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I'm actually still in the car park, trying to get home from a match in 1985.

How could Ryan write an article encouraging us to move to that [censored] hole ground and not mention the worst football experience many of us have had - the 1987 preliminary? Mind boggling. As is this line: 'Waverley Park is also close enough to Melbourne’s traditional zones to enable their supporters to watch training and socialise at the club.' I mean, is he serious? 60 years after the VFL built that monument to stupidity there is still no decent public transport out there and it's in a Bermuda triangle for roads. [censored] off Ryan.

Just had a good chat with one of Liam Jurrah’s nephews at the retreat over a beer top bloke. workin down here, says he’s making his family proud. no doubt not training related but there was no random pub chat thread

You must be thinking of WCW. I’ve always adored him 🤭 Yeah nah, I used to dislike him for personal reasons (that I’ve never fully explained on here). I was lambasted by some uninformed peeps on here when I expressed this. Mind you, these selfsame peeps bagged me for blindly defending every player, and for tearing into anyone who said a negative thing about a player, which I admit to doing and which I no longer do. Tracc’s changed SO much. We had a lengthy talk after training one day (we really and truly did, posters who implied I made it up) and I immediately saw that he was clearly making an effort to change. I’m guessing he’ll be the same with others who felt the same way as me, although at this stage they can only take my word for it.

Sadly, I can't find the pic of Trac's 'beast mode' moment. I think he had just kicked a goal, deadpan expression, lips pursed, fierce eyes with nostrils literally flaring. His face said: 'over my dead body do we lose this game'. Edit: found the pic It was just after his soccer goal (ably assisted by a Kozzie bump on Dunkley). Trac was excited for a second then went into this 'beast mode'. That goal extended our meagre lead and was promptly followed by Sparrow and Oliver goals, giving us the iconic: Bang, Bang! Bang! cry of that special quarter! The game wasn't won but that last minute broke their spirit!

One oval, and cannot use lights to train under in winter…..what a rubbish idea. No improvement over Gosch’s and AAMI..

Was mentioned a couple of weeks ago on here that Fritta appeared to have an issue with his foot/leg. Great news is the problem was identified and promptly dealt with: no surgery required. He’s now issue-free 🥳 and very keen to have a BIG 2025.

The Brand is the ultimate professional. I’ve absolutely no doubt he’ll perform to incredibly high standards again this year. The difference is he’s had a long lay off, his body should be relatively fresh. He’s also at his absolute prime. I’m expecting huge things from him this year. Think the last quarter against Carlton but on a near weekly basis. He’s going to be pretty damn close to unstoppable in 25. He’s the main reason I’m expecting us to bounce back hard.

From what I see he’s at a point where he’s been welcomed back into the fold by all (teammates). It appears to have happened in stages because again, they’re human, so some were quicker to embrace him than others. There may well be a couple who need more time but if so they’re certainly not showing it; not like those first couple of sessions where he came over from AAMI to Gosch’s and back again, alone. If not alone, with a staff member. He walked with his head down and you could cut the air with a knife so to speak. It’s no wonder he was nervous. It will be the same with fans I guess. I’m lucky in that I get to speak with him and that he now talks openly and from the heart. It’s gonna take some time to convince others in the DA who felt the way I did that he’s a changed man. But he’s worth every effort because he’s the bigger person now. It takes a special kind of human being to own his mistakes and strive to atone.

People change and learn and hopefully grown from it, hell I'm so different to who I was 10 years ago let alone to who I was at 25. Hopefully Trac grows from it, and I'm glad to see you back 👻

It is weird to me how language loses meaning when people pick up a catchphrase or expression without actually knowing the meaning, and then just... use it when it feels good? I guess? 'One of those players with a glass ceiling' must be the weirdest description of a draftee I've ever heard.

Agree - Peter Ryan has developed what I think is now a habit of being condescending towards us (Andrew Wu is another Age journalist who seems to be going down that route). The reference to "a couple of Gawny darts", the Jordan Lewis "joke", even the last line which invites us to "Pop the question" as if Hawthorn are sitting there waiting for poor old us to go over and ask them to the dance or something. All completely unnecessary but seem to be par for the course with certain journos now.

He lost me when he said the ten Victorian clubs have all had their fair share of government funding. WTF?

I drive along Kambrook Rd past Caulfield Racetrack 3 times a week. My partner did some markets on the inside of the track. It’s a superb location for the club. It will solidify our return to relevance in a big way. Here’s hoping!

Thanks for the anecdote, GW and I don't doubt a word. This: "... he looked out at the rest of the players who were coming off the ground and said, “I [censored] love these boys. I love them so much.” And I saw he had tears in his eyes and that quivering bottom lip thing that’s involuntary..." didn't surprise and made me tear up a little 🥹 What our team has experienced together, the mighty lows and mighty highs can't help but leave an indelible mark and create a special bond. Sometimes it takes a catastrophe to realise it is relationships and sharing that matters. Sounds like Trac is in that space. It won't be long before team mates embrace him again and hopefully so do dees fans.

