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Report from Ghostwriter went to Gosch’s this morning and sent me this report… 1st - 4th year players today. Some seniors chose to attend: Viney, Salo, Fritta, Tmac, HP35. The vibe was amazing. The sunshine and lack of wind made it even better. They all look great; trim and toned and not one of them is out of shape. You thought Vines couldn’t possibly get any musclier? Think again. Good luck trying to tackle him, oppo chumps, see you in the broken bones ward at the Royal Melbourne! Nathan Basset already commanding much respect from the boys as well as Goody and Chocco. Very professional. Troy Chaplin confident and decisive when addressing his charges. Idk if Tom Campbell is any good at footying but believe me, he’s a lovely person. It’s no wonder he and BBB are besties, carbon copy right there. Chin Chandler rocking a dramatic buzzcut. First reaction: WTF?! Immediately followed by It actually looks good. No easing into training this preseason. No siree Bob. Straight into serious, physical drills. A lot of practice at baulking a couple of players while running into open goal. Leb puts the “Win” in “Windsor.” He absolutely nailed it. Woey junior super impressive when tackling, the boy simply does not let up. Brings one to ground, springs back up and takes down another one. So good to see. Jed Adams was wearing #19 (shack attack’s body isn’t even cold yet) but it’s probably only because he didn’t have a clean #26. Ollie Sestan looks great. Clearly hasn’t missed a single day in the gym. Seems super confident when talking about a potential debut in the offing. Jeffo also appears way more confident compared to last season. Not afraid to go in hard. Seems more agile as well. Still needs to straighten tf up but the Quasimodo is no longer as prominent. A slightly deranged regular was there. She gave Goody a big ‘ol bear hug and told him she’s so happy now that all that shhiitt is behind him after years of having to listen to the nasty allegations and that she’s even happier that he’s still our coach. He genuinely appreciated her sentiment then went on to praise the Demon Army. Love that guy. Chocco the complete opposite. He showed the slightly deranged one a video he took at Ikon during the last W H&A match. He took it from above and behind the cheer squad and said the CS is too noisy and raucous and extremely annoying, in particular the slightly deranged one and that next time he’s gonna bring a bottle of water to tip on her head. She told him to GAGF. 🤣 ‘Til next time, Kat. Lotsa love, your friend xxx

Looking at the photos of Taj Woewodin, the kid is an absolute pro! He's come back looking absolutely ripped and fit as a fiddle. You simply don't do that at sitting on your [censored] doing nothing in the off season. Really want to see him take his game to another level next year as a two way running midfielder. He's incredibly disciplined so I can't see why he can't play the role that James Jordon did for Sydney this year.

Kentfield even bigger. I hope these two boys can make it and then our key forward positions will be well covered. I think Verrall will make it as a forward/ruck backup too, allowing JVR to hone his forward craft and stop rucking. If we are bullish on the above, there is no way we take a key forward at 9.

Beautiful morning. Joy all round, they look like they wanted to be there. 21 in the squad. Looks like the leadership group is TMac, Viney Chandler and Petty. They have slimmed down, especially the top half. Perhaps less upper-body work in the gym. Viney's thigh are huge. Nathan Jones brought the exuberance to many in his interactions. Chaplin was stamping his method into the forward work. Three across the line, the flankers staying wide, though with some synchronising as they turn and run. The delivery, then getting a flanker to be front and centre, as the other stays wide. Appears he wants them to turn quickly and make angles or direct/sharp runs at the ball carrier. Bassett going about it quietly, working on getting the outside run happening at the stoppages. Gus (the training assistant), led the Remembrance (lest we forget) ceremony for the minutes silence. Teared up as the RAAF jets overflew us on there way to the shrine, good timing. The squad was doing the basics well. In a few of the drills barely a ball hit the ground. I was impressed with the camaraderie, vocal noise and connection, we have a good lot of youngsters. Jed Adams looks like a leader, learnt some lessons from the Lever in the shape of being vocal. TMac was in boots, that's the first time in ages I have not seen him start the pre-season in runners. Foot problems are well behind him. The only one who looked little rusty was, Windsor. Jefferson is my tip as a big improver. Often led the running group he was in. Some of his handballing was great, with the ball being delivered 10 meters out, with precision to running players Sestan has slimmed down and looking good. Turner and Howes are getting bigger, and as was pointed out by another tracky, so is Verrall. None of the new players, Campbell or Sharp were there. There were 6 technicians lining around the computer screens. Seemed like many of the Administrators and powers that be, turned up (No Green). When they did some contact drills, both Tholstrup and Bowey disengaged from the group. The main effort in tackling drills, was as Choco called out, 'drive them low and keep going at the arms'. Salem and Fritsch were running laps. Fritta was looking fantastic as he out did Salo, who was straining at times. Goody was watching them very carefully, I had the impression he liked what he saw, as did I.

