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Last for the year. Enjoy ==> https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-tqFhRn

I'm not 100% sure the assertion yoi are making here Molloy, but if it's that Todd Viney was the MFC's worst coach, then that's a shocking and completely wrong assertion to me. Just looking at his actual record, first two games after taking over a team bereaved of confidence, within two games he makes progress cutting a 76 point loss in his first game as coach, reducing that to a 48 point loss in his second game and then finishing off the season with two losses under 10 points and a win. My reccolection at the time was that Viney took the team back to playing simple hard, agressive tackling brand of football and actually started to bring back some confidence and beleif in the players. He actually did the job so well that there was some mild speculation that perhaps he might take on the job the next year permanently, which to Todds credit he refused to apply for based on his own assessment of his coaching capacity and aspiration (or the genuine lack there of with respects to the later). As far as I understand, Todd Viney has made a fantastic and highly capable contribution to the MFC in his proffesional role at the club, so for the assertion and slight to be made against him as a coach is really quite poor form in my view.

I managed to get down to my first pre season training session for the year. Arrived roughly around 0940hrs and Hannan was already leaving the track so not sure what was happening there... As I walked to the boundary fence there was a hype of activity. Rehabbers doing all sorts drills with Crossy, the main squad doing what looked to be AFLX simulation, music was pumping, the Drone hovering and Bradtke doing some solo ruck work with the coaching staff and then a few guys running timed laps around the oval. Viney was running a few laps with good intensity and is looking a little leaner. Lever and Melksham were running with a staff member who looked to be pace setting. They would do two laps and then walk for a minute and repeat, about 10 laps in all at a good intensity. After Baker and Oliver had finished with their rehab duties they were running boundary laps 1 minute on 1 minute off. They both seem to be in good nick and will resume in contact work after the Christmas break. The main group went on to play 3/4 ground hot potato for 15 minutes or so. I was impressed with Sparrow and Bedfords ferocity, they laid quite a few good tackles and smothers to the applause of the Jade Rawlings, furthermore they are noticably quick. Joel Smith is in ripping shape, if he stays injury free, he will have a break out year... no doubt about it. Hibbo looking a little more cut and Garlett seem to be in a good place, he was displaying fantastic touch and footy nous, so i'll be keen to see how he travels next year. Following on from the Hot potato drill, the main group did some ground ball 3 on 1 drills which was a good laugh, especially seeing Spargo, Bedford and JKH trying to take down Gawn or Preuss. It took them a while but they finally got them down. Sparrow, Bedford and Garlett again impressed in these drills. Towards the end of the session, the main group were put through a fairly intense rotating circuit training where they would spend 30 seconds at each station and move on to the next. It consisted of Bag tackling, Machine rowers, straight arm Barbell plate sit ups, Speed ropes, Spin bikes and a few other interesting exercises which looked similar to Jiu Jitsu grappling which again got a lot of laughs from the spectators and media. Preuss basically just lied on top of Frost to catch a bit of respite not to Frosty's enjoyment. Finally to finish it off the main squad had to do full ground suicide runs. ANB, KK, C.Wagner and Jordon were the standouts here with C.Wagner crossing the line first followed by ANB who was 20 meters behind. Frost, May, Preuss and Weidemann were the last to cross. They all then jogged it back to the centre square for drinks and were sucking in the big ones with a few on all fours. Not too long after that the training session was finished around Noon.

In actual fact, Neeld had some very good ideas on tactics and strategies but was doomed pretty much from the start. Many of the senior players resented his appointment after the sacking of Dean Bailey and there was an undercurrent of dissent from the playing group and others at the club. This was problematic because, as it turned out, Neeld’s man management skills were poor and the list wasn’t much good either. It took a much better coach in Roos who had an improving list more than two years to get the club out of a mire that had taken years to develop. In other words, it wasn’t just Neeld who was at fault for our situation.

Maybe it's about time we left the guy alone. We have moved on and successfully. Enough is enough.

Pagan is dual a Premiership coach...he got royally scr....d in his time at Carlton with the salary cap sanctions. As for Neeld, I hold no animosity against him. He was out of his depth and should never have been appointed to the position. Was probably on a hiding to nothing anyway with the board and management structure (for want of a better word) in place at the time. Rather than cringeworthy I think it's still the remnants of some gallows humour that got us through a pretty tough time. Good luck to him...

