Leaderboard

We arrived in the quaint little town of Myrtleford at 9am with a small crowd of primary school kids and roughly 15-20 onlookers. The boys were already into their drills with two different groups on either side of the wings, roughly 15 - 20 players either side. Rehab: Viney, Matthews, Henderson, AMW, McAdam, Jefferson and later Bowey who looked quite ginger (pun intended). Viney and Matthews doing repeat walking up and down a flight of stairs with some black devices in their mouths. Not sure of its purpose but it could possibly be to ensure they breathe through their nose? They then followed up with hand and eye coordination and reflex drills (juggling, ball tossing to one another in rapid fire) at which point Henderson joined them. After that finished the 3 of them spent the rest of the session doing weight training. The other rehabbers in AMW, McAdam and Jefferson were all doing repeat 100m boundary runs for the majority of the session followed by some touch work (reflexes) where a trainer would bullet kick to Hendo or McAdam who were standing 1 meter in front of each other and they had to trick each other into marking or letting it go so the guy behind him marked it, if the ball dropped the guy in-front won. It was amusing to watch. Hendo got the better of McAdam. Jefferson integrated into the main group with some drills. Main training: I was mainly focusing on the big group in-front of us, where they would use just the arcs from back 50 to fwd 50 working on ball movement. In this drill it was a 5 v 7 match up with the bigger group attacking and the smaller defending transition. The bigger group would use either corridor or wing, there was no real preference. I was paying attention to the new kids on these drills and was really impressed with Onley, he's a great size and so agile. Taylor was a bit disappointing with his kicking, he shanked quite a few kicks. The next drill was 5 v 3 using 3/4 ground ball movement drills, taking the ball from the back 50 to a forward marking close to goal. Mihocek, Tmac, Adams and Campbell doing 1v1 marking/spoil drills on each other while a trainer kicked in a high ball deep in the fwd 50. The next drill had the boys doing quick handball movement where it was a 2 v 3 match-up with the trainers acting as the defenders and there were 3 attacking players who had to get past them within a 25m coned off area. Once the attackers had reached the end of the cones the next 3 were straight into play. It was non stop and the boys were pretty gassed by the end of it. Culley, Langford, Pickett and Windsor were the best in these drills. The boys then went on to do 9 v 9 full ground ball drills trying to score end to end. There was a passage where CJ took on Kosi through the corridor thinking he could break away but was quickly taken down by Kosi. CJ was filthy with himself. The boys laid some crunching tackles during these plays. I saw JVR take down May and then quickly get up to pressure the loose ball in play and take down the next player. I was impressed with JVR's repeat efforts. The boys were absolutely gassed from these drills at it's the closest to match sim they could replicate. A lot of the boys were on their haunches sucking in the big ones trying to recover. I don't think I've ever seen Kosi so gassed he and many of the boys took a full minute to get back up. The players then broke into their lines with their respective coaches (fwds, mids, defenders) I was paying close attention to who was in each group. Mentha and Laurie was in the fwds group and Chandler gave Laurie a big hug saying "welcome back, we missed you". Sharp, White and Latrelle also in the forward line. Rivers, Taylor and Turner in defence. Tholstrup and Culley with the mids. As the training was drawing to a close, the entire main group would do 80m - 90m repeat sprints that they had to complete in 10/11 seconds and rest about 20-30 seconds before going again. They did about 10 of these repeat sprints. Now that training was finished, Kingy brought the group in for a quick chat and then sent the players off to sign autographs and to some meet and greets with the locals. Observations: Draftees - Onley looked really impressive, I thought he moved very well and was so agile for a big mid. His kicking was a bit hit and miss. One definitely to watch. Taylor still very green, but he did some great tackles and pressure during ball movement drills. Kicking was a bit iffy today. Latrelle integrated well with the group, he moves well and has great pressure, he looks the most likely of our first draftee to break into the team. White was really good, he already seems like a regular player. I think doing the pre season last year with Melbourne has helped him to fit in right away with the team. Matthews was obviously doing rehab but is a good size and didn't look that much smaller than Hendo or Viney. He'll be good for us. Berry looks to be a medium defender in size and build. He'll need a bit of time to catch up to the AFL standard fitness levels, but I'm hopeful he'll strengthen our backline in time to come. Has leadership qualities. That's about all I can think of for now. I hope you guys enjoy the report. Cheers.

