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He has?

Don't understand why we wish these guys well when they leave. I hate seeing guys ditch us for other clubs, and might be harsh, but I wish them no team success. Unlikely, but I want those guys to look back and realise leaving was a terrible decision. Except players who are delisted e.g. Brad Miller

Hi guys, I have just uploaded some new images to my site theaussieword.com from the latest Dees training session. The Aussie Word Go Dees!

I'm not worried about capital letters, but you don't need the apostrophe.

Its a revelation? Really? FMD. 10 yrs and never inside the top 5 in the B&F. Plenty of apologists here for Col. Ooooh he didn't have a pre-season, oooh give him time. He is your classic gun junior footballer that doesn't have a brain or work ethic. He's not alone, there are plenty of them. I was banging on for a long time that he should be traded only to be shouted down in this place. A trade that allowed us to get Vince is a good result but we could have had a better result had we the balls to ditch him to GWS 3yrs ago. Gold Yep He'll be a gun one day that boy. ha ha

Anyone who thinks we wouldn't be better off with Rivers still at the club doesn't understand Australian Rules Football. A perfect third key defender. Is one of the better readers of the play with his interception of kicks. His major weakness is playing on the gorillas/Trav Clokes of the league.

Have to agree. Suggesting that a player like Georgiou can replace him - a man who hasn't played a single game of AFL football and is rookied! I think it is a disservice to a man who played many good games of football over a long period. Do I think he is a massive loss? Probably not but saying that he can be replaced by Struass, Terlich, Dunn, Pedo or Georgiou is highly unfair on Rivers output with the MFC and IMO poor judgement.

Ridiculous call. Was our backline general for 10 years. Not my favourite player (that's an understatement), but some of the judgments on his career at MFC here are absolutely idiotic.

Experience. Garland is injured, McDonald is injured, Frawley might have a poor year like most other players who put off contracts. Pedo = spud. Dunn = still iffy. Terlich, Strauss, Georgiou (rookie) all yet to show if they're truly up to it. You seem to be falling into the Neeld trap of thinking "oh he won't be in our best team in 5 years so he's no good", and how did that policy work out for us? Rivers stood up more than enough in a p@*s poor backline behind the worst midfield in modern footy. Not saying he's our best ever backman, but some of the comments about him here are so far off the mark that they seem emotional comments given he's now an opposition player, rather than rational.

Read it again. He was talking about Hogan.

Jared Rivers, was and still is a massive loss to the MFC, if you seriously think that a bloke can walk into Geelongs back line is not required at the MFC, you're loco. I would have Rivers over, Struass, Terlich, Dunn, Pedo etc any day of the week. He would still be our thrid best back man behind Chip and Garlo

Would be nice to get Fyfe, but it's a two-bong pipe dream.

Oh look, Moonshadow and Stuie being needlessly aggressive... I AM shocked. What are you guys, twelve?

Nothing personal but i am glad he has left. His gifted speech at last years B&F summed it all up Wasted career sadly

