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The players were on the paddock early, so it was difficult to see who had light duties as most are already in the main group. Harry Petty running and kicking in his rehab phase, though still in runners. K.Turner in boots, but still in his running program. Hibbo training. Will Verrall training. James Harmes training. I cannot see Clayton Oliver. No BBB. No Jake Bowey, asked a staff member, and they said progressing well in the concussion protocols. He also said, they know they won ugly against Carlton and expect a close one against Collingwood. Extensive training session. Plenty of running and a drill I haven't seen before. They play keeping off, using an outside circle of players with the defenders inside. A kind of soccer warm up formation, but a larger area. Ball movement drills using 3/4 of the field. One group with the mids passing it round by hand, till a whistle and they find an outside runner that comes from the defensive group, who delivers to leading forwards. Two groups, one looking inside, the other towards the boundary for the runners. They are finishing up with more running. "Another ten and we go again". Tmac is observing from a wheelie frame, as his foot is heavily bandaged. End of the session. A few stay back, goal kicking and some pair up for ball handling, Sparrow and Laurie, Salem and McVee, and Verrall in for some extra running with a trainer on his shoulder.

Threat title looked like my cat walked across the keyboard. Love what Judd is bringing to the team, not bad for a rookie selection!

Footy is full of lies But I'd rather be labelled as a snow-goer than simply known as the filth, scum or ferels. So there's an upside!

My husband’s favorite thing about me going every week, is that for 24 hours post game I lose my voice and so I’m silent. He calls it the “post match bliss” 🙄😂

I have a ticket to Mondays game, but am willing to swap it for a tour through Europe. DM me if interested.

😊 RD 12 | Jaguar Electrifying Performance

I will say this, if I see Pies fans sitting in our reserved seat area I will get them kicked out. It’s happened before and they were drunk and aggressive. I don’t pay hundreds of dollars a year to sit with filth!

DEMONLAND:

That suspension still makes me furious. Four weeks was ridiculous. By that metric De Goey should go to jail Chandlers suspension last year was equally frustrating.

I went to both Collingwood games last year and swore they were my last. The overt aggressive support is no fun to be around. Gone are the days of the fun banter between supporters. At Collingwood games it's a barrage of froth, bubble and aggression. I'm no prude but I'm not interested in being around scum who swear every second word........in saying that I'll be there on Monday!

Every week there are predictions of omitting Spargo, ANB or Sparrow. Every second week Pickett gets thrown in. Yet, in the last three years there have been two more earthquakes in Melbourne than omissions of any of the above.

The clip doesn't show my favorite bit of play from the Judster against the blues. He had the ball right on the boundary line, feinted and everyone around him seemed to just stop, perhaps thinking the ball had gone over the boundary line - which i exactly what i thought had happened watching live. It was weird - normally players with the sort of natural time the judster has is the one who appears to be standing still, but in this instance, it was everyone else who stopped! (I think the bit of play i'm talking about is actually the very first clip of the Judster in that video - and if so, is cut off right before the good bit)

has a turn of speed that helps with 1:1 defending, positions himself cleverly in the contest, is a smart decision maker, and a good user there is heaps to like

You're kidding right? Sparrow has been fantastic since returning from his week suspension. No way he misses. Chandler, Spargo or Tomlinson are names off the top of my head that will miss before Sparrow does.

my favourite comeback to 'gone skiing' during the football season is 'ugh...as if we ski LOCAL! japan or aspen only, daaaaaaaaaarling' being fickle elitist rich snobs is one of the best stereotypes in sport

I've been reliably informed that exposure to the sun isn't good for a blister.

He's good in the wet then.

Thanks as ever @kev martin for a really informative summary of the session. Very much appreciated mate.

Been having similar discussions/arguments lately with a collingwood supporting workmate. Today he was bagging our attendance to games. I told him our average attendance was pretty good. He didn't like that .... Jumped on his phone and found we were 6th in the league behind the Big4 and Geelong. He didn't like that either and quietened down.

I've found that as well. An example was in our loss to Freo, a supporter was claiming loudly that "if Lever plays again, he will never watch again". I am bewildered. Really unhappy people, or have such high expectations, or maybe entitlements. Where we have have been in the past 50 years, and where we are at the moment. That way of support doesn't add up?

Re 3 talls, I think Salem makes a huge difference to our ability to play 3 talls. He will take a while to get his touch back, but I watched him closely last week and his positioning is just elite. Whether it’s pushing up towards stoppages to stop the out the front exits from the opposition, or just being in an annoying position to mop up the scrubby kicks forward, he puts himself in positions that bring our interceptors into play. The last 2 weeks have been our statistically best defensive efforts this year, and Salem is a key reason (along with evening up the stoppage numbers since Clarry went down).

