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I was in attendance tonight and it was enjoyable. The new players got their Blazers like them or not there were a few inducted in to the Hall of Fame including Alan Johnson who was there with his som Chris, it seems he is back in touch with the club after the spat. Sat with Jeremy Howe and he's keen to get in to it, said the Darwin camp was unbelievably hard, even when you stop it as still sapping because of the heat and conditions. I asked him about the delisted players and he said it was just about attitude to training and that some players get to a certain point then they just stop, he said its all about the last 15 minutes of training and you had to get through that as it was the most important. Gys and a few others just didn't have it in them to keep going he thinks it was because of how it was done in the past. The new kids coming in have only seen the way it's done now so they are buying in no problem. Loves Toumpass reckons he's the happiest person he's ever met and very strong, should play first round. Thinks Jesse Hogan will be a star he's just huge and a great awareness of the game excited about the future. Got cleaned up at training by Mitch he said he got crunched reckons Mitch is looking great and should be ready for round one. Trenners is a little way off he's lost a bit of weight they feel he had put on too much upper body muscle. Mentioned Tappers said he and Sylvia aren't allowed too much Gym time because they just get too big, that's been part of Tappers problem. The players up the field love Jack in the back line their eyes light up when he got the ball because he's such a great distributor I think he'll stay their for a while he's put on weight and his strength has increased significantly. Just has to get rid of the beard there are some shockers. The coach is excited with the playing group and said success may come a lot quicker that we think, said don't worry about the negative headlines just focus on the club, he's very positive. Getting late if I can think of anything else worth adding I will tomorrow.

The commencent dinner's a great concept. You rub shoulders with the greats of the club and the game as well as with dedicated Demon fans and the players. Towards the end of the night I chatted briefly with Ron Barassi and showed him a picture of my grandson wearing 31 when he was a team mascot a couple of weeks ago at the Casey Fields NAB Cup game. It got a big smile out of him. I sat on Max Gawn's table and he's raring to go. He won't be playing for Casey this week but should start his comeback the following week in Casey's final practice game v Box Hill Hawks. He has a fantastic attitude and I reckon will go far, not just as a player but in all facets of the game. Not that it's exactly the pinnacle of the sport but if he can become a regular and start playing good footy on a weekly basis, I can see him as a regular panellist on the Footy Show and in the media. Of course, there's a lot of hard work to be done before he gets there. Speaking to the players there's a quiet air of confidence that we're going to be better than most of the critics are suggesting and I got the same feeling when Mark Neeld spoke later in the evening. On that score, I reckon the coach seems far more composed and comfortable in the role now than, at the start of last season when the team performed so limply and he was personally subjected to attacks in the media and to that fabricated racism slur. The evening was compered by Sandy Roberts who was in good form and showed that he was more than just a sports newsreader. Don McLardy was good, briefly opening with the tanking investigation, thanking those board members who worked on our defence and promising that the club was no longer going to be silent in the face of some of the unwarranted attacks on the club we see in the media. About time. The life member, hall of fame inductions and our fifth legend presentations were all well received and the blazers are growing on me. I don't think the players have a problem with them at all. As for what's happening in the immediate future, I think Mitch Clark, Chris Dawes and James Frawley are all good chances for Sunday week but Tom McDonald is in doubt. Jack Trengove and Sam Blease, because of the positions they play, might be a week or two behind that. It comes as no surprise for me to suggest a large number of new players will represent the club for the first time next week and in that respect, we will need to break new ground because history says those sorts of teams take a while to gel together and produce winning form. However, the consensus among the players seems to be that those who have departed were in the main, not the hardest of workers on the track, and things are very much different now. If that's true, the Neeld/Craig/Misson combo is starting to turn around our (for want of a better word) culture. And, because a discussion on the current team can't take place without mention of him, I just want to say that Jack Watts looks to have matured physically and will be a far more influential player than many people think.

I can't believe the rubbish written about the blazers. Pointing to the past, some say? Who wears a tie? They have been around in some form for thousands of years, and in the modern form for at least 100 years. Who wears jeans? Invented on the Californian gold fields in the 1840's. The blazers are not about how they look but what they represent. Our heritage. Our unity A symbol of success Club colours. Would you rather missing teeth, moccasins, flannelette shirts and K-Mart jeans like the filth?

