Demonland

Age and experienceAverage age* WA: 28.3 (Oldest: Rory Lobb - 33. Youngest: Lawson Humphries - 22) VIC: 28.4 (Oldest: Patrick Dangerfield - 35. Youngest: Sam Darcy - 22) *as at day of game Average games WA: 157.4 (Most: Brad Hill - 277. Least: Lawson Humphries - 36) VIC: 178.9 (Most: Patrick Dangerfield - 360. Least: Sam Darcy - 45) HonoursTotal premierships WA: 19 (Most: Brad Hill and Nathan Broad - 3) VIC: 11 (Most: Jack Gunston - 3) Premiership players WA: 11 VIC: 8 Total All-Australians WA: 15 (Most: Patrick Cripps - 4) VIC: 58 (Most: Patrick Dangerfield and Max Gawn - 8) All-Australian players WA: 10 VIC: 19 Total Brownlow Medals WA: 2 (Patrick Cripps - 2) VIC: 2 (Patrick Dangerfield and Matt Rowell) Brownlow medallists WA: 1 VIC: 2 Total Brownlow votes WA: 760 (Most: Patrick Cripps - 205) VIC: 1820 (Most: Patrick Dangerfield - 259) Total best and fairest WA: 11 (Most: Patrick Cripps - 5) VIC: 46 (Most: Marcus Bontempelli and Zach Merrett - 6) Best-and-fairest winners WA: 7 VIC: 19 Rising Star winners WA: 3 (Luke Jackson, Jesse Hogan and Jaeger O'Meara) VIC: 2 (Nick Daicos and Caleb Serong) GoalkickingTotal goals kicked WA: 3024 (Most: Charlie Cameron - 436) VIC: 3345 (Most: Jeremy Cameron - 736) Total Coleman Medals WA: 1 (Jesse Hogan) VIC: 2 (Jeremy Cameron - 2) Coleman medallists WA: 1 VIC: 1 Players with 50-plus goal seasons WA: 5 (Most: Charlie Cameron - 4) VIC: 3 (Most: Jeremy Cameron - 8) DraftTop-10 picks WA: 4 VIC: 11

Young Demon Jai Culley will undergo surgery on Saturday, following an arm fracture during training at Casey Fields on Friday. General Manager of AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson said the club would take a cautious approach to Culley’s recovery. “This was a really unfortunate incident, which took place during our training session on Friday,” Richardson said. “Scans have confirmed that this was an arm fracture and Jai will have surgery tomorrow to start recovery as soon as possible. “We are optimistic that he will be able to maintain his fitness while he is in rehab program. “We will have a clearer picture of his return to play timeline post-surgery, however, we expect this to be approximately four weeks.”

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Was in the rehab group on Wednesday.

Exactly. Could have been much much worse given the first report.

From 48 seconds. Reporter claims that Viney may be out for the season. Culley sent for scans and an update expected within 24 hours.

From 48 seconds. Reporter claims that Viney may be out for the season. Culley sent for scans and an update expected within 24 hours.

