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Ok the Mrs is driving home so if I suddenly stop typing there may be a good reason. When I got there the boys just finished a one on one marking drill in the middle of the ground and the boys were quiet cheerful and cheering when one player out marked another. Was too far for me to see who was on who though. Then some players including Truck, Clarrie, Sparrow, Weid, Omac, salo, hibbo and others were lining up in the defensive 50. There was about 8 diff different line ups and half had white shirts and the other half had dark on. One of the coaches would throw the ball in and around the middle with 4 white tops trying to get the ball out of the 50 while the 4 dark tops were trying to defend and tackle. All did relatively well with tackles sticking and kicks and most handballs hitting their targets. Hibbo got caught in a great tackle By Sparrow I think and spilled the handball as did Kozzie on a couple of occasions. Omac also got caught a few times and fluffed a few handballs too. he did lay a good tackle but really not sure if he is going to come on like we all hope but we will see. While this was going on over on the wing there were a number of players getting the ball dribbled to them on the ground with another player coming at them to tackle them. The objective was to handball successfully to another player standing a distance in front of them. Viney seemed to love doing this from what I could see. I’m regards to players I spoke with: May - he said he is back in full training with Friday being his first one and will definitely be ready by rd1. Really nice guy and easy to talk to. He is keen to stay on the park this season. Viney - Is injury free with no concerns and ready to go. He is scared And worried about having his first child which is due in July. I said welcome to the real world and once the child is born u won’t stop worrying. Preuss - had strapping on his right knee and I asked if it was ok and he said yeah no worries. He is ready to go. Not much of a talker the old Preussy. Bennell - said he is progressing and I wished him all the best and said all of the dees fans are behind him to succeed and he was thankful for the comment. Salo - Is ready to go and said we will definitely be better than last yr. I was thinking that wouldn’t be hard but good to hear the positivity. Lever - is all good knee is 100% and said the backline would hopefully have all players to choose from so it may be a selection headache for the selectors which is a good spot to be in. Jetta - Is also injury free and looks in good nick. He is keen for the season to start. Hannan - Nailed 5 out of 6 shots from the boundary line. Told him we need him in our f50 and nailing those shots. He looks in good nick and is keen to play. Weid - Is injury free and fit and firing. He is looking forward to getting in our f50 together with TMac and wants to make an impact this season as last season was ruined by injury. Truck - seems to have matured big time wasn’t overly talkative but polite and was appreciative of the support Did drills really well and is in great nick Gawn - has a massive knee brace on and I asked him when he would be back and he said 3 weeks straight away. He was definitive about that but will have to see what happens. I said to him when would he be named as captain and he said we have a captain in Jack Great response by Maxy and as everyone knows he is a great guy and awesome roll model for the kids Didnt see TMac or Vanders and not sure if they were there. Overall the players were really positive and had a bit of a steely resolve about them so will be interesting to see how this season pans out. The Mooloolaba surf was bloody beautiful and is one of the best beaches in aus. Go Dees ? KALLANGURDEMON'S TRAINING REPORT ? DEMON SPOFFORTH'S TRAINING REPORT ? DOCS DEMONS' TRAINING REPORT

It was a hot morning and showed on the players by the end of the session. Was a lot more in rehab or not doing the full session than I was expecting including Pruess and Smith. I didnt see Tom McDonald, Vanders or Petty today. May have been elsewhere at the ground but even when all players came to the huddle I didn't see them. Some observations that might be common place for those that get to see training all the time: 1. I was really impressed with Sparrow. He is a good size and moved really well. Also thought his skills were pretty solid and he ran out the session well. 2. Harley Bennell is a lot taller than I thought and seems to be really good bloke. Don't so much care about his past now, just good luck to him. 3. Really glad we picked up Brown. He looks dependable and solid. I think he will prove great value. 4. Bedford has certainly come on since last year and Chadler seems to be a good mature kid who has some drive and passion. One to keep watching. 5. Max is so giving of his time. Stayed out for extra time to get around to all the fans he could, despite walking around with th e big brace on. 6. Oscar Mc seems very fit and was solid. 7. I hope everything clicks for Josh Wagner. He is versatile size and athletic enough, if it just all clicks for him he will be a bonus. Also special mention to all the players who signed stuff for the kids. They were welcoming and engaging and the mood of the group seems strong after a hot hard session. Have to go now and peel the Mooloolaba prawns and Mud crab we got on the way home. And yes, it will be with a XXXX. ? DEMONOX’S TRAINING REPORT ? KALLANGURDEMON'S TRAINING REPORT ? DEMON SPOFFORTH'S TRAINING REPORT ? DOCS DEMONS' TRAINING REPORT

Asked big Maxy when he will be back and he said without hesitation 3 weeks, so i said that means 6 weeks and he said no definitely 3 weeks. Thats great to hear but will see how he progresses.