It wasn't just positivity Ron he was brimming with confidence, it seems as if he believes we are not that far away from finals. Couple of other things; Jeremy thinks there will be another bit of a clear out at the end of the year but it would appear not a major one and the only player they miss is Riv, the rest are not going to lessen the playing group. The players are not fazed by playing in Darwin but they would like a bigger than 6 day break in between games. Jeremy was gobsmacked when he saw some footage of past players when games were played in mud baths; like most his age he was only used to billiard like surfaces, I pointed out that before proper drainage it was like that most weeks in Melbourne. Got to say it was obvious who the leaders were they were the ones who fully engaged their sponsors, Jonesy never stopped talking to his and neither did Mitch and the rest of the group were equally involved. On that I reckon Jack Watts could talk to any one any time and if the person expired during the discussion he would just keep on talking and keep on smiling. Jack doesn't talk he holds court and the women in particular just love him; he never stops smiling. I was feeling a bit flat coming in to the year but after last night I think it will be better than i thought; I mentioned to Jeremy that i was hoping for about 10 wins and he gave me the distinct impression that the group expected about that as well. He also mentioned Etihad and pointed out that it is difficult playing there because we get hardly any of or supporters there and he said that makes a big difference. BTW the coach said he was very pleased the way the pre-season had gone and Jeremy said you don't knock yourself out in practice matches. Take from that what you want.

Agree on Watts. WJ and I vocally supported him from the fence at Southport in his first year in a Casey game against GC a few years ago. We probably made fools of ourselves the way we acknowledged every little thing he did. We did it primarily because he was copping it for the locals for being the number 1 pick and we wanted to defend him. Each time he came off he smiled at us. After the game he came over and said thanks. To this day whenever I speak to him he remembers it. He is a great boy and I hope he ends up a star for us and shoves it up Matthews and a few others.

I'd argue that Kent has made a pretty solid case for Round 1 selection, much like Tynan did last year, and he should at least be in the group that is "in the mix". I would not be at all surprised if he's donning the MFC jumper in Round 1.

"He also mentioned Etihad and pointed out that it is difficult playing there because we get hardly any of or supporters there and he said that makes a big difference." "The players are not fazed by playing in Darwin but they would like a bigger than 6 day break in between games" Speak to the players and you will get answers To the G centric supporters, it is only another 4 km to Etihad, if you sit on Level 3 you can move around, can recommend quite a few hostelries and eateries down that end before the game, you can even get a discount if you go to the Wharf Top post Robbie F..........just another note on Watts.........went to training last year and he made a point of coming over and wishing me Happy Birthday.......he'd actually remembered from year before.......he brings a lot more to the Club than just his footy smarts

Some really positive stuff in the above comments. Fired me right up. I'm going to kill an Alpaca immediately and put it on the spit tomorrow.

Love the blazers. A nod to our rich heritage and will be greatly valued by players particularly in retirement. Who cares that other Clubs don't do it.

When it comes to Colin Sylvia:

I'm really hoping Rory Taggert can show something this weekend. I've been spruiking him as one to watch and for once I'd like to get one right! ( see Cale Morton and Lucas Never Played a Game Cook)

IF he wants to play AFL again, IF he wants to play for MFC, IF he's prepared to relocate back to Melbourne (city) and IF he's prepared to commit to the requirements of Neeld, Misson and Co, I'd have him back in a heartbeat. But that's four very big IFs.

I have absolutely no idea what to expect this year. That said, I have absolute confidence in Neeld and his approach to rebuilding this list.

they look like Melbourne Demons footballers to me....

I really do not understand the mind set of people who answer to a post like this, if you don't care, fine, great. Hit th back button and mosey on with life, the OP is obviously continuing with something he started pre season. And by the way, they are not meaningless games, they are for 4 points. I think you meant to say "I don't care about these games." Which brings me back to my original point. I reckon Essendon will come out hard, but Adelaide will wear them down and win by 28 points. Derby will be won by Freo by 7 points.

The core of your post seems to be: We Have Depth! Depth is a peripheral benefit, needless to the terrible, a glove to a hooved creature. We need very good players. Depth can never replace them, whether they are injured or in our case not in existence. We don't need to dwell on the luxury of depth, we need to hope for talent fulfilled, and pull that some join Jones and Grimes as players of decent talent putting together seasons defining that talent. That is what will make us relevant.

Ha ha that made my day... please leave Viney out of your posts

Wish Alan Johnson was still playing for us today, his style could still cut it in the modern game

I always shake my head when I used to walk past Punt Rd Oval CBDees. It's sad to think we have such facilities in the same car park as our home ground, yet they aren't ours. Ample place to set up a "proper" social club, gives us a great venue to go back to after we win that flag, but alas, it is painted black and yellow.