A couple Demonland Trackwatchers as well as a Jounalist were in attendance out at Casey Fields this morning to bring you their observations from the Match Simulation including reports that Jai Culley left the field with a suspected broken arm. BRENNO'S MATCH SIMULATION OBSERVATIONSI popped in this morning to observe the Match Sim/Intra club. Might be some double up to my notes and it's hard to be completely accurate when the play is on the far side of the ground. But here's what I took away from today. Both Picketts and Ricky Mentha were absent…..Gutted. I was really looking forward to seeing Trelly play in the flesh for the first time! From the blokes who were there but didn't play in match sim; Salem, CJ, Laurie Petty, Luka didn't look too bad to my uninformed and uneducated eye. They all ran laps or sprints at stages and none of them looked far off it. Mcadam also ran laps but sadly, he just doesn't look anywhere near it to me. Doesn't look fit and dare I say interested. I could be wrong but that's the vibe I got. Poor bloke. Didn't see much activity from Melky, Bowser, Hendo & Kalani. Not sure what the issue with Kalani is but he was in thongs when he walked past me on the boundary. The 1st “quarter” started off with what looked like the 1st choice 22 (BLUE) vs the rest (GREY). This may have excluded the mids who chopped and changed throughout the day. Gawny was also in the “others” group. I suppose this was to give Moose the chance to be the main man for a while and let Max gradually get into match conditioning. The starting key Backs (Blue Team) looked like Tmac, Lever and Disco with XL XT and Howes as the small defenders. They really were not troubled very much unless Gawn floated down and clunked it inside 50. Gawny had one of his trademark shank kicks at goal in the second quarter. Vintage Gawn. The front 6 for blue looked like JVR, Checkers, Fritch, Jeffo Sharp and I think Chandler. And I must say, they were looking quite connected and worked well together as a group, especially the talls (admittedly against weaker opponents). The mids rotated quite often and it was hard to tell who was in the guts at times but all of Windsor, Culley, Sparrow, Riv, Steele, Kolt, Chandler had cracks in there throughout the day. It's going to be really interesting who the starting mids will be this year, but if I had to guess ... .Rivers, Steele, Koz, Windsor will be the main 4 until Viney is back. As you can imagine the Blues dominated the first 2 (out of 3) “quarters” and were 50 odd points ahead at half time. It was very noticeable how much faster we were moving the ball when in offense compared to previous seasons. The overlap handball was on whenever possible and the movement ahead of the ball was worlds apart from our stagnant forward lines of the Goodwin era. Mistakes were made but they just kept having a crack which was nice to see. In the second half/third quarter, the first choice defense and forwards played against each other and the contest became much more even. Unfortunately Culley came off hurt and stopped the play for a while. The boys were clearly getting fatigued by this point and the pace of the game had reduced noticeably. Wrapped up the 3 qtr and it looked like there were back to running drills so I headed to work. My main concern today was just how many VFL top up players were out there and how many of our squad were on the sidelines. Hopefully no more injuries to come and we can get a few back before round 1. Overall it looked like a solid hit out and I am excited for what season might bring. I am not sure how we will go this year as it's hard to know how this style and the list will measure up against real opponents. But either way we are going to be much more exciting to watch in 2026! Individual Notes: Just a summary of a few notes I took during the day: Harvey Langford – Looked strong and composed, although It looked to me like he played majority on the wing today and drifted forward and only occasionally went inside. Might not be a starting mid just yet, but I am convinced he will be our best-player at some stage. Xavier Lindsey – Seems to have Bowser's job for now and at times showed he has very similar class. Took most of the kick ins for the Blues and offered great distribution out of defensive 50. Looks very comfortable back there, though he did shank one straight to the opposing Jeffo at one point though which was horrid. Xavier Taylor - looks so sure of himself out there. Full of confidence and personality, at one point he jokingly told Jared Rivers to call him either “Redge or Daddy.” Looks like a Round 1 lock to me. Super exciting addition, Gave me Vlasutin vibes. Jed Adams – I was very impressed by his foot skills for a big man. He was on the seconds team but had some nice moments. Closed a large distance at full pace for a desperate last minute spoil on the wing that was very nice. Got a bunch of cheers from the lads. Tommy Mathews – very impressive given limited preseason and last year’s injury. I feel he will play senior footy at some point this year. Hard to describe what it was about him but he just has that AFL gun small forward look to him. Something about the way he pumps those legs. Dare I say “Nick Watson like”. Could be an absolute steal for the pick we used. Koltyn Tholstrup – busy and impactful for both teams. Definitely not one to write off. Did some great stuff both offensively and defensively. He probably isn't in the same talent category as XL, XT Windsor and Langford but he is coming along nicely in my view. Also