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The reports have been exciting to read of late but one thats really starting to makes my ears [censored] is Big Gawny attacking the pre season with an aggressive mindset and work ethic. Could see this bloke really tear the competition apart with his height and marking ability and shoot himself into All Australian within the next couple of year. Also if you want further proof go and watch the latest inside the camp video and they have recorded Paul Roos wrapping up a training session and he goes on by saying that he will make a big statement and he mentions his never one to make big statements, but throughout his journey he has never seen a ruckman train as hard as what Max did. He then awards Gawny with the 'Paul Roos man of the week' by handing him $100. Just a bit of loose change in old Roosy's wallet lol.. In all seriousness though that is a massive endorsement from Roosy to Gawn. But also shows the hard work and dedication he has put in to get to where he is at the moment. Full credit to big Gawn too. Looking forward to a ripping season ahead for Maximus!

Having been to a couple of sessions at Maroochydore this year I'd say overall the skills look to be up a notch from this time last year. The change in training style to more footy drills and less plain running is also noticeable - This might explain why I've noticed an improvement in skills. The way I see it this could be because the players are less fatigued from the intermittent running sessions meaning less skills errors being made or because the skills are being honed more because more time is being spent on footy drills, or a combination of both. It's because of this change in training style that I find it challenging to gauge improvement across the board but I think individually it is pretty obvious who has upped the ante. Gawny, Harmes, Jones & Kent were the most obvious. Gawny is really attacking the play with Gusto, carrying on the improvement he made during the last season. If he stays fit then look out because he will make some opponents look silly. I find it hard to believe but somehow Jones has managed to get better again this year despite his injury. I'm tipping Harmes to find a regular spot this year. He just a goer and there's something about him. Kent is just all class and has got himself fitter. He impressed me last January also an just like Gawny I'm tipping him to be a real star for us this year. Of the others that have caught the eye: I like the way Bugg is going about it, he'll be a good pick up. Watts looks set to have a really good year. Oliver is a dead set ripper. Once he finds his feet he is going to make the selectors at Vic Country look silly. Love his intensity and awareness around the ball. Booming kick, and great hands. What I saw of Weidemen was pretty impressive. Good turn of foot and great hands and great foot-skills for a big guy. Mitch Clarke like but a better mark more dual-sided. Didn't see a lot of Hulett. He is another really good set shot for goal though. Tyson will poll well at the Brownlow if he can stay on the park. Overall the team looks fitter and more team oriented than last year. My first impression of training (despite being more simplistic in nature) was that we have more lefties and hard nuts on the list than this time last year. It's probably the observation that will stay with me the most as the season starts and probably a pretty good place to leave it - I can see us just sneaking into the 8 this year.

Ah hairsplitting the great internet sport.

Anyways lets get back to Clayton Oliver who i am genuinely excited to see play this year. Will be very interesting to see if Roosy does a 'Brayshaw' with him see how he goes at VFL level first. Going by the training reports seem to be really impressing so far!

You're kidding yourself. Really, you are. Jesse Hogan plays in Round 1 no matter what. Even if he plays in two NAB Cup games and doesn't get a kick, he plays. The same goes for a number of other players. We aren't Hawthorn. We need our best 22 on the park. The players might be on 'notice', but any person with half a brain knows that guys like Jones, Vince, Viney, McDonald, Gawn, Garland, Dunn, Salem, Tyson etc. will be playing in Round 1 if they aren't injured. That's just common sense.

To get back to Jack's progress, had a couple of chats to him this pre season and to the fitness staff about him, it is just baby steps (as it also says on the club website), do something, see how the foot reacts, do some more, see how the foot reacts, upto now everything is on track, he has a one year contract, everybody at the club knows this could be his last shot, especially if the foot misbehaves again, everybody is behind him hoping he can return

