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We’ll make a GF and be forced to wear the clash. Jones to hold the cup aloft wearing the #2 coming full circle from Robbie Flower and the dark years, thereby ending the Norm Smith curse.

OMac is progressing nicely. He seems to suffer here because he is not what he expected to be. So ******* what. Not everyone can be, or needs to be, a backline gorilla, an intercept maestro or a slingshot. Steady and effective will do for me. He gets to a contest, he is learning how to position himself to advantage at the contest, he regularly outmarks his opponent and has the potential to make good choices. Just a young, developing player for the future.

“It just reeks of self-importance. I reckon he’s got to be more humble or choose his words better, ” Blight told Sportsday radio. “The future will be what it’s going to be, but I had a saying, which I think I nearly invented, and that was: ‘The footy god can sometimes get you’. Translation: "Oi young fella - be more humble! Oh and by the way everyone else, check out this brilliant phrase I invented!" The irony is too much. Jog on, Blighty ...

Correct Tyson was 4th, the competition for midfield spots is going to be fierce, Tyson is finally over knee issues and is another one who is fitter than ever, again his words Sort a starting midfield out of those who are training with the midfield group during the presason Jones, Tyson, Petracca, Oliver, Salem, Brayshaw, Harmes, Stretch, Maynard, Baker Viney And those that can rotate thru there Lewis, Vince, Hogan, ANB, Bugg, Melksham, Hannan

No injuries

Never a truer word written on this forum. Who says we weren't turning them away? How do you know this hasn't been a long process that's finally culminated in the perfect deal for the club? How do you know we haven't been in discussions with numerous companies as we look for the right deal? That's right, you don't. I'm constantly bewildered that some on here talk about our off field team as if they're twelve year old's who have no idea what they are doing. Do you think PJ and co. just sat at their desks for months awaiting a call from a prospective sponsor? Give them the credit they deserve. Your rhetoric may have been relevant back when we stunk it up, but we aren't that club anymore. Your constant knocks on the club make you look like a 'non' supporter who doesn't deserve to enjoy the good times when they roll around.

Zurich Iselect IG New Balance Northern Territory We can only have a maximum of two "major" sponsors (ie front and back of jumper). Only other "major" financial opportunity could be the naming rights sponsor of our home ground or training facilities, if we owned 100% of. We don't. Given our recent history, I think we are doing well on the sponsorship front, and will continue to do so as we continue to improve.

“It just reeks of self-importance. I reckon he’s got to be more humble or choose his words better, ” Blight told Sportsday radio. lol - this coming from blight, of all people

Make no mistake, this was a big get for us.

Blight can pull his head in - Lever was not quoted as saying anything remotely offensive or egotistical in the article. I love the bloke already. Hope he’s in the Leadership Group this year. And for the next 12 years after that.

BLOODY WRAPPED !!!! with this news about time ,never go back to white again .

For all the critics of Oscar McDonald, I have one observation which I think is a reasonable/uncontroversial one in the circumstances. If we can maintain a relatively healthy list this year, competition for a regular spot in the 22 will be fierce. Only our very best players will be guaranteed a spot each week, and they are all the obvious names. Beyond these players, you will have to be playing very well (i.e. be in form) and, relevantly, actually be a properly decent AFL player to be regularly selected in this side in 2018. If Oscar plays most games this year, I think the current vocal critics here should be obliged to concede that: 1. Oscar is actually a decent AFL player; and 2. their assessment of him as a player is not shared by the professionals within the club, and their views might be based more on some personal bias/prejudice rather than a proper assessment of his performance each week. Just sayin’.

It seems so long ago that he arrived at Melbourne that his acquisition at times seems to have fallen into the background. He is a quality KPD still with more development left in him, with at least 10 years remaining, an automatic starting 18 inclusion (and first picked in the backline along with Nev and Pig - TMAC's gone forward now) and he has good decision making and disposal skills (something our current KPD's seem to lack). His arrival makes us at least a 2 goal better side a game. He'll stop one and give us one by having TMAC go up forward. I felt that our backline at best stagnated, but more realistically went backwards last year. Not only does he sure up our back half, he makes it better, all the while freeing up TMAC to go forward and team up with Hogan. His arrival immediately makes us a better side than last year (no matter the cost of 2 first round picks). If Harrison Petty develops into a similarly gifted player, it will help turn our back half into a solid and dour defensive force.

.......Perhaps we should be chasing big companies like....Jeep, Bingle, Dare chocolate drink, Mission foods, iinet, Jeldwen, Hostplus, Border express......some of them have sponsored the past 5 premiers!

