Demonland

From Lynda Carroll's 1998 book The Grand Old Flag here is a photo of the 1877 Melbourne Football Club team.

To be honest I can’t see Brown and TMac not playing Round 1 so unless we decide to go with all 3 or Fritta isn’t fit then I guess JVR will be playing at Casey. I’m bullish on JVR playing this season but I also know how our FD operates over the last 2 seasons. Spots are hard to earn.

Agree. The sub is bound to be a more versatile player. I doubt it will ever be a key position player.

I might be going easy on him too because I'm trying to wear rose coloured glasses to filter out my usual pessimism.

KEV MARTIN'S TRAINING REPORT Gorgeous morning for a run. They have started in a very boisterous, happy mood. In the forward area there is a marked boxed area about 20 meters by 12 meters large, it is directly out, and about 10 metres from the square. The three big forwards compete against the backs. They pick, switch opponents, roll, and lead out. They are encouraged to stay in that area and jostle. (looks like a plan to reduce hard leads that end in the deep pocket). Magician, is the name they have given to Jefferson. The sims are now 7 minutes long ×3. White started with 40 points, momentum changes happened. First session about equal. The second, blue hit hard and caught up. The third, white took it easily. Those swings in the 2nd and 3rd sessions worry me. Neither team could arrest the run on till the restart. The drills were about kicking to marking contest, bringing it to ground with players front and centres, then creating snaps on goal. Even May got a few snaps in. Spargo played midfield/wing in the sims, and played beautifully. Max back, Brodie forward. Hibbo reading the play well. JVR, Verral, a bit lost out there. JJ, with composure, finding space and making good decisions. Rivers, running hard and fast. Really nice timing and sturdiness when marking. Moniz-wakefield bringing lots of forward pressure. Schache leading well when up at the 50 arc area. May and Lever are ready. Tmac has his mind on the job. Chandler at the botom of many packs. Viney back into his number 7. K.Turner knows his role. Howes playing on the wing, needs more involvement. The same for D.Turner playing down back. Petty getting more involved and punching everything in the marking competition. Some of our ball movement was quick, usually when one of our top players gets it going. There were a few turnovers because of poor execution and decisions (usually by the second or third rung players). Melksham is not far off.