I went, my report isn't as vast but what I can say is that there will be seven new faces in the side on Friday night. Okie-dokie guys, I went absolutely insane this morning. If anyone wants to know I got up at 8:20. Normally get up much earlier to go but alas I slept in a little. Next bus from Mernda was 10 minutes away and I'm eight minutes away from the stop if I get a favourable run so I just RAN like we were a goal down in a Grand Final with a minute left just to catch this bus. With an iPad in my bag. Caught the bus, now there was a matter of catching the 8:53 train to Flinders from South Morang. Small matter of traffic delayed me until 8:51 so MORE frantic running and I got there with ONE minute to spare. I think I will be 20 minutes late max. And that is the story of how I got to this morning's training session. If only the 2013 Dees showed as much heart. Righty, so although I was 20 minutes late I can tell what we're doing. Stretches and runthroughs as always. Spotted Riley walking back towards AAMI Park as I walked in. Unsure why. If it was last year I would have spotted Neeld walking back 15 minutes into the session. Hogan is doing rehab, as is Clark. Two blokes dressed in white in the middle. I have nought idea who they are. Umpires? Cross and Hunt are back this morning after bring ill. Short kicks are the agenda as I get here, practically the first 20 minutes writes itself. Bit of upper strength drills now. Boys split into three groups. One doing some groundwork, one small group of Pedo, Dawes and Fitzy doing some leading drills and another group doing some stoppage drills. Solid crowd building up at Gosch's. Better than Mondays that's for sure. 40 odd people here. Maia Westrupp on the sideline doing some handball work. Jamar is walking laps too. Clark slow running laps around the oval. Two groups called in, probably quarter time for the session. Short handballs now. Voice is up. Change up the drill a bit and the boys handball into traffic, this is where a few balls hit the deck and it's something we must rectify if we want to improve as a team. Short kicks now. The ruckmen are as generally accepted very awkward, Salem's using the ball beautifully. Hogan practising set shots at goal. Not convinced by the stutter mid run up but he's nailing his shots. Longer kicks now. Toumpas and Tyson looking classy as ever. Groups split into two for a bit of stoppage work. Viney goes for a run and is tackled and floored by Kent. Competitive instinct in the bloke coming out. It's good to know that we'te moving a bit faster but one thing that disappoints me is that we're not really following up our disposal with shepherds. Familiar switch/down the line/goal drill. The new recruits - Tyson, Michie, Vince - using it beautifully. Salem's first kick is a nasty shank. Toumpas is using it very well yet again, as is Kent. The 2012 kids are looking good. Intensity is decent. Change up of this drill now. Defenders added but it's still the same basic drill. Viv Michie's been quietly chugging along and he's using it very well. Jay Kennedy-Harris starts with a kick and then runs the length of the ground to get two more touches and kicks a goal! Outstanding. God help me. Damian Barrett is here. Probably here to give us a spray about the appointment and drafting of everyone ever. Newish drill, some defenders in bibs and a group designed to get the ball down the other end. Dawesy hits a free running JKH on his own 50m away and JKH runs in and kicks the easiest goal ever. What I like seeing is Sam Blease being used off half back in this drill and being a playmaker. Now that's what I want to see. Boys called in once again. Time is flying, didn't realise it was 11:00 already as I type. Looks like the squad is doing some extra training - a few have pulled off. Training finished after a short while.

Col vs N.jones is a great example of how hard work trumps talent every time, N.jones isn't half as talented as Col.

Agree 'stuie', I think he has been a good player for us. Injury didn't help his cause or ours and I think it may cut him short at Geelong, he's also starting to find it harder to get a good match up. Can't take the monsters and the 3rd tall is getting a bit quicker but yeah he was a good player at the MFC.

I think Sylvia will be a great case study of the recruiting vs development argument. There will be no excuses for him not to perform at Freo, given he will be playing in a very strong team and under a fantastic coach, two factors not present at Melbourne over the last seven years. If he tears it up for them, it will show us that we have failed to extract the best out of him and not developed him well. If however his career just ambles along with mostly mediocre performances highlighted by a few standout games, this will help to demonstrate that his time at Melbourne was not severly impacted by poor development.

Fyfe will never leave WA, smart move by his manager, Freo has a war chest which they saved up for unsuccesful tilts at Clarke & Cloke, Sandilands, Mcpharlin & Pavlich all coming to the end. I can see Fyfe getting a very big front loaded contract and believe me they will come big for Jesse next season. A ball park figure of around $400-500k for him returning home after two years was spoken about last season (not revealing source) but I trust them. The source does not believe the offer was official and was just a matter of contact and discussion point. Source also stated Hoges is currently very happy at the Dees

There is no penny.

Physically he's almost perfect, he just doesn't have it between the ears.

