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Got there at 9:40 as the boys were finishing their warm ups. Windy, cool but not cold by that time, a bit soft under foot but no rain. Training the Winehouse down Baker just walking. Hannan some light jogging. Petty and Vanders with a mix of solid footy training and some steady running Bradtke and Weid joined in to make 4 for some kicking and marking. Weid later returned to the match sim Not sighted: Spargo, Tomlinson Young talent time LJ 17, KP 24, TR 20 Jackson - reports of his kicking being an issue are greatly exaggerated, has no problem kicking a nicely weighted drop punt. Didn't get too involved in many drills, but at one stage had a nice lead, spilled a mark and then turned and laced a kick. Did a little mock ruck contest with Bradtke and I saw his noted speed to gather the ball after a contest. Pickett - be it via handball or kick he gets the ball where he wants it to go and how he wants it to go, a natural. Makes all the little adjustment steps before marking or disposing with nice balance. He's not tall or bulky but in a bunch of mostly uncontested stuff he looked comfortable. Rivers - bearing in mind I didn't stay to see any endurance running he looks like a very good athlete and another who didn't look out of place at all. Can use it well on both sides, moves well to get the ball in the handball drill. Good first hit out. Missin' Misson injury update Oscar McDonald left the ground in the handball drill, not sure what happened and not obviously carrying anything but didn't look right, maybe copped a knock? Tommy then promptly went down rolling his left ankle trying to change direction. It's nice to know he still has ankles but this one didn't go well for him. Was in obvious discomfort. Then took him off and strapped him and tried a run through which didn't look too bad but sanity eventually prevailed and he walked back to AAMI (I would've used the golf cart for him but whatever) Nath Jones then later walked off looking rather grumpy. Unsure what happened there. Could be as simple as a bit of veteran rest. Comedic break: a dramatic reproduction of Demonland arguing over who we should've drafted with pick 3 Is that Italian Saty pushing to draft the ruckman? Drills Warm up exercises Kick to kick in 4's with pressure coming, using both sides Kick to kick around the ground with a partner Small group craft drills - ground balls, marking, clearances etc Handball in a 60 by 30 rectangle working the ball end to end Kicking in a 60 by 30 rectangle end to end Match Sim The 3 young guys sat out this one, initially watching before doing some standing kick to kick - all 3 rarely missing 15m passes, then a bit ground ball work and handballs Gawn - who was the defender so had the wind blowing it to him over the back took his usual number of strong marks, but Preuss got a couple back later Petracca, Oliver and Viney all had moments of quality and a stack of the ball Dunkley kept finding it out on the wing with varying results. Langdon started slow then got more involved Lockhart was the standout initially with excellent quick penetrating kicks on both sides of the body, turned a couple over later but its not easy with the wind Weideman took one nice grab inside 50, had a good lead and then turn and hit up kick Jordon gets involved, a few messy handballs but a nice smother Melksham busy across half forward. Fritsch the standout forward though. May a nice pack mark. Lever some well timed intercepts - although not playing on anyone Overall it was pretty messy due to the wind I think. Not as clean as last week. But very willing.

OMG I've woken up in a parallel universe where Saty's concerned about a player's fitness and other posters are telling him not to worry and that everything's fine.

Proof of Life

I believe it was Hawthorn and another club (either Port or Bulldogs but we were not named) that listed him to be invited to the first night flagging an intention to take him in the first round. So initially we may not have planned to take him at 12 but as there were two clubs interested who had picks straight after ours, we needed to take him when we could. To me it matters little where we took him. He was who we wanted and we have him ? Its a shame journo's keep saying he was a 'reach' and that Jackson shouldn't be pick 3. These kids were picked where they were because they were rated highly by one or more clubs. The media should get behind them rather than these silly post mortems on what they thought. No one cares what they thought...forget the 'click bait' and let them enjoy their moments of glory.

I stopped for 5-10mins on my way past. Doing some match simulation clearing the ball from defence. Was fairly willing. Tracc the stand-out for mine again. Looking forward to a more detailed post from someone who was there longer - there was a reasonable crowd.