ANDY'S TRAINING REPORT It’s a beautiful morning at Gosch’s Paddock. REHAB: Jake Melksham (?), Taj Woewodin (?), Luke Dunstan (Hamstring), Fritsch(hip/back??), Salem (Thyroid), Brown (managed) Everyone is in Blue Guernseys so I doubt there will be match SIMs. Probably just regular training considering preseason is officially over. Joel Smith looks like he is back training with the main group. Fritsch and Salem are not training at all. Salem for obvious reasons. Not sure about Fritsch. Split into 3 groups for wam ups. Mids, Backs and Forwards. No surprises except Kozzy & Smith with Forwards. Gus with defence. Mids Trac, Max, Langdon, Clarry, Verral, Grundy, Viney, Sparrow, Farris-White, Howes, Harmes, Jordon, Hunter Forwards TMac, Jefferson, Schache, Van Rooyen, Nibbler, Chandler, Spargo, Laurie, Joel Smith, Kozzy, Sestan, Brown Defenders May, Lever, Brayshaw, Hibberd, Bowey, Tomlinson, Rivers, Adams, Deakyn Smith, Petty, McVee, Daniel Turner, Kye Turner, Moniz-Wakefield Fritsch now walking knee raisers with arms raised in the air with the medicos. Now doing walking lunges whilst twisting side to side when lunging. Dunstan slow/medium jogging along the boundary. Melksham doing the same at a slightly quicker pace. Split into two groups. Mix of forwards, Mids and Defenders in each group. Ben Brown not training just having shots for goal from different angles and distances. Salem now jogging laps. Trac noticed and clapped saying “Go Salo”. Fritsch walking doing leg raisers whilst the trainer is pulling a theraband which is around his waist. He looks to be in mild discomfort. One of the groups is now doing a half ground match SIM sans contact. Players have reversible training jumpers and that are blue on one side and white on the other for easy changing of teams. Fritsch doing side crab walks while the trainer pulls on the Theraband around his waist. The field has been divided length ways down the middle and there are two separate match SIMs ( for want of a better description) without contact/tackling with 2 players in yellow vests playing for both teams. Goal is keepings off down the length of the field to kick a goal. I will note that disposal has been very sharp. Trac’s long kicking is like a laser guided missile. In my non-medical opinion Fritsch may have a hip (flexor) issue. Any physios can you confirm that the exercises I poorly described could confirm this? Kye Turner is wearing number 33. New number perhaps? I’ll echo what other have said about Chandler over the preseason he is certainly putting his hand up for a call up. Trainer is throwing the footy at Fritsch to catch it in one hand whilst he is standing/balancing on one leg (the right one). Brown and Taj playing kick to kick on the boundary. Dunstan jogging between a set of cones set up in a zig zag pattern. Full length ground drill starts with a kick to a one on one contest. If the ball spills a player swoops in and 4 players run down the field almost in a line and kick to a contest at the other end and the drill begins again the other direction. Next drill also starts with a kick to a one on one contest deep in the forward line. When the ball spills 4 players run in from different directions (2 in white and 2 in blue). Whoever won the spill would have a quick snap for goal. Brown and Dunstan have hit the gym as has Taj. Boundary throw in simulation drill with small forwards like Spargo, Nibbler and Chandler also involved with the Mids and wingers. Verral getting a lesson in ruck craft from the Master Max. When the ball spills the ball is swooped on and kicked into a contest (forward on forward) in the forward line. Defenders doing a separate drill. Rivers is in the defenders group as is Brayshaw. Salem jogging laps with Reece Conca. Forwards/Mids/Wingers doing a drill with either the wingers kicking from half forward flank or a Mid kicking from CHF into the forward line to a lead again focusing on if the ball isn’t marked then it is swooped on and snapped for goal or a better option is kicked/handballed to. There is a lot of congestion and chaos built into the drill. Often the wingers will look for a better option at CHF first before kicking into the forward line. @george_on_the_outer noted that if a lead wasn't found we would be kicking higher and longer/deeper to a contest deep in the forward line than we normally do. He may be able to explain that better. Grundy is training with the forwards on that drill whilst Max, KFW & Verral have joined the defenders drill which appear to be a drill simulating taking the ball out of defence ending with a long kick into the forward line to a contest between Kyah Farris-White and Verral (who are just being used as a tall target to kick to). Max floating around as a tall marking option as the ball comes out of defence. Joel Smith & Jed Adams have joined the rehabbers probably as planned as there might be a contact drill coming up for the first time this session. Match SIM has begun with minimal contact though. Lot of loose players. Not really man on man. More of end to end circle work than a Match SIM. Only seen a few tackles. Todays session is more skill and tactical based without the emphasis on defence or pressure. I would assume that they need to learn some of the game plan without the pressure and then in other sessions bring in the pressure/tackling/defence so that they can practice what they've learned under intense conditions. That's my uneducated guess anyway. In case I’ve never mentioned this before Kozzy is just a magician. He scooped the ball up in a one on one ground contest, broke out of a tackle with a nice don’t argue, kicked beautifully into Chandler on a lead who was spoiled in a marking contest but got the spill and handballed to Kozzy who had continued to gut run down the field and had every right to have a shot for goal on a tight angle but he kicked it in board to a free Trac who snapped truly. I know that Ben Brown and TMac have been in great form and are almost undoubtedly around 1 starters but I can’t see how Van Rooyen doesn’t get a call up either. He is a natural forward with great hands and a superb ground ball game. Can we possibly trial 3 talls again? It didn’t work with Weid in the Mix but Van Rooyen is a different beast. Great conundrum to have. Howes is a very smart clean footballer. Was in trouble on the wing and thought his way out of the situation. Granted there is not really tackling but there was pressure in this drill and he had a player in front of him and to the side with another also coming at him from another direction and no options forward and managed to spot a player backwards and found the option. Got kudos from players and coaches around him. Some of the things that Clarry does just cannot be accurately described. Players now doing run throughs to cool down. They’ve been instructed to go slow and not reach their destination before 17 seconds. The way Schache has been training at every session I have been to and from anecdotal evidence from other trackwatchers and from talking to some players at the player sponsor event it is hard to see him not pushing for selection. Granted he will probably have to prove himself at Casey but I think we will definitely see him at some point in the season. He was targeted when Weid left as like for like but I like what I see from the Schack more than from what I saw from Weid and I had high hopes that Weid would eventually make it. I'm more confident with Schache. Just noticed that TMac has his left elbow strapped. Hasn’t appeared to hampered him. I have mentioned this before in my training observations but I really feel for Tomlinson. He trains his guts out and is always encouraging to the younger blokes and is very vocal on the track. Our defence is a hard one to crack into with the big 3 in May, Petty & Lever and I feel that both the Turners might be ahead of Thommo. I haven't seen enough of the new recruit Adams who has just started to join in to most drills but like Jefferson up forward he will do his apprenticeship this year at Casey. In any event our back stocks run deep. That’s a wrap from me. Oh and did I mention that we trained some very sturdy dwellings all the way down.

