Demonland

Here's where Kingy thinks our list is at. From about 2 mins in. David King has grouped each AFL list into tiers ahead of the 2025 season. Taking a Stawell Gift approach, King has handicapped the best 23s of the 18 AFL clubs as if they’re in a race - Off Scratch, Off 3 Metres, Off 5 Metres, Off 8 Metres and then two clubs not even in the conversation. “Just lists, not about how they’ll perform or whether you like them or dislike them,” King said on SEN Breakfast. “This is like the old Stawell Gift style, off scratch. “It’s the best 23 that the coach has to work with on a weekly basis.” Off Scratch Top tier Fremantle Brisbane GWS Giants “Then I feel there’s a little gap.” Off 3 Metres Down a rung Hawthorn Collingwood Carlton Geelong Melbourne Off 5 Metres Good average list Sydney Gold Coast Essendon Adelaide Western Bulldogs Off 8 Metres Two rungs below AFL average St Kilda North Melbourne Port Adelaide Not in the conversation Richmond West Coast

Veteran Demonland Trackwatcher Picket Fence ventured down to Casey Fields to bring you his observations from Friday's Match Simulation. Greetings Demonlanders, beautiful Day at training and the boys were hard at it, here is my report. NO SHOWS: Luker Kentfield (recovering from pneumonia in WA), also not sure I noticed Melky (Hamstring) or Will Verrall?? MODIFIED DUTIES (No Contact): Sparrow, McVee (foot), Tracc (ribs), Chandler, (AC Joint), Fullarton Noticeable events (I’ll skip training Drills and get right into match sims) A) PLAYERS Max was back to full Match Simulations and although a little rusty looked very fit and ready for action. In fact, the ruck duels between him and Tom Campbell were very intriguing! Max got plenty of it and marked around the ground, but I was very impressed with Tom and he might well be looked at to support Max in Games. Sestan played down back and didn’t look all that comfortable. Aiden Johnson played forward and took one very strong mark and was involved in some passages of play but did little else. Shane McAdam might have kicked a goal but did little else that I saw. Harry Petty returned to the backline and looked very comfortable. Rick Lever also joined in match sims and as he always does finds himself the ball and linked in very well. Marty Hore plays taller than he looks and competes very well. Jacob van Rooyen TOOK the mark of the day and converted truly and contested very well as he always does. Harry Sharp was lively and his movement up and down the ground was seamless. THE GENERAL Steven May did as he usually does and looks like having a great year. B) MATCH SIMS PLAY STYLE Another poster was correct in his impressions of skills. However, a few things stood out for me. 1. Because players know the game style well and are drilled extensively in defending the footy when you haven’t got it, they automatically revert to a ‘HUNT IN PACKS ‘Mentality. Today if you tried to finesse too much you got caught and tackled MERCILESSLY. 2. The corridor was not used as much as I have previously seen in match sims and so little sideways kicks featured prominently. 3. Skills were a little hit and miss on occasions but given the intensity of match play this replicated REAL match conditions which should hold us in great stead for the year. 4. Our boys look SUPER FIT, No one gasping for air and everyone showing pace run and carry. C) DEDICATED PLAYER WATCH 1. WHO THE HELL WAS THE PLAYER WITH NO NUMBER AND WORE A WHITE ZINC CREAM ACROSS HIS NOSE??? Whoever he was he was fantastic … took several strong marks and kicked 2 goals 1 (missed a sitter) PLAYED like a souped up Fritta! but is right footed !!! Admin Edit: Most likely ex-Eagle Jai Culley 2. JACK BILLINGS Was phenomenal today, was in everything, tackled hard disposed of the pill well and set up some goals and kicked a few himself I thought he was sensational. 3. THE DYNAMIC DUO….. CLARRY and JACK VINEY Clarry is almost back to his best looks super fit and really is in “Beast” Mode. DITTO J.V just does not know when and how to give in. Clarry’s disposal was occasionally off radar but generally very very sound. 4. BILL LAURIE As Gomer Pyle would say SURRPRISE SURPRISE SUUUURPRISE, looks a lot more composed, got plenty of it and used it well. 5. ED LANGDON Say no more the fluid running machine and glue that binds a lot of our fortunes together! 6. KOSSY, RICKY, ROY GEORGE AND AMW Kozzy is a FREAK, his feet are quicker than Rudolph Nureyev and yes he occasionally tries to do too much but BOY can he play,. Ricky Mentha and Roy have more tricks than a contortionist after being inspired by watching “The Road Runner” BEEP BEEP. AMW??? Boy do I love his run and carry out of the backline, Just exhilarating when it all comes together 7. JEFFO Hmm well he kicked 2 goals 3 (the 3 were difficult shots with one hitting the post on the run. Look he just looks a natural player and yes, he laid some good tackles was instrumental in creating two goals and took a couple of strong contested grabs. 8. HARVEY LANGFORD Boy HE is a JET ... WILL PLAY ROUND 1 Superstar in the making just has awareness, space , toughness , run and SKILLS Finally, I would like to dedicate this training report to Australian of the Year Neale “The Reverend” Daniher and also to Hardtack. Hope you get better soon pal.