Spot on, Luci. Sometimes a person needs to step out of a life situation in order to see things for what they really are, and in Tracc’s case his time in Austria clearly provided the opportunity for him. He’s nothing if not professional. Will he seek a trade at the end of next season? Who knows. But while he’s a Demon (even if it’s because he couldn’t get to another club) he’ll leave NOTHING on the table. For the most part we forget the players are human beings; (easily done when they do superhuman things on the field). But then you talk to them and you realise they’re people, just like everyone else. They have the same feelings, emotions, etc. as we all do. Tracc is an emotionally charged person. He’ll tell you this himself. At one point during that first conversation we had, he looked out at the rest of the players who were coming off the ground and said, “I [censored] love these boys. I love them so much.” And I saw he had tears in his eyes and that quivering bottom lip thing that’s involuntary. True story. Anyways, expect to see the beast mode switch flicked… coz it’s primed. Tracc’s more determined than ever to wreak havoc on the field.

nah, mad filth this article has a lot of 'random thought bubble to fill the demand for content' approach of modern journalism

Waverley Park is inferior to Gosch's Paddock/AAMI: centrality, transport links and scope for improvement (Melb Rebels are no more and Melb Storm are moving to a new facility). 1. Caulfield; 2. Gosch's/AAMI; 3. Daylight; 4. Hawks hand me down in Mulgrave.

I'm guessing the last 6 months were not only life threatening but also life changing/life affirming. Maybe he realised the grass on the other side isn't greener and the supposed 'riches' (crowds, exposure etc) are not what matter. And, realised that he has as much chance of premierships at the Dees as elsewhere. He is unlikely to win a Brownlow with an in form Oliver in the team. But reckon Trac will settle for another premiership or two. And throw in a couple more NSM❤️💙😉. As you say he will be driven to give his all which will be an awesome sight reminiscent of his 'beast mode' switch to deliver the 2021 premiership.

If Waverly is so good why are the Hawks vacating?

A reminder to all to keep politics off this website. Repeat offenders will be removed without warning. You know who you are.

That’s how I see it. I don’t think Tracc could do anything half-arzed if he tried, so it’s no surprise he’s 100% committed. The fact that he’s invested in Harvey’s development makes me think he’s in it for the long haul.

did you maybe slightly misquote jonathon larson who said "There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. There's only us. There's only this. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss. No other road. No other way. No day but today"

If it’s hard, bring your mouthguard. If it splatters, bed-rest matters.

Thirty-one wishes it would harden up! Right now it’s “the squirts” 😜

Downgrade on Gosch's, which you can at least get to by PT.

He did indeed test fans’ patience but for anyone who already wasn’t a fan it was more than a test of patience, it was off with his head! 😜 My track-watching DA buddy and I warmly greeted him on his first day back this preseason. We admit we weren’t sincere but we did it for what you said above “he’s so important to us achieving anything next season” and if that meant showing him we’re on his side, so be it. A small matter, but it was important to us. Turns out he was super nervous about returning since he didn’t know how he would be received by his teammates. He also wanted to show supporters that regardless of all that’s happened he’s determined to give his absolute all next season and is more driven than he’s ever been. I was naturally a little sceptical but since that day we had the long talk, he’s remained awesome and if any of his teammates had an issue with him (which I believe was the case at those first couple of sessions) I reckon they no longer do because it’s like old times when everyone’s on the same page.

I'd also say that Bolten, Kelly and Grundy grossly overpaid for their respective contributions. Grundy somewhat at the expense of Collingwood I hope/assume. Also says to me, how fortunate we are having Max as someone who could have demanded top dollar, but accepted a more modest salary for the benifit of team success. His consistent output justifies a bigger pay day than so many others on that list.

We've all learned a lot about each other this year, players and posters. I thought it showed some strength to say exactly what you meant in this situation.

You forgot to mention it’s 20 mins closer to Casey than goschs. A real game changer

I’m sitting on a train passing through Caulfield as we speak. This is a perfect location for a training base. So accessible.

The Casey Demons played their last game for the season on a Saturday morning in August against the Gold Coast Suns in front of a meagre crowd at People First Stadium. The team was thrashed by 88 points in Ben Brown’s last game (he booted six goals). Shane McAdam snagged four and Andy Moniz-Wakefield finished with 35 touches to feature among the team’s best. They were among the 12 AFL listed Demons in the side. The remainder were Casey VFL-listed players — Tyson Edwards, Roy George, Max Gregory, Eddie King, Harvey Neocleous, Charlie Peters, Kobe Shipp, Roan Steele, Kai Windsor, Ryan Valentine and Mitch White. The last three on that list have departed and only the first two would be considered automatic selections if you had to pick eleven VFL listed players to represent Casey first up next season. With the changes at Melbourne we will also see different MFC faces in the lineup so it’s certainly going to be a major overhaul at Casey in 2025.

He doesn't really explain why MtScopus acquisition is a problem, just seems to imply that it is.