I really fear for people like yourself and munga and old dee. When we starting winning more than we lose, what will you do? The negativity from you guys is unrelenting. Maybe our ascent will coincide with North Melbourne's decline and you can follow them in an attempt to get your fill of doom and gloom. It's almost as if you're not happy unless you're unhappy. Roos was hired to do more than simply coach a team. He along with Jackson, Bartlett, Taylor and Mahoney have significantly altered the culture of the MFC. We are a professionally run club with a healthy focus placed on training habits, leadership, competitiveness and a team-first culture. Roos has made these areas his focus. If you can't see where we're going from here, I feel sorry for you. Our CEO is one of the best in the business. Financially we're far more sound with increased footy dept spending. Our coach is a proven architect and shaper of footy club culture. The positivity coming from the player group about Goodwin is incredible. Taylor keeps picking aggressive, skilled, athletic footballers at both ends of the draft. We have elite talent that is on brink of being realized. Now is the time, to buckle up and enjoy the ride. The love for Roos isn't unconditional, but the criticisms are focused on his pay packet, match day performance and contributions to our training sessions. I don't care how much he gets paid if the aforementioned culture is on the improve and we continue to post profits. I could easily find fault with his game day decision making but in the long term I'm more interested in the development of culture and the unearthing of quality footballers. And finally, the direction of most sports with increasing staff sizes is for the head honcho to oversee more and more and provide less hands on attention. Roos is clearly in big picture mode and Goodwin is running the gameplan side of things. And gameplans are honed during training. It makes sense that he is running the show on the training paddock. It seems to me at least that the transition with McCartney overseeing everything is working beautifully. As supporters we're not used to transitions. As Melbourne supporters we're not accustomed to being a part of cutting edge footy dept thinking. This is what it looks like.

It's now more than two years since Melbourne drafted Jayden Hunt from Brighton Grammar. Soon after, I wrote about him in The hunt for Andy's nephew and, at the time I described him as the "quintessential smoky." Hunt was the gun junior who played at the same age level as Josh Kelly and Christian Salem but his development was restricted when he went through a growth spurt. This limited his football in the 16/17 age group and he missed out on making the Sandringham Dragons Under 18s squad. He excelled however, for Brighton Grammar where he was also a top sprinter and was drafted by Melbourne at pick 57 in the 2013 national draft. Injuries have held him back further and he has been a fair way away from Melbourne selection. He started last year with the Casey Scorpions development league (seconds) team and made his way up to their seniors where he showed out with his pace and work around the goals and despite playing only a handful of games (7), he kicked enough goals (13) to finish equal leader in the Casey goalkicking with Max King. There were some who argued that he hadn't done enough to keep his place on the list but he was offered the extra year and so far, has by all accounts looked very good at training. With his injury woes behind him, he looks to have spent some valuable time in the gym and is no longer the skinny kid who came to the club over two years ago. It's not a big mystery but there's a definite question mark as to how will he fare in 2016. Is he in contention for an AFL game - will he get an opportunity in the NAB Challenge next month?

Can't argue that, but he is a Hero for the club. He's been the one player to stand up and fight through the years of rubbish, he's taking personal responsibility for mentoring the next generation of players who will hopefully surpass him and he's never even considered leaving the club for a cheap premiership. Given that Oliver has moved in with the Brayshaws, I'm really hoping to see Jones (and Gus) doing the same job of mentoring he did with Gus last year. You can clearly see the benefit Brayshaw gained from having a mentor like that just around the corner, taking him out of training runs, making sure he got out the door and in to the club on time and just driving home the professional habits needed right from the start. The training reports, including from Gus himself, say that Oliver loves the physical stuff, loves to tackle and wrestle and is a ferocious competitor. It sound like he's setting himself up to have a Brayshaw-like first season. If we get that sort of output from him this year then we're way ahead of the game and should be thrilled.

Casey Scorpions Practice Match Series Saturday 12 March v Williamstown, Casey Fields @ 12.30pm (Development League 10.00am) Saturday 19 March v Port Melbourne, Casey Fields @ 12.30pm (Development League 10.00am) Saturday 26 March Melbourne/Casey Intra Club (time/venue tbc) Saturday 2 April v Box Hill Hawks, Casey Fields @ 1.00pm (Development League 10.00am) *Please note times subject to change pending weather conditions

if Trent Cotchin is considered a star then Nathan Jones better bloody well be I bet I know who all 18 clubs would take out of the two if given the choice

I think we can all see where Balme and all his mates are coming from. They don't want an International Body nosing around the comfy little AFL where they all prosper very nicely. I was disgusted when i heard his answer to WADA I thought Neil was a better man than that. None of these suits care about performance enhancing drugs the just like the pay cheques the comp generates...

