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Lady Penelope “Step on it Parker we don’t want to be late for our Rendezvous” Nosey Parker “Yes M’Lady our Rendezvous with our Orstralian Agent Picket Fence” Lady Penelope “Precisely Parker, Precisely It will be good to see him again”(Hides a faint Blush)! Parker “What is this all about asking us to meet him at a place Called Gosh’s Paddock Lady Penelope “Im not exactly sure but something to do with Demon Depth whatever that means”! Parker “Demon Depth?? You mean to do with how Deep is the Demon”? Lady Penelope “Possibly Parker, Possibly” “I believe this place is near a River Similar to the Thames called the Yarra” On the strength of it I might make a Call to Jeff Tracey asking him to have Pod 4 Ready to go with Thunderbird 4 and Gordon” Parker “ Jolly Good M Lady, ohhhhhh % #&^ Lady Penelope “Parker whats wrong”?? Parker Sorry M Lady but these F%#@*&% Marrionette Wires got tangled around the top of me leg around my” Lady Penelope “PARKER……… THAT WILL BE QUITE ENOUGH!” Parker (Meekly) “Yes M lady oh look there’s Picket Fence now over there waving! PF TRAINING REPORT DEES DEPTH AT AN ALL TIME HIGH Hello Landers please find training report Friday 16th December Gosh’s Paddock Greeting all and welcome to Gosh’s paddock, where Bigfoot sightings have been recorded, seems I just cannot get away from dangerous entities in presenting my reports INJURIES MODIFIED DUTIES Gus , Hibbo, Jed Ad, Will Verell, Andy Moniz -Wakefield, Joel Smith ( Just cant take a trick) although Will Verrell , Hibbo, Gus and Young Burgoyne were all doing run throughs SKILLS , DRILLS AND MANOUVERS After warm ups and Run Throughs players broke of into 3 Groups doing a variety of · Close in Handball through traffic to hit clean target with players pressuring · One on one groundhog day ground ball gets · Telescopic Talls in Marking contest situations Main drills consisted of half ground match sim which all took part in after rotating with another corridor footy drill on the other side. Other than that a full match sim which excluded the newbies was a terrific look at our game style which often took the ball from one end of the ground to the other. I unlike others was happy with forward line presentations and it appears that we are going to be spoilt with the riches of players and depth the likes of which I have never seen from an MFC outfit. In fact the contest for places in this team are going to be FIERCE. PLAYER WATCH A I’ll start with the usual suspects and throw a few other observations in. VINEY,was in scintillating form pace, disposal, grunt finishing of were all of an extremely high standard as per usual. CLARRY CHOO CHOO Beast and I mean beast just literally just cannot be stopped, at one stage he was tackled by three players in a contested get shrugged them all of and fired out a deadly handball. Just left me speechless. T MAC,HEEEEES BAAAACK, Bigger badder and better than ever, looked super fit and ran around looking very dangerous indeed. Speaking of Back, BBB is over his injuries and proved time and again what an ASSET he will be yet again as a key forward. MAX, CP5, LEVER, MAY LANGERS all were shining lights in match sims and general drills OLD NEW BORROWED AND RED AND BLUE PLAYER WATCH B BRODIE GRUNDY, Will be unstoppable this year for the MFC, After seeing him today I’m still scatching my head at Collingwoods stupidity and player list debacle that saw him now with us. This guy runs like a gazelle, is great below his knees and is a decathlete like runner, all thus plus his great ruck work and can kick a goal, ( WILL FINISH TOP 3 IN OUR B&F BANK IT IN). LACHY HUNTER, again Dishlickers inability with player management has seen us the beneficiaries of a very fine player. He has “Elite” endurance, smart footy brain, great disposal and puts himself in dangerous positions often. MATT JEFFERSON, yes he needs to put on weight, but gee he looks like he belongs, can Mark, leads well is a dead eye kick and has great “Hang time” a la Aaron Naughton, he knows where to run and will play senior footy later in year I believe. JVR, Looks like he knows its time, crashes packs, aerialist, is never out of the play and has that Swarrta presence. KYE TURNER, Reminds me in some ways of a cross between Andy Goodwin and Anthony Ingerson, just seems to be aware of his surroundings and has a good skill set. KYNAN BROWN, No 39 Really liked the look of this player, moved well has pace good skill set and plays not dissimilarly to his old man, terrific to see, Also liked the look of OLIVER S no 38. Built low to the ground a la Peter Daicos and he also looks very comfortable coming from a low fitness base, also has clean hands and has that ability to ride a Bump into a position where he still is over the ball, Looks a definite Goer! JOSH SHACKY ATTACKY ALREADY Better in every way to Weeds and thats no direspect, he just is a cut above with his body use, Marks and Kicks well and does not get pushed under the ball. Anyway that’s it from me, I’m meeting an old friend from England who drives a Pink Rolls and I will tell her all about the Dees Depth and how we should be able to atone for a somewhat disappointing finals series to bounce right back in 2023. Cheers all P.F