How good is Harvey Langford.

Actual vision from Today's match simulation.

This is what ChatGPT had to say about todays session. On Friday, January 31, 2025, the Melbourne Football Club conducted a pre-season training session at Casey Fields, with a focus on match simulation and skill refinement. The session was well-attended by both players and coaching staff, all demonstrating a high level of commitment as the season's commencement approaches. Training Activities: Match Simulation: The team engaged in extensive match simulation drills, emphasizing strategic plays and in-game decision-making. This allowed players to practice under game-like conditions, enhancing their readiness for the upcoming season. Skill Development: Players participated in drills aimed at improving ball handling, kicking accuracy, and defensive maneuvers. These exercises are crucial for maintaining and elevating the team's overall performance standards. Player Updates: Max Gawn: The team captain, recovering from a fractured larynx sustained in December, continued his rehabilitation. He is currently in a non-contact training phase and is expected to rejoin full training in the coming weeks. Jake Lever: The defender, who underwent knee and shoulder surgeries in the off-season, has been focusing on running exercises and shoulder mobility. He is anticipated to return to full contact training by the end of January. Charlie Spargo: After being sidelined for most of 2024 due to an Achilles injury, Spargo has been reintegrating into skills training with the group. He is on track to participate fully in training sessions post-Christmas Coaching Remarks: The coaching staff expressed satisfaction with the players' efforts and progress during the session. They highlighted the importance of these pre-season activities in building team cohesion and fine-tuning strategies ahead of the competitive season. Next Steps: The team will continue its rigorous training schedule, with upcoming sessions focusing on tactical drills and physical conditioning. The coaching staff plans to monitor player workloads to ensure optimal performance and injury prevention as the season approaches. Overall, the Melbourne Football Club's pre-season preparations are progressing well, with players demonstrating dedication and a strong work ethic in anticipation of a successful 2025 season.

