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Just a few more observations (I got there a bit late): - Jayden Hunt is just oozing class in everything he does - kicked a 55m torp during some casual goal kicking practice towards the end, as well as others on the run from just inside 50 - Petracca was having major challenges with his goal kicking from around 50 and was the butt of several jokes. Some of his kicks were outright shanks. Nathan Jones queried whether he's holding the ball too angled and JKH chimed in with the ball drop possibly being too high. - JKH comfortably kicked a drop punt set shot from outside 50 and looks to have improved all facets of his game. I hope he gets a run at it. - Pedo and Garlett in running drills for the 2nd half - Declan and Bull two of the last to leave - PJ in deep but relaxed conversation with Todd Viney and Simon Goodwin at the end - Salem really working intently on his midfield craft Will top this post up if I think of any others.

Yep. Hardly been on since the end of the season. Too busy, and quite a bit of forum fatigue after over a decade of posting, reading and admining several times a day every day. Hoping the new season brings me some new energy for this place - I sure as hell am beside myself with excitement at the coming season and need some fellow tragics to share it with!

A few shots from today with more to come if we make it along to this evening's session with the women's team (edit: forget that last bit...women's was yesterday and next is tomorrow...damnit!).

I think everybody's these days RTG, there is never any grey with Macca, no he comes over for a chat before the start of each session, always gives myself and a couple of the other regulars something, today was the mental side of the players, he quoted Lewis at a meeting saying as a playing group we were still 'too nice' when it came to driving each other and setting the bar consistently higher

This is pretty much what I was going to write, so I won't repeat it them. Again, it was a fairly casual session so I didn't read too much into the drills. Additional observations (some of these are hardly groundbreaking I will admit): McCartney was a doing a drill with Garlett where he was working on handpassing from up high (like when being tackled), something that Sydney and the Bulldogs have mastered Tim Smith's kicking action is quite awkward but reasonably effective, Weideman's action is fluid and very effective Jetta seemed to be in every drill (did a few midfield drills which was great to see), he looks extremely fit and was really harsh on himself if he missed a target, such a natural leader Harmes looks very fit, took some lovely grabs on the marking bag and has serious explosiveness and power to his game now Lewis' kicking skills made a lot of other players look second-rate Brayshaw and Oliver looked to be moving well from what I saw of the drills they were in, I saw Gawn give Oliver a huge shove at one stage Tom McDonald having shoulder surgery really is unfortunate because he needs all the upper body strength he can get, he still had a few brain fade and skill error moments Maynard is a good size, still feeling his way into it Don't write-off Mitch White, I thought he would have a better 2016 than he did but his kicking is just so good I haven't seen the stats but I feel like overall we are quite a short team, and seeing the players up close for the first time in a while confirmed this There was quite a bit of emphasis on kicking with the non-dominant foot when forced (quick kicks while under pressure) to which was good to see I'm not alone here, but I really like the look of Joel Smith, his kicking needs work but he is a good size and moves very well Viney was practicing his goals on the run, similar to what he kicked on the Gold Coast in 2016

God I love the Lewis trade. Demand success, every session, every game. If someone is falling short pull them up on it, the "right" way for that person of course. Brilliant! About [censored] time too.

Good to see sponsors actually want to stick with us now. Oh and we have found another sports person to give a melbourne jumper to. Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic. Hope he realises he is standing next to a superstar.

Step 1: Take cousin to enough Melbourne games that he falls in love with Melbourne Step 2: Tell Boyfriend he's out if he doesn't get interested Step 3: Get them both to buy membership Step 4: World domination

Despite the call for privacy Mr Hird senior could not resist rehashing all the old gripes. Is that helping his son? The media have now joined ASADA and the AFL as bad guys relentlessly pursuing the Hird's. Once upon a time the Hird's always courted publicity when it suited them. The Hird mansion is perhaps the most photographed and filmed footballers house ever even before the doping saga. James Hird was never shy in keeping his wife and kids out of the limelight. The public image of the Hird family was that of perfection. I cannot ever recal seeing any other footballers home in the media and not often do other footballers parade their families in front of the media with such regularity. In the days when it was self serving for him, doorstop interviews happened frequently and the more journalists hanging around the better. During the eye of the storm of the doping saga there were frequent most likely planned door stop interviews by Tania usually when picking up or dropping the kids at school time to give her regular shrill blasts against the AFL and ASADA. Sadly as with all megalomaniacs who think they are perfect and invincible, their strategy when fighting losing battles is to fight harder and keep upping the ante because they believe they can't lose and before they know it they have destroyed themselves and those close to them.

yes...and all has gone quiet on the Jobe: give back the medal story. Sam McClure made a valiant attempt but I reckon the AFL shut him down quick smart! The AFL wants Jobe to quietly keep it, so no noise from the media thanks! 'Independent' AFL media = puppets on a string!!

