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That's probably the best training report ever produced on Demonland.

If we offered him to Adelaide for two first rounders next year do you think they’d notice the difference?

Braved the elements for half an hour or so, couple of observations. Sestan did a couple of things that made me raise my eyebrows, in a good way. He’s just a smart, clean footballer who makes good decisions. Just needs to build his tank and there’s a real player there. The bloke in 26 is definitely Jed Adams. He looks a hell of a lot like Petty, and has filled out to a similar size, hence the confusion. Petty watched proceeedings from the sidelines but isn’t in a moonboot or anything. Rivers and Woey have gone to new levels physically. Really excited to see where Rivers can get to this year, he was a real standout while I was there. Sparrow was often fumbly, and annoyed at himself. We need him to step up next season. Lever is just an outstanding leader. He's got a great mix between barking orders, giving a spray, and putting an arm around players when needed. Great talker too, for me it’s him and Trac as our next leadership duo. Kept a close eye on Jefferson as I’m really keen for him to him to have a big season, especially if Petty ends up leaving. With the caveat that it was very much not a day for key forwards, I was left a little disappointed. He’s definitely put on a bit of size which is promising but his competitive instincts and follow up play compared to JVR is chalk and cheese. He has a strange posture, sort of hunchbacked, and he just doesn’t seem to relish body contact at all. Another thing I noticed was when Selwyn Griffith had set up a little 30-40m sprint between cones for players rotating out of a drill. He’d bark at the players to go flat out during that time but was half distracted, getting things prepared for the next drill. So nobody was really watching them to make sure they did it properly. EVERYONE, including Windsor, Tholstrup etc did this at 100% and really pushed themselves. Everyone except Jefferson, who took a quick first few steps and then cruised the rest. It probably sounds like nothing, but for me attitude is what often separates the good from the excellent. Hoping I just got him on a bad day, and as I said it undoubtedly was a tough one for the bigger boys.

Roll Call - apart from Clayton, ANB and Lachie Hunter were both there and training with the main group. Clayton just doing short runs with the physio. Fritta and Petty not involved with the group. Fritta doing stretches, Petty seems not ready yet. So 11 of the 44 not there, Chandler, May, Viney, Brayshaw, B Brown, Kosi, Langdon, Schache, Tomlinson, Melksham, Smith.

Please let him know all supporters love him xx

I think you mean Blake. I called in Daniel in the interview with Jason Taylor despite having Blake Howes written on the page in front of me. I am going to blame you for this mix up despite it happening before you writing your post.

It would be perfect if WCW could do the boundary-riding interviews and the other guys could do the training drills etc.

Thank you WCW for your great efforts in inclement conditions and for getting up close to Shane McAdam and Jack Billing’s those smiles say it all. Great to hear that Clayton was relaxed and responded to you and joined in a warm conversation as well. Very important that he knows how we all feel about him, special thanks for that. Look forward to seeing you catch up with the rest of the new boys during pre-season.😁😁

He injured his foot against the Giants in Alice Spring last season. He came back in Round 24 against the Swans and appeared to injure his foot again but came back on the ground and ended up kicking 5 goals for the match. He played in the 2 finals after that but I assume there are some lingering issues unless this is a whole new injury. Foot injuries are a bitch and they never seem to fully go away.

Really like this, shows heaps, and I know it’s “only” his age group but it shows, confidence in himself, strength of character, maturity, leadership, again maturity beyond his age. and he played against seniors last year I think. hope he can play footy. We might have an absolute gem, future leadership as well, fingers crossed

Don’t encourage her. DL will turn into the Bold and the Beautiful or Days of our Lives.

Best training report I've ever read. 🤣👏❤️💙

How do we know it's not an AI generated deep-fake?

Hope your windscreen wipers are locked down 😂 @WalkingCivilWar

Yeah yeah, we are a rabble. 9 losses in 2023 for a total 79 points combined. It’s a game of fine margins these days and the luck in our forward half disappeared late in the season. Most consistent Melbourne team I’ve seen supporting them. A few tweaks here and there and we are in it up to our eyeballs in 2024.

In 2021 we had a charmed injury run. Fit players in every position except for May in the GF. But nobody told him he was injured. In 2022 and 2023 we suffered from injuries that took off the top percentage of our form. Losing by 7 points and 2 points does not a culture issue make. Simply we could field our best combination. Injuries decide flags every year. Let's hope for a benign injury year. GO DEES

We have lost the last two finals because, quite simply, we lost our forward line due to injuries and there was a disconnect in our gameplan. If this is your idea of cultural issues, then get in bed with the media and bash the club. Without going over the personal struggles a few of our players are facing—personal struggles that all clubs, Collingwood included, face—you have chosen to side with the media crowd and declare that there must be a cultural issue. You have no idea what has happened or is happening behind the scenes, so your post is just a rehashed version of what is said in the media. Do you have an original thought?

Slightly off the topic but every single supporter could do worse than watching a compilation of Clayton Oliver's highlights. It has been forgotten the calibre of footballer Clarry is. There's no way we miss the 8. The coach is brilliant and he's hired a strong strategist in McQualter.

I braved the weather and went down for most of the session. Was good, players did some running and stuff.

Well done all, with special thanks to @WalkingCivilWar. Your convo with Clarry speaks for us all.

Petty in track suit, no moon boot. Fritta in training gear but just doing light work. As WCW said - probably not far away from joining in fully.

He's always been my number 1 preference for our next captain by a long way. Glad others are starting to realise what an incredibly influential leader he is.

You have beautiful eyes. If you don't mind me saying so.