How about Prawn?

Thanks Six. As per usual professional quality photos and story telling. We are lucky to have you Tom Sparrow has quite the build for an 18yo doesn’t he. It will be interesting to see how he goes in ‘19 Obviously it is impossible to tell from photos but hopefully Garlett has drawn a line under his rather disastrous season this year and will get back to his best. He has done it before (Carlton -> Melbourne year) so hopefully he can prove a couple here who believe him finished wrong.

My ingrained pessimism (gained from following MFC since the glory years) had me gasping with resigned horror as I quickly read this as “finished for the season”! ??

Reality bus driving over the west gate.

I think you are misreading 'Deemania's' post. He said nothing of high IQ, he's talking footy IQ... Footy IQ is the ability to get where the ball is, to be able to use it when you get it, to use your positioning to assist a teammate , to block opponents, to create opportunity. ...for Pruessy to play hard up forward he will need the footy IQ to position himself, to crash the pack at the right time so as not to give away the free or interfere with a teammate in a good marking position. Oliver may not be a card carrying member of Mensa but he has a very high footy IQ. It's an invaluable attribute.

It was what it was.

I received mine 2 days ago Earl. Obviously they are delivering on the basis of one's social status. "Romsey Manor" says it all really.

Was it a European or African Swallow?

Corey Wag is very fit and is running just as well as ANB. ANB had a bandaged knee and seemed a little off though. Tom Swollow was my standout today. Big session today, they all worked extremely hard. Going to training these days is so much more enjoyable with quality players and coaches doing their thing. Our footy IQ is incredibly high now. Merry Christmas to all. Go Dees in 2019

Fully agree, however I sincerely doubt the words 'quality', 'person' and 'Alex Rance' should ever be seen in the same post, let alone postcode.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-12-19/vote-now-best-goals-of-2018 That Hannan goal against Geelong still gives me goosebumps

Wouldn’t it be much easier if, instead of that, you simply resisted the urge to open this thread in the future?

Kolo will have you quickly forgetting that Gaff was even a possibility.

No one was home when the postie came yesterday but I was left a card to pick up at the post office. Fortunately they are open til midday on a Saturday. Unfortunately only one of our 5 memberships were shipped. I've got 2 very unhappy kids. Poor form really. They would have saved on postage sending them all together at the very least.

i always had a feeling he wasn't fully committed and his body language consistently told another story besides he smiles too much

A brilliant poststructuralist thread which obviously challenges the normal contract between narrator and reader. I would even risk the assertion (though contrary views are welcomed) that "readers are free to open and close the text's signifying process without respect for the signified" ( Selden summarising Barthes)

Hi Deemns56... watts the bid deal with high IQ... we've had that before, and jettisoned some of IT... You know, Steven Hawking would have been a lousy AFL player. I am happy with the likes of ANB & Harmes running amok... and even Peussy playing hard up forward. .

I'm excited by the training news thus far. It would seem Preuss, the Kolo and Sparrow and Co have a lot to offer. Then there is the massive addition of May. I'm also excited by the news about the once very thin Smith, the son of Sean, and very excited about the smoke signals from Jeffrey Garlett..

Picks 5 & 11 or he stays

I'd really hope they refrain from booing Kent for reasons beyond that as well. Though I'm sure what I'm about to say will be disputed by some on here, as Kent seemed to be a bit of a maligned character at times, my honest veiw and assessment of his time at the MFC is that he typically went in hard physically and gave good effort when he pulled on the red and blue - is it two dislocated shoulders/broken collar bones in recient years are a tribute to that. Furthermore, though I don't think he was able to stay on the park or perform consistently enough, he endured some of the bad days of the recient history of the MFC, with his bursts of brilliance providing some much needed excitement and hope when we most needed it. My reccolection is that his burst and run down the wing as part of a chain that setup Salem for a winning shot on goal thay gave us one of our few wins of the season against an in form/competition leading Bombers back in the depths of our dispare for one of the few wins of the season around 2013. I also don't think Kent was being any kind of mercenary (unlike $cully) by leaving is for the Saint's, just trying to give himself a better chance to secure a regular spot and a more secure future, which is fully understandable. Though it would partially grate on me (because I loved seeing him in red and blue), I really do hope he is able to reach his potential as a player against St Kilda...just so long as he doesn't cost us a game against them!!!