love the energy and spirit that he plays with. Caleb Windsor – looking very sharp and using his pace well. Not sure he is a first possession guy, but he was used a few times as second position and no one could catch him. He is going to be so fun to watch this year. Kicked a nice long bomb from a CBA and looks ready to take his game to the next level. I don't think he will ever be an elite user of the ball but with that leg speed he probably doesn't need to. Impressive today, hope he can bring that output into the season consistently. Oscar Berry – far better than expected for someone just coming into the system. Keeping a lid on it for now but he looked like the best Category B rookie I've seen in red and blue by some margin. Took kick ins for Grey and got involved in general play. used the ball quite well too. One to watch. Moose Heath – Looked very strong in the air and was involved in general play quite consistently. I am normally against playing 2 rucks but from what I saw today I feel like gawn playing ruck/def and Moose playing Ruck/fwd would be worth a trial. Huge man. Trent Rivers – Probably BOG for me, worked his [censored] off to find space and provide the next link all day. Used the ball well and must have kicked 3-4 goals by my count. Ready to be one of the main men this year. Make him VC! Blake Howes – started down back with the blue squad but later in the sim he was played on the wing vs Onley. I must say he looked really comfortable and at home there. Looked like a completely different player. I overheard some of the coaches and players chatting about it and they were also impressed. I wouldn't mind him staying there and developing his game to be a tall running wingman as we have enough mid/tall defender depth and I don't think there's a spot for him back there. Promising signs. Jai Culley - This dude is massive. Really looks like he belongs with the key position players at his height. Thought he was solid in the guts without being a standout today. Come off after a solid tackle holding what looked like his wrist. Didn't look good but hopefully it's not too bad. JVR - Looks super fit, He was covering the ground much smoother and at one point had a big hard run down the wings taking a few bounces. I had to double take as I had not seen that from him before. Disco, Tmac, Lever - Solid as a rock these 3. I expect Petty will take the Tmac’s spot at some point but the loss of May won't hurt us at all. These blokes have it covered and all 3 are real leaders out there. Lots of “F*%K Yeahs” coming from Rick today as he encourages the young lads. He is by far the most vocal out there and he himself is looking fit and rejuvenated. Gawn - Just cruising. Still kicked the ball too much for my liking and needs to use the overlap hands more often but what can you say about Gawny. In second gear all day and still looking great. GOAT! Jack Steele – So reliable and efficient. Looks and plays like a bloke who has mastered his craft. His experience and leadership will be huge for the kids moving forward. Great pickup and stopgap to reduce the impact of losing Clarry and Trac. Matt Jefferson - I should start by saying I have never been a Jeffo fan boy and had mentally moved on from the thought that he had much to offer us moving forward……However! I must admit he looked very good and impressed me in patches today. He is starting to look like he believes he can play the level and I saw a desperation in his game today that I had not seen before. Don't get me wrong he is never going to be the bloke who drops in front of a pack or put his head over the ball and busts through an opponent but he convinced me today that he definitely has something to offer us. GATOR'S MATCH SIMULATION OBSERVATIONSRivers kicked 3 that I saw. All from set shots. Heath battled hard against Gawn and took a couple of nice marks. Howes was good. Got a lot of it and was strong in the air. I thought Rivers, Windsor and Langford were the standouts. Culley did his arm in the last few minutes. The forwards play a very high press. There was often no-one in one half of the ground. Lots of switching and short passes to retain control combined with long down the line when needed. Lots of quick play and ball movement that occasionally came unstuck. We'll be trying to get out the back towards goal quite a lot. Mihocek, van Rooyen and Jefferson all had their moments without starring. Fritsch is a different player from last year, but you already knew that. Sparrow was good. Plenty took turns in the centre square. Standing in the back pocket on the boundary line with Salem and Jiath while watching proceedings, Jarrad Rivers yelled out to Rick (Lever) about his positioning. Once play had moved up field Xavier Taylor turned around and yelled out to Rivers, "were you calling me "? Rivers shook his head. Taylor then nodded before saying, "call me Reg, or you can call me Daddy". Needless to say there were howls of laughter with Rivers telling Salem you're going to have to get that boy under control. He then told Petty the story of how Taylor told him to call him Daddy, before lamenting he gets enough grief at home. Just a solid hitout with some good bits of play interspersed with some errors. I think Mihocek will be very important and a handy pick up, notwithstanding his age. I left thinking we'll get a lot more of an even performance than the last couple of years and that I have no real clue how we'll go. I actually doubt we'll be worse and have a sneaky suspicion we could surprise a little to the upside. Pity I didn't