A number of Demonland Trackwatchers swooped on Gosch's Paddock to bring you their observations from this morning's Preseason Training Session. DEMON JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Beautiful morning at Gosch's Paddock. Very healthy crowd so far. REHAB: Fullerton, Spargo, Tholstrup, McVee Viney running laps. EDIT: JV looks to be back with the main group. Trac, Sparrow, Chandler and Verrell also training away from the main group. Currently kicking to each other inside the 50 before attempting a running shot for goal. Trac with a couple of absolute bullets that sounded amazing off the boot! The main group has now split into two. The group closest to us have also split in half and look to be practicing transition from defence to the forward line. Trac is fully participating in this drill. Lever very vocal in defense and competing well against Jefferson and Turner. Laurie has been a standout so far with his give, receive then forward 50 entries. JVR with a nice bit of forward craft. Lost Petty and led to the beautiful pass of Sharp. He then converted beautifully from 50m. The boys are now in a new drill focusing on short kicks around the 50. Kalani White is here and participating. First time I've seen AJ in person. Imposing presence and looks a likely type. Easy to see why he's being mooted for a round 1 spot. Laurie again lowers his eyes and nails a pass to JVR who takes a strong mark. Rinse and repeat one minute later only for TMac to intercept with a late spoil. We're now in a high paced handball/keepings off drill. Melksham showcasing all of his years of experience as he twists and turns through traffic. Turner and Petty also surprisingly agile and skillful for big men. Blake Howes and AJ take turns in wrapping up Kozzy (not an easy thing to do!) who pivots and divots but can't quite break away from traffic. We're now in some good old fashioned match sim that is taking place in one half of the ground. Tom Campbell has great touch for a big man. Harvey Langford showing his strength by shaking off a tackle and nailing a pass to the player on the wing. Roo marking absolutely everything. Jeffo not so much. Full oval match sim now. Rivers showing great run and carry in the middle but has flubbed a few easy kicks. Clarry cleverly intercepts a Kozzy handball and nicely delivers the ball inside 50. He is looking fit. Salem has his kicking boots on today. Nails a pass to Jeffo in the pocket who snaps truly. JVR very vocal inside 50. JVR with a huge specky to the delight of the members standing around the boundary! Windsor doesn't run, he glides. Love watching him move around the ground. He'll be an asset no matter where we decide to play him this year. McAdam showing fantastic dash. Harvey Langford looks the goods on traffic. Footy IQ seems high. As I type that, Langford nails Riv in a brutal tackle that can be heard around the ground. Salem takes a courageous intercept mark going back with the flight. His kick falls short of AJ inside 50 who recovers beautifully before turning around nailing a short pass to Clarry. Langford out bodies Kozzy and takes a strong mark in the centre. Jeffo out bodies TMac nicely but just can't get them to stick (probably would've received a free kick anyway because of a chopping of the arms). Roy George (I think) nails a sizzling pass inside 50 to Kozzy. A nice bit of run and carry from Sestan (who's looked good today) leads to Langdon marking inside 50. Jeffo finds himself with the ball on the midfield and takes a bit too long to get rid of it. Absolutely dumped in a tackle by Clarry. TMac training with the forwards at the moment. As is Kynan Brown. Looks like that's a wrap! CLANIKO'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Now split into two groups on opposite wings working the ball about 30 metres using only handpasses. White shirts vs reds with tackling. Kozzy a tackling beast as expected. Trac, Chandler and sparrow were in the no touch fluro hats earlier but now are doing some kicking work with light pushing in the contest. Full ground match sim I believe 13v13 with one player in a bib playing for the attacking team. JvR looking good as deepest forward playing on McDonald, tmac copped a big knee in the back with JVR taking a mark on him. Jed Adams ignored Lever calling for an easy short kick inside and opted to go the long kick down the line that got intercepted, copped a bit of a spray from lever for it. Midfield seemed pretty mixed. I think it was A backline vs A forward line at one end and B backline vs B forwards at other end. A end was JVR, Jeffo and Turner lining up against May and TMax. This split would have Lever in the B team though so tough to tell. DITCHA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I attended some of the training session this morning. I as very impressed with some of Bill Laurie's efforts. Jvr was marking everything including a great mark over Tmac. Trac is looking in good condition, and ready to go. Clayton Oliver looks very fit, and is in everything. Jack Billings looks very fit, and very keen to have a big season. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Rehab on the paddock as I approach. Sparrow and Chandler in the yellow no contact cap, Tracc, and Verral, plenty of ball handling and running. Viney doing his own program. McVee and Fullarton running laps. Tholstrup in his own program. Spargo still on his own program, looking leaner than early on in preseason. No Kentfield again. They main group of about 40 players, gathered, looked at the board and half of them turned their jersey's inside out, creating light and coloured groups. In the warm up kicks, Williams took Langford aside and put pressure on him to get his left foot working with precision. Good to see Lever, Lindsay and Woey in full training. A bit of wind around, they handled it well. The warm-up drills were done with plenty of skill and voices. The score board was up and running. They started a competitive kicking, then handball game in small areas. The rehabbers, Sparrow, Chandler, and Tracc, stepped into the kicking (no contact) game and separated from the handball one as it was contact. The sims began 4 Quarters of about 7, 8 minutes each. Lights well ahead, then got over run by colours, who evened it up with the wind advantage and continued to against the wind. The backline of Tmac, and Windsor piercing the centre corridor got them dominating. McAdam has found his mojo, running offensively and defensively (I think he is trusting his body), He is very quick, involved, and skilful. Lindsay playing wing against Woewodin, was heavily involved. He has a good tank, in the with the backs, then to the forward area. Closer down quickly, wants to get the ball, wants to stop the opposition. Works well as an outside runner. Langdon played in the centre, alongside Clarry and Langford (could be an ANB substitute), got plenty of forward possessions. Laurie in the centre mids, moving well, getting plenty and using good skills. JVR, getting some good looks at it in Central positions Fritta playing wide and high. Finding it difficult to get them kicking it to him. Melksham looking good with leadership qualities. Petty got some mongrel going, even with own players. When they set up for the sims, Windsor starts off the half-back. They are really pushing high up the ground as forwards or backs. Meaning Caleb is forward of centre as they compact the contested area. The backs had TMac as the last man in one set up I saw, with May on his right side. The forwards had JVR as the last man who was loose on regular occasions, with the backs pushing past the 50 arc. The wings had, Billings, Sharp, Woewodin and Lindsay most of the time. Langdon was in with the centre mids. Brown was set as a half-forward, as they started the sim, then often working like a winger as Windsor did. Though not matched up with a player, so outnumbering the opposition's wingman. I think Caleb is playing out of the backline. I haven't seen him starting on the wing in the sims yet. I was impressed with Lindsay in the wing position. Sharp definitely has the tank and speed. My worry is, does he get enough of the ball and can he use it well. A few off kicks/turnovers today. Then there is Billings, Woewodin, Sparrow, Brown, even Bowey and Rivers. Our set ups are going to be interesting. Many options, and pressure for positions, especially with Melky, Salem and McAdam doing well in preseason. Mentha is improving, then there is AMW, Laurie and Hore, Johnson and Campbell. Sestan, Jefferson, Adam and Howes also in the mix. I haven't been able to leave many out of the possibilities. We have good depth this year. