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First time (actually second) long time but need to reiterate the thanks as others have done to those dedicate fans that go to training sessions in the pre-season. I live in the excitement hub of Adelaide now (married into a Crow Eater family) and reading the papers here you wouldn't know that there are 16 other teams in the comp. I get laughed at when discussing footy at any family occasion and at work and I find reading this site is now my only link to my number one passion. Having access to these first hand accounts makes living in this hellhole (don't tell my wife) bearable. I've been an avid reader of this website for a long time. I hope I can contribute my thoughts on the Mighty Dees. I'll be back in Melbourne for a week in the new year and I'm making it my mission to get down to training as I'm deeply saddened that the Dees won't be playing in Adelaide next year. Hoping to make it to the QB clash if I can convince the missus. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE RED AND THE BLUE

Another diehard that really appreciates all these training reports. I'm up in Brisvegas and for obvious reasons attending training is impossible so having these reports, with the level of detail that some go into is absolutely amazing. I have a great feeling about this team, more so than any Demons team in the last 3 decades. Time will tell I guess. Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and say thank you for this site and thank you to the great posters that offer us a glimpse into the preseason training sessions.

Me. The whole finals things took its toll. Just recovering.

It's like having Knickers the cow X2

Tossing or turning whether to go with this in a report because I don't want to be premature, nor do I want to get others overly excited. But I guess it's December so even I can be positive. I'll also say that Josh Wagner is one of the best 5 kicks at training and even the worst kicks hit their targets more times than not in simple drills. That said, here's my big call - James Jordon might be the best kick on the list. He's balanced, has a simple action and has lovely penetration and shape on his kicks. The guys did a drill that required a kick from the wing to land up in front of a forward who was positioned 10m or so inside the boundary. The gusty wind took apart the guys with suspect techniques - Maynard and Tommy Mc kicked floaters and Frost was sending them everywhere, even some of the better kicks were missing short or long. Jordon's kicks were cutting through the breeze and landing in front of the eyes of the forwards.

JKH is too small for an AFL footballer...Lewis towers over him...

Here's the Gary Pert segment.

Done, ?

15 in the rehab group today, I asked, the majority expected to be ready to go post Xmas My lovely lady went for a walk to far side of oval, happily leaning on the fence to be greeted by the sight of Steven May charging directly at her chasing an errant kick, managed to apply the brakes at the fence, just, being a gentleman, apologised at the end the session for scaring the [censored] out of her Think he is out to prove himself, which is great to see, attacking every session, asked a couple of players, he was [censored] on Friday when a couple of players thought they could step around him, hence why he buried them Bradtke was again praised for a couple of nice kicks during the kicking drills, reports of his demise premature Great to see Bernie Vince back Only a couple of running drills, majority of the session, ball and craft work, great to see in early December Garlett in magnificent nick, obviously did heaps over the break Asked Weid, put on another 1 and 1/2 kilos of muscle over the break, another one who looks in great nick Any questions feel free

Bernie’s back in the red and blue Good to see him sticking around!

I was so bloody happy to read this. I love Bernie. The impact he's had on this club is underrated by many.

He should be excited. We all should. We have been through hell and have come out the other side. We have done all the hard work and have held strong when everything was going against us. I am hopelessly emotionaly attached to this club and I for one savoured every moment of 2018. 2019 onwards is going to be a blast. If you haven't renewed your membership yet, or are considering getting your first... Do it now. Our list is the real deal. Get on board and enjoy the ride!

Not that maxy needs any encouragement to train hard, but can def see value in training with another mature size ruckman rather than the toothpicks he’s been training with the last few years.

I think the most interesting thing he said was that we had 3 or 4 options for the training/admin/supporter base and one of them was Yarra Park. Many on here have undersold the club by thinking that Yarra Park was the only option. This is a club now run by serious people and they are not going in without a thorough planing and options. It is also clear to me that the base we are looking at will be somewhere in or around the MCG/Laver sporting precinct. Exciting times ahead on and off field.

Will love to see Pert and Jako have a Beer ? together down the track, celebrating a victory. Gary Pert has the opportunity to make the Melbourne Football Club a “Big” Club, as it should be. It can be done, if it is built properly, it was in Bartlett’s original speech to the members.... i think he will succeed

We should see about some slightly longer socks

On face value an impressive interview. He has a clear view of his role and his priorities are to grow the club and get the new facilities in place. Seems to have worked hard to engage existing managers and stakeholders. Time will tell how it works out but if he achieves those goals, I won't get too hung up on the odd issue that might arise.

Absolutely love Theox love the unbridled enthusiasm around here but - this competition is incredibly even and tough - we have a particularly difficult draw this year - if there is one team in the AFL that has a capacity to get ahead of itself it is the MFC I would have thought a big fat lid needs to be found quickly - it’s great to be positive but let’s actually achieve something before talking the talk. I think we need to see what this team can deliver in the first half of next season with the weight of expectation firmly on their shoulders - hopefully they don’t let themselves and supporters down.

Thanks for the photos @Satyriconhome.

For every person who thinks one year out of the game is not enough to recharge there will be another who thinks that anything longer would be too long and too hard to get back in. I admire Pert for taking on this job. Without denigrating Jackson, there was a lot of low hanging fruit when he arrived. He picked all that off and then went on to the more difficult matters and will be rightly remembered as one of the best CEOs the club has ever had. So Pert comes into a job where all the "easy fixes" have already been done and will have to suffer the inevitable comparisons with his immediate predecessor. He would be smart and experienced enough to know that, so I admire him for taking on what has become difficult job to be seen to be successful in.

