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Our next flag is 2024. Clowns.

Let’s be honest though.. Dictator Dan never had any intentions for Victoria to host the games. It was purely a strategy to buy votes from Rural towns.

I’ve been missing in action since Covid but managed to get down to training today. Some pics of today's training. Enjoy. https://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-75jnsT

Seb is asleep at the wheel on Rivers. Surprises me how his talent is not more widely recognised.

Why does he want to ignore our draftees from the last two years when he hasn’t with other teams? That’s 3 players taken in the first round he’s choosing to ignore.

Great work guys! I’m lookin fwd to Monday sesh just hope it’s not all running.. Terrific slots and updates, really like the vibes coming out of club atm, and I think current crop of standouts bodes extremely well & Marty Hore is NO surprise, ppl will be eating words he brings much of what we need & this is what JT etc understand that many ill-informed DL neggers do not! So I love the masses of positivity here, great work all. McDonald down back makes perfect sense, he’s gotta go somewhere & it can’t be fwd without some major inj updates. Need depth down bk!!! Sestan, MJ, KOLT, Laurie, Adams, Fullarton & Howes all seemingly on right track and that’s what we need pushing through, already 4-6 names in totality that could be in mix even if squad is fully fit and that is where the improvement needs to come from, not the top 6-8 players, but the others moving fwd & releasing those top 6-8 workloads so they can be more efficient and make better decisions thru having more support. Super excited about this season. It’s gonna shard to be up there again but if we can convert better we’ll definitely be a show and that’s something!

4 out of our top 5 players have already won one.

I understand you can only rate or grade what you see, but it feels a bit disingenuous with we have three first rounds picks in Windsor, Kolt & Jefferson yet to play

Is Seb Mottram Knightmare??

And our assistant coaches from 1974:

I've been to Monday's and today's training. In no particular order.. The best 10-12 we know and will again be our core. Melsham was doing his drills just in from of me. There's minimal difference in his quads, he was jumping off either foot, doing side step jumps then short kicking with either leg. He must have done a power of rehab to be this far advanced so soon after a knee recon. BBB was moving really well, and moving quickly in his leads to the ball. KFY and Verrall are both very mobile and would make other rucks look sluggish if they can maintain this in a game scenario. Taj especially but Dan Turner, Jed Adams and Jefferson all looking very much stronger. Schache doing what he likes best and avoiding contact. Of McAdam, Billings and Fullarton - they are going to have to bring serious game sense, skill and endeavour to be in the best 22. Which is what we really want. Laurie & Taj look like they really want a spot. But the 2 stand outs for me were Marty Hore and Oli Sestan. Hore was in everything, knew where to position himself in the drills, clean, precise, moving really well. Sestan played one drill on the lead out of the goal square. Never fumbled, nialed them from everywhere. Another, he was link man- precise foot skills, clean hands, looking 1 or even 2 moves ahead of the rest. Hope his tank is larger this year - he looks fitter and dare I say a bit trimmed down below the waist. If JT was correct in his summation 12 months ago when questioned about this choice, he said that we couldn't afford to let Sestan slip another year and thought he might be worth a punt. Lastly, Kynan Brown will never let anyone die wondering if he's put in enough effort to get to play AFL. He never stopped. Looks like he has massive tank. Needs 2 preseasons to get 10kg on his frame. FYI

SEN’s young core of journalists is 15th (of 15) on my list of Australian sports radio stations

Max Gawn wouldn't have been a feature in our best players under 24 either

I'll probably get caned for this, but I think the standard has gone right down and it is hard to watch. Over recent years the skill levels have improved a lot, but suddenly they have fallen away. I suspect that increased pressure is why.

LOL. You mean the dictator democratically elected in a landslide victory yeah?

Possibly. It is hard to put exact figures on any of these things. But i have no doubt the final figures were a complete blow out. So i am glad we curtailed it. Canada did the same. The Commonwealth Games have no meaning anymore. They peaked in the 1950’s

Brisbane being awarded the Olympics are a bit like getting a Hard Rock Cafe or Planet Hollywood franchise just when they start to be a bit naff.

Not so fast. The Afl (Gil's) outrageous Hobart stadium racket ranks up there with this issue given the scale of impact on a city smaller than Geelong and the nation's worst housing crisis. My tip is eventually tassie govt will change and rightfully renege on the plan. Poor Brissie is just stuck and will be car car crash

Great effort WcW. Be careful with that umbrella though. It's ok to have one eyed supporters but not too great for mid fielders.