Plus the poster boys for premiership-influencing kids, Selwood and Rioli. And just for fun extending it slightly to players who had a meaningful part in a premiership before their 50th game - Jackson, Pickett, Rivers, Bowey, and Sparrow. Picks 5, 7, 9 and 13 in two seasons is a massive surge of potential talent to complete a best 22 which is already competing. Anyone pretending that can't have an impact is just being sour.

I managed to stop in for a little look, but i am not great at training reports so i will do my best. Everyone looked in really good shape from a fitness perspective, the players look lean, are running really well and i think it's really encouraging for the young guys to look this fit and ready to go before pre-season even starts. Jacob Van Rooyen looked noticeably stronger to me, i'd be shocked if he doesn't take a really big step this year, I agree with other posters thoughts on Jefferson and Windsor, both stood out, Jefferson looks like he's done an enormous amount of work. One thing that really stood out for me was the impact of Nathan Jones, the entire group looked like they got a real lift from him being there, and you could see right away he is going to settle in really well to coaching life. It looks as though a lot of players have been given homework around their running, which probably reflects the change in game plan Goody looks like the absolute weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders, it seems the break and release of some pressure has done him an enormous amount of good. I know it's very early but the entire vibe of the club felt much more lighthearted, fun and energetic than i can remember it being since maybe 2021

The below AFL and AFLW training sessions are open for fan and member attendance. Training times and locations are subject to change, so please check back prior to attending sessions. Please note sessions may conclude earlier or later than listed. There may be a short opportunity for autographs and photographs at the end of each session. However, we ask that our fans respect the players' post-training schedule and recovery requirements. AFL Gosch's Paddock Monday, November 11 Gosch's Paddock 10:00am - 11:30am Wednesday, November 13 Gosch's Paddock 10:00am - 11:30am Friday, November 15 Gosch's Paddock 10:00am - 12:00pm Monday, November 18 Gosch's Paddock 10:00am - 11:30am Getting to Gosch's Paddock Public transport Gosch's Paddock is located a short walk from Richmond train station. Jolimont station is also located a 10-minute walk away. Tram route 70 also stops near the ground at AAMI Park (stop 7D). Tram route 48 and 75 are also located in the vicinity near Jolimont Station. Bus 246 (Latrobe Uni - Elsternwick Station) travels down Punt Road, and stops at the corner of Olympic Blvd. From here patrons can walk to Gosch's Paddock. Read more about public transport here. Parking info Non-event car parking is available opposite AAMI Park at the National Tennis Centre. If an event is on the precinct, parking prices may be higher. See more info here.

With pick 5 the chances of getting a gun midfielder with an attacking style ready to play round 1 is close to 100%. Wild stuff. Pick 9 looks like a choice between talls (Armstrong, Tauru, Shanahan) and even more dynamism in general play (Reid, Allan, Smillie). I feel like if we go full on for the poised, high-initiative midfielder types again this season we could end up with a whole new look in a very short space of time. Compare the movement style of Rivers, McVee, Windsor, Thostrup, Langford and Reid to the current midfield core based primarily on the powerful bodies of Oliver, Viney, Petracca and Sparrow. But for real fun, imagine the surge that can come while we still have those powerful bodies and can back it up with the mobility of that next generation. For a brief moment we could be going into games expected to win clearances and also expected to win the around-the-ground movement.

It's been said before that good coaches understand the skills of the game and gameplans. Great coaches, on the other hand, also understand players. While I appreciate you probably meant to say "emphasises", it's a handy reminder that for our team to succeed, we need our coaches to empathise with the players.

I can't wait to see what he brings next year. I've been on the Taj Woewodin fan club for a while now.

I once phoned up said spiritual leader of Tibet and he sent me a large goat with a long neck. Turns out I'd called "Dial-A-Llama" by mistake.

Send my regards to Ghostwriter please

I am here at Caulfield but cannot find the training ground. Lots of horse manure but not much else. Am I at the right spot?

Oh i dont know, kids like Nick Watson, Caleb Windsor, Harry Sheezel, Colby McKercher, Will Ashcroft and Nick Daicos.

Langford & Hotton.