Just had a chat with Kingy. We talked about training. I told him that of the players I’ve asked about training so far the consensus is that it’s brutal, intense, very challenging, etc. I even told him one player called him a [censored] psycho. He loves it. He said that tells him he’s doing things right. But I also told him that these same players all said while it took some getting used to, they actually love this level of intensity and they feel so much stronger and fitter. I told Kingy that thus far there’s been no S&Gs out there. Not a single shc!tt or giggle in sight. He said, “Oh there’s S&Gs, most definitely there is. But that’s when we’re over there” and he motioned towards AAMI. He said he doesn’t just let them engage in S&Gs, he encourages it because there has to be a healthy balance. Then, back on the serious training subject, he told me some of the things he tells the players. This was my favourite: he tells them “Yes, it’s bloody hard, it’s brutal, I’m pushing you then pushing you again, and again. I’m pushing you to your absolute limits. I’m doing everything I can to get everything possible out of you and that’s because I want you to be bulletproof and, more importantly, I want you to KNOW you’re bulletproof.” Talk about inspirational! It took every fibre of my being to resist jumping the fence and slam tackling anyone in my path then running 50 laps for fun. But then I remembered I’d likely pull a hammy just trying to jump the fence so instead I just pictured myself doing it.

He's a livewire. Zippy, tough, strong footy IQ and will be an absolute menace up forward. Gippsland captain, drifted out due to PCL injury. If he had played all year, he would have been top 15 pick potentially. Keep an eye on this one, think Papley. Watch this space. Good outcome Dees fans.

One of the great pleasures I got from the opening night of the 2025 AFL National Draft was to see club legend Hassa Mann present the club guernsey to draftee Xavier Taylor. It brought back memories of when my parents brought home our first television in 1959 and I turned on the set to watch Veals World of Sport on HSV7. In those days the show went to air on a Saturday and Hassa was interviewed as a budding new recruit from Merbein. He had a really bushie accent and it was very hard to understand what he was saying but he did well for himself in life quickly rising to executive level in business as well as having a long and rewarding career in football. Born Harold Peter Mann on October 9, 1940, he earned the nickname "Hassa" as a toddler from his cousin and future Melbourne footballer, Len Mann. Mann's impressive career highlights include: - Awards and Accolades: - 3× VFL premiership winner (1959, 1960, 1964) - 3× Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist (1962, 1963, 1967) - 2× Melbourne leading goalkicker (1967, 1968) - Melbourne captain (1965-1968) - All-Australian selection (1966) - Career Statistics: - Played 178 games for Melbourne, scoring 193 goals - Finished in the top 10 of the Brownlow Medal count four times - Post-Playing Career: - Captain-coach at South Fremantle, winning a best and fairest in his debut season and a premiership in 1970 - Coached Caulfield in the Victorian Football Association (1981) and Eltham premiership team (1982) - Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame (2013) - Named at half-forward flank in Melbourne's official 'Team of the Century' (2000) Mann remains involved with the Melbourne Football Club, maintaining close ties with his former teammates through regular reunions and this presentation links the club’s past with the present. I recently heard Kane Cornes criticize his former club for emphasizing its history, arguing that it should concentrate solely on the future rather than on past achievements. While I believe we should not dwell too much on the past, I disagree with Cornes. I think it’s important for incoming players to be aware of and respect the club's heritage, to understand what they can aspire to achieve, to strive for greatness and to become part of a legacy that shapes the future. Great to see Hassa at 85 and still a Demon!

It was nice having the training files to distract me yesterday as I spent quite a few hours in hospital yesterday having Angiogram to gauge the extent of a main artery blockage into my heart. Fortunately I did not require a Stent and can manage the issue with medication, phew.!!😥 big relief for me and family, a bit sore but extremely happy that I didn’t waste my 2026 MFC Membership.lol.!! I certainly Bleed Red ❤️but couldn’t discern any 💙.

Wheels told me this interesting story… JT encouraged everyone to believe that Latrelle would be a later pick, knowing all along we were gonna take him early. He had heard Essendon were considering taking him with a later pick. When we took XT with pick 11, Essendon and GWS and whoever else was interested thought that we mustn’t be that keen on Latrelle or we would’ve taken him at the first opportunity. Essendon then thought cool we’ll get him instead. Then the JT hammer came down on everyone and we took Latrelle. The funny part is that wheels and Kozzie had to hide in the carpark until just before the Latrelle pick was announced because anyone catching sight of Kozzie would’ve been sus as to why he was there. Wheels said the AFL helped our club out by agreeing to not list Kozzie as a jumper presenter (again, dead giveaway) and facilitated the sneaking in of Kozzie unnoticed. I mean, I knew JT was a wizard but this is next level!

I've not much to add but: Trelly looked really really good with his running and skills. Those having issues with using pick 12 need not worry I reckon. Lindsay is starting to look really good, he was involved and skillful. The full ground drills were significantly different to last year. Last year the focus was on ball movement and little if any contact. This year is was match practice with the ball being fully contested. There is no luvy dovey stuff at training this year. There is good spirit but no whopping and hollering at the slightest opportunity. Very business like. Culley very good. Windsor and CJ the "go to" players out of the backline. Kentfield a good chance to be this years bolter, moves well, good endurance, strong hands and a beautiful kick. I'm excited. It might just be me but Vines looks like the weight of the world is off his shoulders looking so much more relaxed this year. Did I mention Trelly? Oscar Berry looks like the first B rookie from a BB background that looks like he could make it. Sparrow in everything. That is all......

