good season in ten........still think he has to earn the right to be called a "good ruckman". Still amazed me that he got a 3 yr deal bring on gawn

This thread is incomplete without a poll. But seriously, welcome back Rangey, and I agree with all that is written. I found Neeld's presser interesting after the St Kilda game last weekend. He said something like that he didn't like honourable losses. Personally, this year I want to see more honourable losses, as our losses last year were far from impressive. Richmond had a number of honourable losses in 2012, they would have the expectation of turning a lot of those in to wins this year. The Geelong game in 2012 will give me a good idea as to how we've improved. We were in that match until just before 3/4 time. I'm not annoyed that they ran away from us in the last quarter, what I was annoyed about was the fact that on the scoreboard we were in the game, but on the faces of all the players, we were going to lose. From memory, we had a little run on mid-third quarter, but there was no excitement or celebration from the team. I'll be focusing on the subtle changes this year, with particular emphasis on how they play as a team. Blocking and shepparding is just one element, I'll be looking for encouragement after kicking a goal even if we are 10 goals behind, or more importantly, if we have kicked 3 on end, hoping to see the players get around each other and ensure we keep the momentum.

Getting back to the actual topic a little (sorry if that upsets people), I would like to say how proud I am if the club that we are still in there backing Liam even after he walked out on the us. We still have player welfare people up there at the trial and presumably are still footing much of the legal bills. I think that this is a great show if integrity and fair-mindedness.

Can we please play a game in 2013 before supporters get rid of half the list....Good Grief.....

I hope it wasn't a waiver form.

I get the feeling the MFC is pinning lot on the opening game against Port and will be pushing extra hard to get the season off to a winning start... there is too much at stake in terms of credibility, respect, media pressure and membership numbers. Even though this is only Port, a loss would be quite damaging. This is why I think they will be doing all they can to get Mitch (and possibly Trengove and Blease) up for that match... but I'm equally sure sanity will prevail if there is any doubt at all about his/their fitness.

All I'm going to say is there isn't a club in the AFL, that wouldn't love to have him.... We are very lucky to have him.....

He's 22 before the season starts. He plays the entire year as a 22 year old. Look, I get that you're a poor footy spectator and miss what some of us actually see, but the age excuse is gone. Franklin kicked 100 goals at 21. Lockett, Carey, Brereton, Lloyd, Kernahan, Dunstall, Brown, Riewoldt etc etc etc were stars at 21. The problem with many Melbourne supporters is that they are simply ordinary judges of footballers.

You'd love those James Bond documentaries...

So, you might say that as a club, we are transforming.

I'm don't have a diabolical obsession with convincing everyone he is crap, take it elsewhere mate

That all comes with confidence. Confidence in being able to draw a player & evade the tackle, confidence in your team mate being there to give the ball off to

Apart from fork, who's the other one?

And when Gawn doesn't live up to his potential...what then...rubbish him and start looking for another alterntative...he got a 3 yr deal because the Footy Dept wanted to give him one....rather poor of them not to agree with your assessment wasn't it

Dunn is everywhere, expect a huge season from him this year. Seems to be be making all the play out of defence.

Trengove looking a little slimmer and dare I say it quicker .... in the middle of the drill I'm watching now and demanding the ball.

ok.ok...sheesh...no need to ram it down my throat...

baaad call nutbean....

Wrong. GWS knew we were committed to Viney (the whole football world did ffs) and basically said deal #3 to us or you will use it on him. And that is what happened. Obviously. Doesn't matter where they rated him- they knew we were committed and played that against us. Like any smart person would. And the sweetener for the Hogan deal was Hogan.

It seems there's hardly a thread in Demonland history (since I've been a member at least) that when the topic is about an indigenous player, hasn't descended into racist accusations by a variety of posters. I've been a victim myself. I wish the moderators would be more proactive and hit this rot on the head before it gets out of hand.

Nice to see you're making an understated re entry to DL RR.

I dont know why I am trying to make you see "reason" - except drink driving you do understand that he hasnt been found guilty of anything yet. It is not proven that he has belted anyone - man, woman or child - you do realise this dont you ? That is what this little thing called a trial is going to determine.

Essendon players were last year urged to have one injection a week It's not suggested that whatever was injected was a banned substance but wouldn't you think someone at Bomberland would ask some questions about players being injected 40 times over a period of months? Especially, the players themselves? All of this during Danks' time at the club - and this part looks particularly ominous. Under surveillance for what?

Haha, would you have preferred the one below?

The past is a foreign place. They do things differently there. "The Go Between", L.P. Hartley

After a bit of time sifting through all the 'available' facts, the punishment does seem a little heavy handed. The penalties could have been kept in house and the punishment itself could have been of a more appropriate nature. Fines, early morning 10k runs, extra training sessions and the offenders could have been made to stand up in front of the group with a please explain. And we don't have to hear about it either - there's no need. To miss a Test match is not like missing a game of footy. It's more like missing 3-4 matches of footy (as a penalty). And there is no guarantee any of them would get automatically picked in the following Test. This is not to excuse the behavior of course, but the punishment seems a bit draconian - unless the issues and behaviors within the team are really bad. None of us have seen any evidence of really bad behavior. We have heard that there have been 'other' indiscretions - none of these being of a 'serious' nature according to Pat Howard (the C.A high performance manager). It seems the indiscretions are more of an accumulative nature. The fact is that we're being badly beaten in India. And that comes down to quite a number of factors, none the least being the 'actual' available talent in home/foreign conditions. India have us well covered. We are just not that good and have only one established world class player - Clarke. As for Micky Arthur, he has a very good record as a coach and maybe the players just haven't adapted to him like they should have. Just one thing though - Arthur did come out and say that Nathan Lyon was lacking 'confidence' after the 1st Test. Not sure he should have been making these comments in public for a few reasons. Again, that sort of thing should be kept in house. As it was, Lyon himself said that he wasn't lacking confidence at all. Anyway, they've made their decisions and we just have to get on with it. We can now expect all homework to be completed and handed in on time

The only resinence from 186 is from the supporters who cant move on! The MFC is a completely different place to that day that led too 186. Yes some players and administrators may still exist, but that does not mean the club isnt singing from the same hym book now. If any players exist from this period and is being a continuing pain in the arse, Neeld would see past this and they will be banished to Casey until their contract is complete. WYL you harp on about 186 and use this as the means to provoke change. Stuie asked you a simple quesion. Who should the club be rid of that is still is at the club. Name players! From your constant reference to 186 I would suggest you have put some thought into this. Cough up and answer the question. If you cant, stop referring to this game

There racist comments, it doesnt matter what colour you are.

You're an absolute gem, olisik. Comedy gold. And the mind-numbing stupidity of some to think that we don't need KPFs, but are desperate to get mids... You are all aware that pick 20 came to us in the Hogan trade? The pick we then used to acquire Chris Dawes? Or maybe some are foolish enough to think Clark on his own is enough...

Bumped for Range Rover's benefit... before the prediction posts get out of hand like office sweeps on Cup day.

I was hoping this thread was going to ask me to choose between olisik and Whispering_Jack.