see Latrelle. I should add that Windsor's kicking was very good. We all know it's not always. I suspect his kicking is linked to his body health. I'm not a fan of Tholstrup but thought he was one of the better players on the ground. He got quite a lot of it and used it pretty well. I find him a fumbler but only saw that once. It was my first preseason viewing but he looked noticeably better to me. Salem ran laps at a good pace and seemed unhindered. He didn't take place in any of the match sim. LACE OUT LARRY'S MATCH SIMULATION OBSERVATIONSLost count how many Rivers dobbed Jefferson took some nice marks Thought Berry looked good The forward line looked more cohesive and Mihocek plays a good leading role there … good teacher Langford kicked a pearler from outside 50. But something tells me that is regulation. All of them looked sharp. No real standouts besides Rivers A really searching session with drills after the match component. MATT DEMON'S MATCH SIMULATION OBSERVATIONSCulley injured, arm/shoulder. Using his jumper as a sling as he walks off into the rooms. Confirmed by Troy Chaplin it's a broken arm, will have a plate put in and should only miss a couple of weeks. TRENT KNIESE FROM NINE NEWS PROVIDED SOME TIDBITS FROM THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE MATCH SIMULATIONMelbourne match sim notes: - Serious concerns with Jack Viney. Walked a few laps with Tom Campbell (who’s still in a neck brace) before sitting on the bench and putting sunnies on. Achilles injury is worse than first thought. Demons injury report on Jan 14 said “We expect him to return to full training in the next few weeks.” Almost a month on and he hasn’t progressed. He isn’t playing any time soon. Former captain still showing his love and passion for the club, helping coach from the sidelines and at quarter time. - Steven May still on leave from Dees. - Kysaiah and Latrelle Pickett absent, the pair are in Alice Springs for a marketing campaign with Northern Territory Tourism. - Changkuoth Jiath didn’t take part in match sim and instead completed a running session. As did Jake Melksham, Christian Salem, Harrison Petty and Shane McAdam. 1st QTR: The Dees have stacked the defence and forward line for team blue, but are keeping it reasonably even in the midfield. Tom McDonald played in deep defence with Jake Lever on team blue. Daniel Turner down back also. Harvey Langford (spent time on wing), Jai Culley, Ed Langdon, Brody Mihocek and Jacob Van Rooyen other names on Blue. Team White includes, Max Gawn, Jack Steele and Trent Rivers. QTR TIME: Blue: 5.4.34 to White 2.1.13 MFC REPORT ON THE MATCH SIMULATIONmelbournefc.com.auMatch simulation report | Windsor runs rampantThird-year Demon Caleb Windsor looked at home through the midfield.The below match report has been produced by Melbourne Media, and does not represent the views of the club or coaching staff. SPEED machine Caleb Windsor has pushed his case for a place in the Demons midfield with an eye-catching match simulation showing at Casey Fields. The former No. 7 selection in the 2023 National Draft showcased a clean pair of heels as he repeatedly burst free from stoppage for three early goal assists. A running bomb from 50 rounded out his afternoon as the 20-year-old looks to cement a place in the guts after finishing 2025 in the middle. Skipper Max Gawn returned to match play after a stint on the sidelines with a finger fracture, proving his fitness for next Saturday’s AFL State of Origin. New Demon Max Heath took it right up to the eight-time All Australian, using his large frame to great effect in and around the stoppages. Brody Mihocek made his first match simulation appearance after overcoming a toe injury dating back to last year’s finals series with the Magpies. The veteran forward paired well with Jacob van Rooyen ahead of the ball, providing a target down the line and kicking two goals across three terms of action. The 22-year-old van Rooyen was everywhere as he continued his strong pre-season campaign, looking mobile and athletic as he presented again and again. The midfield battle was a juicy one as Windsor, Langford, Steele, Culley, Rivers, Sparrow and Tholstrup locked horns, rotating between blue and white sides each term. Trent Rivers showcased his ability to be a damaging playmaker through the middle, pouncing on back half turnovers to kick three majors. Langford and Steele were busy as they racked up the football on the inside. Daniel Turner looked the goods down back, taking a number of intercept grabs alongside Blake Howes who also turned in an impressive performance. Bayley Fritsch (four goals) was the top goalscorer for the afternoon, with his clinical finishing around goals always threatening. Harry Sharp was another Demon to return to the fray after suffering a hamstring injury late last year, using his pace to get free and put the finishing touches on some highlight plays. First-year draftee Tom Matthews also got his first taste of the action after arriving at the club with a meniscus injury last year. The zippy small forward showed run and carry and managed to finish the three terms with a goal on the board. Ed Langdon ran hard on the wings, using his trademark engine to push from goalsquare to goalsquare and find himself out the back of the play for two goals. Ricky Mentha, Kysaiah and Latrelle Pickett were all absent from training as they visit Alice Springs on a club community trip. Total Goals Fritsch 4, Rivers 3, van Rooyen, Chandler, Langford, Mihocek, Langdon 2, Mathews, Gawn, Windsor