The biggest revelation with Sylvia is the blokes just not much good. Can't win a clearance Isn't a reliable kick Isn't a natural spread and run player What he can be is a tough match up as he's got good burst speed, strength and over head marking. And he can tackle. He's a back up midfielder and flanker trying to find he's way in a new team playing a hard system to learn. Let's leave the deep analysis of his Melbourne career in the past. Sylvia leaving allowed us to get Vince. If Cross, Tyson, Michie and Riley can provide the help to Viney and Jones in the grunt work then Vince will be of much more use to us than Sylvia would've been.

I can never for the life of me understand these responses. It's as if you're saying you have no choice in reading or responding to any thread on this forum. Knick off if there's a topic you don't like. How hard is it, really? As for Sylvia, it was always going to be the case when he got to Freo. The guy has formed lazy habits, partly thanks to our club. He's never had a coach who was able to really wake him up, and if Ross can't to some extent, then I don't know what to say.. Anyway, I hope this gives some insight into how players are shaped by their environment. Watch Viv this Friday night and take a look at his work rate and concentration levels. I won't care about numbers at this stage, I just want to see him working hard and playing hard, team first footy with intensity. He'll bring it in bucket-loads if we're comparing him to Sylvia. And it's because he's had it drilled into him at Freo when he couldn't crack a game.

Then don't post. I actually hope Lyon is able to provide Sylvia the leadership and kick up the bum he never got at Melbourne and he is able to get the best out of himself in the twilight of his career. He could be a very good player if his application was as good as his natural talent and being a follower of Australian Football as well as the MFC I want to see guys like this get the best out of themselves. I also wouldn't mind seeing Freo do well next year as I think they are a great disciplined unit who also have the flair to be entertaining. The fact that Sylvia was an automatic selection and probably our 2nd best mid behind Jones yet is struggling for a guernsey at Freo shows just how behind the best teams we really are and the culture change required to get to the top, not just thereabouts. I'm sure most of us are already too well aware of this fact but when presented with real examples the evidence is stark.

Vince is the swap for the pick we got for Colin. Michie was secured for a low draft pick.

My mail is that Clark did his hammy about a week or so ago and that it's the third time since just before Xmas. As alluded to above its a by product of recovering from a long period of passivity similar to what Matty Richardson went through when he was coming back from the same injury. It's a bit of a worry but the good news is that it can be overcome and also that it's not the old foot injury that is the ailment.

My guess is that today was the first time that teams had to put together their injury lists and that Clark's 3 to 4 weeks isn't a new injury, they have just quantified it finally.

Yep. He'll have plenty of time after he finishes his career to play with his lense.

I love it when you get on here and tangle yourself in knots and then you give your obligatory "I'm dancin, you be trippin" post. I was just explaining why OD and myself made the posts we did - you are the one jumping down throats.

You are the one lacking comprehension, stuie. I was referring to your 'pedo-bear' joke in the sense that you made that nickname for him, ironic because you then said that fans making nicknames for players is 'lame' - at which old dee pointed that you made 'pedo-bear', to which you then denied, at which point I made my post. The rest is unfortunate history.

I call BS

In one sense Col has some great natural footballing talents - lovely long kick of the ball, great leap, excellent hands above his head, strong tackler, etc. But I don't know if I'd call him a natural footballer as he just lacks the subtleties that the best players have, such as the ability to consistently get to the right spots, being able to spot a free player in tight congested situations and thread a handball to the advantage of that player, having the poise and peripheral vision in close to sum up a situation and navigate his way out of traffic. Don't get me wrong, Col's attributes can still make him a very good player. But I think his natural footballing talents lie solely in the power side of the game.

Absolutely no idea.

Col was definitely part of what was wrong with the club, and his departure was a necessary step towards improvement.

Ross Lyon is doing the same as he did to wake up Michael Walters, has the media hounding him and publically making him aware a spot in Freo's best 22 is earned and not a given. Sylvia will be a good addition to the Freo side and by midway through the season I expect him to be firing

I think it was "I'll see your leg and raise you a back and a long road trip. Now fold, sucker!"