I say this every off season - I'm amazed how much knowledge people have about the players in the draft. And I enjoy reading people's thoughts on who we should take I dont have any knowledge about the juniors, and not much to offer in terms of which players we should pick. But in terms of needs I'd go: Pick 5: - Tallish hard at it mid with elite foot skills, great tank, reasonable leg speed, can get forward and kick goals (not necessarily a hybrid in the tracc mold, like say kolt) and is ready to play AFL footy in 2025 Comparison players: Zac Bailey, Bont, Jarrod Berry. Pick 9: - Outside mid, half back flanker, wing with proven super elite foot skills, speed and x factor. Left footer a bonus. Comparison players: Warner, Nick Daicos, Judd McVee, Gulden, Kiddy Coleman. IMHO, we don't need another tall forward - and i don't think we'll use 5 or 9 on one. We have used draft capital on Roo and Jeffo in recent times. I think JVR is just about the most underated player in the AFL - and he's rated pretty highly. Kid is a gun and will become a star of the competition. Still two years away from his best, i cant wait to see what he does in 2025. Given Jeffo hasnt played senior footy yet he's obviously got question marks on him. Much depends on his fitness i think. But he is an old school, pure leading forward and they'll back him in. Turner is our real tall, and I reckon he'll go up a couple of levels next season, particularly if he is injury free (easy to forget he had a nasty injury last season which really derailed the first half of his season). And we have petts as a swingman option and Special K as a wild card key forward. So, I just don't think key forwards are a priority atm. Elite ball users who can open up zones and not turn the pill over are the priority.

The kicking drills ran by Choco were quite extensively and the first after the warm-up. 15 meters apart and in pairs they kick right and left foot. Then variations occur. Spin (360°) to the left, kick, spin again to the right, kick, place the ball on the ground, pick up and kick, place the ball behind, spin and kick. Repeat at 30 meters. At one stage they included two balls, but only one kicking over the top as the other ball is handballed flat. The next kicking drill was more complicated. They had six starting positions. Three on two lines. The middle group in bibs, attempted to intercept the passes, by those in the outside lines. The outside lines would pass to the other line, down the line, or diagonal. I think they had a system going so it wasn't haphazard. It created a variety of kicks. Choco empathises that he wants the ball to spin well, and for sharp, direct actions. I think he will create even more drills with a variety of difficulty and skills.

Looking forward to keeping a close eye on Wes Walley.

Finally a role reversal after he carried us for years!

Managed to make it down to training as well, beautiful day for it. Not a huge amount to report but here are a few of my observations: – No players appeared to be in rehab, although Bowey did appear to spend a bit of time away from the main group during the bigger drills (if I recall correctly). – Jefferson certainly looks a bit stronger, nothing too dramatic but just looks to have filled out a bit across the shoulders and arms. Reckon he'd measure about 2 inches taller if he wasn't so hunched. – The running drills were in groups with the first and fastest featuring only Chandler, McVee and Windsor. – The tall players were all in the last 2 groups and while they were only doing 200m sprints no one really looked too off the pace which was pleasing. Kentfield, Verrall, Adams, Jefferson etc all keeping up. – Was great to see Jonesy back out there, this time in the sky blue coaches t-shirt. He was high-fiving and getting around all the players like he was still one of them. – Great to see the older heads of TMac and Viney out there leading the way. – Fox News was down with their cameras so might have been wanting to catch a glimpse of Trac or Clarry if they had turned up. – Personally I hoped to see McAdam as I'm keen to see a fit version of him pre-Xmas but hopefully he'll appear in the next few sessions. – McVee, Windsor and Turner probably the players that caught my eye the most.

gerard healy offered up two names - justin rodski (current melbourne storm ceo, ex-peptides cmo) and greg swann (currently bears ceo, afl admin veteran) as two names he seemed more certain that rodski is talking to us, but flagged swann as someone we should be talking to, or that the afl might want to bring back in house as part of dil and laura's exec team several people i've spoken to today about rodski rate him enormously highly

Twomey's updated rankings drop tomorrow The phantom draft releases next week (Monday) Twomey has confirmed on 3AW

I freely admit, I'm a poor judge of footballers and I'm sure I miss the nuances that determine whether a top-level player is (or will become) good, bad or just plod along for 150 games. But that to me that was a nine-minute catalogue of making the game easier for your teammates.

As Melbourne supporters we're quick to jump on the AFL for fixture, next gen academy, MRO (despite Kozzy being a recidivist) and other unfair elements. I think it's fair to say we got a bit lucky to get the Adelaide Oval 3 years in a row for Gather Round rather than be fixtured at the sub par Norwood venue or out it in the bush.

Dont split 9. We have plenty of almost very good in the top 25 players. We only have 15 very good players. Stick to the quality, never mind the width.

I think we are beautifully positioned to win another flag or two over the next 3-5 years via the combo of youth and very talented premiership players. Similar to the Pies and Cats of recent years, get the blend right and it can be unstoppable.

a revelation in the midfield. had a great year and will be intriguing adding him to Viney Petracca Oliver in the guts this year.

CRACK CRACK oh look now he’s 7 ft 3 why didn’t we do that earlier?! That is just not how the human body works.