The encouraging thing I take out of Robbie's post is this: "The coach is excited with the playing group and said success may come a lot quicker that we think, said don't worry about the negative headlines just focus on the club, he's very positive." That's a far cry from about 16 months ago when he came into the club, and expressed utter bewilderment at the professionalism, culture, fitness level etc of the list. As everyone knows, Neeld calls a spade a spade. He also commands confidence and respect, and strikes me as being very competent/capable. So, if he's positive, I'm positive.

Great reports......couldn't make it because of commitments.........just a note Jack Watts' beard is fine

Unfortunately for those guys, they got traditional blackfella justice unlike their mate who got celebrity justice.

I care that they look like a whole bunch of 19th century school boys.

Not getting a lot of joy from the Dees are you?

Nab Cup in 2012 means nothing Nab Cup in 2013 means nothing Doesn't look like much change to me either...

316, If I were to judge you from your avatar I would say you enjoy watching one man beat another man's brains out... but that would be a judgement formed on one flimsy piece of evidence. I prefer to judge people over a long period with the knowledge that most of us trip up at some stage in our life. I'm not prepared to condemn as swiftly as you... but I totally reject the notion that your professed purity makes you a better person than Liam!

I hope the Bombers get absolutely smashed. The face of Hird shattered.

Greg Denham has already awarded us the Wooden Spoon. Who would have thunk that???

I agree, but I was talking about Casey Fields in that last post. As for an exclusive access to players - I don't agree. But I would say that a scholarship program (similar to NSW/ACT) available to all clubs should be initiated for players starting at the age of 15.

I too hope that they exhaust all avanues pursuing a partnership with the NT and Darwin. The upside is that we get a whole state united behind us whether that translates to financial members or not. It is a great venue to play the low-gate Clubs (even if I am a MCC member, the MFC doesn't benefit from games at the MCG) and far better for us than Etihad. Another upside might be if we can wangle exclusive access to the indigenous players from the top end [as the four Qld & NSW clubs mange to do to a limited extent] then we might unearth some freakish players 'a la Jurrah'.

I am really sorry, but this thread has gone off on a tangent that is full of factless almost baseless assertions about the future of the AFL and this club. It's your right to keep looking over your shoulder at what is about to happen, but I think we should be looking forward to what we can do to affect the situation. Jake Niall wrote yesterday: If this is true and comes to something than it will be another turning of a weakness - low gate games against Freo, GWS, GC, WCE, BL, Adel, or PA into a $500k of pure profit a game. I hope they exhaust all avenues.

Im not concerned as yet. I await a real game with most of our preferred list in their best positions. From this i will gauge improvements ...if any. I expect some. Ive also become used to disappointments.

Mate, I've been watching other teams win flags since 1965. I've been lucky enough to see us win 4. But for almost 50 years it's been other teams winning them. I watch 9 AFL games a week, but only one has any meaning for me - the rest are thus meaningless. But by all means - you go ahead and enjoy them.

Couldn't give a stuff about the blazers, they may be a bit campy and old fashioned but it is a throw back to our heritage. It also reminds me of the blazers the cricketers wear. For one night they have to wear them, it's not the end of the world.

nine tenths of nothing Redleg. Are you filled with glee Redleg?

Settled back 6 with Thompson, Grima, Firrito, McMahon, Atley and co, midfield with a good leader in Swallow and X factor in Wells and some good foot soldiers who play the right way and then the Petrie, Tarrant and the other big spud. Throw in Harvey once he's back from suspension. North are much more experienced individually and as a team than we are which makes them a hard side to beat if you don't get on top of them. Good sides can trounce North because their talls down back can be thrashed, their forwards can be taken care off if you have individual good defenders and their midfield lose confidence as kids do if they are getting beaten physically like Hawthorn and West Coast have done to them. But they are structurally sound and have consistent players so we don't have a hope beating them until we become an even team.

I agree. Enough of rhetoric, bs and finger pointing. Get on with it and do it on the park.

I appreciate the sentiment of the one eyed angry dee but you need to watch other teams in order to talk about MFC. Otherwise, your opinion is a north pole without a south. Plus, we play the Bombers in round 2. Know your enemy. These two games are a very interesting start to the year. Both are hard to pick. I like the der-bee, and at the moment it boasts two top four contenders with very different playing styles. Freo by two goals for me. Adelaide are very strong at home and that should be enough to tip them over the line against an angry, angry Bomber team. Crows by three goals.