And there are a number of occult signs in the picture. Note the goal posts in front of the Ginger bread (witch) house are back to front with the point posts on the inside and goal posts outside.

Preuss has got the devils peak happening ala Jamie Shanahan

I only made it down for about 20 minutes as I have somewhere to be. For about 15 minutes of that time I got distracted and played with a Labrador puppy. Said G’day to Maxy, he said G’day back. The players look much bigger up close, ANB is a sensational runner.

Looking sharp in a Demons jumper.

A few to choose from but I’d go with the Melksham goal. A two step left foot dart from outside 50 at a crucial time in a final. I think that goal looks better and better every time you watch it. Wonderful technique. If there was a vote for going off your chops goal, Hannan’s wins hands down. Cry like a baby goal goes to Kent.

2020?

To paraphrase just enough: There’s a backline that features Jake Lever, Mitchell (er, Michael) Hibberd and Neville Jetta, as well as former Gold Coast co-captain Steven May (plus Christian Salem). The engine room is led by the game’s premier ruckman in Max Gawn, who consistently dishes out hits to advantage to the likes of Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw, Jack Viney (and James Harmes and Christian Petracca). That'll do me: I'm the envy of every other past Demons' supporting incarnation of myself.

Kicked the most goals last season - from a gazillion i50s - and probably have the weakest pack of ten goals of any team in the comp when it comes to sheer individual brilliance. This is exactly what Simon wants. Not in the highlights: the high number of exceptional running team goals last year and moments of line-breaking brilliance in delivery which led to regulation goals. Go Dees.

Best Bet Flemington Race 5 No.5 Cash Affair $4.60

Nibbler just tweaked, just checked and strapped it, no issue JKH just rolled his ankle Both finished the session

I’m obviously dense but I don’t get this thread

You are easily forgettable dc. Got mine today.

Can’t see much booing of Kent happening. Supporter discontent scale of ex MFC player in another jumper (1-10) 10. Scully 5. Howe 1. Dunn 0. Trengove I’d rate both Kent and Tyson maybe a 2. Both chose to leave but you can absolutely understand why they did. Should be minimal booing aside from those who would boo anyone including their grandmothers for dud Xmas presents. I wasn’t around for when Barassi went to Carlton. Anyone remember what his first match in navy was like against the MFC? Imagine the build up the AFL would give that match today. Do you reckon they would have us playing Carlton twice next year!

OT... you’re obviously not a member of the Biddles Bird Watchers Society if you can’t tell the difference between a Swallow and a Sparrow ?

Thank you to all the posters who attended and reported on training in the lead up to Christmas. I am really looking forward to the post New Years reports as they ramp up to Round 1. Bring on 2019 already.

did you get a pic of saty taking a pic?

Team Prawn

With all the great content we get online through the official site and social media do we really need the magazine anymore? Seems like an unnecessary cost in this day and age that could be better spent on us winning a premiership.

I don't know why the media keep harping on this: Given the dominance of Gawn, it was strange that North Melbourne back up ruckman Braydon Preuss was so keen to get to the Demons. Even more so given Kangaroos big man Todd Goldstein is in the twilight of his career, while Gawn has years ahead of him. Preuss has put it on the record that he believes he and Gawn can play in the same team, just like the Eagles premiership duo of Scott Lycett and Nathan Vardy did in 2018. But if it ain’t broke, why fix it? I simply cannot wait til the Gawn/Preuss tag team shuts these clowns up.

A short sharp craft session followed by a run around the tan for some Preuss continues to impress, if he can translate what I see on the training track to games, he will be an asset, still have not seen him miss a kick, there was a short kick to him that dropped short, thought he would let it go but he scooped it up off the ground and nailed his kick going the other way Got some good pics of him and Gawny doing one on one Craft all about quick ball movement A few of the rehabbers joined session today, all the Hs, Harmes, Hunt, Hore, Tim Smith Jetta, Petracca, Oliver were still in 'rehab'group Melksham and Baker did a boxing session, as per the photo, got a bit willing a couple of times, fun to watch They are trying to fast track Bradtke, Stafford put him through a brutal half an hour at the end of the session A pleasing sight is Bernie Vince bouncing around, big smile on the dial

I can’t read this. Thank god the club has moved on, I’m going with them.