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I just don't get what the issue is with Trac. I reckon he had a really good season last year playing a difficult position and contributing consistently. I watched a few games since season end and this week watched the game against Freo in Darwin specifically to watch Billy Stretch. Petracca was very good that game and close to best on. If you watch the two finals games he was influential and his touches are quality and his vision elite. He uses the ball exceptionally well and just needs to overcome the yips in goal kicking to be even better. I doubt the footy department have any of the concerns that are often expressed here about Petracca. He's just finished his third year of playing at this level and doing very well. People's negative comments are based more on their heightened expectations than any failing in Petracca's performance. The kid is a gun.

Maybe you're just tall for your height...!

If you’ve played competitive footy, you will have a fair inkling that AVB is the sort of bloke you know as opposition that the contest in general is going to brutal and most likely hurt yourself in the end. He’s the sort of grunt and mongrel that Roos and Goodwin have built the list by and which ultimately we hope to have the edge in when we go deep in September. I’m very pleased we didn’t lose him to Sydney because his value is measured in more than just meat and potatoes. I hope to see him feature quite a bit this year.

The fact we made the prelim without him for most of the year is quite remarkable really. I hope he isn't being rushed back. Get that knee right Jakey, we need you in September.

My father, a 70 year Melbourne supporter, was supposed to have a table in the dining room with his mates that day. Unfortunately he passed away unexpectedly and our family and his friends ended up with a couple of extra tables having a fairly emotional lunch. At half time there were a number of black humour comments that he was ‘lucky’ that he wasn’t around to watch just how crap Melbourne were. And then the tide turned. What a roller coaster it was and, of course, we all thought they were playing for Dad and he was helping from above. Then we were able to have a kick on the G after the game and quietly spread half his ashes on the ground, CHF scoreboard end.

I can't see us losing a game all year!

That's what my body looks like. It's just buried very deep somewhere. Probably the same place as my footy skills.

I fully agree except I believe Jones was a very good junior triathlete before he came to the club, so I think he was always pretty strong in his running. Petracca's weight is his strength. It's his size that can potentially make him a competition powerhouse. He does need to improve his running and if he's a couple of kilos overweight then sure he needs to lose it, but I doubt his weight is an issue. I reckon Petracca is 25-30% below his optimum and much of that will come with finding easier ball. He averages 20 disposals per game and 48% of his possessions are contested, which is very high and more in tune with an inside mid. He needs to find easier footy on the outside through smarts and work ethic and lift those uncontested possessions. If he can do that he'll make great advances.

Can someone from the "Petracca is overweight" camp please show your workings as to how you've come to that conclusion?

Not sure about a lot of that. The Pies don't have 2 key forwards and a resting ruck. De Goey is a very undersized full forward, a throw back to when full forwards were a thing. Mihocek is a hard working competitor who's just key position sized. Cox is really a forward in a ruckmans body. He leaps at the ball and can lead like a forward. The 3 options work well together - a super tall, a medium and a small marking option. Plus Stephenson as a zippy leading player. The Eagles forward line works for a lot of reasons, a large part of which is that they left Vardy and Lycett on the bench for a lot of the grand final! That puts a toll on their mids and flankers to cover rotations but they can do that because they have a lot of experienced players. We're slowly getting older but we'd be mad to waste rotations when our midfield was mainly kids. The other big reason it works is because Josh Kennedy is a tackling/pressure machine as is Darling who is very mobile and short for a 2nd key forward. They also have great pressure medium/small players. The gains of covering Max with a proper ruck for 20-25% of the game (or 5-7 minutes in the middle of each quarter) have to weighed against the losses in our forward line. I don't think a forward line with 2 genuine tall marking options in T Mc and Weid as well as a number of medium sized players - Melksham, Petracca and Hannan/Vanders/Harmes/Oliver/Fritsch is going to work with a 200cm+ lump in the way. The final thing to consider is that Weid in the ruck seemed to rejuvenate him as a player. He might not win a lot of taps but he follows up and tackles well, links up in general play somewhat like a midfielder and gets involved in the game.

Has anyone noticed if Preuss's aerobic capacity has improved relative to Gawny since he's arrived. I'm sure this will be a focus and why he's doing so much running with Gawny. You might be right but I really hope you're wrong. Preuss's recruitment for me was one of the more interesting in quite a while for two reasons. Firstly I was sure it meant Hogan was out the door. Secondly I reckon it means we will follow the two Grand Finalists and have two key forwards and a resting ruckman as a forward. They proved it isn't too top heavy. It's amazing how things have changed so quickly from the Tigers 2017 Premiership which everyone thought showed that teams would only have one key forward. You couldn't say Preuss is less mobile than Cox and I would say Vardy as well. Logically his choice to come to the Dees makes no sense if he was told you're only going to get a game if Gawn gets injured. I think they are going to play him in that Cox/Vardy role and the ruck rule changes mean the days of players like Harmes and Grigg playing in the ruck are over. You are going to have to have a genuine second ruck.

