Demonland

Had a busy day at training catching up with some Demonlanders and the Podcast Team so my focus on the session was not high. A couple of things that I will highlight was Harvey Langford's double tap tackle on Windsor during a One on One Ground Ball drill. Langford ferociously tackled Windsor to the ground twice within the same segement of the drill. We have a very special one here. Hungry and on the hunt for the ball. Uses it very well. Windsor's kicking to targets in the forward 50 is elite. Tholstrup's overhead marking in the middle of the ground is very strong. Kozzy is looking in super great nick. He is not as bulky in the shoulders and looks to have slimmed down. His ball movement is sublime. Trac and Clarry look so focused and if we get maximum output from the two of them this season then look out. Judd McVee is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen on the training track and that includes watching Jack Viney on the training track over 12 or 13 years. JVR rarely loses a one on one marking contest. Granted neither May or Lever was training with the main group in todays session. I was super impressed with Jefferson's leading and marking. He kicked some nice goals from outside 50 and I only saw 1 poor shot for goal that he didn't kick through. A one stage he was on a lead and the kick was a little bit wayward. Whilst on the lead in a straight line up the field towards 50 he read that it was not going to hit him and he moved laterally to mark it. A little thing but I was impressed with the speed that he recognised it and made the decision to move to get to the ball. I've seen bits and pieces of him at Casey and have been anywhere from very impressed to a little underwhelmed. I'm cognizant of the fact that key position players take longer to develop and that he was always going to take a little longer that JVR but I think this year will be his make or break. He will likely start at Casey but this is the season he needs to take the step up. I like what I have seen in the preseason but his destiny is in his hands. Aidan Johnson is a very nice size for a forward. Moves well. Has a good pair of hands. A nice kick for goal. I will not be surprised if we see him trialed in the preseason matches and providing all goes well in those matches or early at Casey I won't be shocked if he gets a call up particularly because he would be a better option as the relief ruck for Max than having those duties fall on JVR. This is not a knock on JVR; ruck work because I think he did an excellent job in that relief ruck role. However I think that was to the detriment of his development as a forward as ruck work can be punishing on the body not to mention all the running up and down the field exhausting him when he has to go back to playing key forward. The less rucking he has to do outside of the forward 50 arc the better. He is a key forward and should only be used as such. We don't want to rob Peter to pay Paul. Disco Turner has the safest pair of hands in the business. I am very bullish on him this season and firmly believe that he will breakout even more this season. He reads the ball in the air so well and just has the ability to clunk them. On Kalani White. He is only doing warm ups and non-contact stuff and isn't involved in the larger drills and match sims but boy do I love what I see and pray to all of the footy Gods that he chooses his beloved Demons. He is a tall and skinny kid as you've seen in the photos and he is 17 and still growing but a couple of preseasons under his belt and a good nutrition plan and he will put on some bulk. He is very athletic for someone of his height and has very nice and clean skills which often times player of that height don't possess. It was great to see Charlie Spargo running sprints along the boundary. Since the team has returned to the track Spargo has progressively increased the intensity of his training from stationary handballing and kicking to some light movement and agility training with the trainers to slow jogging along the boundary to running and today was the first time I have seen him sprinting at a good clip. Hopefully he is not too far away from returning to the main group. I would love to see him in the full training after the Christmas/New Years break. It is fantastic to see such a small rehab group and this time of the preseason. In past years we have had many players in various stages of rehab and as we have all surmised the less body of training work that is put in during the preseason it is almost impossible to make that up during the Season. Only having a handfull of players in the rehab group and the majority of players in full training can only be a positive heading into the 2025 season. Lever is recovering from post season surgery. I heard someone mention shoulder surgery but he also had a thin strap under one of his knees. He had slowly increased his running load while at training and I hope he too returns to the main group after the break. New recruit Xavier Lindsay had post season surgery on his PCL. I'm not sure what his timeline to return is but he would be chomping at the bit to get involved. The little I have seen of his skills when he has been able to participate in now contact stuff is something to be excited about. Melksham is new to the rehab group. I don't know what his ailment was and I'm sure it's been mentioned in some of the previous training reports but by the end of today session he was joining in with the main group in the match sim and did not look to be hampered by anything. He too looks to have come back in great nick (as does our other veteran TMac). Both could be playing their final seasons and neither of them will die wondering. The one player I am most disappointed with in this preseason is McAdam. Another poster has reported that he was doing intense training sessions over the offseason. My hope after an injury interuptted preseason last year and then an injury interrupted season with only 3 senior berths and 11 games at Casey was that those injury concerns were all behind him. Since his return he has spent another preseason, at least the pre-Christmas block, in the rehab group. Granted I do not have any insight or knowledge as to what the issue or injury concern or if it is just precautionary, but I was hoping that he too could have a full preseason under his belt and hit the season running. I do believe that if fully fit he has a lot to offer which is why it is so disappointing that he is not tearing up the track. Finger crossed he is back on the track after the break.

