Leaderboard

Just a few observations to add to the numerous reports above. I was really impressed with the coaching staff. We're in good hands. They seem to be providing the playing group with a consistent message. All the assistants I saw in action communicated in a really effective manner. They didn't waste words, were clear but positive. We have some leaders on our list. Jones, Dunn, Dawes, Cross, Vince, Jamar, Grimes, Garland and now Lumumba form a good solid senior group. Trengove's positive team first approach to his rehab is incredible. Our young leaders are also emerging. Watts is confident and positive. Gawn is vocal and surprisingly serious. Tyson just oozes class and is clearly admired by his team mates. Kent appears to have a solid work ethic and is developing nicely. Viney should be in the leadership group. He epitomizes everything I want this Melbourne team to be about. I don't care how old he is. I'd also like to make special mention of Neville Jetta. He is my smokey for the leadership group. He obviously feels like he belongs now. He understands our game plan and articulates it confidently. He communicates positively with his team mates but demands high standards from those around him. In terms of leadership and communication it was an interesting session to observe. The players are obviously working hard to understand the different elements of the gameplan and I really love the way the whole group seem confident to tell each other exactly what is required if someone is unsure or straight out makes a mistake. There appears to be no ego involved. Players understand the need for concise communication and don't seem to be slighted when a coach or a team mate sets them straight. They all move on quickly. Listening to the different lines during the breaks was also interesting. The forwards really do carry themselves like rock stars. There's a real confidence amongst this group. Hogan's swagger will be infectious. I love our defensive group. They're our bar room brawlers. The communicate really well with each other. Dunn, Garland, McDonald and Grimes have now played a lot of footy will each other. Howe also confident in these situations and shows quite a lot of leadership as well. I didn't get a chance to listen to the midfield group but just wanted to make one key point. As much as we all expect natural improvement from our young players and we're hopeful that the injection of Lumumba, Garlett and Frost and the emergence of Hogan will help us move up the ladder, most of us understand that we're not going to improve greatly until we start winning more midfield battles. Many on Demonland have suggested that little has changed in this department. Having seen Saturday's session I beg to differ. Firstly, with Newton on board and Michie and Riley more settled we have far greater depth. If one of these players becomes a serious B grade genuine midfielder then we're in good shape. Our ruck stocks are looking really really good. Jamar as has been noted, is in awesome shape and appears set for his best year since he was All Australian. I'm a big fan of Jake. If he's our third choice first ruck then I think we're travelling ok. He's now huge. Check out one of the snaps I took! I also come from the school of thought that injury is the only thing that can prevent Max Gawn from being a serious player. Hopefully he shows more signs this year, gets through injury free and may be ready for the number 1 mantle in twelve months time. I think the health of this group and the pre-season training they've already managed will be significant in our midfield improvement. But the biggest improvement will be provided by Jack Viney. Roos rarely played him in the middle last year. This year he seems set to have serious minutes in the middle and he is in incredible condition. His work in game sim was awesome. He reads it so well of the rucks and seems to have found another yard of breakaway pace. Improved fitness will also see less skill errors this year. Salem looks set to take a step but will still need time as will Toumpas. If both make it, we'll make it. Finally, I'd like to make a point about our battlers. Battlers is probably a harsh word. I think we're very lucky to have players such as Jordie McKenzie, Ro Bail and Matt Jones. All three are great clubmen. All three are working their respective backsides off to make our best 22. All three are ripping blokes. I really hope supporters get behind these guys. I'm more than happy in the knowledge that Brayshaw, Petracca, Stretch and Neal-Bullen are exposed to the training habits and team-oriented approach of these guys. I hope each of them has the opportunity to have a real crack at senior footy in 2015 despite the emergence of so much exciting young talent. It was awesome to see so many Dees supporters up and about. This is a well run club, with a hell of a lot of talent that is being guided in the right direction. We're going to be alright.