I don't have the time or energy to wish ill-will to players who leave our club. Rivers left our club for an opportunity to play finals in his remaining seasons and gave us good service for many years - good luck to him. Petterd was axed and to a certain extent was cruelled by injuries with us so if he succeeds at Richmond - good luck to him Sylvia was a perennial under performer and Moloney had a dummy spit in his last season under Neeld - to them I say - Meh

A good thread it shows that other teams dont tolerate half measures and we did. I had always hoped Col would wake up and use his talents but it seems he never will. I am now very glad he left.

Rivers was terrific last night. A sad loss.

Sylvia might have a few regrets. After all, he was an alpha wolf at Melbourne. Whereas it now sounds as though he's a delta wolf at Freo - and that can't be good for the ego. Bennell's the one I will be watching though. Reckon he could've been great for us under Roos running off half back.

you must be f*%#ing kidding another bloody Sylvia thread move on people. who gives a flying...honeslty.. i dont

The way I see it Kingswood Country was to television what the No T$ No B$ Thread is to Demonland - cutting edge, state of the art satirical and biting social commentary without borders of boundaries. In other words, pure unadulterated crap. However, like the TV show and the Kingswood vehicle it is typically Australian and for some obscure reason remains one of our longest running threads and for that, the usual contributors should be proud.

I loved Sylvia and wanted him to succeed, but if was clear a long time ago, Colin played when he could be bothered and that became ingrained and we did not have strong enough coaches or captains to make him lift or drop him. I no longer card about Sylvia and I hate Freo, I hope they lose every game.

Must admit I got a bit bored by the end with nothing hanging on the result. ...but it is good to watch a bit of footy and Stevie J always keeps me entertained. Can't say the commentary has improved any though.

Try this on for size then: From CAPTAIN JACK at Big Footy: Toumpas looked great, really running over the ground unlike last year. Trengove likewise - running much more freely. Tyson also looks a class act. Dawes was in the main group for most of the session, looking pretty good I think. He doesn't look far off playing - obviously will be in the intra-club next week, not quite ready for Friday though apparently. Hogan was really put through his paces off to the side on the rugby field... his fitness would have to be below par at the moment you'd think. Should play close to goal when he does make the grade IMO. Clark looks nowhere near it. I would be surprised to see him before Round 7-8 or so. Spencer is definitely the incumbent first ruck ATM... Jamar walking laps as above, Gawn did a fair bit of training too but the Spencil will be the preferred, bigger bodied option IMO. Blease looks bigger I think. Like tas said he could be a weapon off half back... getting through the pre-season is a great start for his (limited) fitness base. As soon as he falls behind he's not going to catch up that fitness gap, that's just the sort of athlete he is, so it's good to see him in full training - and he should be named in the team for Friday too. Tapscott was an interesting one - had a bad case of the fumbles. I suspect he hasn't been in the main group much from memory. Viney might still be behind the 8-ball a bit - he won't play Friday as he dropped out of the 'playing' group near the end of the session along with a few others. Hopefully he is good to go next week... if not he would have to be in some doubt for Round 1. tas should have a full list of this part - who will play and who won't. JKH is so smooth. Love it. Should play games early I hope. Barry is obviously in a similar mould... has put on some size but is still pretty skinny. Lowlight of the session was, as above, seeing the Purple [censored] himself, the oxygen thief, the speculating gossip masquerading as a journalist, Damien Barrett. Ew.

Probably would rather Clark, Hogan, Dawes, Cameron, Cloak, Schultz, Tippett, Franklin, Roughead, Pavlich... you get the picture. Howe won't be good as a FF as he would draw their #1 defender. He is best where he is most dangerous; in the forward pocket, with their #3/#4 defender.