Harden up!🤣

Love the response. I think he tested all of our patience in the off season, and still has work to do. But he’s so important to us achieving anything next season so got everything crossed bridges will be properly mended from both sides.

Harvey Langford will be a very good player in 2025. He plays the entire year as a 19 year old. Just as a comparison, Bontempelli played his entire first year as an 18 year old. With some of the positional changes, such as Windsor and Pickett, it's hard not to be excited for the season ahead. Thanks for the observations.

I'd be keen to turn the tables on the Dockers when we play them this year. Our performances against them were abysmal this year including the Alice Springs game when we had most of our team intact.

He achieved his aim, clickbait and people discussing it. Move on, it is an irrelevant article.

Who won the bag of slitheras?

The news (and journalism) stopped being such when it commenced being reported 24/7. It’s now merely, “entertainment”.

Pete Ryan is only a step above some of the spuds at SEN and Fox Sports Not sure why he even bothered writing the rest of the article after he noted we have broad support for the Caulfield project only a few paragraphs in…

A few of my favorite snippets: Re: Waverley: “The ground is pristine, players don’t complain about being there..” “ the region was going to be the centre of Melbourne by now, so you could argue, on that basis, the club would be, eventually, home.” “the Demons would need to swallow their ego to approach the Hawks, as it might initially look as though they are getting a hand-me-down, however it wasn’t a problem when Jordan Lewis arrived.” Is this guy serious? Haha honestly his arguments sound like he’s trying to convince himself that this was an article worth writing. Probably his last piece for the year and he’s just phoned it in!

I have only seen the magic gear from two players in the last six years of finals. Petracca was one. Joe Daniher was the other. To identify, it's written on their faces in the moments.

Not having any of Hawthorns sloppy seconds. Ryan must be a mate of Kanga’s too. Along with the Saints, Waverley was Hawthorns home ground. We have no affiliation with that bog mire. Our former zone and heartland is around the Caulfield/Glen Iris/Bentleigh area. Throw in that Waverley is now seriously outdated with only the 1 oval, we’d be limiting ourselves the moment we moved in. Would rather stay at Gosch’s than move there. Caulfield or nothing

Nice thread and thanks to all of you track-watchers, Trac watchers, Claz watchers and others. We would all like to get to training more regularly, but sometimes, as Shano and others have found out, [censored] can get in the way. I almost turned off a page or so ago, but I’m glad I saw it through. As others have said, I feel that Trac really has a fire in the belly. But not only that. Several others including Clarrie also appear to be really fired up. And there is a genuine closeness again in the group. Great to see so few in the recovery group. It feels like a good omen for the year ahead.

I have never gone wrong assuming the best (if misguided) intentions of people. Even when I was wrong that was on that person - not on me. Perhaps Mr Fence, who I have on ignore but not many others don’t, can keep that in mind when he lambasts people for their empathy.

You mean a furlong summer

Clayton Oliver was looking great in the sims. Moving well to space, getting his hands on the ball easily in the congested areas, and linking to others. Had a word to Choco about him. Still says he has some improvements to go. I think he was saying his fitness isn't primed yet. Jed Adams had a central lock down role on various forwards, in the sims. He got his fist to plenty of balls and was first to it for the ground ball. Working very well. May was lurking in the left or right pocket to intercept plenty of balls. Backline looking strong. A gusty wind helps them as the hit up players missed a few times. They also had the occasional difficulty getting the ball out. Jefferson's hands weren't as good today, but stepping up for some good clunks was JvR. Bayley Fritsch is looking eager, he has determination about him, Tmac is still looking good, reading the play well and outpointing the forwards. Judd McVee and Caleb Windsor, looking very classy, with plenty of participation, both are ball magnets. Jack Viney's not taking prisoners, hitting all and sundry, hard. Moving well, and creating links through his leads and gut running. Jake Lever had the lime green cap on when participating in drills, (the no tackling piece). He is running the boundary with enthusiasm and really striding out. Leadership in spades when on the field. Charlie Spargo in with the forwards, playing that high up and delivery into the 50 role. I didn't see Woey out there today. Will Verrall was rucking, along with Max Gawn and Tom Campbell in sims and structures. We have three elusive indigenous players out there. Ricky Mentha is gaining confidence, skills, especially his kicking, has improved (rarely missing), moves beautifully to and in spaces. George moves very similar to him, though Kossie is starring. They all have a smile going and are clearly loving being at it together. Mentha has regularly got visitors down here. Socially, he appears good for Kossie. The Kolt is really maturing. Rarely missing his disposals anymore and making the right decisions. Previous drills had all of them doing some bouncing of the ball. Today (last training as well), they didn't practice that skill. The tackling drill and defensive style in sims had plenty of intensity. I get worried when they go hard at each other. Talking about hard, they didn't go easy with the exertion required because of the heat. Coaches and trainers pushed them. At the end of one sim they could barely get up a run, that they have been doing to the sheds. I think I saw Melky tweek a hammy. Probably an early Christmas break for him. All the previous rehabber's had time with the main group.

Ben McKay…