It was around about this time four years ago that I turned up to Grosch’s Paddock on a sunny December morning to witness a sparkling Melbourne training session. With a few exceptions, the boys were training hard, looking fit and healthy and all was sweetness and light. I drafted a glowing report about the Demons’ prospects for 2019, sat back and looked forward to a year of football bliss. To my surprise, the Dees had a shocker of a season finishing in 17th place. They even ended the year below Carlton who turned at 1-10 halfway through the season and they sacked their coach! We snuck home by a single point against the eventual wooden spooners on the Gold Coast and the whole dismal year ended in doom and gloom with bushfires ravaging the continent. The scourge of Covid-19 was waiting for us around the corner. Come January, my New Year’s resolution was never to write a glowing preseason training report again. Hence, in summary, my impressions about this morning’s session at the Paddock was that it sucked! Some of the negative things I noted in my head as I watched the session were:- • The number of players who were in rehab or injured during the session. The rehab group included premiership players Angus Brayshaw and Michael Hibberd while Jake Lever hurt his knee during the session. Bulldogs recruit Lachie Hunter also took a knock early but resumed training. Others in rehab were Andy Moniz-Wakefield, Joel Smith, Deakyn Smith, newcomers Jed Adams, Will Verrell and train on potential recruit Trent Burgoyne. Disappointing. • Hardly any of the young players appear ready – most of them were kept back from the simulated match play and trained separately under Choco Williams. They might have been good at NAB Cup or APS football, but they are not ready to play AFL senior football in 2023, not even the kid we plucked out of obscurity from Xavier College. Recruits are not what they used to be, and we might as well start getting used to making the long drive down the Monash Freeway and beyond to Casey Fields if we want to see those blokes next year. So disappointing that we will not get to see our first rookie draft pick burning up the G against the Bulldogs in Round 1. • Who oversees the players’ wardrobes these days? I noticed a couple of ruck duels between two blokes who were both wearing the number 6 on their backs. How do they expect us to tell them apart so that those of us who take the trouble to turn up to a training session can report on their performances with some accuracy? Not good enough! • There was too much fun and frivolity. Players were having a fun time but it’s December - exactly the time when players should be knuckling down for the rigours of the long season ahead. • My god, Christian Salem's aged! His hair has turned grey overnight! • I have a number of other complaints and that’s why this report isn’t a glowing one as you might have expected. Take off the rose coloured glasses and start worrying. Think MFCSS and with a bit of luck I might make a different New Year’s resolution at the end of 2023. Merry Christmas all!!!

In summary, we’re training the house down.

He’s a determined character and is quite aware at 25 at his third club this is his last shot at it. What he was told in his talks in coming to Melbourne was to work his butt off, put on some size and leave no stone unturned. And the way he came back has proven he’s going to give it his all. He’s aware he’s got a lot of untapped potential. So hopefully that holds him in good stead. Hasnt put a foot wrong so far.