I know talk is cheap, but imo that was an impressive interview.

I was listening to SEN radio a week or so back, and I think the collective bargaining agreement might mandate a certain amount of time away from the club, but the player being interviewed seemed to indicate that a number of players would head back to the club even only after a few weeks or so away to start doing weights and fitness. It didn't sound like they were not allowed to engage with the training and fitness staff. He went as far as indicating that he went back to the club for that exact reason, he had the physio and others that could help him improve. (I can't recall the player nor the club btw) I suspect that the players that have had surgery over the offseason would still remain in contact with the club, physios and the medical team. I would imagine that it's more that the CBA states that the club is not able to mandate these things. But the doors would remain open for the players if they chose to be there.

You decide. Actual size comparison.

I’d say from comments made by Jason Taylor, he’d be playing most of the time as a forward. Secondly, would suggest the ruck not necessarily an ideal spot to put a player who hasn’t played football in a few years, until he is able to protect his body correctly in the position. Teach him to use his body in marking contests and attack the ball in the air, progress that to ruck is my thoughts on the matter

Apparently after 11 this morning, Zeph.

I believe Pert will be on SEN this morning with Whateley.

I’d go so far as to say he’s the best kick on the list since James Strauss. ?

Could play...

I recommend a cold spoon.

Love the big Ox! Will never forget thag footage od him and his son watching Kent kick that searler against west coast.

30,096 a 8% increase on Nov 30, 2017. I wouldn't be surprised to see this rise substantially before Christmas - we have already exceeded last year's Christmas Eve total. We are on the way to reach 50,000!

Classic pre-season interview - it's great to hear, but like pre-season training, means little until things really kick in. What I do like is that we have a very experienced person in the role who, aside from a tainted finish at the Pies, has runs on the board as doing some excellent work as a CEO. If he has learned from previous mistakes and helps us set up a much better facility for the club, then it's going to be a great appointment in my book.

To be honest I have been waiting for our new CEO to talk to us about his expectations about our Great Club and I guess SEN was a good way to break the "Ice", Whateley is a confident interviewer and I did feel reassured that he is the man for the job and I am glad that Mahoney stuck around to support the club with his expertise.

As far as i know it is only an MFC arrangement. The MCG is our home. The others have a spiritual home elsewhere, they rent...

La Dee-vina, I just did my update this morning. You need to log into the MCC portal and pay through that. Click on renew my membership and as you've already paid for your MCC (I imagine) it will allow you to get either a MCC premium or just exclusive membership. That should work. Good luck & Go Dees

I just paid up today, went for the Reserved Seat open air to get the GFG and hopefully inspire myself to come down from Sydney for at least 5 games this year. However unless the mods have a problem, I’d be happy to offer my M15 seat to any other interstate members who want the better seat if they want to PM me (obviously if I’m not using it myself). Super pumped for this year

Schwartz is a true believer. The mighty Ox.

May looks like a midget standing beside those two giants!

It would be extraordinary if fitness staff could not give advice to players or give them a fitness/workout program if players voluntarily seek their advice. Even if they don't seek their advice, surely club fitness people can give advice in the off-season. Players should be maintaining their condition outside officially sanctioned club training days. I would expect all professional players to do this. This is not to say that this is part of the clubs official training program or mandated training periods. The consequences of not keeping fit are obvious. Players are more likely to get injured by not keeping fit than getting injured through over exertion. However, players are not going to be punished for turning up out of condition. It players are not able to use their own discretion about maintaining fitness and condition in the off-season, god help me. They may not all be rocket scientists but they are professional footballers and should know what to do.

Another one who seems to have done extra in the break That will be post Xmas, apart from a couple of one on one drills, but that's usually mix and match, had Preuss and May doing battle

Is that even possible? Can salmon coloured boots be beautiful? Makes me doubt the credibility of the rest of your posts (not).

Really good, made him laugh saying I was talking to a man now, reckon he is setting himself up for a big season, looking sharp every session

I'm devastated we have a bloke with a man bun on the list.

Smart as this guy?

Joel Smith and Declan Keilty training with the forwards. As is Corey Wagner Kade Kolodjashnij, Tom Sparrow with the mids. And Bayley Fritsch. James Jordon and Aaron Nietschke starting life down back. Christian Salem is with the backs. As is Guy Walker.

@Colin B. Flaubert - My consternation over the Pert appointment was the process which I have heard (outside of Caroline Wilson’s word) was old Melbourne; rushed, the board not fully supportive, the AFL blind sided. I am most definitely supportive of the club and hope he does well, but I hate that Bartlett has allowed even the perception of this kind of amateurish behaviour with one of the most important decisions a club can make.

He will be his own man, and won't be trying to fill PJ's shoes because he can't. No CEO can be hands off and just let everything run, regardless of who he follows. His job is not to maintain things but to develop, grow and increase influence across every part of club life to the point of a Premiership. rjay got it right above - Pert's main job particular to his appointment is to get our new footy/admin home base done.

? What’s a Cheque? Is my credit card about to be replaced by new technology?

A very reasoned post Ernie... 4 years sounds about right... allows you to extend at the end of year 3 if all are happy. I do think that this list may be the last roll of our dice for a while so I want to see sustained success. A flag if possible but deep into the finals is the minimum. The last ten plus years has ripped the life out of the club and its base membership is I suspect getting out of balance age wise. We need to bring on a new generation. While we can point to the Pies and Tigers as examples of how you can turn it around we can also point to the Bulldogs for flash in the pan success. We desperately need sustained success.