Thanks Kev and all posters very informative and entertaining as usual, hope Clayton and Hibbo hot to trot next Monday. Really looking forward to how we stack up against the Pies.

Can’t see Sparrow getting dropped. Most pressure acts vs Freo and second most vs Carlton. I reckon his suspension cost us 4 points against Port.

This will probably be an unpopular thought but I actually didn't think Tomlinson played a bad game, and I don't think it's a coincidence that Lever had one of his best games for the year with him in. McKay is a bloody good footballer and was getting regular (and quite often unpressured) service, getting hands on the ball hasn't been his problem it's the finishing that's been his main issue. I personally think Tommo stays, as does Smith. Unless there are absolute gun footballers that are direct replacements (say a Petty or Oliver) I say given them a body of games to prove their worth to the team. Our backline functions better with to key pillars complimenting the Lever interceptor. And JVR and Smith seemed to have space from each other which is actually what Roo needs, space to have his opponent one on one. I would expect more from Smith going forward, but giving him one game and dropping is going to do nothing for him or the team. Bowser for Hibberd Sparrow for for Oliver (Sparrow Sub)

You don't want to be playing your best footy in June. Grand finals are not won in winter. They are really looking for the bye. You can't expect a young player like Daicos to be up all season. Yes, they lost and their defense was porous, but don't you love how they don't go into their shell and stick to their game plan. I know they lost, but geez don't you love watching them play. I know they lost, but i can't see the dees beating them with Sidebottom and De goey back in the team. Yada Yada Yada

maybe he's just wearing his cloak of invisibility.

If you have friends who are Pies fans, you should find better friends 😂

I hate Collingwood supporters, but on September 25th 2021 I promised myself I’d never miss another Melbourne game I could get to. If we lose it’ll be horrible, but if we win -god help them all.

I've been to every MFC home match this season. Please excuse me for not going on KB. Quite simply the filth people do my head in with their constant booing, yelling "ball" every few seconds and the ridicuous "USA, USA" chant. I hate the filth (to quote my ex wife)"with every fibre of my being". Although she said it in a different context. I promise to go to every other MFC home match this season ... and even matches at Marvel !! Am I forgiven?

I'm going to be in the AFL Reserve. May Got have mercy on my soul.

The game's a week away and we're in full-on competitive mode already That's the spirit!! My wish ... a one point win (after the siren) after Spargs receives a dodgy high contact free kick (with Ginnivan watching on)

You clearly don't sit anywhere near Mrs Dw or myself. I had to move from where I was sitting for the Carlstink game because I was making a small child cry, I was that loud.

My degree in MFCSS says 7 days

Tomlinson stays. 7 cm taller than hibberd. No cooincidence imo May and Lever had best game of the seadon with 2021 looking defence. Hibberd in for Bowey. Maybe takes Elliot

I wonder what crowds would be like if there was no alcohol served at the footy. I go to watch the footy, not network or to have drinks with my mates. As far as I'm concerned, you may as well stay at home if you spend half your time in the bar. But again, some MCC nuffies go purely to network. I'm not advocating no alcohol at games btw, just that I think a significant portion of the crowd wouldn't attend without it. It's become so engrained in the fabric of footy. The last few weeks in the MCC has been intolerable. People stand up in front of you 25-30 times a game, mid play. They don't even wait for stoppages anymore. I'm sorry to hear this about your co-worker. That's pathetic.

And if we do watch the commentators say " oh they were due for a loss, they have been up for so long, you can't keep up that pace all season, De Goey missing has cost them" blah blah blah.

At the Freo loss old mate up back of our bay kept yelling that Harmes shouldn't get another game, and that he should go back to the VFL, because that was his standard. Admittedly Harmes did quite a few stinker things that day, but he's got a well earnt premiership medallion and a memory of kicking that brilliant pass to Fritta that turned the game that old mate will never have.

I'd reckon even with a smaller supporter base, a lot of Demon fans have been making the effort to attend games this year. At work we have a Demons chat of about 20 people (tiny, I know), mostly based in Melbourne. At least 5 of us are interstate and we are all travelling down and meeting family / friends to support the Dees at on Monday. Further, at least 3 or 4 of us (myself included) all independently arranged to go to the Suns game. Now, obviously this is an incredibly small, anecdotal sample size... but none of us spoke to each other about whether we were going to games. So the effort is heartening to see!