I saw him take a few good strong marks on a lead.

It's certainly a possibility. Someone at training posited that scenario but with someone like Schache. The sub and it's use by various clubs will be interesting. Some clubs might use it for a tall or bigger more mobile player but I imagine most will use a Chandler/Bedford type. I'll get the boys thoughts on our use of the sub in our season preview podcast.

Thoughts on Gawny's kicking style under the tutelage of Choco?

I suspect Max will still be playing/resting in the forward line. If we have a full compliment of forwards available he can truly rest forward and cause headaches for opposition whilst not also having to play as an actual forward. My hope is that he also manages to get back and help out in the back line on the last line of defence.

Like two very well oiled machines. One shiny and brand new and raring to go the other slightly used but lovingly restored and in excellent condition. Has passed the road worthy and is ready to be tested on the open roads. BBB is most definitely being managed. Seems to be light on training during the week and then kicking bags of goals in full match SIMs so I have no concerns there and trust that they are managing him to get through a long season.

You could not pay for better tutelage than learning the craft at the feet of Max, Grundy and Stafford.

Oh and did I mention that we trained some very sturdy dwellings all the way down.

That’s a wrap from me. I’ll compile all my posts later on and add a few other observations too.

I had heard we’ll be rotating a lot of players through the game.

Just noticed that TMac has his left elbow strapped. Hasn’t hampered him.

The way Schache has been training at every session I have been to and from anecdotal evidence from other trackwatchers and from talking to some players at the player sponsor it is hard to see him not pushing for selection. Granted he will probably have to prove himself at Casey but I think we will definitely see him at some point in the season.

Exactly. I don’t think we can play all 3 with Grawndy and Fritsch.

Players now doing run throughs to cool down. They’ve been instructed to go slow and not reach their destination before 17 seconds.

Some of the things that Clarry does just cannot be accurately described.

Howes is a very smart clean footballer. Was in trouble in the wing and thought his way out of the situation. Granted there is not really tackling in this drill but he had a player in front and no options forward and managed to spot a player backwards and found the option. Got kudos from players and coaches around him.

I know that Ben Brown and TMac have been in great form and are almost undoubtedly around 1 starters but I can’t see how Van Rooyen doesn’t get a call up either. He is a natural forward with great hands and a superb ground ball game. Can we possibly trial 3 talls again? It didn’t work with Weid in the Mix but Van Rooyen is a different beast. Great conundrum to have.

In case I’ve never mentioned this before Kozzy is just a magician. He scooped the ball up in a one on one ground contest, broke out of a tackle with a nice don’t argue, kicked beautifully into Chandler ona lead who was spoiled in a marking contest but got the spill and handballed to Kozzy who had continued to gut run down the field and had every right to have a shot for goal on a tight angle but he kicked it in board to a free Trac who snapped truly.

Lot of loose players. Not really man on man. More of end to end circle work than a Match SIM.