Great turnout on a very hot and humid day. Didn't take notes on paper, all from the neck top computer so if you have any specific questions I am happy to answer. Some general observations first - Roos may try and be behind the scenes but he definitely calls the shots and if he is not happy about anything he makes it very clear. Morale and camaraderie are both higher than I have ever seen before, it appears all the new boys are fitting in well. Dunn, Gawn and Watts the most vocal. Dunn more the dictator in style, Watts more the encouraging type and Gawn encouraging as well as pushing anyone seen to be dropping off. I wouldn't be surprised to see Gawn in the leadership group some time in the future. Rawlings is well respected by the defensive group. Very straight shooter. Players noticeably fitter and providing a lot more options upfield than in recent history. A lot more switching play as well as a more attacking style of play. More players taking the first option from what I could see too. Player observations - Grimes - Definitely gone to the next level. Starting 22 for sure. Has bulked up a little and a lot stronger one on one. Killed everything in the defensive drills before having his nose (accidentally) spread across the park by a Tom Mcdonald spoil. Foot skills improved. Will play on HBF with Lumumba on the other from what I could gather. Lumumba- Very happy to have him on board. Will be the clearing defender we have needed. Very reliable and has obviously been working on his clearance kicking. No long high kicks running out of defence. Lower, accurate kicks to a player running through the centre or wings. Very happy with a swap for Clark. Dunn - Very vocal and always picked the best option when kicking out of defence. Seems to be the defensive general. Frost - This kid will be a monster in a few years. Very athletic for his size too. Good kick of the ball. May spend some time resting in the forward line this year. Jetta - Very focussed and dedicated to get the best out of himself and he has. Look for him to make AA back pocket this year. Very impressive young man. Mcdonald Bros. - Stuck together by the hip. Younger Mcdonald tracking along very well. Will be a player. Older Mcdonald has put on a bit of size and looks better in one on ones. Newton - Was in a lot but fatigued numerous times. To his credit he always came back with 100% effort after any drop off. JKH - Fit and strong for his age. Very team oriented and was not as flashy. I think this will come out with the adrenaline on game day though. Garlett - Numerous vey good intercepts. Will keep the ball in our forward line on more than one occasion this year. A beautiful kick of the ball. Should kick 30-40+ this year if we can get it down there enough. Riley - Not sure about him. 10 for effort though. Seems a bit slow reactively. But did have his ankle in an ice pack near the end of the session. Hogan- Just reeks of natural footballer. Strong, fit and his kicks are very accurate from any range. Don't be surprised to see him roam further upfield this year. Gawn - Was probably the biggest surprise. Looking big and strong. Kicking is also good for his size. Will be the year he makes a statement to the broader AFL community if he can stay on the park. Jamar - Looking the fittest (and happiest) I have ever seen him. Looks like he will spend time forward to let the younger rucks develop. May have a year or two left in him yet. Petracca - Positive kid who doesn't stop trying. Picking up the pace of the game surprisingly quickly. Isn't afraid to put his head down ala Nate Jones. Brayshaw - Very professional. Not flashy but more the skilled trooper. The mainstay every team needs. Think Lenny Hayes. McKenzie - Probably the biggest surprise alongside Gawn. His kicking seems to have improved and might even get the crack at a chance of playing without the dog lead. Needs to prove his worth and seems to be grabbing it with both hands. Will be interesting to watch his season unfold. Cross - Seems to be holding up well in the heat. Biggest surprise is the improvement in his kicking. Very good role model. Howe - Definitely stronger across the shoulders and arms. May find himself forward this year with Lumumba in and if Grimes can stay injury free. Watts - See Howe. Bail, M. Jones, Terlich - All have put on size and strength. Small improvements in skills will keep the pressure on the fight for a position in the 22. If I had to pick one I would say Bail was the standout of the three.