It was mentioned in the tweet earlier that both of them are in the NT for a promotional gig.

The reporter that was at training stopped posting after the first quarter.

@Matt Demon reported that Culley left the field in the Match SIM with a suspected shoulder/arm injury cradling his arm in his jumper as he left the ground and headed to the rooms.

Pre-season has been a complete disaster on the injury front, with an abundance of injuries ravaging clubs over the summer. One which has come to the fore in the lead up to the season is that of Melbourne's Jack Viney, who is said to be ‘miles off’ returning from an Achilles injury. According to the Demons, the vice-captain was meant to return to training by the end of January after dealing with Achilles soreness. But with latest reports suggesting Viney was only able to walk laps at Melbourne match simulation on Friday, SEN’s Sam Edmund is certain that the 31-year-old isn’t anywhere near being ready to start the season proper. “We reported on SEN back in December that veteran midfielder Jack Viney was dealing with Achilles soreness during the pre-season,” Edmund said on SEN Captain’s Run. “The club told me at that time that they'd placed Jack on modified light duties, obviously a rehab program until the end of the year as part of the attempt to manage that injury. “It was explained to me at the time there was every expectation that Jack Viney would return from the Christmas break and train fully. That has not happened, clearly. “On January 14, the club released a statement saying that he would be back in full training by the end of January, and now reports from training this morning from Channel Nine’s Trent Kniese among others, is that Jack Viney would appear miles off at the moment. “Today at match sim he walked a few laps with Tom Campbell, before sitting on the bench. “So, clearly that Achilles injury is worse than first thought. The timeline keeps being pushed back and back and back, so that's a concern for Melbourne.” Andy Moniz-Wakefield will look to shake up the Dees' selection panel as he returns from an ACL injury suffered during a practice match in 2025. A half-back flanker who, prior to his knee injury, looked a chance to play regular footy across the season, Moniz-Wakefield will bring speed and ball use to a new-look Demon outfit. Jake Bowey will miss a majority of 2026 with his foot injury suffered during pre-season, Harry Sharp (hamstring) is a sniff for the early stages. Max Gawn (finger) looks set to feature in Origin, while Jack Henderson (sacrum) is pushing to return in the opening weeks. Jack Viney (Achilles) isn't close to a return despite the club initially hoping he'd join full training by the end of February. Injury list Jake Bowey (foot) Max Gawn (finger) Jack Henderson (sacrum stress fracture) Bailey Laurie (fractured hand) Brody Mihocek (toe) Harry Sharp (hamstring) Jack Viney (achilles)

1st QTR: The Dees have stacked the defence and forward line for team blue, but are keeping it reasonably even in the midfield. Tom McDonald played in deep defence with Jake Lever on team blue. Daniel Turner down back also. Harvey Langford (spent time on wing), Jai Culley, Ed Langdon, Brody Mihocek and Jacob Van Rooyen other names on Blue. Team White includes, Max Gawn, Jack Steele and Trent Rivers. QTR TIME: Blue: 5.4.34 to White 2.1.13

Melbourne match sim notes: - Serious concerns with Jack Viney. Walked a few laps with Tom Campbell (who’s still in a neck brace) before sitting on the bench and putting sunnies on. Achilles injury is worse than first thought. Demons injury report on Jan 14 said “We expect him to return to full training in the next few weeks.” Almost a month on and he hasn’t progressed. He isn’t playing any time soon. Former captain still showing his love and passion for the club, helping coach from the sidelines and at quarter time. - Steven May still on leave from Dees. - Kysaiah and Latrelle Pickett absent, the pair are in Alice Springs for a marketing campaign with Northern Territory Tourism. - Changkuoth Jiath didn’t take part in match sim and instead completed a running session. As did Jake Melksham, Christian Salem, Harrison Petty and Shane McAdam.