Still my greatest memory as a young Dee, it was always a dream to see us play in September and for much of my childhood it was never achievable, I enjoyed seeing us put together good runs of stringing together wins here and there and I remember 1984 when we put a really good run together mid season but by the time September was approaching we had dropped off, apart from that period in my childhood following the Dees there was nothing to really get excited about. Mid 1987 looked like just another year which was our best ever and sure I had the Night Premiership to hang my hat on. I recalled seeing the Bombers win the Night flag around 81 or 82 and I hoped we would in time develop like they did. I still don't know how it happened but as September approached it was just another year for us, we put wins together 2 became 3 and it looked like we were at least finishing the season well and maybe those kids who won the Night Flag were going to develop like the Bombers and be pushing for finals in 1989. 3 wins became 4 and now we were an outside chance, it was unlikely I knew that sure I was a Dees supporter and as a child of the 70's I didn't have the memories of those who were fortunate enough to have been born in my fathers time. So I woke up that Saturday morning expecting a galant effort but as per the norm my Dees would lose and I would again watch the kids who followed the Hawks, Roos, Blues and Bombers ( I know they didn't make it but FMD they were unbearable through those flag years) pumping their chest out through September. As usual on a Saturday me Da did some odd jobs around the house before we headed to local footy in the afternoon and I was listening to the game on radio. Da was a North Fan at the time and in between jobs he popped his head in every now and again to check the scores. Halfway through the third, I remember Da saying well your not far away now son maybe next year. I guess like many of the younger Demonlanders who have lived through the last 10 years the 70's and 80's were very much like that. Dreams never came true for us and I was resigned to missing out again. I grabbed my jacket and headed out with me Da for the drive to a local game, we listened to the game on the car radio as we always did and I still wanted my boys to get over the line desperately even if the Cats were going to ruin my day. All of a sudden it turned and we got on a roll against the Dogs I didn't start to believe but like most kids the win was all that mattered, September was something I wasn't thinking about until they kept crossing to Kardinia for score updates. Like all kids growing up in that time who didn't follow them I hated the Hawks, I wanted the kids who followed them to go through what we had for so long, at that time I wasn't aware of what their supporters had gone through for so long before the 70's and 80's, all i knew was they were the loudest supporters in the schoolyard and I hated them. But now as it was within touching distance, we were kicking away from the Dogs and I was now willing the Hawks to lift there game against the Cats and make my dream come true. My Da even said to me you boys are a chance here and he was now cheering for the Dees. I remember the roar of the crowd which at the time I thought was the final siren and a win for the Dees, but me Da said shhh!"THE HAWKS ARE IN FRONT. Those last few moments went on forever I was fearing the worst, surely it couldn't happen. We listened in silence and when the final score from Geelong came through we both gave an almighty roar. It was and still is my greatest footballing memory, at the time I never understood why my father was so enthusiastic in cheering for a team he didn't follow. Being a father now I fully understand he was sharing my dreams listening to the last quarter. The innocence of a father and son enjoying happiness together, me the sheer joy as a supporter and me Da being able to witness it as a parent. Da forked out some hard earned dollars and we were there for the elimination final which was magical and the rollercoaster kept going on for another 3 weeks. I cried my eyes out when Bucky nailed that kick at Waverley but nothing could dampen that September for me and those moments my father and I shared that Saturday afternoon in the old Kingswood. Thank god 2007 to 2013 is behind us I have memories of the dark days of the early 80's turning to August 1987 and beyond, I remember the shocking years of 96 & 97 turning to the yo-yo's of the late 90's and early noughties and the years of 2004 to 06 which were our chance that we wasted as each September approached. I may be well into my 40's but when our time comes again that crazy 15 year old kid from 1987 will appear again cheering like a lunatic kicking and handballing every possession, spoiling every entry into our defensive half and living every tackle. Go Dees

Looks like someone's hammered the bong this arvo.