Sorry Andy, didn't realise you'd said exactly the same thing. I should have read all before posting. I reckon it's confirmed as fact then. 😉

Agreed try going down to Swan Street on a Richmond home gameday and advise them that the Tigers actually finished 3rd in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

That poor fella from WA will be jumping on the next plane home after training today

Was told by a die hard St Kilda supporter colleague that Billings is an outstanding character.

and i suspect he better get up to speed sharpish if he wants to be in the team 😂

I suspect he may not have been the fittest Crow.

The moon boot probably had to go into rehab its been overworked the last 12 months. Hope Fritsch and Petty are ready to go in March. Plenty of time. Cant finish top 4 without them.

Because if we don't do this and start exposing some of our more promising kids then we'll fall completely off the cliff once the likes of May and Gawn retire. Introducing the kids alongside May and Gawn will only benefit their development.

Your red and blue face will turn purple in this rain WCW. Better wear a hat so they don't think you are a Freo spy trying to pinch another of our young guns. 😉

Just two years in a row of straight sets exits after winning a flag with a list that should be making a preliminary final at minimum.

Date: Wednesday 29th November 2023 Time: 9:30am Place: Gosch's Paddock I've had confirmation from the club that training will take place on Wednesday and Friday and Gosch's Paddock at 9:30am. I'm going to try to make it down for at least one of those sessions. We'd love it if any Demonland Trackwatchers in attendance can provide us with any information and their observations.

we won a flag with jackson, pickett and rivers in the team as 2nd year players (and all under 20) + Jordon, sparrow as 3rd year and spargo and petty in their 4th years.

Billing’s top left, McAdam top right and Tom Fullarton 200cm fwd/ruck from Brisbane.

https://www.afc.com.au/news/1412354/mcadam-to-miss-eagles-clash McAdam had a quad strain, got back in the team then injured his cheekbone in august. this shouldnt have impacted his off season work though - but may explain why he was a little behind fitness wise?

All of them, you should know the rules, this time of the year is never fitter, look stronger etc....

Ch 7 were on the other side of the ground - they had already filmed Clayton. The journo was looking to interview someone from the Club as I left.

We still have a decent list still (albeit our stars are either coming to the end of their prime or have gone totally off the rails, the forward line is a massive concern as is ruck depth after the mishandling of Grundy), what it will come down to is the coach’s ability to manage and select the correct team each week. In 2022 we limped into the finals as the coach refused to manage or rest key players throughout the season while Casey was full of players in form who only lost one game all year. Geelong of course did exactly this and won the flag in a canter. In 2023 team selection was a constant mess, particularly around the selection or lack thereof tall defenders and forwards (May and Lever totally at sea without Petty/Tomlinson, Briwn playing for Casey after retuning from injuring, Joel Smith being played as a forward four years too late and so on). It of course culminated in the greatest coaching blunder in modern finals history of selecting Schache as the sub while an in-form Hibberd was dropped and Grundy sat in the stands while Gawn had a broken toe and then the sub wasn’t even used!

I agree with what you say, but the issues you raised have nothing to do with culture. We obviously had to rework our gameplan after losing our key forwards before and during the finals and losing Brayshaw in the first few minutes of the QF. We didn't have the time or the personnel left to adapt. This may have contributed to the way we played against Carlton. Looking back, I think we did extraordinarily well to be in a position to win both games.

"I got the straight set blues From my head to my shoes When the forwards fire a shot It's always there it is not Those straight set blues Those straight set blues. I've got those straight set blues Those old straight set blues Well you should see strong men quail Or just a Maynard fail Those straight set blues Those old straight set blues."

We won't miss the 8, but I don't think we make top 4 in my honest opinion. There is still concerns with our forward line which obviously got shown out during the finals series. There is also some concerns around Pettys injury. Speaking to a player this off season who I bumped into up here and he stated that the injury in itself was pretty significant and the club will take all precautionary measures. Reckons he might not be back in full training around mid to late February.. but that was purely his own opinion. I also have concerns around our midfield and ruck depth. Last year we did have Harmes, Grundy, Jordon ready to step in immediately when needed, but this year our depth is very thin with young players like Woewodin who are still unknown at senior level. We've been very lucky that the likes of Petracca, Viney and Brayshaw have been playing consistently each week for the past 2 years, but they're also getting older as well so the hits and knocks will probably get to them at some stage next year. The way I see it is that next year will be a year where we'll take a step back purely because I think we'll focus on getting some games into kids such as Howes, Turner, Adams, Woewodin, Laurie, Windsor, Tholstrup, AMW and even Will Varrell with the hope that we can then catapult again with a rejuvenated list for the next few years. I would be okay with this if it means it gives us the opportunity to extend our premiership window for the next few years.

Um. Why not? It's an award that recognises performance in a full home and away season for both sexes. It's completely appropriate. I'm sure both captains are disappointed in their teams' performances in their respective finals series, but that doesn't diminish the achievements of each individual home and away game that got them there.

You can do the track report. I believe in you!

Well it’s not like we don’t have some cultural issues. 2 years running straight sets, Oliver, Joel Smith and the rest of what’s going on. We deserve the blowtorch and we’re going to get it. I say bring it and see if this group can take another step or slide into mediocrity. It’s 50-50 at best as we sit, at least that’s my opinion. List wise we should be winning or losing Flags not semi finals. Fix it!!

I think it’s great if I was a young WA (or whatever) kid joining the Demons, and looked at how we cared for our potential Top 21 who in their late 20's had missed out through an everyman injury and bad luck, …. I would think … this is a good family, i can trust them, I'll stay with them And whats more, the guy can play