Demonland & @Whispering_Jack are at Preseason Training Today I’ll provide some updates and posts links to this post to any full training reports from our Trackwatchers Rehab: Gus, Hibberd, Jed Adams, Will Verrell, Andy Moniz-Wakefield, Burgoyne, Joel Smith, Deakyn Smith I will collate all of my posts/observations below: Mids doing one on one ground ball drills Talls doing one on one marking drills Hunter came off second best in a drill and is limping One on one tackling drill saw two epic match ups. Trac vs Clarry Viney vs Sparrow Can’t see Joel Smith. I think Burgoyne is also amongst the rehab group. Kozzy is back at training - looks massive, so clean picking the ball off the ground, superb disposal. Some different numbers being worn at training today. Salem wearing #2 JVR wearing #6 Hunter wearing #35 Kye Turner (train on player from Haileybury) is a big unit and looks impressive in the air and has clean disposal. Jacob Van Rooyen (JVR) & Grundy are the standouts for me. Both clean in the air and by foot. Matt Jefferson is tall and very skinny. Will benefit from a year at Casey, a year in the weights room and another preseason. Can Mark. Melksham vs May in this drill. No steaks involved. ----- observation after training - Melksham trained really well Grundy vs Gawn in the ruck. Grundy wins. Taps to Viney. Viney to Schache. Schache handballs back to Viney. Viney blind turns out of a tackle and goals. Some more epic battles; Disco Turner vs TMac Petty vs JVR Disco as the defender took a great contested mark against TMac. Some of the delivery into the forward line in this drill is poor. TMac not happy with it. TMac is impressing me as other trackwatchers have previously mentioned. Strong marker and straight, accurate shot for goal. All the defenders have been monsters and have been excellent as expected. Can’t see JVR NOT playing Round 1. Trac super competitive. Viney impressive as always. Clarry is a magician. As reported Sparrow has put on size and I expect him to be a mainstay in the middle. Kozzy will definitely play more midfield minutes next season. Ben Brown has also been impressive. So good on a lead up the middle. I wish we delivered it to him more that way than putting high on his head in a pack of player. Sure he is very good one on one with his height and long arms but if the ball is delivered high in a pack then forget about it. Let him lead up the guts. The race for spots in the forward line is going to be fierce. In summary, we’re training the house down. Grundy could be the recruit of the year especially if it means Gawn plays a kick behind the play (and not in the forward line). 3/4 length ground match sim. Max vs Schache in Ruck. Grundy playing forward. Max taps a beauty to Kozzy from a boundary throw in. You love to see it. I hope Kozzy sees more midfield time. Now JVR is rucking against Grundy and beat him. Max playing forward. This doesn’t bode well for my wish of Max not playing forward. Kozzy sells some candy, kicks it to Max who passes nicely to Grundy outside the 50 who plays on and drills a goal from 50. None of the new recruits (first years) are taking part in the match sim. JVR beating Grundy in many of the boundary throw in ruck drills that start off each match sim drill. this observation is not a knock on Grundy. TMac killing it up forward. Grundy kicks another. Lever left the track with a knee complaint. Currently in the hands of the trainers. Finished with the trainers. No one looks concerned. Is limping a little. The boys then took off their footy boots and put on the runners and then did so run throughs but Lever did not participate. He then hopped on the bike that is set up under the shelter. I don't think he looked too worried. That is they weren't icing it or sending him off to get scans. Gus was doing some light running and is currently on the rower. No visible strapping on his body. Joel Smith now doing weights under the new structure with the other rehabbers. It was a long training session. Started before 9:30am and was still going at about 11:40am when I had to leave as they were doing some running after a 2 hour skills session. I will say that the tackling and intensity was absolutely fierce and I was worried that there would be plenty more mishaps. Thankfully there weren't. I was up close and personal for a few Jack Viney tackles and if my arm wasn't already in a sling from shoulder surgery it would have been after witnessing that devastation. WHISPERING JACK'S TRAINING REPORT PICKET FENCE'S TRAINING REPORT

Grundy is ridiculous. Just ran half the ground after intercepting a ball from Rivers and slammed through a six pointer on the run.

Just a couple of observations. Training was sharp, very few fumbles. They did a loose ball gather and tackle drill right in front of me and there wasn't one fumble of the ground ball. You'd expect that from the experienced players but Seston was also very clean. Langdon and Viney were the standouts for me. I know we all want the young guns to be the standouts but some of the older players were terrific. Grundy is such an improvement on Jackson ATM and we'll be the better in the short term at least. Others to impress me were Bowey who was clean and precise, Howes who did well in all the drills, JVR with his competitive ruck work against Grundy and his determination when the ball hits the ground. May was very good, Salem looks to be moving well and Rivers was involved. Of the young boys Woey was probably the most impressive to my eye but so much of this is where you stand. I also liked Howes who I think has very significant upside.

Great news! https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1258948/howes-a-demon-until-2025

Seston: really impressed me in a tackling and hand off drill where he was pitted against Langdon and did very well. He's strong, has a low centre of gravity and didn't fumble once. He's a good size too. Everybody loves a good smokie and this kid could be one. He didn't participate in the match sim drills as far as I could see. Jefferson: Just running at this stage along with Burgoyne and Adams. Turner: Very good. His positioning is great, he's very clean and he reads the play very well. Schache: He impressed. He's in the conversation but it will be a long one as Tmac was very impressive, Brown looked to be moving well and was very competitive and JVR also impressive.

Kye Turner is in the main training group and doesn't look out of place. Trent Burgoyne was in the rehab group and did a lot of running including a 6 minute fartlek. It was a very long and high intensity session. I got there at 9:30 and they were already into it and finished with a solid running session at noon. I think other posters have covered my main take aways. I didn't see AMW but I might have missed him. I think everyone else was there. Jefferson and Sestan are training with the main group. Sestan has a very mature body and ran out the match sim surprisingly well for someone off a low base. Adams and Verrall are in the rehab group running. They both have solid frames for development.

Wow!! And THIS is what I call a training thread! Best one by a country mile in living memory! Keep it up, guys! Well done!

That’s what he wants you to think and that’s why he is the greatest magician.

After reading todays training reports I’ve booked the whole of September 2023 off. 🔴🔵💥🔥

No, he's not. He's a little pony. Get with the program

Grundy vs Gawn in the ruck. Grundy wins. Taps to Viney. Viney to Schache. Schache handballs back to Viney. Viney blind turns out of a tackle and goals.