It was sunny and hot morning as Demonland Trackwatchers took up positions along the boundary lines to bring you their observations from Wednesday morning's preseason training session at Gosch's Paddock. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSThe sun is shining and the heat is rising!!!! The boys in red guernseys are making their way onto Gosch’s Paddock. Max does not have the big brace on his hand. It is now just taped. Petty is no longer in the fluoro “no contact” hat. Kentfield is still wearing the fluoro hat. Absent: May, Viney (arrived later), Bowey, McAdam, White. Salem and Henderson doing warmups with the squad. Campbell still in neck brace on the boundary watching on. Viney has arrived in non-guernsey training gear. CJ has some kind of compression band around his quad/hamstring. He is in what appears to be a smaller rehab/RDO group doing warmups consisting of Salem, Melksham, Laurie and Johnson. First drill about to start so we will get to see who is actually in the rehab groups. Midfield drill: Max, Langford, Lindsay, Chandler Heath, Pickett, Sparrow, Onley Rehab: Salem, Melksham, CJ, AJ, Henderson & Laurie Rivers doing separate work away from the group with Selwyn Griffiths. Runs and picks up a stationary ground ball and then sells candy around one of the stationary metal men. The players in the midfield drill have now changed with Max and Heath still rucking. Culley Kolt & Windsor vs Steele, Langdon, Trelly. Very aggressive one vs one drill on far side of the ground. Other drill: Players line up to kick to a leading forward running towards the kicker with one defender on his tail and another defender to his side as an interceptor. Immediately after that play another player will kick to that forward who has now tried to get out the back of the two defenders heading towards goal. Steele has come off and taken the boots off and put on runners. Watch this space. Half court match SIM has started. Kentfield and Petty not taking part and doing one on one work with a trainer. AMW also not taking part. Half court match SIM is simulating a very congested field of play. Goal is find space in congestion. Steele running laps as is CJ and now Kentfield and Petty running laps together. Salem, Melksham, Henderson, AJ & AMW working with a trainer. Going across ground one of them will kick to a guy in the middle and run past for a handball and kick to the next guy on the other side of the ground. Steele is back training with the main group. Wing to wing through the middle of the ground Match SIM drill. 9 vs 9. Three teams swapping out every 6 to 8 mins. Fast ball movement. Matthews and Mihocek not taking part in this drill. Neither is Heath who has been running laps during the drill. Mihocek and Matthews are now running laps together. Players are now doing sprints along the boundary from half back to the forward pocket goal posts in groups of 5 or 6. DEESPENCER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSNice warm blustery Northerly blowing which is testing the players control on their kicking. Impressed by how quickly Oscar Berry has improved his kicking and trimmed up. Watching Disco mark a footy even in a fairly simple kick to kick drill is a pleasure to see. Such easy hands. Centre bounce practice under the eye of Russian and Jones. Heath, Pickett, Sparrow, Onley Gawn, Langford, Lindsay, Chandler 2021 it is not Heath, Culley, Windsor, Kolt Gawn, Steele, Langdon, Trell Next rotation in if you didn’t like the first 6! Really nice ruckman in the hole mark from Heath. 2 now actually. Gawn sitting out around the arc as the attacking team ruck. Windsor run and ping from 50 - touched Gawn and Langford dropping in at 40 for marks and set shots the other attempts so far Onley drift down from the wing to the pocket for a mark and goal just now Long pause for some extra hydration including some icy poles so that’s enough for me. Tommy Campbell coming back across the river, must’ve gone for a walk around the tan which woukd be far more pleasant than laps of the oval. THIRTY ONE'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSMatch sim using only half the ground. Very congested. Petty and Kentfield running the boundary. Still in footy boots. Presumably precautionary, they don't need another concussion. Another match sim, much less congested, wing to wing. A bunch are watching on. Tommy Matthews was doing a bit of ball gathering and snaps at goal. Just swapped groups. Disco in the back line. Other group is playing keepings off, pretty easy when there's four defenders and eight on the other side. Trelly is going to be an interesting pickup. He did some pretty nuts fending off and feinting during that last match sim. Training finished before midday! A few are doing some extra drills. WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSGot there at 10:00, stayed for 90 mins. Thank you to Demonland, Dee Spencer, thirty-one and all contributors for covering the finer details. My observations: I was looking forward to covering the amazing progress of Steven May in his return to full back ... and alas, that didn't happen, and by some suggestions, it might not happen for some time. So, I concentrated on the progress of other backmen present. Petty spent quite a bit of time running. He looked pretty good. When joining in with the main group he was solid without being a standout. Oscar Berry was very effective in reading the play and spoiling the leading forward. He is definitely showing the benefits of a solid block of training. He