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS All in attendance today except Luker Kentfield - hasn't been seen for a while? Roy George, Mitch Hardie and (I think) Jai Culley "train-on" players. McVee, Trac, Spargo, Tholstrup, Sparrow, Fullarton, Chandler in rehab. Verrall seemed to be in and out of it. Viney threw his strapping away and joined the main group early. Petty continued to train down back, Disco up forward - interestingly they seem to be trying Sestan down back (and he looked OK). As per other comments, Clayton, Rivers and Windsor looking great through the mid-field in match sim. McAdam (very lively again), Johnson and JVR normally deepest with Fritter playing a lot more upfield - maybe just to get more work into him. Max back to full training and Campbell was making him work. Campbell looking like he will be a capable (if not like-for-like) replacement should he be needed. Still no sign of JVR or Johnson doing any secondary ruck-work (who will it be?). Lever back into the main group and he and May doing their usual thing - TMac also down back - does he fit in with Petty also back? Other random observations - Howes continues to look good, Adams seems to have discovered a bit of spark. Salem used a lot in the yellow vest (overlap) player in the match sim. WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Teams very competitive in competitive skills training. Lots of encouragement from players on the boundary line waiting to rotate. Many physical exchanges throughout. Tackling was fierce. disposal skills were mostly very good. I didn't see AMW or Kentfield Hore has developed a defender's 'mean-streak'. He put Melksham and one other very close to the fence with aggro nudges across the boundary line. Ricky Mentha is finding a lot of ball and delivering at pace in match sims. May has lost none of his physical aggression but still is a little wayward with some passes. If Billings is competing with Sharp for a spot on the wing, I have Billings ahead on training form. I asked Kilani if he was coming, he responded with, "How you going"... maybe he didn't hear me clearly, it was very windy! Fritsch continues to play further up the field and he seems up for the challenge. Cool in traffic, constantly on the move. Spargo was running the boundary at a hot pace and seemingly unhindered. Max took part in match sims and competitive drills. Showed his strengths! Langdon is in superb touch. Langford is looking like a round 1 starter these days. Maintaining the pre-season excellence -> Rivers, Oliver, Salem, Windsor & McDonald Woewodin is developing. He puts body into every contest (courageously), tackles well and has stamina. Only a shade behind Sparrow in a similar position... might be the 'Nibbler' type. If I was picking a round one team based on today's session (and on who looks 100% available) it would be this, B: McVie, May, McDonald HB: Salem, Lever, Windsor C: Billings, Viney, Langdon HF: Fritsch, Turner, Petracca F: McAdam, Van Rooyen, Chandler R: Gawn, Oliver, Rivers Int: Petty, Laurie, Melksham, Langford, Howes SCOOP JUNIOR'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I also went down to training this morning. Didn't see Kentfield or AMW. McVee and Fullarton ran a lot of laps and didn't look overly hindered. Spargo was in a singlet (not the training jumper the players wear) doing his own thing - would seem to be a while away. When I got there they were doing two groups of a short kicking game. Looked like the aim was to practice hitting up precise kicks through a zone (picking the right option and executing) while for the defending team it was to get in the right position and then try chop off the kicks. There was no tackling and ball movement was pretty much by foot only. Trac, Sparrow and Chin participated in this wearing the yellow hats. Jake Melksham landed a few lovely weighted passes that somehow bypassed the zoning players. They then moved into a handball game, working on moving the ball by hand in tight, defending the ball movement by hand and constantly running up and back. This was with tackling and the yellow-hatters stepped out of this drill. Max and Lever participated and looked to be back in full training. They then moved into match sim. It wasn't an intra-club or anything like that, it seemed more about full ground ball movement. There was tackling and contact but it didn't appear to me to be at practice match / intra-club type ferocity. Also, there weren't any stoppages around the ground. I thought the ball movement was pretty slick and fast for the most part, but hey, it's far from the pressures of a game against genuine opposition. Positionally, Petty was in defence. Fritsch played further up the ground (half forward). One would question why you wouldn't want a player with Fritsch's nous and goal kicking ability as close to goal as possible, but seeing him roll onto the left and lace out some lovely passes into leading forwards probably answers that question. I thought Adams made a few good desperate spoils. JVR leapt well at the ball and took a nice hanger on TMac from a long Rivers kick that sat up perfectly for him. Speaking of Rivers, he did seem to use that long leg on most occasions, driving the ball deep inside 50. They then went back into the handball game before then going back to more of the ball movement match sim. The yellow-hatters didn't do the match sim, Trac ran some laps and just looks in ripping shape. At one stage Oliver really put on the after-burners to chase down a player and I thought to myself, why go so hard, you could nick a hammy (MFCSS). After the chase he went to ground and started stretching his leg and then walked off the ground and I thought, that's why! But he came back on a few minutes later and resumed playing in the match sim and seemed to play it out. That would suggest it was likely cramp although I do remember him playing out the game after his hammy against Port (more MFCSS). Just finally, it's hard to stand out in the way you run/move when out there with 35 other professional athletes, but gee two players for me just looked on a different level with how they cover the ground. The first was Kozzie with his lateral movement. It's nothing we don't know, but his ability to twist and turn and sidestep is quite remarkable - they just couldn't tackle him. The second was Windsor. He is one of those runners that looks like they are skiing down a mountain. He just eats up the ground and is so effortless in his running style. SLARTIBARTFAST'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Sestan worked very well off half back, he's a very good kick. McAdam was a star in a lot of the drills. If he stays fit we have something. At one stage Windsor had the ball running to goal. Lingers decided to run him down. Did manage it despite Duke going at 85%. Windsor and Kossie, as Scoop said, stand out with their physical attributes. Roy George continues to impress. Does some special things. I was on his bandwagon at the end of last season but I am now. He's got some special attributes. I disagree with WW. The match sims are not all that physical. It's tackle with care and little contact in the air but Tmac might have a word with JvR. Addition: had a long chat with Kingy, was really approachable and happy to talk. He's a big fan of Windsor going back "because you don't get enough of the ball on the wing". He thought as a team we had the greatest highest and lowest variance. He had a long chat to Trac, I love to know what he thinks now.

