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Hello, back at my desk. Housekeeping first, Clark, Nicholson and Gawn were no shows. Dawes was there early training by himself, left the track like a rocket so didn't get a chance to speak to him, asked the trainer who had worked with him (Spin Detectors Engaged Please), said he had completed everything he was supposed to in the session and was feeling good, so still on track. Good news on the height front, both Jamar and Garland completed the full session, Russian told me he had to get through training this week and next and he will probably shirt up for Casey's first game, same with Garlo. Fitzy being Fitzy pretended to be concussed as he walked towards the doctors and physios at the end of his training, he was wobbling, much to everybody's amusement, gave me thumbs up, so assume he should be right. Both Tommy Mc and Fitzy didn't do last main drill with the group. After the main group had finished, the players not in the squad for Sunday joined with the Casey guys for more training, simulated match drill, interestingly after the teams had set up both Blease and Kent joined them but Evans didn't. A lot of the main group went to the adjacent oval and in my opinion messed around with the ball for another 15 mintues, bombling, outrageous kicks etc, nobody seemed that bothered so obviously a bit of fun after training. Interesting point of how the players are managed these days, Christian Salem was not allowed to play in the match sim, was told he had done his load for that day (sounds rude), bit [censored] off, which is a good sign ... watched him during main session, his kicking skills are sublime. Tyson also came off just before the main group finished but did some reflex and hand/eye coordination with a trainer. Jamar, Spencer, King spent the end of the session with Greg Stafford. Hogan - came out, did two laps of the track walking, sat in golf cart watching and left. Jack Watts (SDEP) told me was fine and was looking forward to Sunday, no physio, no bandages, no pressure sock, no crutches, no worries? Tommy Mc - had a good chat to him, first got a corkie in Alice Springs, first one on Saturday in exactly the same spot, then got a bit of a knock behind the thigh, he was wearing a protector on his thigh under his shorts, said he was a bit proppy but once warmed up it felt better and better, was going to recover and unless it reacts, he should play. Think that's about it, any questions as per norm feel free.

Ok boys and girls I am going to take the morning off from my wonderfully toxic workplace (marvellous how selective redundancies can change working relationships) to attend training. Will check:- * any player in a full body cast * if Jack Fitzpatrick is over his concussion, if he turns up and actually faces the right way should be a good indication * if Jack Watts in now out for 2-3 weeks * which part of Max Gawn's 2 and half metre long hamstring is tight If anybody from West Coast is watching, should be easy to pick, they will be the tallest person at training Does Dave Misson have an abacus and a clairvoyant on hand to work out what not to say in next week's injury report re the length of time a player will be out, think I will just tell him to consult the myriad of medical and fitness professionals we have posting on Demonland?

I think you and some others need reminding, it's just footy, you must do it because you want you, like 32000 others at the moment I think some take any media way way too seriously, most is spin these days or blanded by the constraints placed on it Personally I don't watch Dave Misson's Injury report or read some of trhe 'puff' pieces Matt Burgan has to churn out, It is not a brave stance, I just move on, I also am very cynical, I know I have been lied to in all facets of my life, but hey, I woke up this morning, I have a beautiful partner, some lovely grandkids, and I can get to spend a sunny afternoon at the G on Sunday watching my team having a crack, what's not to like

The training reports are getting really detailed lately. Keep it up gents....some excellent observations.

Can't we have one thread devoted to whinge & whine instead of all of them?

I reckon what he's saying is after 7 years of crud he's disappointed, disillusioned and angry. And he doesn't want to be told Hogan is a chance for round 1 for it to turn out to be round 5. He doesn't want to be told Garland and Dawes are chances for R1 only to see them in round 4 or 5. He can cop one or perhaps two errors of estimation but he's sick of the continual spin coming from the club that continually disappoints on a range of players. Footy is an emotional game and like most of us from time to time I reckon he's feeling it. I am. Bad news is bad news, it happens, it's probably nobody's fault, just don't feed us spin. Tell it how it is.

Don't get ahead of yourself, he will pull a hammy walking up to tell Roosy he is right to go

Give it a rest old man. Every positive comment doesn't have to be jumped on

So many sour, sour people on this site. Tragedy is, once in a while each one individually makes a sporadic attempt to be more positive, but gets dragged back into the pit within a couple of posts as someone else turns their comment into an excuse for a personal attack. And the surliness at the club is remarkable.

I don't mind if you don't agree with me and you may be correct But is the "Old man" bit necessary? Seems superfluous to me.

I asked a journo, who'd know, about this kid. "Will he make it?" "Dead certainty. Quick off 20, lovely left foot." That'll do me

There's no such diagnosis as 'soreness'. In the biz, we say there is 'no such thing as a 2 week hamstring'. It's a tear, and will be minimum 3 weeks. They all are. So round 5 at earliest for Big Maxy. There's a lot of grand statements on here about cutting injury prone players from the list. This is short term impatience borne of desperation to get a successful start to the season. We all feel it, but this kind of absolutist CUT THEM ALL!!! talk is rubbish. Almost all players go through repeat injury phases, and a very select few have very few injuries (Nathan Jones). There is as much chance that the players being talked about here get into an injury free phase that sees them string 50 games together with little interruption. NONE of their injuries are career threatening. It's bad luck, it's bad timing for the club, and it's coincidental that they're all talls. See it for what it is, and suck it up Demonlanders.