Some short observations on individual players. With so many players out there I have not been as laser focused on some of them. I have also been paying more attention to a number of the newer recruits. There are also players who, for various reasons, do not stand out and tend to blend in. This might be because they are wearing a hat, do not have a number on their guernsey, or are wearing a bib that obscures their number. I wanted to mention this as well as the fact that some players are simply doing what is expected of them, so I may not have written about them in previous observations. May: This was May's first week back at Gosch's following the end of season break and the Training Camp. Fellow trackwatchers noted that he does not seem to be in the same peak condition as some of the other returning players. On Monday I noted that he seemed gassed after the gut running drill, although he was not the only one. He and Petty did not compete in that particular drill today and were doing timed 150 metre fast runs along the boundary instead. During Match SIM he was playing a key defender role. His disposal in these drills, under little pressure, was great. The make up of our key defender positions will be interesting to watch given that it was reported in the off season that May was shopped around or asked to explore his options. It is certainly a case of watch this space. JVR: Has trimmed down a lot in the offseason. His short haircut no doubt amplifies this. He looks super fit and is attacking the ball on leads with ferocity while tackling just as hard. He needs a big year and I am hoping that with the arrival of Mihocek he can finally be given some support. With a five man bench it will be interesting to see what we do in terms of using a second ruckman. As has been noted, having JVR take on the back up ruck duties has not helped his forward game because he has to run up and down the field for five to eight minutes each quarter. I'm hoping for a break out year. Salem: Often gets overlooked in training reports because he is always dependable, doing what is expected and showing those silky skills. It is great to see him get an uninterrupted full preseason, at least so far, under his belt. Langford: Will be a star. Always so composed and always seems to have time and space, never looking rushed. Rarely misses a target and places most passes with perfect weight. Given our midfield changes, expect him to be in the centre square for the first bounce in Round 1. Lindsay: Classy user of the footy. He was in the rehab group on the bike for most of today's session, but I have been very impressed with what I have seen from him so far this offseason. Windsor: He seems to be the go-to player to start any play, whether off half back or through the midfield. I have been extremely impressed with his class and his effort at every session. One of the best on ground at every session. Viney: Hopefully has a quick recovery from whatever foot related ailment is troubling him. Has a noticeable limp. He only returned to the training track this week but has spent most of the time on the bike and encouraging the team from the sidelines. Lever: Fantastic to see Rick past the injuries he sustained throughout last season and now getting a full preseason under his belt. He is one of the first players on the field and one of the last to leave. He has been at training from Day 1, even though he was not required back until the training camp last week. He is one of the most vocal and supportive players on the field, as you would expect from the professional leader that he is. Steele: Even though he is one of the new players I have been keen to watch, Jack often blends into the group and I have not been able to follow him as closely as I would like. It might be because he is always wearing a hat and does not have a number on his guernsey. Every time I do notice him he is doing exactly what I would expect from a player of his calibre. He tackles hard, is always running and chasing the ball, and shows clean skills. He will fill Viney's role well if Viney is absent early on. Turner: Only returned to Gosch's this week so I have only one session to judge him. He is currently training with the Defenders and has the cleanest hand and reads the ball so well in the air. Rarely gets outmarked. Came off the field early with a hamstring niggle. Hopefully it is not too serious and it was just a precaution. Ran laps for most of the session once he came off the ground. Max: Max doing Max things. Looks in great shape. Came off the ground early in the Match SIM and was doing some short runs along the boundary. No idea if he felt a niggle somewhere and came off as a precaution. Tholstrup: Will be an interesting watch this season. Had a disappointing 2024. Needs a fresh start. Seems to be giving 100% effort. Playing as a midfielder. Make or break this year. Culley: One of the standouts for me. Playing as a mid. He is so strong in the air. Can take a grab and has very nice skills. Expect him to play a mix of mid, wing and drift forward. A lot to like. I think we got a bargain here. CJ: He is the player I am most excited to see play next year. A lot of run and carry and dash off half back. An excitement machine. I was worried about his disposal based on anecdotal evidence from spoiled, salty Hawks but so far I have not seen any of the concerns that were relayed to me. The pressure of match day will be the big test but so far I am excited by what I have seen. Langdon: Doing Langdon stuff. Always running. TO BE CONTINUED LATER .....

Umpires are killing us.