We all know Rivers is a star, but I'm really excited to see where Woey can go this season as well. Wasn't really expecting him to get a game last year based on the reports comming out of his performances at Casey (i.e. some good stuff, but not setting the World on fire). But when Woey got his crack at AFL level, he looked the part almost instantly and I thought he did some really classy stuff. A bit of AFL body size and strength was perhaps all Woey was lacking last season, so he could really make an impact this year if he can work his way into the side.

Not draftable until 2025. He'll be 278cm by then, and still as thin as a straw! Needs to go on the Tmac diet pronto!

Wandered down for a squizz at the bizz on Gosch's. Melksham rehabbing, not doing a running program yet. Oliver appears underdone. Working a running program, though not very advanced in exertion. Completely opposite to how he turned up last pre-season (fittest of the lot). Petty was having just strolling around. The field was dry and the ball handling for pre-season was good. Some stabb passes early in the session dropped in front of the leading players, at least they weren't bombing away. There was some emphasis on creating fwd 50 marks, plenty of short ball hit ups in the simulations. They started with runs and short kicks, then into station drills of low pick-ups, one on one positioning to high balls with push off, and side tackling after receiving high the ball. The atmosphere was great. Get a sense they have a point to make. Everyone was supportive of each other, the noise level was high, and they were looking like a great young squad. They took knees a few times, with group discussions and some frivolity. Plenty of instructions and guidance from the coaches during the process. Goal kicking practice was about snaps, based on the musical chairs game, but with the ball going around, with a couple of defenders and the manikins, making it tougher. McQualter (Mini) gets right in there with the mids, emphasising the spacing. Some drills were created to make the fwds hold position deep, and spread fast as a turnover happens when the opposition leaves our 50 area but loses the ball. Loved our run, we look fast. Standouts include Bowey, McVee, Tholstrup, Laurie. Laurie was baulking everyone, so much composure and looks to be a big improver. Tholstrup is a born leader, supporting team-mates, working hard, one of the last on the field, Also appears to have the will to get to the contest and has that explosiveness after getting the ball. AFL speed won't worry him, a good size and solidness about him. Bowey looking stronger and faster, impacts when he gets the ball. McVee has that composure, runs to the right places and looks explosive. McAdam was definitely struggling with the running program, though out in the sims he gets involved and has nice skills. Verral was getting plenty of 1%er's going, earning praise from the coaches. His is looking slim and moving well. Must have been working hard off season. Howes is looking to be all muscle, barely any fat on him, looks ready for some hard at it footy. Rivers was linking everything during sims. Max and Lever cannot keep away from the play, plenty of involvement. T'Mac was playing in the back line during sims, moving freely, though not winning the run throughs as he used to. Billings adds another dimension to us. Finds space and has a good finish. Kynan Brown has great vision, runs good angles, if he gets some consistency in skills, and a bit more bulk I believe he will make it. Windsor was low-key, I didn't notice him too often. I reckon JVR needs to have a full and hard working pre-season, looks a bit off, his usual aggression didn't seem there. Jefferson was dancing around well and wants to goal when he gets it. Working up and down the field, a few fumbles, and in and out of the play during Sims. Sestan has improved his fitness, no longer gasping after the exertion, and has plenty of composure. Adams has bulked up and playing well by sitting behind the ball. Turner was working up the field off the backline, providing carry of the ball. Farris-White, looks like his skills have improved, has a bit more bulk about him. AMW, seems more mature, getting to the right positions and kicking goals in the sims. Taj is going about it very professionally, straightens the ball movement up and continues to bring intelligence to the game. Hore has not missed a beat. Schache is working hard, getting on the end of plenty. BBB looking faster, and turning well. Still has his own running program. He and Tracc last on the paddock doing goal kicking practice. The new young ones, did not compete in Sims. There is going to be plenty of pressure for places. We will be batting deep. Go Dees

i'll disagree a bit here - i think it was as much about gawn not being able to be a #1 forward target grundy was only ever a ruckman, not a forward target, at the end of the day i do wonder how it would've worked if the skipper hadn't been injured early on vs the bears in rd 2 - the grawndy combo looked okay in pre-season and r1, and then they never really got a decent crack at it outside of that gawn is the game's generational ruckman; to have him deployed forward for over half the game is to waste a unique playing talent

jackson was outstanding once darcy was injured and out of his way

Olympics are now just ego traps for Governments. Politicians doing favours. He sure wasn’t perfect, but i am glad Andrews curtailed the Commonwealth Games before he left. Now they are a complete waste of time…

Totally agree and this is why as I suspected, the exchange was something of a reflection on you as well WCW. If only the media would remember the last bit. So much of the time the seem to be reported on like they are objects, there for our entertainment, the sponsors and media.