Without further ado, I present Rogue's Best XI... In constructing my team I based my decisions upon the following objectives, which I felt were all required in order to create a strong, balanced team: - To have six batsmen averaging around 40 or above with the bat, with two bona fide openers - To have a wicketkeeper who was a bona fide gloveman - To have four bowlers averaging 30 or less, with a strike rate of under 60 and an economy rate of under 3.5 - To have a legitimate fifth bowling option When drafting players I looked for cricketers who seemed to posess an ability to succeed in different conditions and/or against quality opponents, and I wanted to ensure that their recent form - last year or two, depending on how much Test cricket their team played - was good. This meant overlooking some players who appeared strong prospects at first glance, but struggled against quality opponents and/or away from home, or had records that were based on past achievements rather than current day form. I also wanted to ensure I had at least two players with legitimate leadership claims, preferably established at national level. 'The Invincible Whites' 1. Chris Gayle (WI) //96 caps Batting average of 42 @ 60 strike rate, with 14 100s and 34 50s. Bowling average of 42 @ 86 strike rate, 2.6 RPO; 2 4-wicket hauls, 2 5-wicket hauls. An attacking opening batsmen who has averaged over 50 in the last couple of seasons, Gayle's explosive talents need no introduction - since 1999 they've been on display all over the world. Gayle's also more than handy with the ball and provides a good part-time spinning option. 2. Taufeeq Umar (Pak) //43 caps Batting average of 39 @ 45, with 7 100s and 14 50s. An opening batsmen bereft of opportunities to show his wares due to Pakistan's lack of Test cricket, Umar has nonetheless shown he can succeed as an opener not only on the slow, dusty tracks of Pakistan but also on wickets that take bounce and seam. In addition to providing an excellent partner for Gayle, Umar provides a back-up wicketkeeping option. 3. Phil Hughes (Aus) //23 caps Batting average of 33 @ 54, with 3 100s and 6 50s. After a torrid time in India his average has dropped significantly, but Hughes averaged 37 in 2012 and far better players than he have failed in India. He's also scored tons in Sri Lanka and South Africa, and having six genuine batsmen and a wicketkeeper who averages above 40 means I can carry a developing batsmen. 4. Jacques Kallis (SA) //162 caps Batting average of 56 @ 46, with 44 100s and 58 50s. Bowling average of 32 @ a strike rate of 69, with 2.8 RPO; 7 4-wicket hauls, 5 5-wicket hauls. A cricketing colossus, Kallis is one of the best batsmen of his era and has averaged over 50 each year since 2009. In addition to his prolific run-making, his bowling is good enough to merit a position as a paceman in most sides and gives me a fantastic fifth bowling option. 5. Virat Kohli (Ind) //17 caps Batting average of 44 @ 47, with 4 100s and 6 50s. Kohli is one of the most talented young batsmen in world cricket. He's made runs - and 100s - at home and away and forms part of a strong middle-order. Apparently an India Test captain-in-waiting, he gives me a developing leader. 6. Misbah Ul-Haq (Pak) © //39 caps Batting average of 43 @ 40, with 3 100s and 18 50s. One of the most successful Pakistani captains of recent times, and not just for being able to keep the team unified for more than a series, Misbah has averaged 40 or above in the last three years. Like Umar, he's a victim of Pakistan's lack of Test cricket, but takes the toss for my 11. 7. Dinesh Chandimal (SL) (wk/vc) //7 caps Batting average of 58 @ 48, with 2 100s and 4 50s. A genuine wicketkeeper who, he says, wouldn't have made more than ~30 with the bat until his late teens, is now one of Sri Lanka's most promising young batsmen. Although his current batting average is inflated, a series average of 37 in South Africa against a formiddable fast bowling quartet shows he is much more than a flat track bully. Chandimal - who could bat as high as four in time - has been appointed Sri Lanka's T20 captain and provides another developing leadership option. 8. Graeme Swann (Eng) //50 caps Batting average of 24 @ 77, with 5 50s. Bowling average of 29 @ 60, 2.9 RPO; 12 4-wicket hauls, 14 5-wicket hauls, 2 10-wicket hauls. Since replacing Panesar in 2009 Swann has been the most consistent premier spinner in world cricket, As his figures indicate he can both take wickets and contain runs, as well as chiming in with some handy runs of his own - an average of 24 at a very healthy strike rate of 77. 9. Mark Gillespie (NZ) //5 caps Batting average of 11 @ 57. Bowling average of 29 @ 39, 4.4 RPO; 1 4-wicket haul; 3 5-wicket hauls. Gillespie is the Ryan Harris of NZ cricket. Although boasting a strong first-class record - 77 games, 326 wickets at an average of 27 @ 47 with a RPO of 3.4 - and an even better strike rate in Test cricket (39), he has struggled to stay on the park and risks being overlooked for younger competitors. His Test economy rate is misleadingly inflated but he can be more expensive than ideal - fortunately this can be overlooked given his lethal wicket-taking abilities and the fact my 'fifth' bowler is Jaques Kallis. 10. Peter Siddle (Aus) //40 caps Batting average of 14 @ 47. Bowling average of 29 @ 59, 3 RPO; 5 4-wicket hauls, 7 5-wicket hauls. On the back of a fantastic 2012, in which he led the Australian attack with an average of 23 @ 47, Siddle has shown he can be successful in completely foreign conditions with a commendable effort in the current series in India. He is just as determined with the bat, and can provide some lower-order grit. 11. Kemar Roach (WI) //22 caps Batting average of 10 @ 34. Bowling average of 27 @ 51, 3.2 RPO; 1 4-wicket haul, 5 5-wicket hauls; 1 10-wicket haul. Roach is another quick who leads his country's attack, despite being only 24 years old. An excellent strike rate paired with an economy rate of 3.2 made him the ideal choice to pair with Siddle, and he's no Chris Martin with the bat. I'm confident this team can more than match the opposing line-ups, with strong all-rounders in Kallis and Chandimal means I have an ideal balance of batsmen and bowlers. Two genuine openers are followed by a #3 that's weaker than ideal, but a strong middle-order, with players capable of holding down a Test batting role all the way down to #7 (and a very handy #8), mean that's a minor issue. Roach, Siddle, Gillespie and Kallis provide me with a fantastic quartet of quicks and I'm well positioned to cover any deficiency in Gillespie's bowling, while Gayle provides solid back-up to the very strong Swann. Good leadership rounds out what is, in every meaning of the phrase, my best XI.

