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Hello Demonlanders, thinking like you all, I imagined that training would be at Gosh's today and at 10.25 logged onto Demonland ready to read your reports! After the first few posts and reading no training and having the morning free thought..... Sod it I'll just dash down there and do a Mini Report as from Berwick its not that far away. Hope thats O'K So no T.V Show intros and setting scenes for this one so I'll just get straight down into it. REHAB CLARRY, MAX, FARRIS WHITE, MELKY, MATT JEFFERSON, JAKEY L, JOEL SMITH AND 1 OTHER I COULDNT PLACE. Glad to see the Club being ultra cautious with Clarrie's thumb BUT the fact he is still troubled with it is worrying ( God I hate Selwood) Got there at 10.50 to see Full match Simulation Game between the Blues and the Whites. Quite clearly the Blues were the A Team and the Whites were the possibles. Some interesting faces in the white Team headed by JvR and on todays form I couldn't pick him for a place in the ones just yet. JAMES JORDON also in White team as was MICHAEL HIBBERD and JOSH SCHACHE ATTACKY . Saw about an Hour and 15 of solid match sims. A few takes. BEN BROWN was in SCINTILLATING form. he must have kicked 5 or 6 goals gave about 3 away. Took strong marks in pack and on the lead. Completely overshadowed ADAM TOMLINSON who although tried was just outmanoevered. HE IS A LOCK FOR ROUND 1 IMV. BRODIE GRUNDY was all over it like a flock of angry seaguls fighting over a legless prawn. His ruckwork was great and his run and carry and work below his knees was flawless. BAYLEY FRITSCH was also in scarry good form kicking some goals and cleverly placing himself in irresistable and dangerous positions.LACHY HUNTER,?? He is going to be a weapon and a half with his Run and carry up and down the wing and Flawless disposal. JAMES HARMES, JV, and KOSSY were just phenomenal in the midfield and just racked up disposals at will.CHARLIE SPARGO complemented the run and carry of the mids and was involved in several chains which resulted in Goals. T.MAC was a little quiet by his standards but still imposes and with his hi end run and leads created many opportunities.JAKE BOWEY playing in the Blue team was impassable across half back and his disposals were alway creative and on the money smart. Looks to have maybe beaten Hibbo for that HBF spot perhaps. The defense of MAY, HARRISON (THE HEARTBREAKER) PETTY were frugal and meaner and madder than a mosquito in a manikin factory.KADE CHANDLER also played for the Blue team and he was busier than a one armed man trying to hang a picture! Kicked some opportunistic goals and was really involved. Thats about all I have and I'll be back at Casey next week with another Blockbuster training and T.V Show dialogue. I hope this mini report makes up somewhat for all you Landers that went to Gosch's which would also have infuriated me! Cheers P.F

If I was in charge of this club I would be asking all and sundry why a fan hosted website such as Demonland gets infinitely more traffic than the official club site. The forum is important, but it is also the best place to get the latest information. I know I always come here first if I want to know anything related to the club, and the official site is almost a last resort. I'm sure the club's sponsors, who have paid good money to have their logos plastered all over the place, would prefer that the club site was the first place people went for accurate, timely information regarding the club.

Kicks from 15 metres missing targets, simple marks dropped. Bottom 4 here we come.

Very disappointed today with the MFC. It's my first training session i've been able to get to in two years as I live in Wodonga. Only to find out that it had been moved to Casey. There was a lovely elderly lady sitting next to me who had never been to a Melbourne training session before with a broken leg and on crutches. The club need to realise the effort most supporters go to just to see a glimpse of the players and training up close. A social media post at 8.30am is easy enough to do so we can change our schedule. Lift your game MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB!

Thanks Picket for the report, although I had to pick myself up off the floor upon reading positive commentary directed towards Spargo

Maybe @Demonland can send Kate and Gary a link to this thread. Not to pull rank on Marketing but for someone to reinforce that fans are a key stakeholder. No point sending it to Marketing I doubt they understand or would act on it. It seems there is a disconnect in communications between football and marketing. And an increasing disconnect in communications between marketing and fans if the Membership thread and this thread are anything to go by.

Disappointment at the paddock. A few with kids and prams, some of the brain trust, a man who hobbled across from the Yarra using two walking sticks. Got there and ask some others what they thought. They said " we rang the club and were told, the training was still on". Many of us waited another 45 minutes, till it dawned on us. Anyway, had a walk on the paddock. The surface is quite cut up and feels firm under foot. Looks great from a distance. They need someone to fill in a few divots with some sand. Wandered over to the glasshouse. Collingwood have a great set up. They were moving the ball with a switch from the defensive boundary, with leads down the rails and a lead into, and with angles to a forward. We seem to be training with our mind on competing, they are doing the fast ball and player movement, using the angles to open up the spaces. Addit: Storms training, so not a complete loss. Had a chat to a groundsman, he tells me there are two type of grasses growing on the paddock and they are waiting for the second type to take hold. That type will make it more spongy. They don't have enough staff to do the finer parts to turf care.