On the First Morning of the 2004 Olympics in Greece, there was a Major Drug Scandal, with Athletes riding through the City on Vespa’s evading Officials and Police. I haven’t watched one moment of Olympic Competition since. What a Grotesque waste of money they are…

“Us and Them” from Dark Side of the Moon. Dick or more formally ‘Richard’ Parry (to pass muster here) blowing up a storm.

Just to add one more to those saying what a great post this is WCW and how it lifted my spirits Re the mighty Red and Blue. I also think it's amazing that given all that's gone on with the media, Clarry would be so open and happy to have an exchange like that with you. Think it say something about both of you. Clarry does seem to be a pretty simple country lad at heart - just open and straight down the line, no BS. Think he and the club made the right decision to stick by each other. Can't wait to see what he and the boys can produce this season with him back to his normal self physically and mentally.

Not so much for Goody next year perhaps. The club will probably agree and do right and stand by him but the media is out to get him for sure. I guess when you win a flag the expectations are higher. Losing in straight sets twice in a row has bought added pressure now. And despite injuries being the main reason the pressure is still there. I can't imagine it happening a third time. Hopefully it won't. I think we will be in the mix again but a lot depends upon young Jvr and Petty' s and Fritta' s feet. Hopefully Max fairs well too. I don't think we can count on Tmac or Bbb anymore. Anything we get from them is an added bonus. But our midfield and backline is still exceptionally strong with a good mix of young blood in the ranks. As much as a disappointment ( the finals) this year was compounded by injuries and Maynard's thuggery, I am really enthusiastic and excited again by a flag hope in 24. The cricket world Cup was a nice distraction but I'm really starting to have footy withdrawals. I guess I should be proud of the club for making the top four and giving both finals a red hot go.

Would that be temperature awareness?

Agree… in this case I’m guessing he’s talking about Jefferson.

Old guy here - I like it. Different is good!

Koltyn Tholstrop about to bring us in a new platinum sponsor:

I get the romanticism of Gawndy and I was one who was all for this trade. I watched Grundy closely and saw a ruckman without any other skills. Can’t mark, can’t kick goals, won’t run defensively which is the Melbourne way. Grundy is his own worst enemy who will tap the ball at his feet and work offensively as a second midfielder. He has great looking moments but his substance is not that great for a player getting the big dollars. The club can’t have an expensive back up to Gawn. The other element to this failed experiment was Gawn is not a KPF. He can play a roaming ruck moving forward having impact in games, but won’t do this consistently.

How I imagine the podcast . . . What probably happens . . .

Back - meaning in defence, back on the bench unused, back at Casey?. Only one player in any team (and happens to be Collingwood) to whom I would wish any serious injury and I guess we all know which piece of scum that is.

I have worked with a lot of boys from the Kimberley including Mcadams brother and they aren’t the best trainers but flexibility is needed in the way to communicate and tailor their training to get the best out of them. The effort is well worth it when you see the talent they possess and the Xfactor that can turn a game in 10 minutes

Thanks to Ricky @moredees on Insta for these great images ~

The thinking is obviously that it would impact Jefferson’s development too much. He can’t progress and improve if he’s never targeted because he’s in the land of the giants forward line at Casey alongside Brown, Schache, McDonald, Fullarton and Joel Smith. He’s been a terrific servant to the footy club TMac and is a favourite of mine but, bluntly, he’s now clearly past his best and is purely on the list as depth. Whether he plays forward or back is now immaterial for us and only affects Casey.