I also attended training yesterday. Was a fantastic day, bloody hot, but considering we didn't have a Qld game last year or this year, it was worth the red skin that I'm now plastering with aloe vera. Thought I'd add a few of my observations. Please keep in mind that the last time I attended a training session I was wearing the number 43 on my back because my favourite player at the time, Andrew Ford, was still running around. Needless to say, that was at Junction Oval. I was extremely disappointed that I didn't get a chance to meet Saty. Thought he would've made the trip - given he wasn't lurking around the main group I'm presuming he was granted an extended Christmas break by the club. Individual players who impressed or otherwise (apologies for the doubling up as some other posters have said similar); Colin Garland - looks super fit. Having a full preseason could see him return to the form we expect. He provided good run off half back in some drills, and his disposal was pretty good. I think he will be in for a good year. Jack Grimes - looks a totally different player. I'm often quite critical of Jack, but I think this year we will see him go to a different level. Fit, competitive, stronger, looking forward to his season. Ruck division - Jamar is still our number 1 ruck, simple as that. Maxy is coming on, and I was really impressed with the improvement in Spencer. But Jamar, providing he can stay fit, is our most dominant ruck option, many times he would win the tap in a contest against his opponent. Max King - I don't hold much hope here. I know he is a project player, but he is a long, LONG way away from making any impact. Jack Fitzpatrick - could this be his break out year? I think it might. He was leading most if not all of the running drills. Now, that's not to say he was always beating Tom Mc or Jimmy Toumpas, but whatever group he was running in, he was always pushing himself to the front. I'd like to think he gets a handful of consecutive games where he can feel he belongs. Other players get that luxury, so hopefully Jack can. Perfect forward who can ruck option. Oscar McDonald - will be a beauty. I think he'll be better than his brother. Ben Newton - was used as a go-to man in one drill, and I thought he looked bloody good. Given that Watts was another "go to" man, and I couldn't recoginse the third of three, I'd be expecting Ben to be lining up in Round 1. Think he will be a good addition to the midfield. Matt Jones - he cops a fair bit on here, but from what I could hear from Roosy and co, Jones is doing everything they want. He's probably our 5th/6th rated midfielder, but I can tell you one thing, it'll take some pretty strong form for someone to dislodge him. While some won't like what I'm about to write, I think if we see Jones playing at Casey this year, we will play finals in the seniors. I expect him to play a lot of senior footy again. ANB - hard to make a call given I didn't see him pick up a footy. That said, he's a beautiful mover - is really light on his feet. Not sure why, but I think he'll be a very good player. Am I basing this just on his running? Not sure. I'll just call it "the vibe". Some other key points; * I loved how they trained in quarters, just like a game. They'd do drills for 20-25 minutes, then running drills for the last 5 minutes. Often talked about as red-time drills, making sure they run the entire session out. No doubt this is a big focus, given the amount of goals we let through in the 20-30 minute mark of each quarter in 2014, especially if the last quarter. * In game simulation drills (ie more pressure) we still managed to make basic mistakes. We are getting better, no doubt about it, but it is frustrating. * Further to my previous point, I still think there is one decent list cull left. I think 2015 will be the final year of "who's not up to it", then we will focus on finals. * As someone mentioned, they did an extra running session after training finished, player/leadership group-driven due to a drop off in the final "quarter". I loved how Petracca and Brayshaw were leading this (they were the old fashioned suicide sprints from point post to goal posts, etc). Later yesterday evening, I was thinking to myself how the first year players could be leading this at the end of training. I would've thought first year players would be busting their gut during "normal" drills. I'm not saying they aren't/weren't, but I would imagine the coaches would know how they are tracking... 2015 will see more frustration. I think we will starting beating sides, not just winning. We will still lament the games that we could've won but didn't due to silly mistakes. I think 2015 will set us up for a reasonable crack at finals in 2016.

Well this is awkward.... I spoke to a demons fan at a kids birthday yesterday, I thought he was interested in what I was saying... Moving on, I think the first 4 games are winnable, depending on which Richmond shows up. Could look at another win or 2 in rounds 8 and 11. 6 from 11 wins, could be slightly optimistic but sounds good to me.

