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Nah I was there, except half the squad wasn't, all the newbies including May etc in Alice Springs with Jones and Gawn Rest did a craft day, apart from rehabbers who were all out at different times, expect Gus to be 'news' item, out jogging laps on his own, had a camera and 'reporter' following him around ??? Craft session was really good, included a game of touch football, gave all the 'steppers' a chance to shine, Garlett had Nibbler on his [censored] without touching him with an inside out step, much to everybody else's amusement, write him off at your peril Jordan Lewis in magnificent nick for his 15th pre season, said he'd dropped a kilo and did a bit of extra work 'have to keep up' If we thought the competition for spots was fierce last year, this year will be a whole new level which can only benefit the team Spoke to the Academy 17 year olds, either I am shrinking, which happens with age, or we will soon be land of the giants, will post a pic later running in the big guys group, and they are both midfielders

We're posting the house down.

Hat Direction Watch

Must be frustrating for Jake but it’s essentially good news. Must have him pain free for the intense rehab in the States - providing that this surgery has not pushed that date back.

Oskar Baker - did 2 hammies in the back end of last year, probably just a slow build up Angus Brayshaw - was in the main group last week but called for the physios a couple of times Mitch Hannan - think he's had knee problems in both years, had an op James Harmes - had a shoulder op, seems to be fine Marty Hore - unsure, but is doing a fair bit in rehab, paired up with Melk Jayden Hunt - had shoulder surgery, doing a fair bit on the track Neville Jetta - had knee and shoulder procedures Jake Lever - knee taking it's time according to Stevo's tweet Oscar McDonald - unsure? Jake Melksham - probably just the ankle he carried in the back end of last year, doing plenty Clayton Oliver - legs look good, obviously hasn't done upper body weights for a while Christian Petracca - had a knee op Tim Smith - unsure Billy Stretch - coming back from stress fracture Aaron vandenBerg - had a shoulder op, out running Jack Viney - had an ankle procedure, doing laps, I expect they'll take him slowly It's a long list and it's way too talented! Lever due to it being a long term injury and Vanders and Viney with their injury histories are the guys I'm worried about. Just a rough guess but I think Baker, Brayshaw, Hore, Hunt, Melksham should be good to go soon based on them doing more ball work from what I saw. Clarry seems fine, will just be a matter of when he can resume contact drills. Jetta and Petracca seem paired up and looked ok. It's not panic stations now but I think we need to have the list back in single figures asap after Christmas and have as many of these guys right to go for the preseason games. If they haven't done enough training to play in the preseason then they're likely playing catch up during the regular season which is a risk of further injuries.

Is it time for training already? Unofficial training day but if anyone is heading down to training today we'd appreciate an update. Thanks in advance.

Garlett is finished. Our club and team has moved past flaky players who pick and choose when it suits them.

I'd rather see him do that on game day than at a training session in December. I'm in the 'want him to return to form' camp but he'll need to do more than a few side steps for people not to write him off in 2019. He can be an asset to our side moving forward as he's a proven goal kicker who can put plenty of forward pressure on, but the modern game has almost seemed to pass him by in 2018. I'd love him to prove me wrong, but he's coming from a fair way back.

It amazes me that there is any negativity at all. Pert was CEO to the biggest Sporting Club in Australia, now he is our CEO We will get bigger and stronger....

Pert spoke very well on Radio. This club will grow. By how much, is determined by the amount of wins we have against opponents and of course how those wins occur We make our own history Remember that there are around 2,000 people per week moving to Melbourne, to make it their home. This City is growing at an incredible rate, the Club must utilize this... Get a presence in the CBD and the suburbs We have the name no one else has...

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

If I'm not mistaken, Fritta has been near the front in many of the running drill pics that I've seen this pre season. I don't remember that of him last year, and if he has added that string to his bow, he will be a weapon and a half on the wing.

Consistency of effort every week from all senior players will be expected. There is no place for inconsistent effort whoever the player. My gosh how the standards and expectations have changed.

We were probably saying the same about Spargo last year ...

You will need their parents consent if you want to take photos of these ones Saty. An extra bit of advice - don't ask for "guns" pics from these ones.

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

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.

boy there is some negativity here no one in the VFL side last year took his place and everyone knew it was up for grabs. Let's see if one of them can take it this year. Personally I think his dedication etc is what we have been missing for twenty odd years if not more.

Why put down that kind of endeavor? I love it that this guy is near the end, still fighting and not wanting to give it up. We seem to have please of good young talent all of a sudden, which is good, but I think it's equally good that our young guys both have to fight for a spot in the side, at the same time as benifiting from the experience and leadership that a guy like Lewis brings to the table. You can have experience around the place in a non playing capacity, but at the end of the day, I don't think it's the same. Whilst I'm somewhat disappointed that Bernie didn't go out in a blaze of glory, I think he was still a more than worthy contributor for the vast majority of game he played this year and that he had earned a leave pass over the years for the few he might have under performed in. Still such a thing as respect in football and whilst the talks that we will treat Lewis like any first year rookie, the reality is that he isn't and we will treat him accordingly.