is a little taller than I thought, has a strong build with a low centre of gravity. He shows confidence in his kicking skills. Ditto for AMW. The other players delight in his ability to defend the in-coming passes to a forward on the lead. He is in my starting 23! Xavier Taylor is a great competitor, is quick to recover and elusive with ball in hand ... he’s progressing well! Christian Salem spent all of his time in rehab while I was there, but doesn't look to have any serious issues. Jed Adams participated in all the drills. Steady without being a standout. Tom McDonald and Daniel Turner were the best of the key backs. I now have both of them in my starting 23. Jake Lever is looking much fitter than last season. He does not seem to be troubled by ankle or foot pain. He still looks in a little discomfort when required to bend down for the ground-ball gather. Moving on to the rest ... Bayley Fritsch is near unbeatable in the lea /get out the back routine. He is set for a very good 2026. Max Heath was outstanding in the air, particularly down back as others have noted. He is a big kick and is the best competition for Max in the ruck due to Campbell's injury. Which brings me to Max ... still a magician in getting either hand to the ball first and directing the play from the ruck contests. Kozzie is superb in everything he does! Jai Culley, Ed Langford, Caleb Windsor & Trent Rivers are consistently among the best on the training track. With some important names still in part or full-time rehab, Koltyn Tholstrup looms as a handy replacement. He has completed almost all of pre-season and he is showing that he has good pace, strength over the ball and improved disposal. Brodie Mihochek and Jack Steele are doing all the positive things we recruited them for... great additions! My final word goes to Matt Jefferson. He was the best of the key forwards today and is showing signs of becoming a much more reliable mark on a fast lead. DANNY Z'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSLatrelle Pickett is so dynamic. An awesome fend/ shrug followed by an agile baulk with about 5 minutes left in the session capped off an exciting effort. Hope it was captured by the media team for those not in attendance. I haven't seen this before but there were times when Jeffo was aggressive. Someone on the forums called Kolt unfit in another thread. He dominated the running at the end and even had Sharp covered. He might not have impacted as much as we'd of liked but he definitely isn't unfit. BACK POCKET'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSWent down to Gosch's at about 10:30 and stayed until the end. Very blustery conditions. I'll try not to repeat too much of what has been said above. Will attempt to call things as I saw them rather than with rose coloured glasses on. General comments: Matty Scarlett - impressed with the spoiling drill he was running. Defenders were learning to spoil the ball in a targeted direction (all 360 degrees around them) to a spot of our team's advantage. All our new recruits from other clubs seemed to have their workloads managed at times today (CJ, Mihocek, Steele, Heath). Not sure if this a workload thing due to their clubs playing later into the year then us. Half field match play drill focusing on entering into the 50. Looking to hit short kicks inside 50. Start by kicking around the back of the 50 to try create new angles to enter. I thought our kicking was very sloppy today. The wind would have played a big factor though. Happy to let them off. No full ground match sim unfortunately. Hard to get too much of a read on things. Big fan of the full team Zooper Dooper break at the halfway mark. Player specific notes: Latrelle, Kolt, Langdon - some of the names involved in the midfield stoppage drill when I arrived. Interesting to see. Max Heath - terrific in the air. Took a few very strong marks pushing back deep into defense. Gee he's a big lad as well. Riv - seemed to be working with the backs when I arrived. Jeffo - reads the ball very well in the air. Doesn’t necessarily like the contact, but he might not have to if he can get himself into the right spots. Gawny - back in the action! Matthews - good to see him out there after being held back for most of the offseason. I am excited to see him in proper match sim. Have a feeling he could turn into something (based off nothing so far except a vibe). JVR - Slimmed down and looks very athletic. In for a big year. Berry - doesn't seem out of place as a Cat B rookie. Culley - didn't stand out as much as previous sessions. Has set a very high bar for himself though. Windsor - impressive shutdown spoil on Koz. His run and carry slightly less prominent today. Sparrow - sets standards. Tough. Strong tackles and laying smothers. X.Lindsay and Disco - wasn't their day by foot. A few errors each. Latrelle - dancing feet. Magical. X.Taylor - makes things happen out of the back half. Viney - looks a while away. His brother Max was also helping out with training. Steele - will be an important player for us in the middle (especially with Viney out). People shouldn't write him off. Looks good. Sharp - heavily involved with his run. Looked good. He'll need to tidy up his disposal though, especially if he only gets the ball so many times in a game. Lever - have been critical of him in the past always for only having one mode (bombing the ball down the line). Good to see him looking to hit shorter targets and keep possession of the ball. Mentha - not a standout