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Melbourne 2022 Season Preview - The Big Questions - The Mongrel Punt Some interesting questions and analysis here. I particularly like the defence of Kozzies performance in the granny and the highlights package included to support the assessment. Mongrel Punt definitely one of the better analysts out there.

Hmmm. Lot of people would love for Harris to fail. She is playing humble at the minute, a bit too humble. But looking at how a selfless forward should play I am impressed. She is always meeting the footy. She is backing up when the ball is on the ground and she just competes in every contest. She could have a bit more form in her marking I reckon but she has been a solid contributor to this excellent team.

I bumped into Daniel Turner at our local gym during the off season and had a good chat to him about his stint so far in the AFL system and the September experience. I was also blown away by how incredibly fit he was. He'd already lost all his puppy fat and looked as lean as I had seen. He said he got a reality check with just how professional you have to be off field including your diet. Stark different compared to his 'tradie diet' as an apprentice plumber prior to being drafted. He was doing his running program up here with Charlie Spargo who is an absolute pro when it comes to off field training standards. His older brother has recently signed at our footy club. Looking forward to getting some good updates off him. I hope he gets a game next year.

Firstly, kudos to Tegan Cunningham on her design of this year’s MFC AFLW Pride guernsey. I thought it looked not too overstated - just right. We started off shakily in the conditions and finally overran them thanks to our superior fitness and run with that infamous Casey wind in the final quarter giving us a good ride to a percentage boosting win. However, it must be of some concern that we are basically winning our matches off the back of a single quarter and we’re going to be more consistent next week against the Crows on their home deck. Karen Paxman came good today and led the midfield. Our defence held up well and Tayla Harris and Kate Hore are dangerous up forward. I think George on the Outer in his preview of the season was concerned about the team overdoing the handball. If they are going to handball as often as they’re doing then they need to work on it at training. It’s not just us but a feature of many of the games I’ve been watching that teams are coming unstuck with poor handball. Still, a 41 point win after being level pegging at ¾ time can’t be sneezed at.

She’s kicked three of our four goals. So I hope they’re paying her well.

Thanks for the share. Hope you guys find some value in this. 👍

Bang, bang, bang, bang?

I'll be there, to take the baton from you city slickers!😁

He looks fitter Turner. He's a fitter Turner

Live track report, few of the boys are enjoying a drink or two at a watering hole down by the mornington peninsula ... dynamic ruck duo where happy to take a pic or two with an appreciative long term dees member ... guns

Last quarter reminiscent of September in Perth.

I’ve seen most of the teams at this stage. I reckon St Kilda are a firm favourite for the wooden spoon. They are very limited Adelaide and Freo have already built up percentage over us so we need to close the gap. It’s quite possible percentage will decide home ground advantage in finals. we have to be ruthless with the weaker teams. Put your foot on their throat girls

Casey 20 mins and MCG about 1hr 10 mins including a train . I ain't complaining about casey but nor do I complain about the MCG.

You mean the 2021 PREMIERSHIP TEAM

That's adventurous. They've just named the 2021 Grand Final team.

Some random thoughts: Weird not seeing Mithen at the bottom of a pack a million times today! Thanks to the footy gods for the Saints' inaccuracy... That last quarter blitz was a delight but you wouldn't want to rely on that against the better teams. Slow starts are becoming a bit of an issue. Big ups for Fitzsimons' game today. Taking strides every week and really loved her repeat efforts. Harris could kick five and still have detractors, but where would we have been at half time without her?

Don’t underestimate Paxy’s experience.

Bit of a scrap, but a very good last quarter. Hanks is a very natural footballer with a very fluid kicking action. I also love the physicality of Harris, Zanka and Scott in particular.

settle down. she's won 5 AA jackets in a row

Great last quarter and solid victory. Big game against the Crows next week.

The competition has caught up in a way that denies her some of what she's previously got away with, BUT I agree her experience and endurance are what will keep her in the game for a while yet. To me she looks rusty more than declining, but I admit that's a fine line! I remember Daisy saying (of her own game) that she knows there are certain elements, certain little tricks that won't serve her as well as the competition develops, e.g., relying on knowing what a probably skill error will result in to read the play, as some of those will happen less and less frequently.

Hanks is looking like a Clarry out there! She has lost some weight and has a good step of pace now. Won the clearance and then followed up with the goal!