Laurie: Bill is a fascinating case. He excels at VFL level and looks impressive on the training track, yet he has had very few chances to show what he can do at senior level. This preseason he is being used as a forward, but for mine there are several small forwards who appear to be ahead of him, including Thomas Matthews, who is still in rehab. It feels like a last roll of the dice for him, and he needs to make the most of any opportunity he gets. Bowey: Always a smooth operator with the ball in hand. Seeing him on crutches and in a moon boot at training today was a real blow. Hopefully it is nothing too serious and he is back tearing up the track after Christmas. He is very important to the team and I am keen to see how he is used under King and the new game plan. Melksham: A consummate professional on the training track. He and TMac set the gold standard for preseason training standards. It will be interesting to see where he fits in the new-look Dees forward line, but he will give absolutely everything. He was jogging laps today on a limited program for some reason, and hopefully it is only load management and not some other niggle. Taylor: Tough nut that reads the ball really well in the air. Has been a bit hit and miss with his disposal at times but I just love that from Day 1 at training he had the balls to not play it safe and to take the game on. As a consequence he bit more off than he could chew and was either caught or put under pressure. I have a feeling he will work his way into Rivers role in defence allowing Trent to play more midfield time. Matthews: Recovering from a PCL and has been in rehab. I like the highlights I have seen and the fact that he is described as leader. Can't wait to see him in action. Jefferson: Another interesting case. He will surely need to prove himself at Casey if he wants to break into the senior side. I would love to see a bit more mongrel from him both at training and on game day. He has clean hands and is an accurate kick for goal.Likely the last roll of the dice for him too this season. Luker Kentfield is breathing down his neck. Howes: Blake is another player I barely notice on the training track, but whenever I do, his disposal is always clean. I am keen to see where King views his best position. McAdam: Disappointing to see such a talented player still in rehab and likely to miss another preseason block. Achilles injuries are cruel and take a long time to mend. He is another who will need to make the most of his opportunity once his body is right. Rivers: Given the changes to our midfield over the offseason Rivers must grab this opportunity to make the position his own. McDonald: Like Lever, TMac is one of the first on and last off the track. A consummate professional. He deserves a place in the best 23, but there are so many tall defenders competing for only a few spots. The Key Defender position might be one of the most interesting positions to watch this season. Adams: Another player I do not notice much of on the training track. Clean hands and neat disposal I think the true test for Jed will be on the field. Will no doubt start at Casey but must take the opportunity with both hands if given a crack at some point in the year like Petty did in 2021. Heath: A big body and very athletic for his size. Has an excellent pair of hands and clean disposal for a guy his size. Has a nice accurate shot on goal. Not sure what his tank is like and hopefully he can learn a thing or two from Max. I hope that he gets an opportunity at some point this season particularly given the 5 man bench. Mihocek: I was very happy to trade in Brody. He is just what the Doctor ordered for our forward line. Will provide a nice foil for JVR and will work very well with Fritta. Leads at the ball well. Excellent hands. Very accurate kick on goal. Campbell: Break glass in case of Emergency. Sharp: Haven't seen much of him on the track. Runs all day. Does some nice things. Can find the goals. Will be in and out of the team. Good role player. Fritsch: Fritta looks like a new man this season. I can't quite put my finger on it. Was impressed that he was back almost from Day 1 even when he wasn't required. At the early sessions when most positions weren't back yet and we lacked defenders he was training further up the ground. Now with almost a full squad he is back to the forward line out bodying bigger opponents, taking grabs and kicking snags. Fellow trackwatchers were gobsmacked at the amount of times he was unselfish and dished off the ball when he could have had a shot. He even handballed. Perhaps the message has been received. Sparrow: Nothing much new to report regarding Spaz. Gets a lot of the footy. Playing in the middle. Wouldn't mind him pushing forward a little bit. Latrelle Pickett: Love everything I have seen from Trelly. Classy user of the ball, can sell candy, has pace and can work his way up and down the ground. It is a thing of beauty to watch the two Picketts combine. It will set the G on fire. White: Tall, skinny and athletic. Has a nice pair of hand and a nice leap. I haven't seen much of him but he will take time to develop. A year in the gym will do him the world of good as will learning at the feet of one of the greatest rucks in history as well as the two other big body rucks. I expect that he will cut his teeth in the forward line at Casey. Petty: Much to the relief of a lot of Demonlanders Petty is back training with the Defenders. He reads the ball so well in the air and has a very clean pair of hands. Having an uninterrupted preseason will be a blessing for him too. Kozzy: Absolutely sublime. Lock him in as a full time midfielder. He is electric on the training track. You could sell tickets just to watch him practice. Not much more to say about him. Star. Chandler: Have seen Kade's leadership qualities blossom this preseason. Expect him to play the high half forward role this season. TO BE CONTINUED ....

This kid wouldn't be a surprise or secret to any club. Good recruiters will be across literally 1000's of kids through the major talent pathways. Tom was captain of gippsland and made the vic country squad before injury. I saw him last year at la trobe put on some showreel stuff and looked a cut above most kids in their draft year. Even took a few centre bounces. I'm super excited he's on board.