Melbourne skipper Max Gawn has declared his club won’t “start in the negative” this year, claiming a mindset change and critical pre-season camp had set the foundation for the team flip its fortunes. After three consecutive top-four finishes – including the 2021 flag – the Demons were one of the shock 2024 sliders, finishing in 14th spot on the ladder – albeit with an 11-12 record and percentage of 98.5. It came amid serious questions over the club’s culture and trade speculation surrounding superstar duo Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, who ultimately opted to remain at the club. But the Demons this summer have placed an emphasis on player connection, with leadership coach Ben Crowe brought in to help facilitate the mindset approach. “The fact we had someone external and we went away to Bright, which made it more unique being in a different place. We got some really good people who got up and told some good home truths and some good stories … the stuff off the field is really exciting,” Gawn told The Age. “To be able to start (the year) on an even playing field and even potentially with a positive, given what we have delved into in this space would put us ahead of some groups in this space, then our footy can do the talking. “We don’t have to start in the negative and clean up what is happening off the field while trying to play competitive footy against sides better than us both (on and off the field).” Fellow Demons leader Jack Viney told the Herald Sun coach Simon Goodwin declared completing a 2km time trial at the start of the Bright camp “probably wasn’t what we needed as a group”, instead bringing in Crowe to help the playing group focus on perspective and communication. “Typically, you come back day one of pre-season and you can be straight into time trials and that sort of stuff, but I think it is why ‘Goody’ is such a good coach,” Viney told the Herald Sun. “I think over the course of history, if you looked, all of the successful teams – you see the connection and the bond created. Melbourne players Jack Viney, Christian Salem and Max Gawn promote the club's new jumper sponsor with Grill’d. Picture: Melbourne FC.Source: Supplied “It is almost the number one thing. Without that there is not much point in doing too much else.” Viney said there were “robust” but healthy discussions held among Demons players at the camp that had given the group “optimism about what we are able to achieve”. “I’m really thankful we had these conversations which, at the time, can be challenging but I think when you come out the other end of it, you come away optimistic and really excited about the future of the footy club,” he said. Gawn suggested Goodwin, who comes out of contract at the end of 2026, had returned to training with a noticeable “edge”. “He’s (Goodwin been open to feedback. He has given us some feedback. He’s got married and since his wedding – he must have had some time to think in Bali – he has come back with a bit of an edge,” Gawn said. “He has got his competitive voice back, and he’s back into training and he’s yelling. It’s good.”