I took a few shots as well. Follow the link. I'll try and find some energy tomorrow and post some thoughts. http://imgur.com/a/r68Bd

To Roosy's Bruisers, Deemfc, Mega Watts and Demon Ox. Thanks for really informative and entertaining reports! Really insightful as well...just telling it as you see it without any humbug. Like it! Live bayside so will try to get to Casey when we start training there...hope I can do half as good a report as you guys have.

Paul Roos 2002-2010 Sydney Swans2002 - traded pick 23 for Nick Davis(Collingwood) 2003- no trades 2004 - traded pick 15 for Darren Jolly(Melbourne) 2005 - traded picks 19 & 50 for Ted Richards(Essendon) 2006 - traded pick 33 for Spider Everitt(Hawthown) 2007 - traded picks 28 for Marty Matner(Adelaide) and 44 for Henry Playfair(Geelong) 2008 - traded pick 46 for Rhys Shaw and pick 61(Collingwood) 2009 - traded picks 39, 46 and 70 for Ben McGlynn and Josh Kennedy(Hawthorn, possibly trade of the decade) pick 28 for Shane Mumford(Geelong) and a three way trade which saw Sydney get Mark Seaby, Amon Buchanan to the Lions and a swapping of picks. 2010 - pretty sure Longmire takes the raines at this point. 2013 - traded picks 2 & 20 for pick 9(Salem) and Dom Tyson(GWS) pick 54 for Michie(Freo) pick 23 for Bernie Vince(Adelaide) 2014 - traded Mitch Clark for H(effectively that's how it happened) picks 61 & 79 for Jeff Garlett(Carlton) pick 23 for Sam Frost(GWS) and picks 40(ANB) and 53(Oscar McDonald) Trading is an artform and Roos is possibly the best in the business. The trades from his time in Sydney turned some of the players looking for a fresh start (some on the scrap heap) into premiership players and All Australians. (Note some may of achieved after Roos had left but we're traded to the club by him).

As an unabashed fan of Grimes as a player and a person, this delights me.

I think we will be the new Port!

It was you? You should have worked out I wasn't interested when I fell asleep ...

Thanks to all the posters who have contributed reports so far from Maroochydore. If only I had known a little more in advance of the venue and timing, I might have managed to get there myself. That part of the world's great for a holiday on its own. On top of that, from the reports we've been getting on the views of club officials, it sounds like this is as good a venue for one of these pre season training/bonding exercises as the more costly and exotic parts of the world tried by others over the years.

Went down today and it was bloody hot. Spoke with Jamar and wished him all the best for the season and commented that he looked in good nick. He said he felt great and that this has been his best pre-season and the first full one he has done in about 3 or 4 yrs. I mentioned that I hoped that the good training translates into games to which he replied that the standard of ball movement now is far better than it has been in the past seasons. He was a great fella to have a conversation with. Spoke to Watts who is now back training with the main group. Asked him if he will be right for round 1 and he said definitely which is good considering he has been mainly in the rehab group. Also mentioned to him that I'm sick of him copping it in the media and can't wait for him to stick it up em which he agreed. Great bloke and looking forward to seeing what he can do this season. Max Gawn what can you say. He is the class clown I think. He is hilarious and very approachable. Looked in good condition and hasn't got any shorter. In regards to Dunny, I asked who his hair dresser was (his team mate next to him was pissing himself laughing) and he asked me if I was jealous. First it was that mow now its his hair. Hes got it short on the sides and back with longish on top in a ponytail. Very individuall!! Hes a funny fella and looks set to continue (hopefully) his good form from 2014. At the end of training Jones and Brayshaw were having a goal kicking comp on the boundary about 35-40m out. Both missed their first then Jones nailed the second with ease. A bit of master and the apprentice. To Brayshaws credit he kept going until he got it. Saw the all-famous Burgo and asked him if anyone had asked him for his signature which he said no with a smile and I replied you're not surprised are you. His assistant (I think) had a good laugh about it. All in all it was a good half day the only improvement idea I would give the club is to allow the players/fans more time to sign autographs and have pics as it wasn't long enough IMO. I am more confident with 2015 season approaching but still am calming my expectations until I see the boys play on the park.