Hang what is going on. This is supposed to be a training report. I was only there about 45min after having a knee procedure at AAMI park imaging centre. Not many spectators in attendance. The training didn't really get underway until after 10am Misson called the boys into a huddle to talk about Match day. The talk lasted about 10 min. There was a bit of back slapping going on. Jetta was the point of concern I thought. (Surely he hasn't been upgraded to the Senior List) Who would be in line for LTI. Maybe I'm wrong. Watts looked good moved well _ No compression bandage around the calf. Dawes was running well. Hogan didn't look too happy when he eventually turned up. He had a face like a smacked bottom as my mum would say. Everyone was in good spirits. Fitzy who was last to join the ranks,looked switched on. Tommy McD's corkie still looked as if there was still quite a bit of blood in the muscle. The training looked like it was heading into typical Friday Session before a Sunday Game. Pretty light and making sure everyone is fit. At that point I decided to go home. I hope someone can report on what happened after 11am

You're dreaming. You are a member yes. It doesn't entitle you to that much. The club has to balance objectives of members, media, players and their privacy, the coaches and competitive info etc And really does it matter? The uproar in the MClarke thread is unbelievable. The guy wants to play. If he ain't ready for whatever reason then who cares if we know every detail or not. Sometimes the medical staff just don't know what is wrong with players. The way you would have it is that scans and xrays would be sent to all members before consulting wit the player!

Jack, sorry, Great Pretender (the irony is killing me) trying reading what I wrote and remember context. You know, context. You're a student of history, or so you boast. You'll know the importance of context. Saty is famous here for the "nothing to see here" manoeuvre last year. But you knew that. So are you, too. But hey, let's not dredge up the past. Otherwise I'll worry about men in black poisoning player drink bottles and laughing nefariously in darkened rooms. Alone. Strike me dead. As if it is so bloody unclear. I want answers. I want the truth, and, as a paid up and loyal member I'm actually entitled to them. So, MFC, don't feed me total garbage about injuries. If a player is out, say so. Don't make stuff up. Don't be deliberately vague when you know better. No-one loses, no-one gets hurt. Try that. After the appalling load of nonsense I've sat through for the last 7 years, I deserve that. Loyalty is about a relationship - it is not a one-way street. I don't give my loyalty and simply accept whatever comes back. I'll go Sunday. I'll go with my kids. It's my birthday, as it happens. I'll sit through the game. And my loyalty is forever. I don't use emotional threats. Just don't lie and mislead because it suits. I've no tolerance any more. This is not complex, not ambiguous, not conflicted. I can live with defeat and sustain hope when I know I'm not being strung along. Right now, we are all being strung along. If Roos came out and said "Well, we are hopelessly unmanned in the talls department; we are coming up against WCE, who have great talls. So, it's gunna be tough. But I want every MFC person there because the team needs you and we want to show everyone the fight we have. And if we fight well enough for long enough, who knows..." things might feel a little different. What price leadership?

[censored] i hate hawthorn.....but gee i want them to win tonight

Everything I have heard about the boy is that he loves his football and only knows one way - flat out - so he was tearing it up at Casey last year knowing he was good enough to play MFC seniors and now that he is eligible he gets an injury preventing him playing - full understand him being dejected.

There's no reason why we can't have a range of logo options for different scenarios. Lots of companies and organisations do this. The problem with the new shield is that it's trying to be everything to everyone, and it ends up just being a dog's breakfast. My hope is that the Demons brand will be presented to supporters in a way that we can all feel proud to be associated with it. Basically want us to be the NY Yankees cap of the AFL. Is that too much to ask?

I would have gone with double oxymoron

We are not alone in being frustrated by injury reports. Saints coach said he was unsure of when Fisher would be back and agreed he had a 1 week injury as told to supporters each week for the last 5 weeks. Sometimes they just don't know. Yes it would be nice to get definite accurate assessments, but sometimes, obviously for a host of different reasons, it just can't be achieved.

The kid is at the brink of achieving what he has wanted probably all of his life and he cannot. Expect I would feel a little glum too in his position. It means nothing to him right now but he has years to go, I doubt that there is anyone who could cheer him up at present. If his injury is such that he needs to take off 2014 so be it. It is not as though his absence will cost us a finals appearance where as it might in the future.

This post doesn't seem appropriate for the training thread. Too much information and not enough random crap.

Your expectations are unrealistic. You pay your membership to get a seat at the footy, get club emails and the right to vote. Not to get inside info on the medical records for each player; on that note you get exactly what the media get, and rightly so.

Just drove past Goschs and noticed Dawes running at a reasonable pace which was good to see!

Brett Lovett...too much weight, too slow and an absolute gun. Rarely beaten one on one and very creative - loved him as a footballer.

