Leaderboard

Maynard, Frost and Jetta in the rehab group initially. Jetta later joined the craft groups but seemed to be limiting his running. Didn't look in any discomfort and was working with the backs later in the session. Weid, King and Flipper doing some drills together early whilst Gawn was in the main group but joined all in full training later. Interesting that Weid was in this group whilst Pedo was with the main group. Doesn't seem as though Pedo is seen as a replacement/second ruck. No sign of Viney or Vanders. Tommy Mac was running slow laps (in runners) for the first bit of the session and then did some work in football boots but nothing like full pace. He did a lot of goal kicking practice and was very good. He was kicking with both left and right and not favouring any foot. Who knows if they were playing ducks and drakes in the "open" session but if he is as close as suggested I would have expected him to be in the main group or at least doing some high intensity stuff. Joel Smith didn't do the whole session and finished with the rehab boys at the end but didn't look to be in any discomfort. I'd think it was a management issue. Hunt also didn't do the full session and was practicing torps from about 60 out and also long drop punts to the boundary from defence. Didn't look in any discomfort either and was kicking the ball a mile. Tyson did the full session. Was at the northern end as well and Melksham and Bugg seemed to be having a competition at shots at goal. Melk took the chocolates but you wouldn't feel confident with either having a shot. There were lots of different groups doing things so it was difficult to see everything. It wasn't a hard session, just a bit of short sharp intensity work and craft work. Questions welcome.

Jordan on the track with hand heavily bandage, looked to be acting as assistant coach. Sam Frost in the rehab group. Neville Jetta tested and seemed to have passed fitness. Tom Mcdonald expects to be training with the main group next week. Plenty of tackling practice, disposal and being very aggressive when under pressure was empathised . Demands by the coaching staff to run hard when ball turns over during 7 on 7 game stimulations. Plenty of running for the group that played against Hawthorn. Lots of marking drills for our talls. Jesse Hogan, Nathen Jones, Max Gawn all look ready to win against Richmond. Brendan McCartney very optimistic about knocking off Richmond. A hard at it training session for the players.

Should start kicking goals from 20m out directly in front as a leader. Just saying.

I was driving past Gosch's and saw Max working on his runup. Managed to sneak a couple of pics. Looks like he's improved it out of sight.

If I had the option of going to the game I’d go in a heartbeat. You Melbournians are a bunch of whinging spoilt brats, this game isn’t about you or your feelings or how hard you think you’re done by because we were outplayed last weekend. By all means stay at home and sip your turmeric chai activated almond milk latte while eating gluten-free lentil pasta with charcoal enriched kale crumbed organic tofu. It’s an honour the team gets to play Anzac Eve, go and support them. Case closed.

Thankfully, "feelings" have no relevance.

Selfish.

He has had a great start to 2018. Just turned 22 as well so still finding his feet... I could never understand the negativity toward him on here, its almost as if people just ignored the fact he as a very young inexperienced KPD. Big fan.

Apparently Tom told Sam McLure he was almost ready for Richmond game and should be right to go for Essendon.

Yeah TMac was at the Casey game last Saturday and I overheared him say to some supporters that he thinks he should be back after the Richmond game.

I for one can vouch for this training regime, I'm super fit.

I dropped past for 15 mins and it looked like they nearly finishing up. I was down the Northern end and there was lots of one on one contested marking work between backs and forwards resulting in not too many marks but Lever looked good and was disposing of it well. Maxy was a lonely figure doing set shots for goals and of about the 10 shots I watched ranging from 20m -40m out, all but one went through the middle. His action looks completely different from the 2 misses he's had in round one and last week and seems to have his weight further forward and is only kicking off 3 steps. The opposite has to be said about Bugg. He was having repeated shots from the boundary and couldn't find the middle. Yuck !

This week the two teams will be playing for the Maric-Holland Shield.

Anyone who can go but chooses not to is doing a great disservice to the club. If we want these blockbusters and to be treated like we matter by the AFL then it is on the supporters to actually turn up and support. We need to get over 80k, preferably over 85k again.

For those who have a choice and are contemplating not going to the game on ANZAC Eve, how would you feel if we win and you are not there to see it? From a purely emotional perspective, I've always found the unexpected victories to be the most satisfying.

I think we will win because we are Melbourne. We will put in a great effort against the odds. We will build winning form and won’t lose again until the bookie odds are in our favour of at least 3/1.

'Illusionary' is the word you were looking for picket

While I support the call for a cautious approach, for all we know we may already be doing that by holding him back until the Essendon game.