Dees make it to the GF against Brisbane Lions Go into the final quarter with a 35 point lead. Extend that lead by kicking the first four goals, stretching it to a 59 point, unassailable lead. Tears begin welling in the eyes of all Demons supporters. Two minutes till full time. Aliens arrive out of nowhere and begin attacking the earth. Nobody hears the final siren over the panic.

I see your 36 and counter 33 Like Uncle Byron and the Wizard.

I think we traded into 8 to get him and then realised it wasn't early enough.

Sorry had to work today to earn some money, Wednesday will be there Bennell and Brown should train then Asked why the discrepancy of times on website, nobody sure, maybe for journos to turn up in middle of session? Will ask again on Wednesday, know who to ask directly if they are there

Turns out there was a whole planet of aliens who were Demons supporters and they only came to celebrate. Melbourne membership goes to a record 2.3 million in 2021 with a new category, intergalactic membership.

There's a MASSIVE difference between having a slightly longer break before you begin your proper preseason at full capacity; and having major surgery that means you can't even live your normal healthy lifestyle, let alone do any kind of football or fitness training (which they all do even during non-official training times) before carrying that injury through the rest of preseason as it impacts your preparation; not just for fitness, but for skills, connection with your team mates, learning of game plans and structures and of course new rules that change all of those things from the previous seasons. Honestly, what a silly comment.

Welcome to Demonworld.com

Has a strained calf. Did it doing extra work before the preseason officially started. Not a bloke you would need to worry about IMO.

Good to see him smiling

Maybe they haven't changed to daylight savings time

They finally reviewed that PF and saw what a team can do it it gets an hour's head start. What if WE do that, they thought. Train as you play.

I doubt that is the case. I assume it's so they can do secret things on a publicly open field.

Looking forward to seeing pic of Harley doing 100x100's....... Yeah, just happy to see him and the new kids in the jumper .

Close to my best football memory. I posted the following not long after i first started posting on Demonland way back in 2011 (by the by it was in response to a fantastic post from Whispering Jack about the wiz - well worth a re read): I will never forget the game Farmer mentioned by WJ where he kicked 9.1 (so close to perfection) in the second half against the maggies. One of my all time favourite footy watching moments, perhaps even my fav I was sitting at the top of the Ponsford Stand (city end) and there was a magpie fan in front of me who in the first half was absolutely giving it to Farmer. All half he was bagging him whenever he went near it. His vitriol tipped over into mindless racist drivel. I think he must have thought himself quite witty as his insults were along the lines of "typical, always looking for a handout", "hoping for easy welfare" and other such rubbish. The fella was absolutely relentless and as Farmer barely got a kick in that first half he had plenty of opportunities to have a go at him. What made it worse was he was with his son, who was probably no older than about 9 or so. It was for this reason that i elected not to say anything (and a sense that it would have been pointless and perhaps he was trying to provoke something), as there would have been some sort of confrontation and more than likely violence. That said i really i struggled throughout the first half not to say anything to him and with the tension of thinking i should. Well Farmer answered such rubbish in the best possible way. 9 goals in a half of footy and it could have easily have been 10. Awesome. With each goal i was able to go wild for the Wiz and was able to "respond" to the dill without ever having to do so directly. I yelled out stuff like "that's it Jeff, do it all yourself, go hard", "you don't need any easy frees or handouts from the umps" etc etc. As the Whiz lined up for his 9th at about the 15 min mark of the last this fella (having barely said a word, little lone an insult, since about half way through the 3rd quarter) slinked off, leaving his son with a mate of his (who funnily enough had not at any stage yelled out any abuse). He was a beaten man. The Whiz had seen to that. There had been no violence and perhaps his son had learnt a lesson. A great day and a great talent.

Petracca Detractor is a bit of a mouthful

I know you do. That's ok. Each to their own. On Oliver, when 16 of the best 22 players have surgery pre season the best and fairest becomes a little easier to do well in.

Definately. (Sorry, can't help myself)

A bit of a reflection of how much getting drafted not only changes the players life forever but the lives of extended family & friends, those guys are now on a journey as well..... so are we I guess ????