Watched the first year players more closely. Surprisingly Rivers looked the most advanced and ready to play at this stage. Jackson may need a little time. Kozzie was sharp and skillful and will push for round 1 simply because of a need for a small forward. Of the rest Swallow and Omac both looked like they had put in hard work in the gym and were impressive . The biggest surprise was Vanders. He looks in ripping condition and may be in for a great year. ? DEMON SPOFFORTH'S TRAINING REPORT ? DOCS DEMONS' TRAINING REPORT

As soon as acute symptoms have settled (often more to do with bone bruising than soft tissue damage) they can start linear non-weightbearing activity, i.e. bike, water running. Then some alter-G, and back into full running. The time (and potential delay) for MCL is its readiness for transverse, lateral and rotational activities, i.e. non-linear running. It’s all a function of time and nature. Max will have excellent base fitness, so that shouldn’t cause extra delay.

Max is apparently getting around at the open training meeting the fans, albeit with a sizeable knee brace. Aside from being our best player, he's such an amazing asset for us from a fans/media perspective as well. MFC just posted this.

Photo off FB - check the knee brace.

Calm ur farm lefty. I got there late but will do a summary later as I’m going for a swim at Mooloolaba first. it won’t be a massive report so don’t get too excited but will report on what i saw and who I spoke to. Now I’m going to hit the surf. ?

ticket sales are down and the stands are grey we're playing for points on a diamond in LA i'd be cold and wet if i was at the G gosch's paddock dreaming on such a summer's day

I’m not sure if many follow American football, but I’m a 49ers fan and the last 5 seasons before this one have been shockers, pretty much sitting last or close to it. Last year, out of 32 teams they had the equal 2nd worst win-loss record, the second worst defence, and a bottom 25% offence. Their turnaround this year has been staggering, especially the defence which are now feared. Here’s hoping for a good result tomorrow, and a good omen for the AFL team that finished second last in 2019.

Hannan to me still didn't seem completely free in his walking action .He spent a good deal of time practicing 15 metre kicks to Preuss who has a minor lower leg complaint .I suspect he (unlike Vanders ) may still be a little while away .I also perhaps should have mentioned that the veterans Chunk and Jetta were as sharp as anyone and looked totally injury free.

One can appreciate things by themselves you know.

Slow I agree but it's the perfect TV game. The permutations are relatively limited and therefore the TV camera angles are second to none. Best watched on replay with the ff button. Harder to do these days without knowing the scores in advance. Go Skins

If he does get back on the park, I certainly hope someone holds up the banner 'Because he's Harley Bennell, and you're not!'

I must have watched this clip a good 10 or 20 times now. Absolutely mesmerizing stuff. Would look even better in a red and blue jumper in frount of a packed MCG! Got me thinking about just what a good player he is. I was disappointed when we missed out on Prestia, but if Harley can get those calfs right, just what a prize recruit he would be. It's been so long since he's been injured that I had to remind myself just what a gun player Harley has been in years past, so went browsing YouTube. Found the below video which certainly backs up others comments about the shot on goal from the boundary being no fluke. Interestingly part way into the video it make a mention of him having problems with his calfs way back then. Let's hope the operation he had has nailed the main source of the issue.

You not alone BBO, not alone....sticking needles in your eyes is far more interesting....

American football!!! FMD !!! Am I alone in saying this is boring bullshite and I couldn’t possibly ever get sufficiently [censored] enough to waste my time watching it?

Watch it, turkey! we aint the ones what keep playing with their clocks...!

Could not agree more demonstone . A typical afl [censored]. How about fixing the problems at home guys like the game dying at grass routes level.

California Dreamin'.

I'm with you, LN. Repeat efforts, strength and concentration. Defender played him almost flawlessly and he still found a way to win the battle. Kennedy is one of the best forwards of the last decade and that vision shows you why. Agile, strong and smart.

I would prefer no risks with big Max, knees are not his strong points. Round 2 is a fine starting point, 25 games after that will make a very good season.