He didn't say that all Saty.. i dont speak for him but i agree that at the moment we are still all too reliant on Nathan Jones as our go to man and someone who is just going to win us games. We are NOT going to be playing finals if that is still the case. For us to become a good finals team we need the likes of Viney Brayshaw Tyson and Salem over the next few 'years' to really step up to the point where they are getting hard tags instead of Jones. Remember Shane Crawford? For some many years he was always their number 1 midfielder during those first couple of years of Clarkson era. He was the inspirational skipper that was always getting the number 1 tag and Towards the end of his career in fact 2008, Hawthorn had a good spread of up and coming A graders in Mitchell Hodge Lewis that they were able to take more control of the midfield leaving Crawford to play more on a half forward and rotating off the bench and still able to make a contribution. This is the dream scenario for me in 3 years time when we are playing finals that Tyson Viney Brayshaw Oliver Salem and Petracca will be all borderline A graders and starting on ball line up that they are able to push Jones out to playing more up forward rotating off the bench and still having an influence exactly like Crawford did.

A flag is all I care about. To win a flag you need "stars". Jones isn't and never will be a star. If we're to win a flag we need players like Brayshaw, Tyson, Viney, Oliver, Salem and Petracca to become stars. Clearly not all will and maybe none will, but if you want to see a flag you'll need 2 or 3 to become elites of the competition and certainly better than Jones. That's not a knock on Jones it's just reality. Hogan will be a star and if Weideman can reach 60+ goals then the makings will be there to get a chance at a flag if 2 or 3 of the above reach the required level. Why do I have a sixth sense Stu's head will bob up with some inanity ?

If he's only half as good as Jones I'll be devastated. If he's as good as Jones I'll be disappointed. I fully expect Oliver to be a better player than Jones. We need him to be a better player than Jones.

Wise and C & B, nothing that Saty said was wrong, controversial, inflammatory, opinionated or anything other than solid contribution. Youve both gone out of your way to create an argument. Sort yourselves out, it's garbage and doesn't add to the conversation.

Garbage. There is not even the slightest possibility that N.Jones and Hogan would not be selected for round 1. In fact they would have to go through an extraorfinarily awful and lengthy run of bad form to be dropped. There are 'locks' at every club.

Serious question - you are trying to tell me that Jesse Hogan, for example, is not a lock to play in Round 1 this year?

its so true. often we see someone take a ridiculous position or make a ridiculous statement in the "heat " of discussion that no doubt at any other time they would not make, but instead of retracting or moving on , they consume enormous amounts of time and energy defending this position. this then turns in to a [censored] for tat that destroys the thread. this exact example is currently happening on another thread. its so clear the poster has "shot from the hip" but now has dug themselves in such a hole arguing "different shades of brown". this is pretty much the biggest thread destroyer there is

I'm almost certain none of Selwood, Pendles or Fyfe would have been able to drag us over the line for a win in any of the years from 2011-13 such was the state of our list and club. Draft an 18 year old Selwood to the MFC in his draft year and I can guarantee he wouldn't be seen as the player he is today. Draft Nathan Jones to Geelong at the top of their power and I can guarantee he'd be valued more highly as a player amongst wider AFL community. Regardless of all of that, the 'star' debate is a waste of time. It's like arguing on the best Ice Cream flavour. Everyone has their own flavour. It's subjective. Not only that, many other variables come to play. For example, the Selwood Vs Jones debate. Selwood will obviously possess the better stats in almost every category due to playing in such a successful team during such a successful era. Jones the complete opposite. His stats even during his best years individually will suffer due to playing in a far less successful and competitive side over such a long period. That is one example. Geelong have suffered since the departure of Ablett and ageing and retirements of midfielders Bartel, Johnson, Kelly and Corey. Without them, Selwood hasn't been able to win games off his own boot and his form really wasn't that consistently good this year. Selwood and Jones are in my mind very similar in playing style, attributes as well as height and weight and if we're isolating them as players, I don't think it's fair to say that Selwood is better than Jones or vice versa. However if we were comparing Fyfe to Jones, or Pendlebury to Jones then it's a different story. They're very different players. Finishing on Oliver vs Jones - Comparing the two from the age of 18 I'd say that it's obvious Oliver has more to offer in terms of attribute diversity, however it remains to be seen whether he has the application and will to get the best out of himself in the way that Jones has been hellbent on doing his entire career. Like ProDee, I'd hope and expect under our now rock-solid environment and development team that Oliver will be better player than Jones.