What makes you think I haven't? I know what players and images I'm going to use I just haven't finished it yet. I also like the suspense. I wanted to do it before the season started but life got in the way.

I like it. Shows all the fit KPFs in a visual format. Clever

Thanks to those who contributed actual training reports in this thread. Satyr, I have a bone to pick with you. I saw you on the concourse outside Etihad with your good lady after the game on Saturday night and said g'day but you walked right past me as if I wasn't there. I'll excuse you for that because we were both worn, frazzled and frustrated after the fickle finger of fate had dealt us both a stunning blow inside the ground that evening. Please keep up your reporting and optimism about the club and ignore the prophets of doom and the naysayers. People of our vintage know what it's like to taste success and I have a feeling we'll be able to share that feeling with a lot of others some day sooner than many would think.

Do you remember Brett Lovetts - short steps ? Not to be confused with shirking an issue as he was as brave as brave but he had such fat little sausage legs that he ran like Fred Flintstone bowls. I have never felt so calm as when he had ball in hand. Efficiency and decision making = 100%

Angry Hirds .. surely the internet won't let me down here.

Exactly what I am driving at YDSome members seem incapable of voicing a different point of view without making disparaging comments about the person they disagree with.

Any reports...you know, re training

I reckon we should close this thread it has all been said multiple times. The guy is a physical and mental wreck. Open it again in 2015 if there is something new to discuss.

There are six players on the 2014 list that are IMO are lead in our saddle bags. The reason is that for a number of seasons now they have given us very few games and are constantly injured. The prospects for them given much contribution this year and beyond are minimal. Jamar, since 2010 he has spent more time injured than playing. His contribution has been one good season in 2010. Gawn, two knee reco's he is into his fifth season and has 17 games to his credit. Now has hamstring tightness and will probably be out another x weeks. If you cannot get on the park you are useless. Dawes, the master of soft tissue injuries twelve games so far and god knows when he will front in 2014. Clark do I need to list the saga of problems? No Strauss into his sixth year for 24 games, broken legs and seemingly a major injury in four of his six years, ordinary player who is barely AFL standard. Tapscott into his fifth season for 45 games, came to us with a hip injury and has I don't believe had one injury free pre season. Plays the tough guy but does not seem to have the body to go along with it. Injured constantly and again is barely AFL standard. These players are chronic injury problems IMO will not get any better. As soon as possible these players should be replaced. I know it is easier said than done. As soon as contracts expire move them on. If we can negotiate early termination lets do it. If you cannot get on the park then all the talent in the world is of no use. We need players that can be part of playing side, the above are liabilities.

I would have to say that i'm not always simpatico with Osiliks views but Dunn deserves a spot on our banner. In my humble opinion he is in our top 8 players and is arguably our most consistent player and perhaps our most underrated player. He misses few games through injury, hits targets by hand and foot, is good in the air and rarely gets beaten one on one. Seriously how many other players on our list could tick all those boxes.

Are you sure Dawes wasn't on a gopher?

I don't mind Petterd's delisting, it was a reasonable call. What I find silly is that having been delisted many Demonlanders say that even fit he was no good and we are better without him. Petterd, Moloney, Rivers and Bennell are now playing regular footy elsewhere, some with more certainty than others and some in better teams than others. They'd sure as hell get a game with us.

Wow. This is absolutely lyrical. I just found myself trying to add a catchy tune to it as I was reading it.

And just where are you going to find one of those?

Despite the fact we weren't able to get Grundy. Maybe if you said "Toumpas, Wines, Broomhead and Viney." Even then, there's a very high chance GWS would have been happy to use one of their top 3 picks on Viney, and made the bid. And Hogan v Wines is far from decided, especially when blue chip forwards are much harder to find than mids. Overall, a poor appraisal. Yes, hindsight is 20/20, and it would seem simultaneously premature. Well done.

Fair go and give it a break please. I'm sick of these posters who use every opportunity to revert to what happened last year when things don't go right under the new management. If you must know, the injury issues happened last year as well and Paul Roos was supposed to have changed the training format to tailor it to his own needs. Most of us are interested in what happens at training and how the players under an injury cloud are going. We're not happy about the injuries to our keys and ruckmen but we're not interested in anybody's paranoia about the past either. I look forward to Saty's report and thank him in advance.

The guy who has been carrying this god forsaken team for the past 3 years.

Guaranteed to annoy that poor woman whose son was a part of Hirds pharmacology experiment. No mention of the hurt done to the players by a selfish egotist. Mark Robinson is a hack and has little or no journalistic integrity.

Juddy for sure.

I said on here the year Jamar had his best season, that we should clear him. He was in high demand and we could have got a decent player and a good pick or even 2 picks. Many on here laughed at me. Since then he has given us nothing.

Which is always a good time to steal your neighbours newspaper.....

How about we focus on what is, instead of what might have been?

All three were generals in the Roman army who served under Julius Caeser and then Marc Antony. They were banned from participating in all events at the Colliseum for 2 years from 64 to 66BC.