* Sunny day and already hot at 9am. Probably the hottest day of the camp so far. * Putting on a bit of a show for the fans. Players very vocal from the outset. * Petracca casually lets rip with a 75 meter torp from the boundary. Skill and power combo. * Roosy not taking training today? Didn't see a lot of him. At a guess Goodwin was at the helm. * A few run throughs and kick to kick for the crowd. * Channel 7 and Win TV cameras in attendance. * Noticeable the lift in intensity for today's training from the past few. Pumped up and game speed seems to be on the agenda. * Full ground drill transitioning from the loose ball in the back half to kick a goal at other end. * I noticed the players that where either on or off "AFL intensity" a lot today. Seem to be a theme for the day. Brayshaw a little off the intensity at first but nice composure and disposal. Not far off. * Oscar Mac's disposal is where his brother's was at the same age. * Salem picks the option well. * Newton kicks a bullet. Hodge like. * First thought is Stretch will need time in the AFL, then he proves me wrong with good speed. Players correcting themselves well. * Petracca still learning the system, gets corrected. * Goodwin good tone in his voice & calf muscles. Clear & Concise. Not "putting down" with his instructions. * Can't wait for Stretch to put it all together, something about him excites me. * Viney leading from the front in the 50m sprints. * What makes Petracca more AFL ready is he looks to be adjusted to AFL intensity already. * Terlich's ready to go, great intensity - underrated. * Tyson has a glint of a "star in the making" about him. * Salem up to the intensity. * A Pelican & an Osprey fly over head, the birds thread might be making a comeback. * ANB had a bit of Leigh Mathews about him. Surely it's not just the hairy legs. * Conditioning of these guys is superb given the conditions. Don't know how they do it. * Vandenberg has a nice boot on him. Threads one from the boundary 50m out like it is standard practice. * Petracca has star presence again. * Whitey a good leader * Watts bounces 3 times from the middle and bags a sausage - mmmm.... paleo (not) * Some rehab guys joining in the final match sims. Noticed Kent out there, great tackler. * How Viney can sprint like that after 2.25 hrs in this heat is mind boggling - Mentally strong * Terlich impresses me again. Good trainer anyway. * How 15 players crammed into a 4 man sheltered interchange bench to get shade has me staggered. Jonesy talking about taking your time to get composed to get the kick right when your fatigued. Good spirit amongst them. Lamumba says a bit also. * Kent doing an interview with local WIN/9 camera-women before I leave. Talks about how the heat is good for the lungs and some boys are going to Noosa over weekend and some guys catching a flick. Great session - really impressed with the players spirit today. I'll check back in Monday.

I think we should forgive Garland for last year. His fitness was never up to scratch due to injury. The year before that he was in AA form and one of our most important players. At his best he can play tall and small and sets up plays out of the backline. He was a successful full back for a while. No mean effort for someone of his size. As you may have gathered I'm a fan.

So do i,but not many in the Beech Forest pub on a saturday night.

Burgos Diary Day 6 This diary entry is without non-relatable content, i hope Burgo didn't ready my smart-ass Demonland posts. Anyway, this is my actual highlight. I hope Trenners can make it back, i still believe the kid has what it takes to become a solid AFL footballer:

I think this was an angle ASADA's been pushing for a while. They couldn't prove the players were injected with TB4, but could prove a trail that puts the drugs at Essendon HQ. Realising this, Dank claimed the drugs were destroyed at a lab with a forged letter from the lab pharmacist. ASADA followed the trail and discovered the lab had no record of destroying the drugs, leaving Essendon with the burden of proof the drugs were disposed and not injected. Unfortunately (boo hoo) they have no evidence to prove that, which is enough for players to be charged under doping law. This again reiterates why Hird is so desperate to have the case nullified on a technicality. Even more disturbing is the undying loyalty of Dons supporters to their golden boy, despite the fact he's wasting millions of their money thanks to that convenient multi-year contract extension Little gave him (likely fully aware it would never be fulfilled, but merely an under-the-table means of paying Hird's legal costs for a prolonged court battle).