These clowns are the only bad thing about the site in reality. We have a club that won a flag 2 years ago, has the best 3 players of the last 30 years in the team, and has a crack every week. I enjoy this footy parallel universe to the previous 50 years and the incessant negativity / baiting is moronic, low brow and juvenile. Always the same posters and I have neither the will nor inclination to engage but it is almost always a frustration.

I really liked the look of JVR on Friday night he has footy nous and steely determination great teamwork and kicks goals and he really earnt this nomination. Well done young man, so glad we didn’t rush him last year it has paid off in spades. Looking forward to a long career in the Red and Blue.!!!!

What, in jail?

David Schwarz?

I play up on it too. Was in a pub in Taralgon with my MFC scarf on a few weeks back and joked to my gf that it was a stop off on the way to Baw Baw from her place. Asked the barman if they had any cheese boards i could try. Then on the other hand in a pub in Newbrough wearing the scarf, I was asked what that '[censored]#t' thing I had around my neck was. Classy. Amazing the guy could talk without any teeth. Probably a Collingwood supporter.

Joize I've upset a few! Sounds like some have taken it as a personal attack because they're in that 50+ age bracket?! Hope everyone's okay, no offence meant. Having a great time in Europe btw everyone! Thanks!

Rising Star indeed! Where others struggled for accuracy, young fella stepped up to the mark and showed how it is done. Beyond which was an impressive four quarter performance.

JVR has bit of the early years Petracca strut about him. Love it! Also love that he is wearing the #2. Will do it proud