Just back from training and I was really impressed by Trelly again. I think he is a different type of player to Kossie. Kossie is the burst type player with, as we know, exceptional X factor and is more a small forward with patches in the midfield. He's the Bobby Hill, Charlie Cameron style of player. I think Trelly is different, more in the mould of NWM. In the training drill he covers so much ground and is continually running. He will link up time and time again in them. He's very quick and evasive and at this point his skills are just good, not exceptional like Kossie. But he looks like he could play as a line breaker of HB, he could play through the midfield and he can clearly play forward. It will be a really interesting watch over the PS. The other to continually impress is Jai Culley. He's going to be a very difficult match up because he's a very strong overhead mark for the position he plays. Midfield or wing? Do those positions exist under King the way they did under Goodwin? There really haven't been any match sims in the last few weeks to know as the players for the main have been in about 3 different groups all doing different things. We will start to get a better idea of where players sit in January. It's also interesting we have guys in rehab with concussion protocols which adds weight to the observation that training is much more physical under King than it was under Goody.

AMW is very close to being 100% He’s been told he will be in full training after Xmas. And he’s delighted.

Prepare for your houses to be trained down. Taylor just collected a ground ball sold some candy whilst moving laterally through traffic gave off a hand ball kept running and received it back before pin point kicking it long down field.

Been following Riley for a few years now through APS and Vic Country, and this is a ripping rookie pickup by Melbourne. He’s one of those rare 195cm mids who actually plays like a midfielder, not a key position guy shoved on ball. Always had clean hands, but this season he finally added that burst speed and confidence in his kicking that pushed him into genuine draftable territory. He’s been on a steady upward curve for a while. People who only saw him late probably don’t realise how much he’s improved year-on-year. Coaches around him always talk about how coachable he is and how well he prepares for big games, and it shows. He’s had plenty of reps at APS, National Academy and senior level, and he tends to rise to the moment rather than go missing. Give him a couple of preseasons in Melbourne’s system and he could easily turn into that big-bodied, unique-profile mid they’ve been trying to find. Massive upside if his development keeps trending the same way.

And some slightly unhinged cheer squad nuffie met him before any of the players did. He got a warm welcome hug from her and now he’s probs questioning the draft results 😅

JT isn't using a high first round pick just to make kozzy happy. We clearly rate this guy on his own merits as someone who will be a great player for our club. I remember there were demonlanders who rated cody weightman over Kozzy back in 2019. Can't wait to see some x2 Pickett magic next year.

So I guess now we're all considered Onley fans?

Latrelle is back in Adelaide packing his stuff to move to Melbourne. Wheels said to look out! He’s loud and confident and get this.. they’re counting on Latrelle to bring Kozzie out of his shell!!! Wheels said they’re perfect together because Koz will “keep Trelly in line” and Trelly will get Koz to “lighten up some”

The coaches are trying to teach the players what success in that behaviour is. For example, in this drill they are being taught the right system to move the ball up the ground. In order to do that you need to get them comfortable doing these behaviours in a controlled environment so that it becomes automatic, which is incredibly difficult to do under match conditions. equal defenders and attackers causes chaos and the highest pressure is not a good way to learn new behaviours that aren't habits yet since all you will do is fail or fall back into your old habits/instincts. As the saying goes, no plan survives first contact with the enemy (or, as Mike Tyson said, everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face!). The progression for this would be to do it with no pressure, so that the movement can be seen under perfect conditions to get in the habit. Then add a little bit of pressure at a time (extra defenders) until these behaviours become habits in more pressured situation. There's simply too much pressure in even numbered drills to learn a new skill or behaviour because it doesn't give you time to think about what you're doing. Less pressure means more time to think and hence more time to practice the new behaviour until that new behaviour becomes the habit you fall back into under high/game pressure.

JVR, Jefferson, Mihocek, Johnson, Kentfield, White, Heath, Melksham, Fritsch. How many more tall forwards do you want?

He is so invested in all the actions he does. I believe he will continue to improve. I can see him being a Dees Captain, if all goes well. Gee, he puts in, learns, leads by example (especially effort), and gets around those who others don't notice. His concentration is 100%, doing it all well. I haven't seen him make those errors he was prone to last season. Looking strong, bigger and is maturing. Going about it humbly. A big improver from my point of view.

Woot, not going to lie, reading training reports is keeping me going through what is a horrendously difficult move. We've been settled in the US for some time - been here 14 years this round - and wow, accumulated stuff and made friends and now we are ripping ourselves up and relocating back to Melbourne (area). Gave away the cat today, totally gutted over that. Selling my car on Wednesday, flying out on Friday. Saying goodbye is amazingly hard, even when we have good reasons for the move. Training reports remind me of things to look forward to. Can't wait to rock up to Gosch's, see folks and all the team, including the new boys.

Apart from anything else, it shows how much more homework clubs and recruiting teams do on draftees than random or not-so-random track watchers.