session, but definitely looks much improved and more involved than last year. Koz - Koz Bloody keen for the year! FRITTA AND TURNER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSAs I exited Richmond station and was walking towards Punt Rd a woman asked me what bus do you catch to the MCG? Was keen to answer 31 but..... One thing I have noticed about training this year is that the coaches are setup and in position well before the players hit the track. Very strong wind blowing across the ground. TMc first out with the Roo. Absent White, McAdam, Bowey and May. (Ghosty still on holidays) Henderson not wearing a rehab outfit and got a massive cheer from the squad as he ran past the group. Viney and Campbell in rehab tops; Viney watched on and Campbell walked. Everyone else in training gear. Vineys brother conducted a wrestling/grappling drill. They do look alike. CJ had some strange velcro bandage? on his leg for a very short time. CJ, Kentfield, Petty, AMW, Melky, Steele, Salem sometimes ran the boundary Rivers had some minor discussion with a trainer and did some extra drills. Ed did some weird stretching exercise in the goal square which turned out to be 'watering the sands...' Tom Matthews took part. Chappy yelling out positioning advice to XT during a sim. Fritta played like his opponent was Easton Wood. Kossie is so good sometimes I reckon he should not participate in some of the sims. Jeffo looking better and better at each training session. Playing with confidence. As the kids are back at school the track watchers have a veteran look about them. KEV'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSSome thoughts about the training in blustery and humid conditions. Plenty of kicks missing the mark. They are competing and tackling with intensity. The sim in the 50 arc was a 15 minute example. They began with 4 defenders (one sitting deep) and 3 attackers outside the 50. The other 29 were inside the 50. Most of the time two attackers went into the 50 and left the defenders to get multiple re-entries after the ball exited. Most exits were scrambles as the forwards poured on the pressure in tight areas. They had some stoppages in the 50 and Heath managed some good taps. Gawn used his match awareness to find separation outside 40 meters. Plenty of backward ball movement by the forwards as they reached for space. Plenty of snaps and some marks. I was worried for them again as they competed with gusto. Kossie tackling Culley with a front on hit had me gasping. The intensity was high though only the clean and those with peripheral vision succeed. The field sims from wing to wing lasted 8 minutes × 3 sessions, across 3 teams. There were also hats confining the game to about 60 meters across Most of it seemed to emphasise a central game, getting possession, spreading 15 meters and looking for a lead off the back. The defenders had hard time finding leads through the middle. The best they could do was hit up a straight lead that had a hard, one on one. Kolty was fumbly and switched off when it was easy. Turner works well, I think he is a King favourite. Steele makes great decisions. Kossie is great to watch. The three of, Koss, Mentha, and Latrelle were unstoppable. I want to see more of Mathews, he is having trouble getting involved. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONSAbsent: May (now announced publicly) Bowey, McAdam (see below) and White (?). Rehab - looking some time away, Bowey, McAdam (see above) Viney, Campbell (walking only in neck brace) and Henderson (although he began running today to a great cheer from the main group). Rehab - but not too worried - Salem, CJ, Laurie, Melksham, Johnson. Gawn, Matthews and Sharp back in business today and Rivers (as reported on) doing some work away from the group, but looks OK. That leaves 38 of the 44 still fit and available if my "not too worried" boys come good. Comments: MAY I agree that from what we have seen at training so far May was not in the first 23 anyway - TMac, Turner and Lever ahead - with Adams available if necessary. AMW - seems to be following his program, reckon he plays on Feb 20, if not before, maybe in the intra-club. Worry about small backs - see above re AMW, Howes, CJ and I still prefer Rivers back (given we have so many other mid-field options) The interesting issue for me is whether anyone is moved to the LTI group pre-season. This time last year Culley was training the house down and he was lucky enough to take AMW's spot at the last moment. I did not see any train-on players there today....

I have mentioned in previous training threads that the term Match SIM is exactly as you have described but I use the term Match SIM as a catchall for this.

I think that some players are being pulled from performing some of the more contact intensive drills not as a direct result of an injury or recovery from an injury (although this probably is the reason for some) but in an effort to manage certain "senior" players loads particularly on their bodies in high contact drills. Just an uneducated guess.

We have decided to support Steven May and the club in the process of resolving the personal issues referred to in the above X post. The issues are explicitly personal and we do not believe that anything can be gained at this time by discussing matters about which we are not privvy. We will review the situation as things progress. Nothing here prevents discussion elsewhere on player positions etc. but please be mindful of the personal nature of this situation.