It's great, it's a "throwback" jumper that we'll wear several times a year and if it comes down to it is far prefer to see us in this on GF day than any other clash jumper we've had over the years. It's fantastic the club is listening to supporters, it shows they understand that these things are important, even if they may seem inconsequential

For the last two or three years, we've put we've played with a fairly strong side during the JLT. Rather than give the new kids a taste or experiment too much, we seem to go with our best 26 and start to fine tune. I expect the same - much as I'd like to see what the draftees are capable of. I don't really expect to see anyone who isn't cherry ripe with a full preseason, so I'm not expecting to see Weids, Spargo, Tim Smith, McKenna, Joel Smith or anyone who's been in the rehab group for an extended period. Of the rehab group I'd only expect to see Kent, Jones (both back in full training) and, maybe at the last minute, Viney. Love to see anyone that's ready and new to the club but don't think it will really happen - maybe Fritsch and/or Keilty

funny...such a concept would never have occurred to any of us eh

“Throwing fire on the petrol.” Blight on describing Lever’s comments. The guy is well past his before date.

My rating of the new guys Baker natural footballer, just needs the engine Spargo fast, great kick and a tough little bugger Fritsch would not surprise to debut early but has a lot on competition, reads the ball beautifully Petty amazing vertical leap, built like a stick at the moment, another who reads the ball well

@Satyriconhome, Moonie above has mentioned about the interview on the club site with OMc. There is a snippet of the players finishing one of their time trials, with TMc, Bugg and ANB leading the way. Can you please confirm if the player that the next player behind them is Tyson? And if so, can you please advise if this is because he is actually 4th, or if they front 3 have lapped him? And finally, if it is in fact that Tyson is 4th, where does that put him compared to his previous preseasons with us? I realise that this is close to his first full preseason with us with no niggles. I'm a big Tyson fan, and think a couple on this thread are quite a way off the mark with their criticism of him. Definitely think he is a vital cog in our midfield group.

Simply Amazing, AFL the most hypocritical sporting entity in the world bar none including FIFA. Rules for a certain few and rules for others. JOKE.

I believe licensed brothels only accept payment via credit/debit cards. Someone told me.

And some of us can acknowledge that Col has made some very poor choices, caused pain to people around him deserves what punishment the law hands down, but refrain from name calling and still hope he turns his life around

Just some helpful advice to Nasher and Demonland. Kurt Tippett has today announced his retirement. Be prepared for a Demonland meltdown if the AFL allows Sydney to replace him on their list.

They are mixing it up at training, they have Salem and Harmes extracting with Oliver and Trac on the outside etc etc, think they are looking at having midfielders that can mix it up

Take it in a heart beat, we should embrace it my fellow Dees.

No was inside, will be outside Wednesday, his program is rigidly controlled to ensure he only does what he is supposed to, as reported previously he is taking it out on the weights in the gym No, they are having a long weekend before heading off to Qld, work life balance, Lewis for one will be leaving his new twins for a week

The official photos released yesterday showing the clash jumpers show that IG is still the shorts sponsor, sharing with the apparel supplier, New Balance.

Not a huge fan of the Royal Blue. Memories of the late ‘70’s and early 80’s watching the Demons had few highlights, But it is 100 x better than a white Jumper, at least now i know, at first glance I am watching the Demons well done to those who kept up the views to the AFL. Clash Jumpers are purely a marketing tool

We still bangin on about this [censored] boot camp? We need to go out and prove we’re harder! Lol, please. Probably the hardest group of players we’ve fielded for 20 years, and probably the smartest. Not wanting to waste valuable preseason time carrying bricks so some army barracks can build a new bbq. I really fear that not training for Vietnam, Viney and Oliver will suddenly become marshmallows and get bullied by the likes of Bryce Gibbs.

We are keeping the red back for away games vs Bulldogs and West Coast.

I love it....lets just hope we don`t play footy the way we did the last time we wore these colours in the 70s n 80s

Awesome. Common sense prevails! Looks great. Love it. No more white ever again. No more angry batman demon top. No more Bali knockoff! Great work.

Most exciting news all day. Stuff about the new sponsor is great and important, but really doesn't do much to excite the passion in me as a supporter. Well done to the club for listening to it's membership/supporter base and making this happen and also for the AFL for finally comming to their senses as well. Right from the start of this ridiculous clash/away jumper policy the AFL brought in 10 - 15 years ago, it felt like a foreign (Americanised) sporting culture was being imposed on our code with the (selectively applied) predominantly white emphasis. I'm pragmatic enough to realize the need for a clash jumper of some description, but really the AFL should have thought long and hard before it let clubs like WC, Port and Freo adopt new jumper designs that clashed more heavily with existing teams jumpers than the jumpers approved for those teams when theyou first joined the comp, so much of this was the making of the AFL. The new 'Royal Blue' clash looks great compared to the white/Bali jumpers. It actually looks a few shades lighter than the original royal blue ones, though my royal blue one with the number 2 got pretty sun faded in the end.