I’ve been to Gosch’s several times when training isn’t there. Mostly gambling on unadvertised sessions which is fine, you know the risks, but I think other times have been late changes too. I’ve never once seen media there on the wrong day. Maybe they know to call the media manager to check, but one way or another they are always informed. It hurts that supporters aren’t given the same respect.

I would do it for free.

Lack of information coming from the club is becoming endemic again. Website still has last year’s membership tally posted, with no updates. Why post training times at all if it isn’t current.? Bring back Ben Gibson.

I have spoken with the club just now in regards to this and they apologised profusely about the miscommunication about training. It was an honest mistake and are genuinely apologetic that some supporters travelled long distances and were put out by the mistake. If any one who was affected by this (actually going to Gosch’s not waiting for a report on here — admin) and want to take it up further with the club please contact them through the membership department.

Frankly the MFC Media including its website are a throwback to five years ago. The club is its members, and its long overdue that this nonsense is brought to a stop. People come from all over Victoria to attend training. its 2023 MFC….get professionals on the job for all media related issues, and get your website sorted out.

Perhaps the move was prompted by an adverse report in today’s astrological charts for the precinct around Olympic and AAMI Parks and Gosch’s Paddock to move training to Casey Fields. The moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter’s aligning with Uranus. I’m informed that Collingwood missed this vital news and, as a result, ruckman Darcy Cameron suffered a fresh hamstring setback at training this morning which could derail the start to their season. The Pies also have just realised they cleared their best ruckman during the trade period. Anyway that’s my training report for today.

100%. An organization as big as MFC would use a multi platform application that automatically posts to all its social media accounts from a single point of posting. No chance somebody is logging in manually to FB, Twitter, Insta and TikTok and making updates separately. If they are, it’s no wonder our social media is so bad. It literally takes 1 second to update these things, and it’s really not good enough that it wasn’t done in a timely manner. Surely someone on DL has some connections at the club and can pass along this stuff up for future rectification. It is not much to ask.

Down from Sydney for the week and was looking forward to repaying the DemonLand Track Watchers by writing my own report from Training. Us interstaters are so thankful for all the pre-season training reports that we get from DemonLand. Our press here knows only rugby and any skerrits of info on AFL is about the Swans. Very disappointed that training was moved to another venue without warning. yeah yeah i know it says that that can happen but it would have been nice for a heads up. This wasn't a last minute decision to change venues. They would have notified all and sundry last night. At least I got to experience 4 seasons in one day in Melbourne again.

This really is very disappointing. I understand last minute changes, but it's not like they didn't know early enough to inform the players. If they can inform the players they can surely post a message on social media at the same time. There are literally a million 20 something year olds who are dominating social media right now. How hard would it be to hire someone to really get that side of the club up and running properly? Hell I am sure you could find some mad Dees fans who would even do it on the cheap or in return for some inside access to the club.

Made the trip into Gosch’s after checking the website this morning - even now it still says it’s on at Gosch’s. Very easy thing for the club to fix.

St.Kilda would still only have 1 flag

He's been going on about this for ages, it's a ridiculous notion. Check out how some of those premierships were "won" pre-1897. It was a different comp, with different teams and different rules. Club's can celebrate their own achievements but as far as competition records are concerned they should and do commence in 1897 with the breakaway VFL.

Most platforms could be linked so it’s prob one post on Facebook that also goes to Insta and Twitter or the old Control C, Control V works a treat. It’s pure zero care factor. Any staff member could easily do it.

There would have been heaps of players and staff that would have needed to be contacted for this change of venue with . Surely one more person could have been told, namely the social media team.

Maybe the FD did but marketing didn't act on it. Lets assume FD forgot to tell marketing. Is it so hard for marketing to have 'training times' as an item to check before training. Better that marketing put up nothing at all than the wrong info. It is indicative of a process/communications that aren't working very well.

How hard is it to keep a website updated though? Seriously for a sport where the news cycle is now 24/7 and things changing I think our site is lagging behind.

I have no problem with them changing venues, the training times page warns of just that. A simple post on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram would have prevented some disappointment amongst some little and bigger kids (me and a few other Demonlanders).

I'm going to contact the club it's just not good enough. I spent money on putting my daughter into before school care specifically so we could get into town early, then paid for an adult & child to travel from Carrum to Richmond and back, Petrol money from Balnarring to Carrum, 4 hours of wasted time. I'll be asking for a decent voucher from the Demon Shop.

I’ve got my Melbourne shorts on and will be kicking the footy around with my son at Goschs shortly if anyone wants to report on me. Took the day off for this too. Go dees.

Listen if I need to move his grandma, dog breeder, best friend and cousin into my house to help Kosi sign with us long term, I am more than happy to kick the kids out and move them in Just make it happen Dees.