Lever is a class above and l expect him to make us even a better team with him down back there. After all he is one of our leaders. ANB has skill knows where the goals are tackles hard and runs hard all day. What more can you ask of them. Thorough professionals.

If Lever plays at the level he was before his knee then he's gonna be a hell of a player. Just needs to stay fit.

I love the Vanders types. They play tough and every opponent knows it. They must constantly wonder where he is. When he tackles you know it will hurt.

It may be that Petracca can lose a few kilos but I suspect that it would only be 2 kilos based on his body type. My worry with Trac has always been his knees rather than his aerobic fitness. His bulk/weight suggests that there is a lot of force going through his knees. It seems that his legs and hips are too big for his knees. He does seem a bit stiff in his lower back making him more susceptible to hamstring injury. However, this may also mean that his quads and his hamstrings are very strong which provides some protection from knee injury. Its why footballers do a lot of weight and strength training on quads and hammys. At the same time, one would hope that as well as strength conditioning, Trac works daily on his flexibility. The reason why all professional sportspeople incorporate yoga, pilates and just plain stretching into their programs. Its all a question of balance that no doubt club medicos and fitness staff are all over.

Thanks I will and it's not, but the scuba diving is 1st class in DJB, swimming with whale sharks next week. Reason for going is my partner got a (good) job there. It is 50 to 55 deg in summer Jul/Aug/Sep, utterly miserable, but she is the love of my life and mother to our kid so what to do. Security wise it is safe in Djibouti so no stress there. I also bought 200kg + of italian produce ( kilos of walnuts and pine nuts and pasta etc) so I can make pizzas and bread etc which are hard to find. The cheese will require some more logistical expertise but that is in my lane as well. As for Yemen it is close to her and has good FIFO ratio, and well my life insurance is huge... and we will build a bunker at the port like you wouldn't believe for when those Saudi S.O.B. are bombing everything. Upside to Yemen is the Houthi hate ISIS and they have all been potted, so hopefully no orange is the new black style jump suit for moi. But yes sad to be leaving Rome. PS she did organize an awesome TV and internet connection for home so watching footy will still happen.

Ribbish. It would have been more remarkable if we had not have been injured and we went through the season practically major injury free. It's not like our backline is total rubish without Lever and May. More than enough capability to hold things together between Hibbo, Nev, Salem and even guys like Oscar and Frosty proved they can provide solid defensive options. If we had got desperate, we could have thrown T Mac back there and as it was, I think Max Gawn provided any additional coverage in the air we might have needed. Most teams in the comp would be pretty envious of our backline without Lever and May, but having them there gives us so much depth back there now it's not funny. Competition for spots will be fierce and guys like Hore and Lewis will have there job cut out for them getting a game, but that's a great thing because players so often get injured and fall out of form.

You make good points re young mids but the dual eagles rucks helped them win a flag. In the last 2 finals they came up against the 2 dominant ruckman in the game and completely did them over. In the GF, both WC rucks were on the ground for over 20% of the time, and in that time Vardy kicked a crucial goal and had a hand in a couple of others. And if we think we can play Max for as many minutes in 2019 as he did in 2018 then he’ll be cooked by September again. We would have to use the rotations in a similar way to WC, and not just park Preuss forward. And it is a rotation that is super hard to match up on. Petracca rotating to the middle, Preuss to the ruck, Gawn forward creates an imbalance. One of our big issues in big games was lots of inside 50s resulting in no goals. Part of the issue was not lowering our eyes, but a bigger issue was not providing genuine marking contests with long bombs. When games unfold with lots of pressure and forward space is closed down, there will be lots of long balls and being able to isolate the third defender creates opportunity. I’m also hoping Wied becomes our tackling machine. He has the right attitude.

Vanders' disposal in that final was poor & it is the weakest part of his game. He more than makes up for it with his aggression & ability to find the footy. It was no surprise to me that on a day when most of his teammates went missing Vanders was one of our best players.

Take care....those places don't exactly sound like the Greek Isles

As I mentioned on Monday, AVB was the standout in the Rehab group with his leadership and the way he was approaching his training. He should be Tyson's direct replacement in the midfield and rotating forward at times.