Melbourne The Demons have had the odd setback but nothing to threaten availability ahead of round one. Gawn is recovering well from a larynx issue and Petracca suffered a broken rib but has been running hard. Kysaiah Pickett returned to training after a leg infection sidelined him and the unlucky Tom Fullarton continues to rehab a hamstring injury. First-round draft pick Xavier Lindsay’s build-up is gradual as he was drafted while rehabilitating a posterior cruciate ligament injury, while intercept defender Jake Lever’s build-up from shoulder and knee operations has been steady.

Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force for training at Gosch's Paddock on Wednesday morning for the MFC's School Holidays Open Training Session. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group. Sparrow not present. Kozzy not present either. Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton, Woey, Jefferson Petty playing in defense in the match sim. WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Chin out if sling. Just a bandage high on right arm, doing boundary runs at half pace, not able to swing that right arm. Jefferson back from protocols. Tholstrup doing short passes to trainer on the lead. 38 players in main group, 3 train ons, haven’t seen Kossie. Rick Lever in main group. Up till now, two groups ball movement, low pressure, constant motion. Key forwards leading patterns, no opponents. Fritta playing more mid in full ground sim, wearing yellow vest which seems to indicate he can kick either way. Sestan nice spoil on Bowey, gathers ball and snaps truly. Clayton and Caleb involved in multiple link up chains, scorched Earth! Great tackle on Viney by Bill. Campbell takes screamer over Verrall, Howes marking well on intercept. McAdam caught by Hore, holding the ball! 40, 33, 11, 5, 21 & 8 running laps at pace Great mark by Hore in big pack. JVR finds McAdam in lead. Ollie in 40+ form, running riot! Goody gives Ollie a pat on the back for his efforts during a short break. Gigantic hit by Adams on Disco (I think) in a pack knocked the stuffing out of him. He was struggling to recover for 10 minutes. Some other thoughts about training today. Melksham and JVR were the most effective forwards. Both seem set for a bright 2025. Fritsch was also good but played further from goal much of the time... still managed to snag 2 or 3! Billings and Short spent a lot of time on each other (on the wing I presume, although they roamed far and wide). I thought Billings had the better of the duel. Roy G was more involved today. Ricky Mentha was impressive in run and carry Jed Adams has definitely improved and is having more impact as a key back. Jack V is running with the ball more than previously, but his opponents know that they can catch him and did so on more than the odd occasion. The stand outs for me in match sim were Clayton & Caleb, closely followed by Rivers, Fritsch and Melksham. McAdam was offering good leads and took several marks in front of opponent. Bill Bailey is also having more input than previously. Tom Campbell is the dominant ruck with Max being on lighter duties. Langford and Lindsay did well with ball in hand but were not prolific (Clayton, Caleb and Rivers were) FRITTA AND TURNER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Happy New Year everyone. A slight cool wind but after the last days heat a welcome relief. GhostWriter putting in a solid performance at the sausage sizzle. Dominated at the till. Players out on the track at 9.30. Didnt see Sparrow, Kozzie and Kentfield. Kynan doing rehab then joined in with the main group. Chin has a troublesome right arm/shoulder but can still run Spargo, TMc, McVee, Kolt in rehab doing handball drills. After, Kolt ran with Chin. Max aint getting any quicker. Jeffo trained like he thought he belonged. Confidence is up. To me some players at training seem to be invisible but today I give a nod to Adams, Sesso and Howes. May has an incredible physical presence. Intimidating. Mentha and George looked good, quick to turn the other way. Fritta trained in a yellow vest. Kids love Tracca and lots of them were there. Obviously we are looking for quick ball movement with one of the drills being to move the ball on in 3 seconds. If the vibe of the group is anything to go by then some of last years issues have dissipated. Steven Smith in attendance. I ate 2 sausages. DITCHA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I attended some of the training session this morning. Very impressed with with turnout of fans watching, including a reporter from the Herald sun. Bill Laurie was very impressive in match sim with some great efforts. Clarrie looks very fit, and keen to have a great season. Howes did some very good work in defence during match sim. Ghostwriter's sausage sizzle seemed to be always very busy. SLARTIBARTFAST'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Just back from training, I left before they'd finished. I didn't take much out of today other than Pup did the whole session after an initial fitness test. Chin did a mountain of running but didn't move his right arm and then did some gentle ball work not using his right arm. Tmac was there initially but didn't do any of the training that I saw but didn't look to have any injury. Sparrow and Kossie were no shows. I didn't see Knuckles either. Kolt didn't participate in any of the training drills that I saw but did a lot of running and showed no discomfort. The full ground drills were 14 v 14 and there was lots of open space. As in other training sessions Clarrie and Duke impressed, Howes was involved and made very few mistakes and the usual suspects did well. AJ also hasn't put a foot out of place this preseason and will be an interesting watch. Trac, Gawny, Fullarton, Woey, Lever and Jeffo ran laps. Langford, Mentha and Lindsay didn't participate in full ground drills but did a far bit of boundary sprinting while the drills were on. I reckon there was a lot of management of players going on today after a big session on Monday in high heat. The only players who look a way off are Spargs who just ran and did agility exercises and Chin. Lever still hasn't been involved in much and given that he is a player who needs games to find form could also be a question mark for the start of the season if all the other talls are fit. As already stated Disco copped a big hit in a marking contest but nobody went to him as he