Bedford speed is ridiculous but has a tendency to really butcher the ball. Hard as a cats head also

And because they're too cool to wear this style:

All this talk about players giving everything this year has me more worried about burn out now I know every team needs to improve, but we weren't that far off it this year. A few wins and we are staring at a top 2 finish ABOVE the Eagles and their stadium and then who knows. We obviously had some glaring issues with our game plan mid year and needed a few tweaks and positional adjustments, but i just hope we don't suffer from any adverse effects of training TOO hard because we've undestimated how close we are, or being too crushed by the weight of expectations when we invariably have a few off-games next year. WCE still had their woeful games in a premiership year, case in point Essendon at home. It goes without saying that the converse of this problem is overestimating ourselves and not training hard enough. So balance. Train hard, give everything, but also know your limits.

Would hope players should do that every year.

Must have had a huge downpour at Etihad during the VFL GF. Didn't put his body on the line or stand under a high ball. He's not a "Goody-type"player.

That's how I see it too, Steve. A bit frustrating but in the grand scheme of things it matters little. If he is back on the track by Monday then he really hasn't missed too much. That's a win for Jake and the club in my book.

Possibly related to 3AWs Rumour File which today had a story about an unnamed AFL player who is developing a new type of players' helmet? The clip didn't confirm the identity of the club or player, though.

Every time I go to Adelaide I have to remind myself to put my watch back 30 minutes plus 20 years.

Lovely day to be at Goschs paddock, pity I am elsewhere.

Go out with a bang Wadda. Hope you’ve had a great trip. For me, I think it’s time to hit the paddock for a spell. The arrival of the 4th foal/ Junior Dee is imminent in the DZ household. ?

I shall have a look. Nice spotting. I will most likely be doing the long flights that Friday Sat, after a final Armageddon in Amsterdam !

I tried doing it then and the MCC website wasn't allowing it either! The MCC site theoretically allowed a member to sign up with any AFL club* but the system didn't actually work. *Personally, I think anyone who joins an AFL club other than Melbourne should have their MCC membership cancelled as it's a clear sign that the person does not have the requisite integrity or intelligence expected of an MCC member.

To me I heard it more as the later, that we shouldn't be aiming to mimic any of the other clubs. There wasn't any Collingwood this and Hawthorn that, this is what those clubs do well and we want to become like that... History is obviously part of the uniqueness of a club, but I agree it can be overemphasized at times. On reflection, I actually think PJ started the ball rolling in the right direction on this topic, but Pert has made the right impression on me as well.

Jake Lever is the only player who would be in doubt for a round 1 start. Injuries (lack of) will be critical to a 2019 premiership opportunity. We need our stars to stay fit. That’s why Preuss was brought in. We need a fit Maxy G come September.

Are Essendon not allowed to inject their players in the official off season?

i'm actually in better shape now than the end of the season just saw my cardio and he doesn't want to see me next for 3 years (normally annually). all because got off my [censored] and did some regular training ?

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

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.

We should see about some slightly longer socks

And Damien Oliver just picked up the ride on 'Trap for Fools' in the Kingston Town Classic to be run on Saturday ... the horse is fresh off winning the McKinnon a month ago. Here's the latest odds for the $1Million Kingston Town Classic. Looks to be a race between the locals Arcadia Queen, Galaxy Star, Material Man & former local Trap for Fools. Gatting has been racing well also but the top 4 look the most likely.

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.

And nothing says "common" more than a Richmond or Collingwood membership.

I was delightfully surprised to hear Pert say that the new facilities would have social areas for members/supporters to go before/after games. Most of us had thought this was unlikely to be included. So it narrows down the options to be somewhere around the MCG. He was instrumental in getting the dedicated areas for Pie supporters at their MCG games so he has a good idea of what is required.

Done, ?

Actually May managed to push Preuss off the line of the ball once My lovely lady can attest to the size of May close up after the incident yesterday and we are talking body size only??? she has left it to me to do the gun check???

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.

The players talk of being given a 'summer program' where I assume they'd sit down at their exit interview and be given ideas of what they should be working on to improve their game/fitness. They would not be allowed to be directly contacted but if they want to do extra work they can. The monitoring of a players 'extra work' will come from all the tests they do when they get back, skin folds, repeat runs etc.

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

Agree and plus this - https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/12/03/are-hinkley-and-pyke-the-coaches-under-the-most-pressure-in-2019/ Now, I don't think Goodwin has show any signs of wanting out/go home, but if we don't get this extension right, then the hungry crow eaters could well come a knocking on his door.

The support the State Government has given other clubs is a precedent for some help for us...Yarra Park or elsewhere. The Age is today reporting that the Bulldogs have reported a profit of...wait for it...$18 MILLION! That's not increased jumper sales,; it's mostly the value of the freehold of the Western Oval which has been assigned to them as part of the WO redevelopment. In other words, either the State or the Council has handed them this asset. Geelong has been looked after over 20 years starting with Bracks and it's depressing to think of the help given to other clubs since. I hope something comparable is coming our way. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/western-bulldogs-record-18m-profit-20181128-p50izu.html