Thread title change is in order. Talking point: WJ finds ET boring

Interesting post over on the (closed) Essendon Board on Bigfooty. The following edits a couple of posts together from the same poster: "Got some insight today. We should be preparing for players being suspended. Not sure how many matches, but the reports and good vibes we have been fed are because of legal team being selective of information they have been feeding our players. Asada can prove drugs were on site, purchased by club and a non documented injection regime was willingly participated in. The drugs were purchased within timeline of regime. No evidence drugs were disposed of or not used. Players are preparing for suspensions. from the mouth of a parent Before anyone questions my credibility. Ask yourself a couple of things. 1. Why would a one eyed essendon supporter want this? 2. Why would I make a complete 180 turnaround? 3. For those that know me on here, know I have a connection to one of the "34" I have been staunch for 18 months until the hour long conversation that I had about it today. Question: So the lawyers for the players have told this parent that players will be most likely suspended? OP: No they have told the player"

Kudos to the posters who not only made it down there but also provided some succinct and insightful training reports. Very refreshing to read guys and it's excellent to hear about the professional nature of training these days, something we've been striving to reach for too long now. Some positive stuff. Cheers.

No one has a problem with a supporter approaching a player. Every issue with over inflating your ego by acting like you're their mate and using that to diss others.

Jack Grimes needs to put his jumper back on.

Thought I would post some comments seeing as today's training may be the only one I am ever able to attend. Obviously I have nothing to compare to, so please take all comments in that context. My crowd estimate was 150. Apparently I am rubbish at basic estimation as the club is reporting over 400. Paul Roos spent almost the whole session watching from "on high" in a cherry picker. I set myself up just in front of him - was interesting to hear him coaching players from there, and giving instructions to assistant coaches via walkie talkies. Highlight comment was from Roos to Brayshaw: "Do we pay more for a kick or handball? They're paid the same". Presumably a smartass way of telling him to kick the bloody thing. As others have said it was hot and sunny. Maybe 31 degrees. They went for nearly 3 hours. Massive session. Extremely funny seeing 40-odd grown men huddling in the tiny amounts of shade between "quarters". Max Gawn was the most vocal player there. Always encouraging. Always talking. He would be a great guy to have around any club. Probably the one player I really want to see have a breakout year. Sam Frost had a good session. He's very quick for his size. Showed serious closing speed on a few occasions to make spoils. Oscar McDonald also looked good. Was getting a lot of praise from the coaching staff, saying "that's AFL standard stuff Osc, great work". My one negative comment is on Max King - looks miles off having an AFL body. He also seems to be a "confidence guy" and from today it looked like he was really down on confidence. Dropped a few uncontested marks. Still looks 3 years off AFL standard. Billy Stretch was another player who stood out to me. Showed some dash and got a bit of the ball in the match simulation drills. Thought he'd be a fair way off, so i was surprised and impressed. Finally Jack Watts seems to be back in full training for those who were wondering.

A few of the seniors including Dunny and Nat Jones were not satisfied with what they perceived as a drop off in the final half hour. They called all players back on the ground for a pep talk and another short and sharp running activity with the injured players having to do a push-up repeat exercise at the same time. Petracca excelled in the short sprints, a good sign from a junior after a hot 3hrs in the Qld sun Many players then stayed on the ground for some shots at goal

Collingwood Football Club's new home ground with state of the art retractable roof! - courtesy of Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson.

The senior guys seem to be more aware of encouraging the guys coming up through the ranks. More aware of what areas each other need to work on. Not a whole lot of finger pointing. Generally more caring for each other. More leading through doing rather than telling (except for coaches) That's how I see driving the standards. Everybody generally more calm & focused. Coaches setting the tone with all of the above.

....and that is a big part of why he is worth $1.5m per year

Sooo if they are only anti-aging agents and have no benefits to aid a persons recovery or improve performance then why would 18-30 yr olds in the peak of youth and physical fitness need them?