He pots us at every turn! Quite frankly who gives a F#%K what he thinks!

here's hoping this thread will be re-named "The Dramatic Resurrection Of Liam Jurrah" sometime soon!

For OD....

Again, there are TWO ROOKIE SPOTS OPEN FOR ELEVATION. Gawn LTI listing isn't tied to his fitness - they have to apply to get him off the LTI. There is plenty of time to elevate Magner before Rd 1. If he is in the 25 - he will be on the Primary List. If he isn't then he will most likely be delisted at the end of the year. EDIT: This is wrong. We have one spot open with an LTI. I forgot about the movement to a 40 man squad last year instead of 38 plus max 2 vets. As we had one last year, it meant we could elevate a rookie straight away. We can elevate a rookie 11 rounds into the season or in the event of a LTI.

The experts ALWAYS get it right.

With the amount of change to the list, the style, the coaching, the leadership, and the fitness during this offseason I don't think ANYONE no matter how much of an expert they claim to be has any idea how we will go this year. Anything could happen with that much change, we could take the spoon or we could make the eight, it's impossible to give even an educated guess. Add to that the way Neeld used the NAB cup in a similar way to top teams do (ie- practice rather than all out going for wins) no one knows what will happen.

I'm a yes..

Josh, there is public transport - Cranbourne train catch from Southern Cross or Flinders Street stations. When you get to Cranbourne station you will have to get a taxi. Alternatively, hire a car and take the drive out along South Eastern Freeway following the signs to Cranbourne (set the GPS for Casey Stadium). If you go through Cranbourne city centre take a left hand turn at the major intersection where the Race Course is. The stadium is about 5-10 minutes down the road on the right hand side. Dont get confused with a sporting complex on the left hand side. Look for the lights inside a giant carpark. From the city it should take about 40minutes. Yes on normal Casey games you are allowed out on the ground to listen to the Coach's address. There isnt much in the way of "undercover seating" so either be early or be prepared to sit on the grassy knolls! Can't tell you what time but if you go to the MFC site or ring the Club on 96521111 and they can confirm for you. Hope this helps. Enjoy.

As someone else mentioned, depending on when the games are played, it does not necessarily have to be as hot as many seem to think. As far as distance goes and Port Adelaide having some sort of advantage, it is just 700km difference if traveling from Adelaide or Melbourne... hardly a leg up and hardly a climate that will suit them better than us. And what is that comment about "a footy loving audience"??? Are you saying they don't love their footy in Darwin? Give me a break. I may be wrong, but I would have thought West Coast and Freemantle travel a lot more than us throughout a season, yet it hasn't really affected their chances/performances.

If we can replace our Etihad home game with a Darwin match this is a real winner I reckon.

Just watched On The Couch and once again Sheahan had a go at Melbourne, saying Jimmy and the Board and the administrators were complicit in the tanking and should all have been punished. He was reminded that we were found not guilty by the AFL and said oh well. I have now watched or read several media people have a go at us and in the same breath or sentence, totally ignore the other clubs that did the same. As a result I have come to the following conclusion: "A large percentage of media people are gutless lackies and bullies."