Got the percentage boost after all. Great final quarter but pretty ordinary up to that Play like we did til 3 quarter time next week and Adelaide will beat us easy. Hopefully thats the dodgy performance out of the way and we can put together a 4 quarter effort next week. We'll need to if we're to beat the Crows Go Dees

Massive last quarter from the girls! 👏👏👏

Wow! Thought this was gonna go down to the wire. ❤️💙❤️💙 Dees ninth consecutive win!

Paxy was great last year! Won our BnF too. Not sure where you are coming from but don’t agree she has the most touches today. A bit rusty this year so far but still quality

Daisy is a Lever in the forward line - constantly instructing.👍

So much for percentage. We're in a battle here. Other than Harris the whole team needs to lift.

Angus is so highbrow isn't he at times !!!

tennis australia must live in another world all player covid testing is voluntary. No oversight, mandating or supervision players are handed a pile of rats and recommended to test daily and if +ve to report to ta some players have already admitted they only test once a week or if they have symptoms. most are not saying. there is really big money involved here once you get to the quarter finals. can you imagine a player self testing +ve who is symptom free (but infectious) dobbing himself in and losing the chance for a $250,000 or more payday? we will never know thanks to such a badly thought out, irresponsible policy

Went back and had another look at toddy's Training photos. What I should have said was he ( Daniel Turner) looks more muscly and fitter and as indicated by DD lost his puppy fat.But overall he looks a bigger unit ready for some serious footy. Love the story how he has done extra work running etc. with Spargs. That's the great thing about our Club there is always a mate to help you go the extra mile. also Joel Smith looks by far the fittest he has been ever. The test will come when the real body work and match practice to see if his body can survive and give him a belated chance for a career in the defence in 2022. There are no vacancies now but it's amazing how they can in a full season esp. with Covid capers going on! He deserves a change of luck and this Year is his last chance. Another who looks much fitter is Rosman with a full first preseason under his body. May be the key to his form also with this base giving him confidence. Might also be the fact that one Blake Howes will be fighting like hell to challenge for a senior spot if one arises at any stage in our centreline. Wonder how much weights work JVR Howes Taj Juddy AMW are doing at this stage. If much at all. These players are really along with Dunstan starting their career but so much excitement as we look for more gems from the JT factory. Bring on a full Casey season so we can give these future players a decent chance of adjusting to an AFL Club already on its way to potentially its greatest modern period of sustained success.

Trying to steal my thunder

The zero hanger guys have only just seen the old Mortein ad..... When you're onto a good thing stick to it

His name is Jayden Hunt.

Brayshaw’s lack of defensive pressure was previously an issue, but to bring it up after 2021 is just laughable!

The team heads out to Casey Fields for its first home game of the season for the Pride Round. Please give them your support!

As 58er posted, deliberate OOB if introduced should just be between the 50m arcs which would largely avoid the deep defender situation, but agree with you in general that the last touch OOB rule is unnecessary and would actually be a negative as it would discourage players trying to gather the ball near the boundary line. Re the deliberate OOB rule, like you I like it as it currently exists but agree it needs to be applied consistently and with common sense. Let's put that R23 decision down to umpire error. The late non-decision in the loss to Adelaide was in my view a result of the umpire lacking the courage to make a game-deciding decision in front of an Adelaide crowd. Particularly frustrating as a decision not to pay prior opportunity holding the ball against Adelaide slightly earlier equally contributed to that loss. I guess umpires are human but the AFL should be saying to umpires that they support them making (correct and consistent) decisions regardless of the time and closeness of the particular game.

Scroll Down - Training Gallery: January 21

Hibbo was his fittest since he joined us in 2017 last year and carried no extra weight at all and very good season by the end of year when the cards fell for him and not Hunty. Will still be handy this season to mind Martin snd Johanissen!!

WA would have had more concern for missing their BBL Scorchers games than the Test Match. They are only interested in WA not Australia for their sport and any thing they can divest themselves raft of Ceduna. But boy no boy were they not remarkable towards the AFL in 2021 and our Dees were very lucky to be the receiver of wonderful good Will and support from them in the month we stayed there as we bulldozed one and all to our magnificent 13 th Flag!! Thsnk you again WA.

Zero Hanger phoning that one in. 😁

Recruit him to Dland ala Drunkn.

It looks like the group has come back in extra good shape and Hibberd has fined down a little from last year.

We now want to go under the radar!!

Wow Reckon Turner has put in size and weight to his frame pre season which is great news. Also how much has RIV developed in size and bulk in 2 seasons ? A big lad developing before our eyes !! A big tick to our development programs of the last few years ! PS bet Bowser has put on weight and size just can't see it yet!!

Forget making them all away games. We had to play home games interstate. So can they.