recovered on the boundary line and there didn't appear to be any long term damage. WHISPERING JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I reckon Clarry's career is going to blossom from here. We know that he was severely restricted by circumstance for the last season and a half and his body shape last year was never quite right after his interrupted preseason, but it's clear that he's worked hard to get back to his superstar self and that will pay handsome dividends in 2025. BITTER BUT OPTIMISTIC'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Just a couple of observations. Tmac. In rehab but geez I reckon he’s shed a few kegs. Clarrie. Also looked in terrific condition and moved really smartly in both match sims and other drills. I reckon he’s back ! JVR. Was very clean with his hands. Admittedly he wasn’t under real pressure but I’m hoping he’s developing into a one grab man. Was also moving very well and exuded confidence in everything he was doing. Big year coming up? Trac. Looked ripped as ever and, perhaps more importantly, looked at ease with the world. Tom Campbell. First time I’ve seen this bloke. He’s a big bastard. Looks a real head beater! Harvey Langford. Saw him do a bit. He seems very comfortable in the group and demonstrated good kicking skills. He will be a good size when he adds a bit of upper body muscle. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Really confused about our squad today, wasn't sure who was out there. When I first arrived I only saw Chandler and Koltyn in rehab. Chin was running the boundary, strapped left shoulder, heard him say the injury was in the joint of the shoulder area and could be 3 to 4 weeks. Koltyn did an agility test in boots (failed the test) then into runners and doing some boundary sets. He is looking bigger bodied this time out. The other rehabbers, Tracc, Gawn, Woewodin, Lever, Fullarton, and Jefferson, participated in the warm-up and some non-contact drills, then ran laps when the sims started, and drilled in rehab group. I think Jefferson had a run in the sims. Tmac and McVee in runners on the bike early and then Judd did some jogging away from Gosh's. Spargo still doing his own program. I saw Mentha early on, but couldn't see him later on. Sparrow was in casual gear, and hanging around the tent. No Kentfield or Kossie. Turner was getting some sim time. Had a big collision with Jed Adams, looked in pain spending a couple of minutes on the deck. Walked off to the boundary, waved the trainers away, then the sims finished. Looked like no injury was sustained. Sims were done with fewer turnovers through the middle today. The backs with Adams are Howes did well. Plenty of pressure, spoils and good decisions. Clarrie looking fit, he got very creative out there, taking them on, keeping them guessing and with plenty of involvement. McAdam found space and separation many times, in the forward area. Some of our ball movement was fast, often finding the central corridor after moving the ball around in the arc of the backline. JVR getting his mojo going, attempting pack marks, and demanding the ball with his presence. Fritsch has been working on his defensive skills, saw him attack the ball carriers one after another. Sharp is a difficult match up as he runs hard and can switch up the pace. Just wish he would get more disposals. Langdon was getting a few balls in the forward 50 as he ran the rails. Melksham is doing well, in lots of contests and winning enough of them. Windsor is also running well off the halfback. Love when the ball is in his hands. AMW is playing good consistent footy. Sestan is chasing everyone, again one that doesn't get enough of the ball. Verral needs some confidence, only saw him do a couple of good things. A little more time at Casey I reckon. We were short of numbers today, some run-ons including Noah Yze were with us. Plenty of fans and fun. BC_1718_DC PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Sparrow sat out training after a heavy hit on Monday with a laceration on his cheek that needed multiple stitches. (Unsure if he’s officially in concussion protocols but not taking any risks) Chandler has a slight ac joint injury, not a serious one. Club isn’t too concerned. Kynan Brown escaped the “syndesmosis” with his ankle injury (from Monday’s session) which is great news. HERALD SUN PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS • Kozzy Pickett’s absence - The Demons have confirmed that Pickett was back in Melbourne on Wednesday, after missing Monday’s session to head home to WA for personal reasons. However, he missed midweek training due to an infection in his leg. • Harrison Petty was in the backline in match simulation. Alan Richardson quoted: [Petty’s] “versatility can be a real weapon for us” and the plan was for him to spend time at both ends. • Players “ripping it up” included ~ * a leaner Clayton Oliver prominent in match simulation, showing clean hands and involved in many chains working up and down the field, * “smooth-moving runner Caleb Windsor in everything, finding the footy on the outside, • Blake Howes, Bailey Laurie caught the eye and Jake Melksham and Bayley Fritsch lively in attack and Shane McAdam taking some nice marks on the lead. • New faces Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay managed in a lighter session, taking part in warm-up drills before doing some work on their own, along with rookie Ricky Mentha Jr who also impressed. Ruckman Tom Campbell dominated as Max Gawn sat out and athletic mature-age forward Aidan Johnson impressed as a target in attack. • taking it easy. Captain Gawn (larynx) and star midfielder Christian Petracca (ribs) are in non-contact training and did some warm-up drills before joining the rehab group which includes Jake Lever, Tom Fullarton, Matthew Jefferson and Kynan Brown who later joined the main group. Koltyn Tholstrup completed his own light training, mostly running laps while defenders Tom McDonald and Judd McVee spent time on exercise bikes before leaving training. • wounded soldiers - Tom Sparrow was in civvies and sporting sandals a nasty bruise and cut on his cheek that needed stitches. Charlie Spargo (achilles tendon surgery last July) did some light running on one side of the ground and Kade Chandler ran laps for most of the session with strapping high on his right arm. Late in the match simulation session, Daniel Turner was winded in a marking contest.