Act two of the season Act two of the season is rounds 11-12, through the bye and up to aprox round 16. And as important as the first two months are in terms of laying our fitness foundation, you could argue this period is almost as important in terms of giving the contenders the best chance of winning a flag. As I noted in the Act one of the season post, Selwyn Griffiths said on the DL interview that in season games only provide 70% of the capacity to maintain aerobic levels and between games it is not really possible to build aerobic capacity. And said that to be in optimal shape come finals they need to use the bye period to do a heavy block of aerobic and power conditioning, but also give players time off to physically and mentally recharge. So, lots to juggle and consider. He didn’t mention fatigue in this context but said an impact of this increased training load is a greater risk of injury in games. Logic suggests extra running and weights sessions will also cause fatigue (as is the case in the preseason), which will impact our performance in games (in much the same way accumulative fatigue does). I hesitate to call this a loading phase because it became so emotive on DL last year and in 2021 and 2022. And to be perfectly honest I can’t be bothered relitigating the debate (that said, to be clear, i have never suggested fatigue is an excuse for poor performance, but rather a factor, a reason - one of many factors that can impact performance, but a very important one and one that is almost uniformly overlooked in the media). But for anyone reading this who has not participated in the great loading debate, Selwyn Griffith explains the process here (and there are hundreds of posts on the topic last year and in 2021): 15:45 mins to 19:30: Selwyn discusses the full year’s training program 19:30 to 21:48: Selwyn discusses the impact of accumulative fatigue, and the phase where they are increasing loads etc From his comments there is no question they do a block of heavy training at this point in the season. The question is how long it goes for. He doesn’t directly answer that question, though references the round 12-15 period. Which makes sense given the goal for the real contenders is to be cherry ripe in mid-September (round 16 is usually early July). My take from these comments, and pretty extensive research in previous years, is that it is about a three-week period they go extra hard. There's no question it had a significant impact on our performance in a block of aprox 3-4 rounds in the last two seasons because of the related fatigue (ie they do additional running and power sessions on top of recovering from games). In 2021, in round 13 we got rolled by the then lowly Pies in a listless performance (we scored 63 points), had our bye, only beat the lowly bombers by 11 points in another scrappy performance (scoring 68 points), got rolled by the Giants on the G, only managing 55 points on a dry day, went to Port and played great to win (scoring 86 points) but then drew with Hawks (79 points) and got beaten in round 19 by the dogs, scoring only 65 points. From that point we didn’t lose another game for the season, averaging aprox 108 points a game, inclusive of our three finals wins. Last season, we lost in rounds 11, 12 and 13, only breaking 60 points once when the Swans beat us 76-61. Then after our bye we scored 16.21 117 and poleaxed the Lions by 61 points in round 15. The pattern has started to repeat itself so far this year, with a loss to Freo in round 11 and a scrappy, low quality match against the blues (but thankfully a win). By the by, on the blues game, if you are someone who thinks hibbo is best 22 (as I am), then the logical extension of him being managed is that they did not give the team the best chance of winning this game. This is what I mean by prioritising winning the war not the battles, which Goody has touched on multiple times when he talks about the goal being in our best shape and playing our best footy come finals. Again, this is not a scenario limited to Melbourne. Burgess took the tigers' fitness template, added his philosophy and then others have followed – most notably Geelong last year. Given how running based the Pies are, they are almost certainly following a similar regime. Why? Because they can’t win a flag if they are not as fit as they were in the first third of the season come grand final day – or as fit as us for that matter (it’s worth nothing Sanderson has said a number of times the Pies are the fittest side atm by some margin – hard to prove, but their ability to run out games is used as the key evidence. We have lost only two final quarters for the year, so by that logic we must be pretty fit too). As previously noted, I make a distinction between flag contenders and non-contenders. I assume non contenders would still follow a similar training program, but their focus is on making finals, not winning a flag. So they might not go quite as hard around the bye as they can less afford to lose games because of fatigue. And they need to peak at the start of September, not the end. You don’t need to be sport scientist to see the impact of fatigue on performance. Just watch any game in the last two rounds and you can clearly see its impact. In round 11, top 8 teams in the Lions, Dees, Dogs, Cats and Saints all lost to teams well below them on the ladder and the pies gave up six last quarter goals to the roos to only win by 6 goals after leading by nearly 10 goals. There have been less anomalous results in round 12, but the quality of the games and skill execution was uniformly very poor. And the dogs and Crows (where Burgess now works) both got out to big leads before completely running out of gas and getting easily rolled. Leaving aside how the games looked, there are tonnes of AFL wide metrics that evidence the impact of accumative faitgue on perfomance. So, the timing of the heavy training block will have a big impact on which games we are most impacted by fatigue in, and which games we might therefore be at risk of losing going in as favourite. The big question then is when does the heavy training block commence for us this year? There are some variables that are worth factoring in when considering that question: Our training program has changed quite a bit this year, and it appears we are following the Cats lead in terms of managing players, using more players through the middle, using more players full stop, and key players spending more time on the bench than in 2021 and 2022 There is an extra round this year Selwyn talked about how tough the first half of our season was in terms of the challenges of travel combined with multiple short breaks between games For the second year in a row, we essentially don't get a bye because we only have 9 days between the pies game and our post bye game (by way of comparison, most other teams get a full two-week break, meaning players can get away from the club and there is still time for a good block of heavy training without worrying too much about the impact on the post bye match) Griffith noted these factors made planning when to do additional blocks of training a real challenge – and I wonder if the timing of breaks means they have to split the 3-week block of heavy training into smaller blocks of say 7-9 days But he also noted that post bye, it is a better fixture in terms of travel and breaks between the games It is also an easier run home than last year, which as was the case for the Cats last year, means greater opportunity to manage players (if the cats had as many must win, finals like, high pressure games as us in the last 5 or 6 games of last season they would not have had the luxury of managing players) So, back to the key question - when does the heavy training block commence for us this year? Short answer is I don’t know. But my best guess is that it started after the Freo game, which just about marries up with the aprox rounds 12-15 window SG talked about. I fully admit this guess is influenced by the hope that we plan to be in the best possible shape for the Kings' birthday game, which we weren’t last season. But I think this year the stakes, and timing, are different. This is one battle that will help us win the war. And it is also one of the most eagerly anticipated game in years. I'm hoping we want to do everything we can to win (like resting Hibbo against the blues). That said, even factoring in yet another six-day break, I think the blues game provided pretty good evidence of a team that was fatigued beyond accumulative fatigue – ie they went hard on the track in the lead up. For the first time all season we played tempo footy and looked to control the momentum and speed of the game just as we so often did in 2021 and in the first half of 2022. Great way to conserve energy. And it was by far our lowest pressure ratings for the season, and we went into cruise mode in the last q (keeping in mind 180 is considered league average and 200 elite pressure – dees in first column): Q1: 179 - 195 Q2: 172 - 161 Q3: 179 - 166 Q4: 148 - 153 Tot: 170 - 170 So, we train hard in the lead up to the blues and go hard for the first half of this week? And then taper into the Kings Birthday game. We have our bye, players have a 3 or 4 day break and then go hard again in the lead up to the Cats game – which of course we want to win but are prepared to risk losing because of fatigue (if I’m right we will see a the same sort of scrappy, low quality game as we did at aprox the same time as our game against the cats at taxpayer park last season). We then have a nine day break ahead of our round 16 Alice Spring game against the Giants, so we do our last heavy training block (resulting in another scrappy game) to get our aerobic and power closer to the optimal level as we roll into the third act of the season, rounds 16 to 24.