Went along from 10ish onwards. Will comment in dot points and in no particular order. Clark did some handball drills with Westrupp on the sidelines before running laps of the oval. Looking good but very like he wishes he was with the main group. Dunn vocally pushing, directing and encouraging others. A lot of voice. Also pushed very hard with his running, especially in the full ground drills. Vince must have one of the nicest, most natural looking long kicks.. bombed a couple goals from 50-60m between drills. Good work rate. Have been impressed with Salem to date in the couple times I've been to training, but seemed fumbly today. Dropped a sitter and shanked a couple kicks. Dawes looking good and hungry to play. Got frustrated at one point during full ground drill with some poor decisions/disposal up the ground and then his leading and shouts ignored. Dropped he f-bomb in front of a young school group! Woops.... Tyson also a bit fumbly but his poise and class in traffic still evident. Can't fault Cross.. what a great bloke. Must say Howe's looking top notch. Was marking everything and picking up every ground ball without a hitch. Actually I lie, he dropped one mark but played on around defender, snapped and goaled. Nicholson dropped a couple and sprayed a couple but also did some very nice ground level work picking up balls. JKH lively and running hard to give options, which paid off with him kicking some nice goals in full ground drill. Hunt used his speed to good effect in one of the 5 vs 5 ball movement/handball drills to get the ball to the other end. Viney was looking good. Kicked well, saw only 1 dropped mark. Got nailed by Kent in the same ball movement/handball drill trying to break a tackle. Pinged. Kent looks to be over his patella soreness, looking good and in everything. Hogan practiced some goal kicking and got most. Also ran laps and trained on other ground for awhile. Still rehab but moving well. Jamar ran slow laps had some physio work to his legs before leaving early. Toumpas good by hand and foot in all the drills. Practiced some goal kicking from tight angles after most had left with Miller and Roos and young Roos. Roos showed him up and kicked a nice one! Then young Roos kicked off against his dad and nailed it. Nice kick on the young fella! All had a good laugh, quite funny. Jones worked hard and was used often as an option through the middle and in forward 50 after hard running. Encouraging the group after breaks. Grimes was in everything and also looked good. During the last drill Viney, JKH, Salem, Harmes, Jetta, Hunt and I think Tapscott did some laps with timed sprints around the ground. Before leaving Howe and Jones had a kick off from 50m on the boundary for who would shout lunch. Took about 6 kicks.. Jones hit both the left and right post before Howe won it straight through the middle. Had a good laugh and Howe shouted that he'd like his roll in about 40 minutes. Strauss looks quite built and was nailing kicks, have been quite impressed so far. King and Spencer stayed behind for additional ruck training with ruck coach and what looked like 2 umpires in white. Appeared to be some discussion about what would and wouldn't be penalised in the ruck. Didn't watch others as much but Trengove, Clisby, Terlich, Bail, Watts, M Jones, Pederson, McDonald, Frawley, Jetta, Barry, King, Spencer, Michie, Byrnes, McKenzie, Blease, Evans, Gawn, Georgiou, Tapscott and Fitzpatrick all basically in full training. Didn't see Garland or Riley.

So uninformed.

The way I read it, and bear in mind I usually take things on face value, Clark is progressing very well. He had a minor hiccup before Christmas, which he's recovered from, but due to his body not having had the same workload or rigours of footy for 18 months they're managing him very carefully, as they'd rather get 16 quality games than rush him back for round 1 and risk a soft tissue injury. It seems to make sense. So rather than things looking gloomy, I'm optimistic he isn't far away and when he comes in early in the season he'll have a greater chance of not re-injuring himself. I also expect it will take 3-4 weeks for him to find his feet. Others seem to think he'll hardly play again. I suspect they're the types that usually expect things to go wrong. And you'll hear sympathetic ears say, "who can blame them when it comes to Melbourne and the last 7 years ?". My view is that it has nothing to do with it. You either take things on face value from the new regime, or you don't.