He’s not tall but remember he’s standing between Greg Stanford and Matty Egan.

Almost certainly, although the jumper sizes would also fit very well with JKH, Frost and Maynard. We might operate just like local Footy, you get the number that fits!

From today's Guardian.. A society dedicated to preserving the “much-abused” apostrophe is to be shut down as its chairman said “ignorance and laziness” had won. John Richards, who worked in journalism for much of his career, started the Apostrophe Protection Society in 2001 after he retired. Now 96, Richards is calling time on the society, which lists the three simple rules for correct use of the punctuation mark. “We, and our many supporters worldwide, have done our best but the ignorance and laziness present in modern times have won!” https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/01/laziness-has-won-apostrophe-society-admits-its-defeat

You'd think one of the site's administrators would of fixed it by now.

Fritsch AA

Premiers: Melbourne Brownlow: Oliver Collingwood to fall out of the 8. Petracca to make the All Australian squad. Demonland to have a drop Tomlinson thread at some time during the season started by someone who doesn’t understand his role. Pickett to get suspended for a late bump on debut.

A great interview with Robbo who has been underestimated as a player. Not getting an All Australian after a 73 goal year as a small forward was a travesty - all at the hands of that turncoat Gerard Healey. Mind you, he was responsible for one of the biggest brain farts I can remember - after marking in the goal square, he Played on and tried to kick the goal whilst flat on his back. Sometimes he was too much the show pony.

Demonland will remain the unbiased, agenda free, democratic, optimistic place it's always been Petracca to shut up his detractors

Yeah I think so. I was also told Rivers will wear 24 (by the man himself).

The west Aussie boys leave Perth mid 30's degrees arrive at training what would feel like mid arctic conditions

You will have to wait till tomorrow for Harley

I read or heard somewhere we were into Jackson from back around June of this yr Kent. Cal prob got some late mail and made hay while the sun shined I would have thought. My understanding Is that we have been watching Jackson for a while and were keen to get him based on what we had seen. This gave me a little more comfort in understanding the decision in that it wasn’t a last minute decision to get a player.

All that means is that some picks are more speculative than others, not that none are speculative.

Like this ^^^ Not one football kicked in primetime yet, I can't think of one journalist who hasn't been made to look silly with opinion and speculation.

Dee's to win flag Jackson wins rising star Brayshaw wins the 2020 Brownlow

To post without quoting, scroll down the page and after the last post your 'avatar' appears on the left. Along side is a white rectangular shaped 'box' with a 'thought bubble' and the words 'Reply to this topic...' Click anywhere in the box and it opens up, then type away!

Yes, a tad scarred after the last predictions. Going light early on. Harmes to join the leadership group. Pickett nominated for goal of the year.

For the first time in a long time it looks like we have genuine cover for 2-3 injuries on each line before it becomes a significant problem. Combined with so few pre-season surgeries and the Burgess factor there is genuine reason for hope in 2020 IMO

i'mma guess at... 6: jackson 15: langdon 17: pickett 20: tomlinson 24: rivers 36: bennell 38: brown

Liam Jurrah gets 6??

When you watch that, you even wonder why he fell to pick 12.

For me Lever needs to be the intercept third tall. He's much better when he's freed up to use his judgment and athleticism. May and one of Oscar McDonald or Petty need to hold down FB with May at CHB. As Petty is training with the forwards Oscar will be given first crack in the main defensive role. Duel hip surgery ruined his 2019, but he has a chance to make amends. If he's not competitive enough then Petty should move back. Petty's going to be a very good player, whether it's in defence or attack. I suspect Jackson and Pickett will be staples in the side sooner rather than later.

Don't want to pick a fight. I apologise for my unnessary rudeness. I don't feel the same way about the 2019 season. Not even close. Yes of course I was terribly disappointed with the results BUT NOT the coach, players admin etc. I think calling them amateur is really unfair and I think calling their response to the end of 2019 sickening is insulting and Ill informed. And way over the top. And to be honest all this does not seem like unqualified support.