Tend to agree Jones is good, but the fact he has been our best player the last few years reflects our ladder position. If we ever want to get near a flag we need Oliver/Tyson/Viney/Petracca/Brayshaw/Salem to really get to that elite status in our midfield. It's a very good group to work with.

You don't know anything about football because you don't go to watch training. Watching games isn't the same as training.

You sure about that? Take a deep breath and think real hard about your answer before you really embarrass yourself again like you already have.

I think we saw exactly what Selwood would have been like in a crappy team last season - he regularly lost his rag and was soundly beaten multiple times, notably by Viney in our win down there He has been great, but has had a significant advantage on others of similar quality.

I'll be watching Jayden with a great deal of interest in 2016. His speed and X factor will be a great addition to our lineup if he can make the grade, and clearly our coaches saw enough in 2015 to warrant a new contract, despite him having had very limited game time since he was drafted. He has a year to prove his worth, but I have to admit that the 'then and now' photographs on another thread, and some of the recent training reports, have me a bit excited. A tantalizing prospect!

Overall I agree, there's a gap between them but I don't think a lot of those achievements really indicate the gap, some of those are just popularity awards above and beyond the stats and eye test that tell you Selwood is better. Also this year Selwood's team missed the 8 for the first time in his career and was sat on by heavy tags and often his output suffered and he lost his cool. There were lots of games he didn't do anything significant to help his team win. At one stage I think it was Healy who suggested he take a sabbatical and come back when the team was healthy and more talented. The opposite to that is this year was probably the first time in his peak form that Jones had a class ruckman and 2 other quality inside mids to work with and on several occasions he hit the scoreboard and gathered the big possession totals that seem to draw interest from the media. He was also carrying a significant injury and our 3rd best midfielder for most of the year. My point is, Selwood is ahead of Jones, but there's value in considering just how much better his team has been. I don't think Jones will ever get the reputation Selwood has, but you can see the value improved team performance has had on Matt Priddis who I think is an inferior talent to Jones (better clearance winner but far less skilled) and is now regard as an elite midfielder.

I was in two minds as to whether I responded or not, but I can't let it go. Selwood is unquestionably a couple of classes above Jones. Selwood has won 3 B&F's in a far superior team and alongside champions of the game. He has 4 AA. Jones has never made the squad. He's been named best captain in the AFL. Four times he's been named the AFL's most courageous player. He also won the Rising Star award in 2007. I appreciate it's harder to play well in a poor team, but on no level is Jones the equal of Selwood as a player and I find it one of your more baffling suggestions. Also, in 3 more games Selwood has 350 more tackles. You don't have to be a star to tackle. It's just that Selwood is driven to do everything well. And tackling is just one more area where he's superior to Jones.

Sadly you are correct and they find it hard to understand that the AFL is part of the real world. The self interest being showed by numerous AFL types leaves me in wonderment.

I think you will find that if last year is anything to go by, Jones or Vince will be sent to the opposition gun midfielder rather than the other way around, with Viney getting the job now and gain dependent on the opponent, hence the need for Jones to build his running up to another level

Agree with all of that. And you're right - it's not a knock on Jones, but more about the fact that we need the kids to surpass him over the next few years and push us to the next level. Jones has been a warrior for us, but you wouldn't class him as an A grader with some of the other elite mids who are on that level. We've got the players who can get there though, and thankfully a guy like Jones is an excellent role model due to his terrific work ethic and willingness to improve.

I thought it was because most of them stay at home now until they are 35 and live off the parents, not surviving on cornflakes, Newcastle brown ale and Woodbines, or was that just me...typed as I adjust my broken spindly frame in my seat

Nathan Jones would be the first player picked IMV and rightly so! Why this thread was sabbotaged beats me. I agree with Dazzle Man the thread is about Clayton Oliver and if he turns out to be half as good as chunky I will be reasonably pleased. As good or better, I will be rubbing my hands with Glee!