Seven weeks after his retirement party, this veteran footy boss is back to help the Demons Veteran administrator Brian Cook has been hired to mentor novice football chief executive Paul Guerra at the Demons. Cook, who retired from full-time work at the end of this season after more than three decades in football administration, culminating in his term as chief executive of Carlton, will mentor Guerra for a day a week on football matters. Cook was one of the longest serving chief executives in the AFL system having spent nine years at the West Coast Eagles before moving to Geelong where he was in charge for 23 years and finally four years at the Blues, the last of which was handing over to his successor Graham Wright. The Demons are aiming to tap into Cook’s vast experience and, more importantly, his football network to mentor Guerra, who was previously chief executive of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and had not worked in the AFL industry. The appointment also comes less than two months after football powerbrokers and politicians gathered for a luncheon in the MCC committee room to honour Cook’s career in what was billed as a farewell to footy. “The idea [of appointing Cook] was really to provide a mentor for Paul with his lack of football experience,” Melbourne’s new president Steven Smith said. “Brian is an old teammate of mine - he played with me in the few senior games he played in the late 70s - and he has vast experience in the game that could be really important and helpful to us. “The timing was right for him and for us. Brian is one of the most highly respected administrators in the comp so he is ideal for Paul. We were lucky with the timing. “It won’t be full-time, it will be about a day a week, it might be three to four hours a week, we will see how it goes.” The position will only be advising on football matters and he not a review the executive or business structure. The Demons want to access Cook’s long relationships in the game, to support Guerra as he delves into the nuances of football industry politics. The appointment comes after a season of huge change at Melbourne. Aside from Guerra’s appointment, the club changed senior coach with the appointment of Steven King after the premiership coach Simon Goodwin was sacked mid-year. Smith has just taken over from Brad Green after a planned transition, and most critically the club made hard decisions on the playing list, trading out contracted pair Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver as the Demons continue a youth-driven list revitalisation using the draft picks from the Petracca trade to once more push into the top end of the draft.

What a difference three months make? It was hard not to be impressed by the new faces and the speed of the new-look squad. Gone are the distractions - sorry Trac and Olly - and in is pace. Sure we only had about 20min of match sim but you couldn't but help notice that slow, precise build-ups are out, replaced by manic speed of ball movement. Almost everyone who has commented has noticed CJ's run and I am trying to remember a bigger early-season influencer or wow factor - he already shapes as the recruit of the year. He didn't just run and carry and kick long drop punts down the wing to Windsor - he also laid a couple of crunching tackles - one on Langford was a clear free kick to our second-year player. When coupled with Kozzie's constant pressure and elite kicking, it's hard not to see why there's a sense of excitement. It was also hard not to like Brody Mihocek's lead up work, Turner's intercepting, Gawny and May's presence and the extra competitiveness of Sparrow, Culley and Laurie in the midfield. As someone said earlier, Xavier Taylor may not be a Rd 1 lock just yet, but he did show a willingness to take the game on - even after he was caught taking a little too long to dispose of the ball on a couple of occasions. All in all there must be 30 players at least in the mix for Rd 1 based on what I saw and that doesn't include Viney (rehab) and Adams (absent) who I'd expect to be ready post-X-mas. And I imagine there's another thread for it, but guessing the Rd 1 team of 23 correctly would pay about 5000-1 at this stage. Please note: this is not a queue for more Werridee stabs at his best 23, god help us!

After training the boys were going back to AAMI for lunch (together). After lunch it’s gym time (all together), then they break off into groups; some do more running, some in the pool, some do extra gym work. They get Thursdays and Sundays off. On Saturdays they do hill-running. It was interesting hearing about this from XT who can’t compare it to previous years. He talked about it in a very matter-of-fact way. I asked him if he finds any part of it challenging or even difficult and he said not at all. Vines on the other hand said training is “very different now.” He said it’s more intense and more specialised, but that “we love it.” Probs easier for him to say that while he’s on light duties 😁 Edit: I forgot to mention that XT showed me his little “Demon” tattoo. I asked why he got it done (as a Richmond supporter) and was it just because he liked the design. He said he didn’t know what it was about it that he liked when he chose it but that when he was selected by us his first thought was “it’s meant to be.” I said “you really mean that, don’t you.” He said, “100 percent, this is my destiny.” I think we should keep him 😁

I sense I shouldn’t get involved but he wasn’t loyal to the end. He was loyal to the extent he didn’t want to leave but he certainly wasn’t loyal to his team, his teammates or his contract. It’s sad that an absolute hero has left us under these circumstances but King did exactly the right thing to restore locker room harmony and a team first philosophy. And I’m the first to admit I wouldn’t have done it, but it was 100% right.

future AA plus captain?

Latrelle playing forward but finding his way up the ground. Got the ball on the wing and followed the ball all the way to the forward line. Disposal fantastic.

I can’t see Kozzie ever being vice-captain let alone captain. He’s not comfortable in the spotlight… off-field. He’s introverted and he’s the first to tell you he will never change in this regard.