Only if Preuss can actually play the game I think there are quite a few people on here getting carried away with a guy that didn't manage a game for a team that finished below us on the table and did not have one the best ruckman in the competition Like everyone else I really hope he contributes meaningfully to the team and makes us better - however playing him alongside TMac and Weid in the same forward 50 looks too big and slow for mine and I cant see any prospect of him surpassing those guys as a first pick tall forward Being big means nothing if you are not mobile enough and do not possess the skills and knowledge of the game Definitely has some potential but the question is can he rise to the next level

Craft session today which went for just over 1hr and 45mins Got some good pics of Gawn and Preuss in one on one drill Fritsch and KK in midfield drills, so some may get their wish Interesting drill with Salem, Lewis, Jetta, Fritsch, KK so the 'best' kicks in the team, doing kicking drill with both feet, 'annoyingly' hardly a poor kick between them Lever is looking better and better each session, I am sure he is aiming for Rd 1 Bradtke absolutely cooked after drills with Gawn, Preuss and Stafford, fast tracking indeed New boys were back, Sparrow not disgraced in clearance drills

Tracca has been at the club for several years now. In his dedication to the recovery from the ACL he showed that he was determined to get the best out of his body. We have a highly qualified and professional conditioning team looking after his development. If any one has any serious and objective evidence that either Tracca or the team around him are slacking, then please provide it. And not just idle speculation or bemoaning the fact that Tracca is not trying hard enough or has not reached the standards that you, not the club, believe he should have. I would much rather place my trust in the conditioning team and accept that Tracca is Tracca, not some fanciful or fictitious version that others expect him to be, and is being conditioned to prepare him for the role that the coaches want him to fill.

His breakout game for us last season vs his old mob the Crows was a brilliant performance. He attacked the man and the ball fearlessly. (May have even polled Brownlow votes?) Unfortunately we all know what happened the week after, but this guy is going to be one of the best backman the MFC has ever had as long as his injuries are behind him.

I first joined the old Demonland around 2001. I was 16 and was a fan of the hip hop group Bone Thugs N Harmony. I named myself after one of the group members 'Layzie Bone', as a matter of fact my name on the old Demonology forum was Layzie_bone. I'm a person of many music tastes most notably hard/alternative rock and metal and I still do like hip hop but it has been a very long time since I listened to BTH! Having said all that I can't change my name now, I'm a 1 name player.

how do you know this info is updated for 2019? a year ago it was the same, as it was in last year's club Heartbeat magazine until you know his current weight it is just guess work

just hope it's scary-good and not scary-bad

Scott Pendlebury of the Magpies is tackled by Aaron Vandenberg of the Demons during the 2015 AFL round 18 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons ... all inspiration, is Vander's. He's like a pig dog. .

Give you a tip on moscato, similar to the consumption of rough Italian red wine and Chianti: take a very small pinch of white pepper, sprinkle this onto the surface of the wine in the glass, wait 20 seconds, taste. It takes a hard line with the acidic nature of the wine, improving its quaffability immediately. The principle is this: bad wine is often overly acidic - notably the reds but also there are cases with whites, such as moscato. However, under that acid, there are often some great varietals and flavours that many people enjoy. White pepper is highly alkaline. By sprinkling a contained amount (a very little amount) on you acidic wine, the alkalinity counteracts the acidity of the '[censored]' wine, directly. Many a glass has been made very, very drinkable as a result. Don't do this in the bottle as you'll add too much pepper and get a 'warm-hot' effect throughout the wine. Do it to wine already poured into a glass with a very small pinch. White pepper is an amazing substance. As I was waiting for the pharmacist one day, a bloke seeking some advice told the pharmacist that every time he sneezes, he has an orgasm. The pharmacist was intrigued; he asked: 'Are you currently taking anything for it?' The man replied: 'Yes, white pepper inhalations.'

https://www.facebook.com/SkyRacingAU/videos/785796565090885/ Here is a latest trial with Winx and Ace High over 900m

I've got this, in my lifetime it is 4 - 3 our way.

i wouldn't mind that rig.

Pies also had Sier in the forward line. He and Mihocek are the same height as Darling. Pies have just recruited Roughead. They look like they have the same view of the need for a genuine second ruckman and 3rd tall in the forward line. I could see Maxy causing a major headache in our forward line which may well justify him playing less time in the ruck. It will also likely preserve his career. We were getting plenty of i50's last season we couldn't convert them. This may be an answer. We'll know soon enough.