If people aren’t turning up to this game because of 1 bad performance, then it’s time to follow a different sport. I am pumped for this game and can’t wait to be there, it is going to be massive. The players would have been stung by the weekends performance and I have no doubt they will take it right up to the Tigers. Dees by 7 pts. Be there!!!!!!!

It didnt work to ignore Bugg when he kicked four against North.

TMac would be such a massive boost if/when we get him back. He's been back in footy boots for a few weeks now, which is very positive as I believe that's what aggravated his toe last time he upped his loading. In addition, he's such a naturally gifted endurance athlete that he may be able to get back to match-standard fitness sooner than most. Fingers and toes crossed.

Misson men Misson mentioned T Mac could be back for the Essendon game and then hopefully the following week.

Read in the AFL injury update that McDonald have overtaken Viney and is now in the 2-3 category with Jack in the 3-4. Very encouraging for TMac, and fingers crossed for Viney.

Click the circular arrow symbol in the posters profile to bring up their username history.

This just in 10,000 Demon Fans Out With Broken Hands Fans believed to have punched walls, slammed table tops, in unexplained epidemic last Sunday afternoon.

Time for a laugh.

Agree Dr G this game and QB are our chance (along with continued improvement) to be a destination club. I'm heading over for this and can't wait

Oscar on Dusty? I predict Dusty would kick 10.

We didn't need to until sometime during the third term. We lost the second term to poor kicking - we had ample chances to hit the scoreboard and only kicked points. The Hawks had just 4 scoring shots for the term, all of which were goals. Goody could be forgiven for going in at half time and telling them to kick straight and we're in the game - outside of tackles, we were either level or ahead in most statistical areas, so it wasn't as if we were being belted going in at half time. We turn those gettable shots into goals and we're ahead by 3 of them going in to half time. The game began to run away from us half way through the third term and, by then, it was running away quickly. I know that Goodwin moved Frost up forward and re-jigged a few other things, but he certainly wasn't able to work any sort of magic that Clarkson did. I don't think he has the experience to do that just yet. Again, I'm not making excuses - Goodwin needs to learn to see things changing in a game earlier than he does some weeks. But at the same time we didn't really start struggling until half way through the third term and then the flood gates opened. We had no idea how to stop them and that's the issues we need to address.

Is it even conceivable, probable and even likely that the team had one of those 'bad' games? The group have a challenge in front of them

I saw the first hour of training, TMac was there running laps then was doing goal kicking practice afterwards.

I agree with everything you've said but want to add that the best game plans revolved around the strengths of the players you have AND the personnel and gameplan of the opposition. To use a cliche, horses for courses.

I bloody loved 'Dutchy' Holland. Could be a horrible kick of the footy but always did his job week in, week out to best of his abilities.

This idea that one game plan is best in the long-run doesn't sit with me. There is no one perfect game plan. The best game plans revolve around the strengths of the players you have, and while you can change the players it takes long time to turn over a list and there is no guarantee you will get the right ones in the end. Structure is quite easy to change, it can simply be a case of telling player to start in a certain position at a centre bounce. Bombing the ball long to the forward line is fine, but if you allow the opposition to have a loose player back it is dumb. We didn't have the right structures to allow us to play to the conditions, plus Jones tagging Mitchell meant Petracca spent too long in the middle which robbed us of another target in the forward line.

Membership is still creeping up: 40,444

I will be flying down from Brisbane for the game. The weather forecast promises a dry ground so I expect our boys to come back hard. If I thought negatively of the Dees after a bad performance the week before, I would have dropped off in the early 70’s. We either support the team or not. Man up and don’t be fence sitters or fair weather fans.

God, what a trash article from the Age. Don't get me wrong, it was an appalling, frustrating game but if you can survive 186 points and call yourself a Melbourne supporter you can survive Sunday.

I'd say it's stubborn, not dumb, coaching from Goodwin. They would have trained with these structures all summer and it would be hard to just chuck it all in at the sign of a problem. They tried to rectify it in the last term but by then it was too late. It's just as bad to constantly change a structure as it is to just stick with it. Seeing what is occurring and make the correct changes is hard to learn. Clarkson has been doing it for 15 years - when he saw what was wrong in the first term, he tweaked a few things and it made a huge difference. Goodwin is clearly still learning to do the same thing in just his second season and, as the last paragraph states, would have learned plenty from the weekend. His challenge now, and the hope for us supporters, is that he has learned from it now. No doubt he was thoroughly out coached on the weekend and he needs to learn quickly how to respond when the momentum turns, but the positive is that he CAN learn from it and he CAN work with the players to make things better.

Humour...it was Bernie being Bernie. There are many on here jumping at shadows this week. I might have tune out for a while, this is not very productive.