Saw this posted on Social Media, not sure if posted on here before, if so apologies. Cherry Walk Cafe Bright @melbournefc @stevenmay @kysaiahpicketty thanks to the Melbourne Football Club coming in for lunch .. what a delight to look after you .. enjoy your training time in Bright #lovebright #melbournefootballclub

So many people having site issues tonight, yet picket fence is unaffected. What a dystopia this world has turned into.

Today I met Matty Scarlett. He’s a lovely person. I thanked him for coming to work with us and he said it was his pleasure because our club is run so well and he’s happy to be part of a club that’s looking likely to succeed next season. Kingy asked me if I’ve met David, our new psych, which I have. Then Kingy told me David’s a former professional basketball player who played for several sides in the NBL, boasting six championships, which is the league record for most championships for an individual player. Kingy said, “Google him, he’s very accomplished.” And he is, the six championships were with three different teams, including a three-peat with the Sydney Kings. Early in his career he spent three years playing college basketball in the U.S. for the Boston Terriers. Then he returned to Australia to begin his record haul of championships. Kingy said he likes having a wide range of talents from various backgrounds and David is yet another example of this.

Hendo is rehabbing from injury, but it’s not his groin as some of us thought, his groin is (in his words) cherry ripe. This is a new injury. At the camp he started to feel pain in his lower back so was sent for scans. Turns out he has a small bone fracture in his sacrum. It’s called a fatigue fracture (same as a stress fracture). They told him it’s likely the result of him going too hard in the gym, coupled with the fact that he hasn’t been eating enough. He said he doesn’t think he needs surgery as it would’ve been scheduled and done already. He has a program that includes exercises that help with healing the area and he said the pain is manageable and has decreased a lot. Still on the subject of Hendo: he works so hard and does everything he possibly can to be at his best. Despite the injuries, he’s always in great spirits and is always optimistic. He’s simply a wonderful person in every way, and he’s ever-grateful to have been picked up by us.

Roo was awesome in the match sim. Many of them were. Latrelle is a force to be reckoned with, shrugs off tacklers like they’re Auskick kids and I’m talking three attempts in quick succession to bring him down. We saw him do some amazing things today.

Bowser is having surgery on his foot this afternoon. The injury is more serious than they thought. He has a torn ligament. He was running the week before last but they didn’t know then what they now know. If he wasn’t having the surgery, he would still be able to run at some point in the future but he wouldn’t be able to change direction at speed. Speaking of an injury worse than what was first thought, Vines is another player who is taking longer to recover. He’s had the foot issue for six weeks and he should really be right by now. I’ve been promised an update next week. Tommy Matthews is running!!!!! It’s so good to see. He’s been champing at the bit to start running and the joy shows on his face.

One of my mates is quite friendly with him. Apparently absolute gun could be our future star. Might be the steal of the draft. Super pumped to watch him play.

I watched the men’s and the women’s training which was great but the highlight of the day was meeting a lovely 95yo gentleman. He told me some of his favourite memories of his many years as a passionate Dees supporter, including Fred Fanning’s 18-goal bag which he saw live. I listened to him for quite a while and it was heartwarming to see his face light up with each memory. It was really special. Turns out his name is Geoff Ponsford and he’s the son of Bill Ponsford. It was such an honour to meet him.

Arrived at 9.30 to find nearly all the players out having a kick to kick with a partner. Melkys partner was his young son. The rehabers havent changed since last time. And i know this is impossible but Langford looks even taller. And Max G must be sick of the sight of the back of Disco head as thy run the boundary. Shane McA was running with Reece Conca but perhaps not at the same intensity as Wednesday. Tom Matthews had a bandage on his left leg and was jogging the line. Also did some time on the bike. And the baggy training shorts seems like a tent at times. TC did some time running the line. I dont think that is his favourite drill... Hendo and Vines on the bikes. The match sims were good fun. Trelly move very well but tried to take on Fritta and Culley. Trelly off to catch his breath.. Culley and Windsor looking good. And if you are a young add on from Casey and Windsor is chasing you dont run in a straight line. Salems tackles always keeps his opponents on the ground for an extra couple of seconds. Onleys disposal may be an issue. Kalani did some competitive work with Jamar, with Conca kicking the ball in . Bump now, ...and again ...and again. And just between you and me, I think we are going to handball more next season. (Just kick the thing I can hear us yelling now). At any one time there are about 30+ 'track watchers' looking on.