I agree wholeheartedly - you don't always have your best 23 to choose from. I reckon you can lock in another Casey flag at the very least! Good to hear that Ben Brown is doing the match sims - there were toughts that he wouldn't be doing that sort of stuff until January. Rarely in a December do we seem to have so many forward options. And Petty can stay down back - and be our rock for 10 years!

Match Sim time. A more aerodynamic Ed Langdon with a ripsnorter of a ball to Viney who hands off to Lever who bangs it forward where TMac takes an impressive one on one mark.

Can’t see JVR not playing Round 1.

Not to steal anyone's thunder, but I'm also having a lil' peek at training today. Defenders and forwards in the main group started off with some one on one forward drills where forwards would attempt to break away from their defender to mark the footy. Sesten impressive so far. Has broken even with Petty a couple of times and comfortably beat another of the new draftees. Gawn v Grundy a cracking match up with the skipper taking the chocolates with a ripping one handed juggler. JVR must've misplaced his new and shiny #2 guernsey in the wash as he is also wearing Grundy's #6.

So other than Gus it sounds like our best 22 are all tracking well. I am surprised and happy to hear that Ben Brown and Tmac are both training fully as I expected both to be limping around on mobility scooters in December.

Did any other training watchers notice this sign on Hoddle Street today?

He will push for selection absolutely. Point to prove. Last chance saloon. Quietly believe he’ll be a very good option for us.

Ben Brown has also been impressive. The race for spots in the forward line is going to be fierce.

Jefferson is tall and very skinny. Will benefit from a year at Casey, a year in the weights room and another preseason. Can Mark.

JVR & Grundy are the standouts for me. Both clean in the air and by foot.

One on one tackling drill saw two epic match ups. Trac vs Clarry Viney vs Sparrow

All these great observations and the infamous Picket report still yet to come. Thank you all. We're spoiled.

Thanks to everyone who reported today. Greatly appreciated for people like myself who are living up bush. Brodie Grundy sounds like he was 🔥🔥

A very important player to have fit, firing and back to his best.

Some real tight congestion drills happening with half the main group. Bowey's evasiveness and speed a stand out.

Genuine Round 1 chance. Huge wraps on on him and Goody is a very very big fan. Keen to watch his development.

I will say that the tackling and intensity was absolutely fierce and I was worried that there would be plenty more mishaps. Thankfully there weren't. I was up close and personal for a few Jack Viney tackles and if my arm wasn't already in a sling from shoulder surgery it would have been after witnessing that devastation.

Grundy marks within 50 after receiving the ball from Gawn. He nonchalantly turns around and snaps it through from 45 without a care in the world.

Pickett looks to playing more of a midfield role at the moment. Gawn with a beauty of a palm down to Kozzie who weaves his way through traffic to send the ball forward.

Trac super competitive. Viney impressive as always. Clarry is a magician.

I like him. I’d give him a go to see what he can do. Good size & good skill.

I Think it’s Kynan Brown

GrunDEE (still slightly odd to see him in Melbourne colours) impressive in some of his follow through work. Chased after and picked up a loose ball with the speed and grace of a small forward.

No so while we have our 2 location training bases all is not lost. The players are not dramatically or physically underprivileged with either facility. If there was a simple answer to the problem of land availability NOW don't you think the Club would have sourced it? We are unique in that for over 150 years the very MCG that enabled us to have a great advantage in our match and other facilities is the same facility that we wish to stand nearby and grief is caused by the land availability issue. Perhaps we should have never sold Bentleigh Club and ( if it was big enough I don't know I never visited there ) that msy be a poor decision which has come back to bite us. Some D/L ers have no idea of how hard the land issue is to solve and it sickens me how casual they voice their opinion almost weekly on this topic. It's a far worse situation if you were Essendon snd had over 6,500 days since their last Finals win, in fact 19 years and counting. We may well have a base chosen or built before their date. It's a decision that can't be rushed and no amount of Board bashing or finger pointing will magically move the progress of this facility. I suggest that some of the more dramatic D/Lers antagonists who are upset with the lack of progress form a group and start being more active and positive on this huge project that seems to have stalled in the State Govt and other stakeholders hands.

Yep and trained well as usual!

I’ve rung the builders already.

And I think you will need to make that distinction in the future because I would be putting Kye Turner on the Rookie list from the one training sessions that I have seen. 🤪

Put us down for the next 6 premierships at this rate. 😊

Some more epic battles Disco Turner vs TMac Petty vs JVR

Option 3 done. Other options still in play!

Kye Turner is a big unit and looks impressive in the air and has clean disposal.

No Thunder stealing. Please post any thoughts and observations.

The article ~ How late draft interest forced unlikely prospect to alter schoolies plans