No training at Gosch’s today. Apparently it’s out at Casey today. I know the training times page comes with a caveat but they should have some comms on social media if an advertised open session is moved or canceled.

Picket for MFC media manager - wouldn’t that be a hoot! I can foresee a few cheese platters being spilt at the thought of it, but if anyone can fill Benny Gibsons big shoes it’s PF! How do we vote him in?

I'm sorry guys I didn't realise that my birthday on Friday was so important to the club!

Despite all of the above, it is great to see, in the Stephen may interview on the Club website, that, in the background, Clarrie is handling the ball with his right hand, gripping it, and with no bandage that I could see!

About as long as it took you to post that question. Perhaps longer for you Boomers. 🤪

Training report: The sun was out at Gosh’s Paddock this morning, and a few keen track watchers were ready to report in. The ground was in magnificent condition, and as the Melbourne Rebels finished off their training run, hitting the bags, doing agility work, line out practice and fast ball movement the scene was set.. for the biggest let down since last year’s straight sets exit. After relaxing in the sun for an additional half an hour I was wondering “Well, where are you lads?”. Checking in on the DL site showed me that I was to be as disappointed as a Cats supporter without red hair and an overbite. OK, so onto the bus and head back to el rancho nekkid. I hope the powers that be are pleased with themselves - here was my one chance to skive off and do a report for DL, and get a selfie with Mrs Nekkid’s favourite, Big Maxy Gawn. I was not put out as many but still, this mob work as well as our forward line did last year. I hope someone made it down to Casey and there will be something to enjoy after that joyful outing…..

BB moving like this as a great sign, working him into the season perfectly. I would hate to be picking the fwd line rd 1!!

I have travelled from Ballarat..this is becoming totally unacceptable…This has been going on for years now…I took the matter up around 12+years ago…when Leigh Newton was there and nearly got barred for it…maybe an issue to take up with at the GM .or write to Pert.

15 or so people here. Including 3 kids under 5. Imagine hating your fans as much as the Melbourne football club

Do port’s flags in the sanfl count? What about south Freo in the wafl? both part of their history but contextually irrelevant to modern afl

*drivel* drivel /ˈdrɪvl/ noun nonsense. "don't talk such drivel!" dribble verb 1. (of a liquid) fall slowly in drops or a thin stream.

I don’t think I’ll risk turning up to training again, especially with kids. 2 trains to get there from my area. About 90 mins round trip. You’d expect this from an unreliable mate, not a professional organisation.

Rumour has it that restorative works began today in Richmond to repair all the buildings that had been destroyed this summer. It is believed that no houses in the area were trained down today.

You leave me and my warped mind alone!

Is it fair to say because admin/social media team are completely separated from the playing group that maybe there has been confusion to the point where even our own social media team didn't even know they had changed to Casey? Aren't all ou admin team based out on the actual MCG precinct where as our playing is at Aami Park? Just another boring reminder of the importance of having a home base where is based all in the one precinct.

If we're 0-5 I will.

Classic Melbourne. But don’t worry, when they need your money they are very timely with the media spam.

After all the good will with Alfie the other day then this...

Poor effort. You could still have written: beautiful day for training here at Gosch's the temporary scoreboard is up, or not up, as the case maybe no sign of Max Gawn couldn't see any smile on Kozzy - presume that means he must be leaving at the end of the year

Then Port Adelaide should have 40 if you start include these

Szybkowski's problem is not a lack of X-factor it's that he is a defensive liability in tight, he offers no spread from stoppages, he ducks his head in marking contests too often and doesn't bodyline ball carriers in tackling situations. He is a good linkman and loping around midfielder with good kicking skills, but his game doesn't translate easily enough to the AFL. He is not quick enough to play in the positions where his best attributes would shine and his deficiencies are too worrisome to consider him as an AFL midfielder. It was a travesty he was starting in the midfield for Vic Country ahead of Hugh Bond - a braveheart tackling machine in an under midfielder with clean hands who the Crows drafted and has apparently been impressive training for them. Of course, how people who said Szybkowski was a top 10 standard player are still given oxygen to write on football matters is a travesty but there is no accountability in that part of the industry or social media. Rhys Galvin is an interesting player. Probably the best full back in the NAB League last year but not the desirable body shape (187cm, 100kg) to garner AFL interest. Still, the best forwards struggled with him the most. Paddy Cross is a good, consistent midfielder but as an over-ager needed more elite attributes to be in the reckoning. Schuback is trying his luck in the SANFL.

Pete Ryan who is one journalist I respect highly has released this article. https://amp.theage.com.au/sport/afl/kysaiah-pickett-to-be-given-time-to-weigh-up-future-20230130-p5cglx.html Melbourne are well aware there will be suitors but are in open dialogue with Pickett’s management and comfortable their premiership forward is happy with coach Simon Goodwin, his teammates and the way his career has been managed. Sources close to Pickett also confirmed he loves playing with Melbourne.