It is obvious that footballers need to train hard, gaining and maintaining supreme fitness. However, there are always going to be differences between players aerobic fitness based on age, height, weight and running economy. In distance running, the better performing athletes run more than 100k per week. Training over longer distances for events such as the 5000m, 10000m or marathon require superior aerobic capacity. You cannot build strength and aerobic fitness unless you run the kilometres. Rob DeCastella was successful because he ran 100-150k per week continuously uninterrupted from injury over 10-15 years. He ran every day and had a physiology and sensible training regime that prevented him from incurring injuries that plagued most of his peers. For shorter distances such as 800 or 1500m, you need a combination of aerobic and anaerobic fitness. The latter is true of footballers. Given that a team of footballers are all different in age, height, weight, and, importantly, running economy, means that some will be better runners than others. Not all footballers can have the same level of aerobic fitness and never should. Trac is never going to have the same aerobic capacity as ANB. Players like Viney and Jones may have heavier body builds and have superior aerobic fitness but I would argue that they have better running economy. At the same time, Viney and Jones are probably susceptible to injury given the amount of running they do.

A common misunderstanding. One's work ethic has a direct correlation to their aerobic capacity (or any fitness component for that matter). Guys like Viney and Jones have become some of our strongest runners. Players that weren't considered elite runners before they came to the club, but are now through sheer determination and will. So it's actually completely between the ears. You're right that Trac may never become an aerobic beast. But not for the reasons you think. Trac could become anything if he adopted the same mindset as someone like Viney. I'm sure everyone has heard about the story of Ablett before he reached greatness..

AVB has spent a long time out of the game. When he first arrived at the club his disposal was more than adequate. It has steadily gone downhill ever since. Not surprisingly this coincided with a constant run of injuries with sporadic games (usually playing with an injured foot). With a decent run at it, I would expect his disposal to improve markedly. Just not sure he will get that continuity with his injury record.

THANKS for the info and pics Satyriconhome - VERY much appreciated!

Can’t underestimate the impact AVB had in the finals against Geelong and Hawthorn. Was an instrumental part in our blanket attack on the footy and opposition.

At least he’s working on the man-on-man defensive side of his game.

Seemingly, unlike others I'd rather Preuss in the VFL until he's (hopefully not) needed. I suspect they'll experiment with the two rucks early in the season and I also expect it will be a short one. But it's great having a backup.

I'm not sure if it matters if it is the first bounce or latter bounces in the first half (first quarter?) there is little doubt Presuss has been brought in to give Gawn some relief. I doubt he will play every game but will play - about 75% i reckon. And definitely against those sides with two rucks. As you rightly say teams definitely physically tried to work Gawny over to limit his impact - understandable given how crucial is to our chances of winning. I thought the Hawks took it to another level in the semi. They were brutal. Smashed him at every opportunity. i was surprised he got up from one collision at the Punt road end when the hawks were pushing. Didn't help them much (though it wasn't his best game it has to be said) but it certainly helped the Eagles. At the ground you could see how stuffed gawny was from the first bounce. He was fully spent halfway through the first quarter. Preuss might repay some of those hits with interest. He has rugby background i think so should be well used to using his strength and size to hit hard. I pity the fools.

My bother is a north fan. He's been giving me crap about Tyson for years. This trade is delicious.

Doubt it. I would err on the side of caution with him. To valuable a player to bring in early. Also I would throw him into Casey for a game or two first to ensure all is well.

It was already warming up when i got there at 10. Lever and Jones doing runs. Melk and Baker together. Gus doing rehab as well I think Unsighted: Oliver, Viney, Stretch, Spargo, Walker, Vanders, Hannan, Maynard A variety of craft drills followed. Forwards with some goal kicking. Rucks working with Stafford. Some zoning drills. Then it was running time. Harmes, Trac, Jetta, Bull, Hunt, Oscar formed a rehab group and sat out As did Lewis, KK, JKH The rucks did some bullocking and then a sprint for a high ball. Preuss testing Gawn out. The lesser running group had: Keilty, Weid, Hore, May, Frost, Jeff. There wasn’t much drop off but Keilty looked strong. The bigger group was led by ANB with C Wagner pushing him. T Mc, J Smith up towards the front. Petty was in this group as was Hibberd who was blowing but keeping pace, that’s a good sign for him. The 5 young draftees keeping up in this group as well.

Not a poster but I use this site to help keep up to date with the Dees. I’m in San Francisco. Little tip for those wanting the watch afl pass (which is USD150 on its own if you’re in the USA). The Demons international membership includes the watch afl pass and is AUD170 (USD120ish). Save some cash and increase the membership count!

To paraphrase the words of that idiot, Mick Malthouse.......' Collingwood seem to regard this game as their grand final'.. and they still couldn't win it. If that fool thought for a millisecond before he trotted out that overused comment about the dees every Queens birthday, he would have realised that in actual Grand Finals ( that is in September) in 7 Grand Finals between Melbourne and Collingwood, The Dees have won six of them.

Going by the photo, he's only kissing with a closed mouth and isn't dedicated enough. Not 100% committed..................................He's gone.