1. Hired a phenomenal coach in Kyle Shanahan who had done a long and varied apprenticeship in many spots but hadn't got the credit he deserved due to concerns about nepotism, youth and failure to see how well he did in bad circumstances. 2. Paired him up with a former player and TV broadcaster as GM in John Lynch who was Shanahan's preferred hire. Together they've made plenty of mistakes but they've also stuck fat to a proven philosophy - invest in the big bodies who move the trenches and in good culture guys. They've gone after the guys who fit the coaches system and vision. 3. Got lucky in a few ways. a) didn't rush in for a QB and instead traded for Jimmy G at quarterback when he became available and got him cheaply because the Pats wanted him to go to a good home b) had Jimmy G miss most of last year and so without a starting QB they were very competitive but not winning, thus got the number 2 draft pick and took Nick Bosa who has made immediate impact. c) picked up a gun ageing player in Richard Sherman when he was keen to be in the Bay Area The lessons for an AFL side I think are: 1. Find a coach with a proven record and a vision 2. Stick to that vision - use it as a recruiting advantage and invest in the culture 3. Make your own luck! The Chiefs are actually somewhat more like Richmond because they live and die based on speed and are taking the speed and spread to a new level. The 49ers are a power based team. Everything they do is based on dropping bodies, but not in a dumb run straight in to a wall way, but in using angles, motion, predictability etc to get guys out of position then sitting them on their backsides.

Couldn’t agree more! I’d rather watch paint dry.

in a perfect world you would have a choice between three sound tracks being full commentary, light commentary (soccer like...minimal words) and just crowd noise. Hard to think of other sports where you get a radio style commentary while play is in progress

Thanks I will but I think I'll leave you with something to contemplate. What was the purpose of you posting that clip? What were you trying to achieve?

So you have seen it from us, well then, you're just cherry picking 20sec of another team which will have been posted by WC to get their fans excited. Basically, you just needed something to justify your opinion, way to go as a supporter. The REAL Lord wouldn't have a bar of that.

Hmm so you don't have the sound up very often DJ?

My last four (of five) were all members before birth, caused no end of consternation to hospital staff around the world who think I am some sort of freak putting Demon paraphernalia on the cots in the hospital wards. Anyone top four pregnancy memberships?

I get the arguments about too much down time but when the play is in action it is frenetic. All 22 players involved in the play which means the breaks in play allow for replays of different angles to show you different players/positions you would never have picked up on first view. You could break down one play for 5 minutes if you had the time/inclination. To be honest I prefer that to basketball where there is (relatively) constant play but just end to end scoring. Then you get to the last 2 minutes and it can last for 15 minutes or longer due to deliberate fouls/timeouts. I still like basketball but I don't love it like I do the NFL. It feels like you only really need to watch the last 5 minutes of each game. There are too many games which is another issue. 16 game season in the NFL which means pretty much every game counts. NFL also has a majority of its games on a Sunday - for those who only want action you could give Red Zone Channel a try, skips around between the 8-10 games all being played at the same time depending on where the action is/who is about to score. Due to time constraints that's how I watch most of my American football.

The only sport where a play starts with the quarterback fiddling around with a bent over teammates bum and ends up with the ball. Weirder than those bum cheese sniffers from that other code.

American football is rubbish. Saw a graphic the other day that showed basically 1/20th of action with the rest split between nothing happening and commercials. I like basketball but their football is rubbish.

Used to think that but I've grown to love it, only sport in the world that can compare to (or best) Aussie rules. It's like chess on grass the tactical game is absorbing. Throw in the physicality and the off-field/ list management aspects and it's got most bases covered in terms of interest from a fans perspective.

My contact up on Sunny Coast that told me about Maxy (great news being not as bad as first thought) chatted with HB and he mentioned calf better than what was reported but is aware if it pings again he is gone as a Dee.

You mean one hour and twenty years behind Victoria?

Not worth a new thread so just thought I'd chuck it here. But I'd love for this clip to get shown to our boys while on the camp. This is the work rate required to turn our fortunes around this year.

My wife just asked me why I’m watching a video of a bunch of hunky dudes working out to a generic, slightly eastern-influenced piece of trap music. I must admit that I didn’t have an immediate answer.