The keys to a good set kick are the ball drop and the timing. The ball drop can be taught and improved but the timing is innate. Jack's ball drop is superior because he guides the ball onto his foot before the release Jesse's ball drop can be clumsy as the release is too early so that it is more of a drop than a guide. Repetitive ball drop exercises using short kicks can improve the ball drop. Practicing the ball drop with one hand requires a later release and, when using the non-preferred side, is a good exercise to develop non-preferred foot kicking. Watch Chunka when he kicks with his left foot - his left hand mimics his right hand. Practice makes perfect. The difference between good and not-so-good timing is apparent in the aesthetics of the kick and in the distance achieved. Notice how all reliable good kicks control the ball onto the foot and kick sweetly over long distance with little apparent effort. No one was better than Bernie Quinlan. Size doesn't matter - shorties can kick as long as biggies if they have a good ball drop and good timing. For hurried kicks and kicks on the run there is another key - the feel of the ball in the hands. Some players have an innate ability to feel the ball in their hands, instinctively adjust the ball for the best ball drop and deliver a good kick. For the others, every kick can be a lottery. In addition to Jack Watts, Cam Pedersen and Christian Salem have a lovely style and can deliver quality reliable kicks. Worth studying.

Really? I know which one I prefer, the difference in the position of the right hand is telling.

I want us to play football that wins games, with a culture and style i can be proud of. Sociable to me and the rest of the Demon family, punishing on anyone who gets between us and what we want to do. Having standards that are player driven, sky high and clear can only help this. J Lewis might be exactly what helps us take our next real step

I hope we are not going to play unsociable football. Weve taken years to build up an image of being absolute wimps.

Not surprised by this. Mentally switched on teams dont check out in the final round with a 100+ point flogging. They fight every game to the end. Pleased Lewis is involved.

I can't see why this thread should be closed, though the temporary halt may have been reasonable given the circumstances. There are issues around the saga which don't involve Hird directly which are perfectly reasonable for discussion eg. where is Jobe's medal. And if they do involve Hird directly, then we should be able to rely on posters to make appropriate comments. Those that don't should be dealt with in the usual way, rather than surpressing an entire topic.

2+hours craft session Joel Smith learning bodywork against Maxy and Pencil fun to watch Hogan 25 minutes goalkicking practice Maynard doing stoppage work, bullock Nev putting Clarry on his arse, not impressed Watts and Harmes trying to outdo each other on the marking drill with the bag Watching Macca and Jeff Garlett practicing goal sneak skills

Professional photos Not so professional photos

Not a huge difference but a noticeable and important one. Hogan drops the ball too close to his body and then has to lean back and thrust his way in to his kicks or kick across the ball as he likes to do with his field kicking. That takes away momentum and distance and makes it harder to find a consistent rhythm. This photo of Watts is a better one to compare to the first image of Hogan and you can see the ball is out infront of his plant leg and that he'll swing through it with all his weight going forward. We've made a heap of progress with out coaching but I'm still surprised we don't have a specialist kicking coach with a biometric background.

WJ. Do we just disregard that he brought all of this on himself. Now playing the victim card when all things regarded this is the polar opposite of the truth. I have some sympathy on the kiddywinkies who got bamboozled along the way ( but was still theirs to decide ) The Hirds of the world are what stains this game. Sorry Jack i cant abide the kid gloves. I do feel sorry for his kids though.

This is: 'the-bombers-doping-saga-the-fat-lady-sings' thread. Not the James Hird thread, why would it be locked? You do realise that this was reignited by statements made by Stephen Amendola in Saturdays Herald-Sun and Allan Hird on 3AW and TV. The discussion now is about their hypocrisy in coming out with the old malarkey and allegations at a time when Hird's wife and others were saying leave him alone. Saturdays article included a false statement that the AFL had blocked Hird being employed by SEN. This was refuted by both the AFL and SEN and published, but in a much smaller article on Tuesday. Hird senior probably based his allegation that the AFL was still harassing his son on that 'false news' article. Amendola is trying to cover his a**e, (following all the poor advice he have Hird), by again blaming everyone else, - as did Hird senior. Both the Amendola and Hird senior statements were sickening and shouldn't be allowed to pass uncontested.

Gone are the days of the lumbering ruckman, athletic,moves well, nice neat skills, didn't look out of place JKH was bouncing around the whole session, he is not joking about his increased speed, gone up a notch

I can't believe Steve Dank is letting Hird go through this. I mean he has all of the evidence to exculpate everyone involved! Is that what Hird senior was referring to as "people that have let James down".

Oh please... Perhaps the thread was locked to give James Hird and the family privacy as requested. Didn't take long for Alan Hird to shoot that down and open it up again. Fancy claiming it was a Julia Gillard conspiracy!

Strange, strange comments. Severely underrating Kent while overrating Johnstone and Hannan. Hannan got in the best players just 2 times in the VFL and kicked just 19 goals. Kent kicked 25 and was ranked 16th (12th if you include players who played more than 10 games) in the league for goal assists per game. Do you really believe ANB and Trengove are competing for a spot with Kent? There is a thing called team balance and Kent has pace and the ability to break the game open like few others on our list. Kent developed nicely last season and improved his consistency as the season went on. I'd be staggered if you are on the mark with this one. Fair call on the second part though.