Very happy when I read the Queensland training reports, they were excellent.

Let's hope he is Martin Pike reincarnated

Train how you intend to play.

Not like 2 years ago when they simulated game day by having a nap frm 2:30 - 3:30

There is no need for apologies. Watts is a good player who's job is to play football. Is he good at his job, Yes. Does he have deficiencies he needs to work on, Yes. Tell me someone who has a job who doesn't need to work on their deficiencies? Have u heard of a guy called Paul Roos?? I'm sure he is well aware of what needs improving as i am sure Watts is. Let's not turn this into another Watts bashing thread.

The silence in the media over the course of the AFL Tribunal hearings is somewhat deafening in comparison to my expectations during the build up. There are a number of theories around and the introduction of a new poster Ian Rush over at Saintsational has made interesting reading since he was brought to my attention yesterday by a Saints fan. He's the BigFooty poster CozzaD who was mentioned here late last year and, while there's a lot to get your head around, he's worth a read on the "Essendope" thread. Even acknowledged support from Demonlanders in his first post. If I get him right, this saga has much wider testacles tentacles than just the Essendon and Cronulla situations (yes, we knew that because of its origins in the ACC investigation) but extends to sports other than the football codes (look at what's going on in horse racing) and also into business and politics. Other AFL clubs have been mentioned as well, including us (it's OK - we're safe) and a recent premiership team that produced some interesting test results after winning the grand final which were just inside acceptable limits. Interesting times.

Thanks GV. I laugh every time I see Pencil now. He looks like he could rip iron cables apart. The lads are looking in the best nick I've seen for a long while. Howe and Watts especially are starting to look a good size.

Thanks for the clarification, long day varnishing new doors, I didn't take the "apply in well ventilated area" warning properly. If I ever did meet him all i'd do is shake his hand and tell him it was nice to meet him. No sucking up required. And then I'd tell him to never varnish three sets of bi-fold doors, pay someone. I have two more coats and literally think I'm going to cry.

Uh, nah, haven't changed my tune. None of the excellent posters who've contributed training reports have abused others for having opinions about MFC players. Maybe you should know what you're talking about before attempting ignorant smartass comments.

Hour and half away Clint with 3 kids in tow it was a big day.

I think it's fair to assume that most Demonland posters are from in or around Maroochydore.

So the players have set themselves some high standards......about bloody time.

And we still are taking big chances through the draft but we're also endeavoring to improve our list in other ways - specifically targeting players in their early 20's and also bringing in some established experienced talent (of varying degrees) There's a lot more balance to our recruiting and list management now - it should always have been this way of course. High end draft picks - Salem, Hogan, Toumpas, Brayshaw & Petracca (Stretch as a F/S nearly qualifies) Recruits aged in their early 20's - Tyson, Michie, Newton, Frost, Riley & Terlich Experienced talent - Dawes, Garlett, M Jones, Vince, Cross, Pedersen, Lumumba Other young draftees - JKH, Kent, O-Mac, ANB & Hunt All of the above recruiting has mainly happened in the space of 25 months.

IRISH GHOST STORY This story happened a while ago in Dublin , and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, it's true. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a big storm. The night was rolling on and not a single car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly, he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stopped. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door, only to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't on. The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared out of nowhere through the window, and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched as the hand came through the window, but never touched or harmed him. Shortly thereafter, John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so, gathering strength; he jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had. A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying. And he wasn't drunk. Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the dark and stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other ... "Look Paddy ... there's that fooking idiot that got in the car while we were pushing it!!!"

Malthouse. They don't like him.

Try showering. It really helps if you are on the pull.

Daisy on 700k over 4 years, can't help but laugh.

Roosy loves a 25 year old who needs a fresh start. ,

I heard this on the radio late last year, Clark has done the opposite to Moloney. He's gone from Brisbane to Melbourne to Geelong (Monoley did the oppositie order). What does this have to do with anything? Nothing, but I found it interesting.