What I think Roos does better than most is that, when recycling these players, he clearly gives them a set role he wants them to play. They know exactly what is expected of them and, if they fulfill that role, then they play. Bugg is someone that will be asked to play a lock down role, either through the middle or across half back. He will know exactly why the club has traded for him and know that if he does what is asked of him then he can not only play, but thrive as well.

Of course I do Curry; but sometimes watching a thread devolve into a case of school yard "he said - he said" point scoring and finger pointing does not really add much to the experience. This just seems like point scoring and hairsplitting for the sake of it. But you give it your best shot; I am sure that you don't need my permission. "......Closes laptop and does something useful with his life"

Brent was invited down by the club for Day 8

Captain: N.Jones Vice Captain: Dunn Leadership Group: Viney, Vince, T.McDonald

Harsh, bordering on cruel. When Trengove's injury was first diagnosed, he said there was a part of him that was almost 'relieved'. He didn't know what was wrong with him, he didn't know why his body wouldn't do the things he wanted it to do; he didn't know where his power, speed or ability to 'push-off' had gone. He was relieved to find out there was actually something wrong and where in his body the problem lay. It was never a matter of him saying 'my foot hurts'. He does deserve a go at his football if for no other reason than no one deserves the terrible luck that he has had this far.

The key point Goodvibes, is that many of us are in a similar positive place right now, about our beloved Demons ...... and I get the the strong feeling that our excitement is built on substance, rather than the false hope that has buoyed many of us at this time of year for far to long.

Harsh. He was put in an unfamiliar spot to lead this club when he was far too young. The stress and pressure he put himself to try and lead this toxic club has now now taken its toll on him (something he couldn't control) and now he is working is absolute backside off to regain his football career. He deserves every bit of success and good fortune that comes his way. He along with Jones Garland Grimes and Dunn are small sample of players still left who were went through the absolute horrors of the club during those dark years. For their loyalty and love for the club they do deserves success.

I think it would be great story if both Grimes and Trengove could become valuable members of a resurgent Melbourne in 2016.

Was at training today. Watched a number of match simulations. was quite surprised with the ball movement and accuracy of foot passing skills. Namely Vander Jones White Watts Oliver Brayshaw and Vince the most convincing. The standard dropped a tad after a number of the simulations and a few of the old habits returned EG dropped marks and mis directed hanballs under pressure. I did witness the Tommy Mac incident. One of the assistant coaches was kicking long high passes into the goal square where Tommy Mac was defending. He seemed to be collected by every player in the area inc his own brother. He remained prostrate for some time with trainers in attendance but once on his feet he was directed to the rehab oval for some running to assist with his recovery. Following a few circuits he returned to the main oval and escorted Hoges to push him for some further running. Did not have any strapping. I think he is fine. Hoges on the other hand is on on very light duties and did little participation in match simulation. Some of the bigger guys such as Frost, Max King, Oscar Mac, Gawn and Spencer showed more than I was expecting today.

You have no entitlement to anger if you can't effectively express what you're angry about.

How about a "Gawn Yawn" award for the best balls-up that had spectacularly good consequences? It'd be worth it just for the design of the trophy.

I love Big Maxy, dead set legend. He's going to have a massive year, and kick on from there. I am disappointed though, that he hasn't been awarded a retrospective MVP award for 'convincing' a certain little turd to run off to GWS.

Ok...? You just mentioned before Trengove doesn't deserve any success because 'he' shouldn't have played with a crook foot. So you have pretty much said there that Trengove is in the wrong for making that decision. You have now just said it was a 'political' decision (by the club i assume you mean) to play him because the club tanked for him.. right.. So whos fault is it then SWYL? Because according to you Trengove doesn't deserve one ounce of success due to a clubs ' political' decision to play him through his injury. So in other words the poor kid had no say whatsoever and is now paying the price for a miss handled injury by our club and for forcing him to push through his injury.

I suspect young Viney towed the company line when he had a pretty fair idea what was going to go down. I wouldn't put much emphasis on his comments.

Good article on Oliver who is now living with the Brayshaw's http://www.aflplayers.com.au/article/new-demon-oliver-at-home-with-the-brayshaws/

I know Ben Newton has been injured, but he looks like one of the support staff...