CHANGES 2023 Part 3: The Long Run by The Oracle The first round of this year’s AFL National Draft was the deepest of its kind in the history of the AFL draft due to the significant number of Next Generation Academy and Father/Son bids that were matched by clubs in that round. As a consequence, 29 players were selected in the longest running first night of a draft ever, almost half the total number of players drafted overall. Melbourne was well placed in the draft with two picks at the top end which were ultimately picks 7 and 13 although it did make an unsuccessful attempt to secure the first pick which would have netted Harley Reid who was favourite for top spot throughout the year. For their first selection at #7, the Demons opted for the outside run and class of Caleb Windsor from Eastern Ranges who was described by AFL Draft Central* … “[S]omewhat of a bolter, Caleb Windsor is a wingman capable of holding down his spot for the long-term. He plays the outside role expertly and is one of the draft’s best athletes – demonstrating a strong speed-endurance mix both through his agility and ability to snatch metres with each possession. “Windsor worked on his deficiencies this year – from ground balls, to kicking on the run – and accelerated from being a first round chance to top 10 draftee. The Dees describe his work as classy and were very happy to add him to an already very strong list.” According to the Melbourne Age, Windsor told Fox Footy that he was "grateful for the opportunity", after getting the biggest cheer of the night when his name was read out. Six picks later, Melbourne chose hard working Koltyn Tholstrup, already a regular in WAFL State League side Subiaco who, like Windsor, is considered not far away from being AFL ready. According to AFL Draft Central*, “The West Australian impressed with his willingness to perform roles in Subiaco’s senior side this year, shaping as a character who will only boost the quality of a team’s culture. “He plays with great energy and flair going both ways, which should quickly endear him to fans. Even his exploits off the field are eye-catching. While he’ll likely start as a forward, Tholstrup certainly has scope to shift into the on-ball group in future.” Tholstrup was invited to the draft in person, according to Fox Footy, but declined to spend the night with his family in Western Australia. Demons recruiting manager Jason Taylor said of his two first round selections: "Caleb is speedy, he's quite fast and he covers a lot of ground as well so it's a speed-endurance combination. He's a 60-80m player, he really carries the ball and he's a goalkicker. “He adds a bit of class. We think he can grow into an outstanding athlete and he's someone we really wanted to add to our footy club. Koltyn is a great character, a really powerful medium forward who, we've got no doubt at some point in his career, can go through the midfield. He's going to add some real quality both as a person and player to our footy club." The club’s trading of players in October had left it with very little need in terms of spots available on its playing lists. The final primary list space was taken by the uplifting of rookie Daniel Turner so the recruiters had an easy second night of the draft as onlookers while 35 more picks were added by the other clubs. On the following afternoon, the Demons preselected father/son pick, Kynan Brown, 181cm 71kg, who had featured in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year as a Category B Rookie. AFL Draft Central* said of him - “Brown turned out for Oakleigh Chargers over the last couple of seasons and was one of Vic Metro’s most consistent, albeit unheralded performers at the Under 18 National Championships. Expect him to provide handy list depth and work to get the best out of himself at the top level.” As expected, the club also rookie listed the injured Jake Melksham in the rookie draft and, at the first available opportunity, retook defender Marty Hore earlier this week as a supplemental selection after spending two seasons in the VFL. The 2023 changes now leave the club’s lists looking like this: PRIMARY LIST: — Jed Adams Jack Billings Jake Bowey Angus Brayshaw Ben Brown Kade Chandler Tom Fullarton Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Blake Howes Lachie Hunter Matthew Jefferson Ed Langdon Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Shane McAdam Tom McDonald Steven May Alex Neal-Bullen Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Josh Schache Joel Smith Charlie Spargo Tom Sparrow Koltyn Tholstrup Adam Tomlinson Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor Taj Woewodin ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A — Marty Hore Judd McVee Jake Melksham Oliver Sestan Will Verrell ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B — Kynan Brown Kyah Farris-White Andy Moniz-Wakefield * 2023 AFL Draft Review: Melbourne

Tanks.

Odd post. Senior WAFL footy is a far higher standard than all junior footy competitions around the country, so not sure why that would be a concern.

Well that’s not true he was an AA Backman and got put forward because he had no one else and he did a good job and stayed there. I think his first forward game was that game he kicked the winner against WC

My thoughts do need to be heavily qualified - it is very difficult to comment on things like attitude while watching a December training session from the sidelines. And no doubt my thoughts are influenced by things that have been said about him - eg. "best character in the draft". I think what I was trying to get at is he has presence. Intangible and hard to define. Usually the young first-year players just blend in and you don't really notice them but your eyes seem to be drawn to him. I haven't seem him play so have no idea what he's like on the field. But if he can play, he will definitely be one of those types you notice.

Welcome to Demonland.

Hore and Jefferson

What a bloody TERRIFIC training report and group of positive, near effusive, comments!!! LOVE the positive vibes.. kudos to all. As for Matty J, we know what he is, and he’s also in his 2nd pre-season. He’s not JVR and we DO NOT want him to be, he’s more of your BBB OR Daniher type, or a Gunston with Height & a leap. He got him to contrast JVR & the club is absolutely RAPT with how he’s come back, his size etc so let’s stay positive & I think he’ll be a player bit it’s gonna take time. McAdam also doesn’t surprise me, sounds like exactly how I’d imagine, he’ll get more fit as we go but he’s never gonna be the fitness king, he’s a burst, magical type player that’ll provide plenty of fun and likely win us a few games from thin-air if he’s around 4-6yrs. Also continually getting vibe Billings is gonna be an epically important i50 player in 2024, hearing right now, all 3 new AFL recruits are in frame for R1 so that’s a great sign if we improve that much by adding 3 1st 22, likely 4-5 if you consider Howes Is also gonna push for a claim, KOLT perhaps can too. God I hate it being so far away, but I can’t blv im this excited buoyed by fact media and punters have jumped right off us, this bodes VERY well indeed.. Promised myself after the loss I wouldn’t get this keen again, boy that one lasted all of 2 training sessions!

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