Love this from Macca: McCartney on pre-season: Part One A couple of delicious quotes: "............... the group is so willing to learn and receptive to getting better, it's brilliant to come to work every day with them" and "................almost every player has taken another step forward with their learning and development. We won't lack for talent, we won't lack for preparation and we are really confident that we won't lack for intensity. The Club has entered a really exciting phase."

How's the contrast between the Hogan and Watts ball drops.

I hear ya. But I think the excitement will be back in full force once the season starts. Can't remember being more excited about a season in ages. We are a genuine chance to not be totally awful! That is incredible. Plus I'm on a mission to turn my "don't care about AFL" boyfriend into a Melbourne tragic, and my cousin from a Hawthorn into a Melbourne supporter. Lots of work for the season ahead!

Consider Mr Hird snr is the tree that Mr Hird jnr fell from. One hell of a fall, not much of a tree.

Saty, think you're mitching & maxing here. One of these max's is a mitch but I can't work out which one. It's important to match your max's & mitch's so they don't get mixed up.

Max looked a footballer, he was an accurate goal kicker and had a great leap, just lacked the application methinks, Filipove and Mitch King look to have the application and the skills

The family requested privacy. The family broke that. Fair game to reopen the thread. No one doubts the mods will be all over it.

ANB will stick it right up a few this year . By that I mean prove the doubters wrong.

Blind Freddy was never consulted !!

Power clubs - think Cats, Dorks and, quite a few years ago, Brisbane, had players in the 22 - 30 best range who would have walked into most other teams. They mostly managed to keep these players. This is the type of culture we must develop to become a success.

Media typo. Dislocate the patella, not its tendon. A patella dislocation tears the tissue on the inside part of the knee as a result of the kneecap moving laterally (to the outside). There's also the potential risk of damage to the articulate surface of the kneecap (the underside). If all is well, he should make an uncomplicated recovery. Weightbearing load needs to be managed so as not to create irritability at the kneecap or potential instability. He'll be doing lots of bike and upper body work.

He's always been well defined, but is definitely bigger now that he's a man, which I'm certain is what Joeboy was taking about, Stuart.

Btw, it must be noted, for those who haven't seen him for a while, JKH is no longer a string bean.. he actually has distinct muscle definition and looks strong

The thread was reopened on the basis of the reported improvement in Hird's condition. That does not mean that it is open for people to be insensitive to his mental condition or that of others who suffer similarly. Please don't offend here. Discussion on other aspects including Hird Senior's comments is topical and permitted as long as it doesn't stray over the red lines alluded to in the opening paragraph.

As for Clarry situation, think the boys know they will get a reaction so they needle him, he gives as good as he gets

Bollocks, bloody phone, yes Mitch -edited

I like this - The "Hawthorns" don't allow their teammates any leeway - you want the players driving each other and not allowing each oher to put in half arsed efforts

Agreed first Vince and now Nev.

Oh yeah, he's a serial publicity seeker, isn't he. He is just doing what most Fathers would do, who are fed up with their son being put through the wringer, whether you think it is his fault or not. As for your hypothesis as to what may be causing James Hird's mental health problems, neither you, nor anybody on DL or in the media can know. Let's hope you never know personally. Just leave the guy alone. Think of him what you will, but it is poor form to continually speculate.

Why? This is a discussion site, and he and his family are a worthy point of discussion. If no laws are being broken, why give the man a break of any kind? This website is not about to push him over the edge. I see no reason at all to close the thread. And Jab, ya drug cheat, hand back the bloody medal!!!

Thanks for reports Saty & CB

No, think they see him as a half back, so needs to know how to defend, Max and Pencil worked him over big time, was getting the hang of body positioning by the end of the drill

Think I saw it mentioned somewhere that there was a AFL "orientation" session for new recruits at Ethihad yesterday?

I had a good chat to JKH at training yesterday Has had a miserable run with injury but Macca and others think there is something there, he showed something playing in the middle in last couple of games for Casey So they have started again and rebuilt him from the ground up, particular attention to his core, reckons he has done thousands of those leg weight pushes, not sure of technical term Once they get him on the field, they want him to stay on, bit like Hunt Ran his fastest time ever over 3k the other day and was fast lapping with ANB who is known for his running Also on Monday they were doing those beep test short runs, Watts ANB and others were doing 4 3 and 4 4, JKH was doing 3 3 and 3 4 so assume a full second faster, Watts was impressed and encouraging him He is still very upbeat just wants a crack at it

Soft call on an easy target - like your persecution of Chris Dawes. It's too easy to say that for various reasons they are going to struggle to make it. If you want to make valuable commentary on players' future prospects then stick your neck out on genuinely challenging calls like Frost, VDB, Harmes, Wagner etc.