Berry: Obviously a project player. First Category B player that I think we've selected that looks like a natural rather than someone that needs to learn. Needs to build a fitness base for the elite level. Will be a better for the preseason and a season under his belt. Looks like he has decent skills. Mentha: Has skill and some nice tricks, but not the same spark the two Picketts have. I had hoped he might work his way into the senior side at some point in 2026, but the drafting of Latrelle has probably made that task a little tougher. Onley: Big fan of Onley. Tall for a midfielder at 195cm. He is the same height as Lever and has the body for senior footy. Will no doubt start at Casey but I have a feeling he will play senior footy in 2026. Just another gut feeling. Johnson: Still a back up forward and ruck that can pinch hit in the seniors if required. Will most likely play footy at Casey. Henderson: Has been in rehab most of the preseason. I see him as a very good VFL player. Can also pinch hit in the seniors as a role player but I see him playing most of his footy at Casey. Kentfield: Very impressed with this kid. Saw a little bit of him in the back end of Casey season and he impressed with his marking and goal kicking ability. Has no preseason due to illness last year and has come back to the club this preseason looking fit and trimmed down but still a good size. Could be the surprise packet up forward for us some time in 2026. He may even be ahead of Jefferson. Like Jeffo the ball is in his court to earn that spot and keep it. Moniz-Wakefield: He is itching to get out of rehab and join the full squad. If he can stay fit I think he will resume his role in the backline. I'm predicting a big year for AMW.

This is from a Facebook site VFL Rewind Radio Program about David Schwarz, one of my favourites, a player who could have been anything, give or take an ACL or three. And when he came back from his surgeries, he was still a champion. David Schwarz - 173 AFL Games. Melbourne BNF winner, One of the great centre half forwards of the 90’s. Very strong & Powerful. David signed at Melbourne Demons at just 14. David was a star at a young age playing junior footy for Sunbury before Melbourne invited him to come play and he first began in the under 19’s before making his AFL Debut in 1991. Image today one of the brightest AFL stars quitting to go work in a country town, well David did it at the back end of 91. He decided momentarily that footy wasn’t for him and spent a good part of quarter the year away from footy. Thankfully he was talked out of it and came back in round 2 in 1992. 92 was a breakout year for the Ox playing 22 games and averaging 16 disposals a game. 93 was a challenging year but 94 is when we seen his best. He kicked 60 goals in 94 and looked like he was about to challenge Wayne Carey to be one of the great centre half forwards of the game for years to come. This is unfortunately where the word knee enters the conversation. David first did his ACL in early 95 and defied the odds and came back 16 weeks later. In that return game he kicked 3 goals but sadly the week after he ruptured the ACL again. After taking the rest of 95 off he headed to Albury to play a practice game and did his knee again, resulting in missing the entire 96 season. It was a different time back then with knees. It’s not like today where we know it’s a 12 month absence including rehab, players often came back earlier but run the risk the ACL ligament hadn’t repaired fully. Round 11 1997. Pretty much 2 and a half years of no footy and David come back and performed well kicking 18 goals from 10 games. From then on David became a regular again until his retirement in 2002 with 1999 arguably being his best year after the knee injuries winning the Melbourne Bnf. In 2000 in Queens Kings Birthday Vs Collingwood he had a grear game kicking 2 goals and having 20 disposals. In 2000 David wouid take his Dees to a grand final and he had a great year kicking 31 goals He was a leader on the field, leading by example with his toughness. David retired in 2002 on 173 games. In his prime he was one of the toughest players we ever seen, injuries sadly stopped us from seeing his best but it was great he got to 173 games and finish his career off. Well done on a great career David

First time at a training session (other than kids' clinic) so don't really have any insightful insights to share. CJ has been mentioned a few times; I liked the footwork and evasion, but was especially impressed with his delivery of the ball, he got it out of the back line and it kept going. It was great to watch Kozzie (and Latrelle and Ricky) kicking goals at the end of the session. Worth the price of admission! Final comment, I enjoyed watching the match sims, flowing footy without umpire interference, and no administrative 50s! Another final observation, on the way out I was going to take a photo of the Melb Victory training for my "other" son, and was told by their staff that photography was prohibited. I couldn't be bothered arguing the point, but if you're part of a league trying to build a supporter base I am not sure this is the best attitude.

I met Latrelle!!! What an awesome boy he is. Kozzie smiled and pointed towards him, as if to say have at him 😅 Latrelle is NOT shy. He’s so friendly and loves a chat. I also met Tommy Matthews. He’s a live wire! A lovely guy. Of course I met Riley too. He’s a little more reserved. Taller in person than in pics.

My son and I are part of a small group of Melbourne supporters on Whatsapp and this is his post from yesterday: " The top players in the draft pool were asked to name a round 1 'bolter.' Willem Duursma said: " I might go with Tom Matthews, who's our captain at Gippy Power. He's a great leader. He's had a tough year with injury, but his best as a small forward is absolutely unreal. To start the year he was kicking bags but unfortunately got injured. But he's ferocious, kicks goals, takes big marks. He can do anything as a small forward and he'd be someone I'd really like to take a chance on." I still haven't lost the smile!

Wow! So stoked for this pick! I knew we had interviewed him a month ago but didnt think it was anything serious! Well done Dees, he'll be a beauty in a full time environment

Take it with a grain of salt, but my mate (who knows a lot more about the draft than me) just messaged me, and said that had it not been for injury, Matthews would've been rated as the best small forward prospect of this year's crop.

So Harves is #4 and X is #5, confirmed. Another change that’s confirmed is Jai Culley is #13