Petty playing in defense in the match sim.

Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton, Woey, Jefferson

Small forward stocks very light.

Kozzy not present either.

Sparrow not present

Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group.

REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo

Demonland Trackwatcher Gator attended training out at Casey Fields to bring you the following observations from Preseason Training. GATOR'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS There were 5 in the main rehab group, namely Gawn, Petracca, Fullarton, Woewodin and Lever. Laurie was running laps by himself, as was Jefferson. Chandler, as has been reported, had his arm in a sling. Lindsay did a bit of lap running later on. Some of the ''rehab 5'' participated in non contact drills and ball movement at the beginning of training, but when the more intense contest work started they retreated to the boundary and did short kicking to a player being hindered and bumped before they broke away for the short hitup. This was interspersed with lap running. The match sims mainly comprised of getting the ball out of D50 through either the wings, or a 45 kick through the middle. Generally the skills were pretty good, but no team would be training without the odd turnover. Once there was a turnover the forwards were spotted with passes or there were long kicks to advantage. Players swapped from white tops to red and back again. On multiple occasions. And with many wearing caps it's not easy to pick up every player all the time. The players I noticed the most were Viney, who stands out. But he was also very involved. Windsor is used a lot, moves fast and looks confident. He missed the odd target, but looks great and generally uses it well. I like Kynan Brown, but he did make a few poor decisions. But he does enough good stuff to not sweat a few errors. He's a second year player, after-all. And these errors were split seconds kicks in congestion, which was part of the drill. Billings got leather poisoning. He's good when he's dancing with his sister. Mentha surprised me. He looked better than I expected, but did cough it up under pressure. With small forwards it's AFL pressure that makes or breaks them. Too early to tell. Tom McDonald looks very good and dependable down back. Bowey got stacks of it and played in defence. May was the general and intercepted well. Rivers played midfield and looks assured. Oliver is definitely leaner and fitter. He still has his big physique, but it's much closer to normal. Was involved without being dominant. I love the look of Langford. He moves really nicely, marks well and just has that class most left footers possess. He and Rivers spent time on each other. He'll be fine competing against men from day one such is his strength and build. The only other player I wanted to mention was Salem. He was moving really nicely and looked like the 2021 version. He just looks fit and unhampered. Even when he played last year he didn't look right. May used him a lot as that first 20 metre outlet kick from deep defence along with Bowey. I didn't see Pickett and I didn't notice McVee, but he may have been there.