My unqualified and highly suspect opinions: If Smillie is there at 5 (6) we should jump on him. Similar size to guys like Cripps and Bont, he's a much better kick than Cripps and has better burst speed. Was rated #1 all the way until he wasn't, but that ability hasn't gone away. Not outstanding on the 20m sprint, but more than solid. If not Smillie then Langford. I'm really tossing up on these two. Langford has some insane courage with his marks, both of them are good kicks and good size. Langford did better with the 2km time trial, Smillie was better on vertical leap. Lacks burst speed, which I value highly, so that counts against him. If he somehow slips that far, I'd love to pick up Xavier Lindsay with our pick 9. Skillful left footer, highly rated leadership and footy smarts. Missed the combine with injury, not sure how his pace looks from those highlights although there were a few moments where he accelerated to lay a tackle or burst past an opponent that suggest he's got the speed but prefers to save it for when he needs it. There's talk of us looking at Murphy Reid for this pick too. I wouldn't be at all upset to get him. Great vision and freak factor, I think Lidsay has better penetration on his kick, but both look quite good. Another one who missed the combine, but he certainly hits the scoreboard and gives us the outside skills that we lack. Either he or Lindsay would compliment the contested beasts in Smillie/Langford.

We clearly don't have a Home Base because we keep training it down every off season

Forgot to mention Marty Hore. He was looking good and working hard on his fitness, leading in some of the group runs. Would imagine he is going to do all he can to give himself a chance to play or at least be ready if he gets a call up to the main team.

Ghost writer has said report will come when she gets home. So it may be posted here after I teach my Period 5 class. Nonetheless it's coming. She did drip feed this gem - "I gave Goody a big ol' hug and told him I'm glad that all that s*&^ is behind us now. He said thank you, it's great to have your support. Then he saw my Demon Army cap and said, 'And the Demon Army! You guys are incredible, always for us, we really appreciate you guys!' It was a special moment, he looked so touched. The poor bugger has put up with the bs for years."

Sorry about the autocorrect, not a good start by Slarti. The session went for around 90 minutes and as far as I could see all 1 to 4 year players were there with Woey in 12 and Jed Adams in 19. It was pretty much a non contact session with the normal handball drills, lots of running and a little bit of field ball movement stuff. Good to see none of these boys in any sort of rehab group. Of the oldies Tmac, Viney, Chin, Marty Hore, Petts and Bowser did the full session with the young blokes and Salo and Fritta did a lot of lap running and a bit of kicking away from the group. It's really not possible to take much out of the session but Duke, Kolt and Disco sort of stood out but others would have picked others. Kentfield was there and he is one big unit. I was a bit disappointed Trac and Clarrie weren't there as it would have made a bit of a statement but it probably means nothing.

Report is coming, my ghost writer is there. So far the main report is meeting Tom Campbell, and thinking he's the sweetest person alive, much in the same vein as Benny Brown.

This isn't a shot at you - but I don't understand this view. It is based on the idea that there is a clear cut top 10/20 etc. But we know Jason Taylor often rates the draft differently to others and has a great record drafting. If he wants to push 9 back a few picks (to get the same player he would pick at 9) and snare another for someone else he rates, then why wouldn't we do that?? Eg the Pickett / Rivers scenario Of course if the player who we rate clearly the best available when we have our pick 9 is going to be picked by the next club/s then it would be silly to entertain a pick swap.

He talks a good game when I've heard him interviewed on the radio. Storm are a great organisation. Could be a good fit.

We have: 3 - Senior spots after promoting McVee and Melksham 1 - A-Rookie spot. AMW is still a B-Rookie as has played less than 10 games. See below. 1 - B Rookie spot From the Contracts thread.

Swann said he would remain at Brisbane until they won a flag and rumoured to want to come back to Victoria.

Stumpfed if I know

Im pitching playing for the club your dad played for and who you have barracked for your entire life. I’m also pitching games like Queens bday and Anzac eve as opposed to the packed out Suns games….

Surrounded by horse sh*t. Are you sure you haven't wandered into AFL HQ?

100%, they won't be sending Hawthorn there this year because its a Geelong home game on Easter Monday. They won't send Collingwood or Carlton. They probably don't send Richmond down there two years in a row. So there's 2 of the 9 teams last year who won't go there again which means 3 new teams have to go there this year. We probably play them on an arctic Thursday night in the middle of July when the V Line is down, the West Gate is shut and they make our team and supporters swim across the bay to get there.

This is Sandringhams coach on Harry Armstrong. “I have this kid Harry Armstrong who has come on in leaps and bounds this year as a key forward potentially in the top 10. Harry is not going to hit his peak for five or six years. There is absolutely no way I am waiting around 5-6 years for a guy to hit his peak. Our window is now and we need players that can come in and make a genuine impact (no pressure).

If we could turn 9 into Shanahan + Hynes that would be amazing.

One Sparrow does not a summer make…

I hate to think what you’ll do with a picture of Jefferson looking big!

Surreal.