The Demons have so much potential upside this year, we can only hope they deliver: - Better drawer - Better pre season by miles or km’s for youngsters (getting to practice drills with a full team makes a significant difference in connection) - Appears Burgess is driving them to a new level of fitness that is better suited to our style of play, plus greater running endurance, leading to strong 4th quarters, rather than fadeouts - Fingers crossed, seemingly few injuries amongst our top 20 players, then depth looks a whole lot better, totally different team - Hopefully a settled back six of Jetta, May, Lever, Salem, Hibberd, (OMac or other), only Salem didn’t have serious injury issues last year - Oliver, Viney & Brayshaw in the middle, all having full pre seasons relatively injury free, Petracca better tank to spend more time in the middle. Max is max, and Preuss getting fitter as backup! - Langdon speed, ball winning & distance gained, Tomlinson endurance & coverage - Harmes providing flexibility and backup for backline, mids, wingers & even forwards - Forwards with TMac full preseason, Melksham & Weideman the same, starts to look very different, add Fritsch full time in the forward line, Petracca cameos - Then just as bonus, VDB, Smith, Jackson, Rivers, Pickett with hopefully players like ANB, Hunt getting back to their best, and possibly Jones having impact off the bench - Richardson joining as a coach will help improve our game plan, as he so easily picked us apart Maybe as a long long time Demon, I’m overly optimistic, or just thinking eventually things must turn, but it seems we have a massive upside. 2018 showed we could do it, from round 5/6 we played some exhilarating football smashing teams for 6 weeks, then the last 6 matches including two finals wins aside from the horror prelim, we had some terrific wins! The other factor is our star players Max, Clarry, Petracca, Viney, TMac & May are getting into the 24-28 age bracket, aside from Clarry at 22/23, that their bodies are strong enough they know what footy is about and should be ready to roll! Look at when the Tigers broke through, Rance, Martin, Cotchin, & Riewoldt all were over 26yo, look at Eagles as well, the Hawks threepeat, our time is coming Petracca will have a breakout year, so will May being fit and TMac will be closer to 2018 form, and who knows how well Viney will play after having an injury free pre season, his first for many years, even Clarry had the two shoulder ops at end of 2018, will be in better shape 2020 an even year, an Olympic Year, my prediction - a hugely improved year for the Demons! Top 6 maybe even top 4, memberships for family locked in months ago. Go Demons!!!!!!

I have to keep reminding myself that it has not always been around. I can still remember the days when we got a two hour black and white replay on Saturday night of a game a week.

Your wife lets you watch US. Sport! She is a definite keeper. Some sports are better on TV and others better live at the ground / court. US football way better on TV, Aussie rules is way better live, Basketball the sport I love is way way better live, tv shrinks the court too much and makes the ring look closer to the ground than it really is. I used to be a Tigers member and went to games for 25+ years then they took away my team and I now have little interest. For me it is at the games or a results highlight package.

Thank god for streaming

Me too, last year was horrible. Neither side scoring TD’s for 3/4 didn’t lend itself to a good game. ps, I have been on KC as my SB tip since pre season. pps, stuff the niners! ?

I hate the niners and hope they get smashed ??

Huge Niners fan. Sat front row in the end zone for the Panthers game this year. The noise was amazing, particularly the Bosa interception. Winning team. Met Montana by chance in a breakfast house in San Carlos in 86. He gave me a few minutes which was fantastic. That sealed it for me as a Niner. Was at Candlestick Park for Steve Young's first game. He is my shirt of choice. Pretty pumped about Monday. Go Niners

The why not us speech was before the Queens birthday game in 2018 wasn’t it? I’d argue we dropped off for 4-5 weeks, not because of lack of effort but from a worsening of structures due to an overhyped all in to get the ball mentality. It surprises me that supporters continually harp on about players not putting in consistent effort. That is 100% not the problem on game day. Every player has a GPS measuring every heartbeat, metres covered, accelerations etc etc. How to you think they hide their lack of effort from the fitness staff and coaches? I’ll answer for you they don’t. The staff know how well they prepare preseason - cue members forum and only 2 players doing more than 50% of preseason loads. Last year it was clear, especially in hindsight to supporters who attended the forum, the team was overall not fit, probably had diets that were detrimental to their endurance, and to my eye looked like they lost strength. We will see how the 4 qtr efforts are this year, but I would expect a return to 2018 where we were one of the best second half teams in the league, rather than the 2019 version where we were the worst.

Talk is Cheap

If he plays the role I expect him to, those watching at the ground will think Goodwin's a genius and those watching on tv will have no idea why he is getting picked every week because he hardly gets near the ball, especially compared to the excitement Frost brought! If he plays a different role than I expect (eg as a KPD), I think he'll struggle to add a whole lot of value.

You mean about how Tomlinson doesn't get much of it? Honestly, this section of the article fell down when the author suggested Tomlinson was moved to the during finals, when he has played the four the last 3 years at least. The contrast between Langdon sneered Tomlinson exists for a reason. One will be attacking, streaming forward. The other will be defensive, blocking holes and forcing the opposition to mean up so they don't have a loose player. Tomlinson might not get that many touches but he will be playing a defensive role for our structure. Watch for that.