Could you get a more perfect away strip? Well done MFC! We have the best guernseys in the league.

The only reason Swyl has posted another post after we find out that we don't have a problem to get a new major sponsor, is because I made all his points about losing round 23 and not making finals, reasons why we did not find a new sponsor 1 day after finishing with the last one look silly. Have you ever seen him post a postive post? even the postive he makes look like a negative, but it makes good reading, and makes me laugh, its like watching grumpy old men. Some can never admit they were wr wr wrong.

As if you steal a credit card and spend it on two of the most regulated industries in the country (gambling and licensed brothels) where you not only leave a paper trail but also open the door to public ridicule of your addictions. At least do a cash advance and pay with cash you nuffy!

Ah yes, the Robbie Flower days. 70+ point beltings weekly. Those were the days. 2013 really brought me back, but this is an all new form of nostalgia! In all seriousness though, I never cared enough to hate the white clash as much as some here, but this is a major improvement. I no doubt prefer red and blue than predominantly white.

Oscar seems to have put on size and (more importantly) strength. In the interview on the club site he mentions this as a goal over summer, the fitness guys having given him a plan. I thought he looked stronger when I went to training before Christmas. Pleased to see this continuing. I believe Oscar can hold down a KPD spot in the 22, and bigger size will give him the confidence to back his decisions and choose better options on the field. Last year I felt he lacked some confidence, made poor decisions and got pushed off the contest too many times. I am in the glass half full camp about Oscar. If he can stay fit I expect him to play most games and improve. He is still very young and learning his craft

the hokey pokey?

Where & when did he say he's leaving at the end of the year??? The only thing I heard him say was that he would like to do a handover similar to Roos. I don't remember hearing a particular date or time frame mentioned. ...and I very much doubt he will be leaving unless he has someone in place, he's invested too much to get things back on track. I think you are unduly worrying 'old dee'.

Bizarre, who pays for pornography these days?

I believe this is from a little while ago as his lawyer argued against a prison sentence as he has already taken steps to rectify his mistakes by paying everything back to the person in full, moving back to his home town and getting a role with his local footy club. Doesn't excuse for one second the absolutely stupid decisions he has made, but it seems he has fallen so far that he has no choice but to try and climb back out of the hole he has made. I hope this is the last we hear of him for a long, long time.

Was he also charged with selling Renaults to the public?

G'day all! First post in a while but I was around the vicinity this morning before work and dropped into training for the first 40 minutes or so. It's the first time I've managed to get a session this pre-season, so I was excited to see how the new recruits look in red and blue. I arrived at Gosch's at the same time as the lads and was surprised with their first warm up exercise. It appeared to be a variation of musical chairs where the players would run in a circle and would be required to place themselves in groups of 5-6 at certain points. Those left out would then be required to do a series of push-ups. Plenty of laughter out there. Joel Smith running laps. It'll be interesting to see if he factors in our best 22 this season. Vaned berg, Weideman, McKenna and Smith were those who I noticed in rehab. Standard stretches, jogging, and some handball activities followed. A late Tom McDonald then arrives and joins the boys to the shouts of "Tommy!" Players then continue their warm up with a standard kicking drill. Nothing too flash, but I'm delighted to see that one of the players closest to me is Jake Lever. Like nearly every other player in the history of game, I'm stunned to observe how good he looks in the Demon colours. Although he lacks a bit of muscle when compared to Sam Frost (who looks like he could snap Bailey Fritsch in half with a snap of his fingers) who happened to be standing next to him, I've read plenty of encouraging reports that he's been quite vocal on the track. Some sprinting exercises then followed. Our 2km champions Bugg, ANB and T.Mac all leading the way. No surprises here. Also, just saw the number 4 guernsey being worn by James Harmes. That one is still taking some getting used to. Unfortunately, that was about all I was able to see before I had to leave. Hopefully someone was able to pick up a few more details I'll try and come down again of the boys are training later in the week.

The wrist slashing on here about sponsorship is astounding. The club under Peter Jackson has done an amazing job. Sponsorship is hard. It's slow dance with uncertain outcomes and difficult negotiations. Yet some here think the club should update members every 2 seconds about why they haven't filled a sponsor position. These people frankly have no idea how difficult it is. There aren't 100 sponsors waiting in the wings to throw $2-3m a year at the club. Well done to the admin of our club. Quality sponsor.

From DEMONS22 at BigFooty: "I have been advised that Melbourne will have the Red Back Clash, A Royal Blue Clash, BCNA, Anzac, Indigenous & Standard Home. New Front Sponsor to be announced shortly, back sponsor to remain ISelect."