May not here either

Lindsay joined the main group.

Fullarton is running laps

Fritsch not present

This list was just a list of who is present.

REHAB (Final): Spargo, Lever, Lindsay, McAdam & Melksham. Sestan has rejoined the main group.

Lever joined in with the warmups

REHAB: Lever, Melksham & Sestan

TRAINING: Max, Trac, Viney, JVR, Windsor, Tholstrup, Langdon, TMac, Kozzy, Chandler, Jefferson, Hore, Adams, McVee, Turner, Billings, Clarry, Salem, Lever, Melksham, Howes, Brown, Woewodin, Spargo, Johnson, Kentfield, Lindsay, Langford, Sestan, Petty, Fullarton, Bowey, Campbell, Verrall, McAdam, AMW, Sparrow, Mentha, White,

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Dude please don’t make personal attacks like this or you won’t ever be allowed to post here again. That goes for everyone. Do not personally attack posters on here. Play the ball not the man.

A few new faces joined our veteran Demonland Trackwatchers on a beautiful morning out at Gosch's Paddock for another Preseason Training Session. BLWNBA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I arrived at around 1015 and the squad was already out on the track. The rehab group consisted of XL, McAdam, Melksham, Spargo and Sestan. Lever was also on restricted duties and appeared to be in runners. The main group was doing end-to-end transition work in a simulated match situation. Ball movement was focused on moving the ball from a kick in, into the forward line, with focus on kicking to the advantage of a forward. In this drill it appeared Petty was playing as a forward alongside Luka and Turner, while TMac was a defender. I was unable to really see down the other end from where I was positioned, but Pickett also played as a forward linking player, along side Ricky. Ricky Mentha does some nice things, though there were a few times he was caught as a result of not taking the first option, or getting corralled on the boundary line as a result of attempting to use his pace and quicksteps to get around a defending player. For this exercise it seemed as though Trac was designated as a ‘no-contact’ player and had the high-vis vest adorned. I will say, the intensity was there. But, I thought the ball movement for the most part left a lot to be desired, particularly with the linking possession from the D50 into the centre or onto a wing. There were multiple turnovers, or failure to hit a target, which resulted in an ‘opposition’ score. FWIW, I’m not saying this is a doom and gloom worst preseason ever type of scenario, but I am calling it on the body of work I saw. Similarly, there were numerous kicks into the attacking F50 that went straight to a defender, including several uncontested efforts. In terms of some ‘positives’, Petracca does look very, very fit. His lateral movement was amazing at times, and he was extremely vocal. I‘m not going to make a judgement on what this means for anything post 2025, but undoubtedly his professionalism will get him through next season whatever the outcome. He looks raring to go. Turner did some nice things up forward, including a very nice roving goal from spilt contested mark. I think he’ll be a very handy addition up forward and will continue to impact. Chocco was also issuing some very vocal encouragement to Kenterfield (who, is absolutely massive). Hore could, in all likelihood, easily fulfil a depth role. He had some great moments including a goal saving spoil and fitted in seamlessly next to TMac as a defender. Langford is definitely a big boy. I’m beyond excited to see what he can do. In the full ground exercise he contested multiple marking contests and although he probably should’ve stuck a couple of the marks, he was at least able to ensure that the ball was brought to ground, rather than allowing his opponent to make a contested mark. He seemed to be playing as a marking half-forward and in a few of the plays I saw, seemed to be used as a marking runner from a kick-in. In terms of an early bolter for next year, I think we may see a big uptick in output from Kolt. Geez, he’s got some wheels on him and I was really surprised by his pace and ability to transition the ball. He’s a lot quicker than he looks on tv, and he’s got an uncanny ability to pick up the ball and roll with it. I was somewhat reticent on him, but I was very impressed from what I saw. The second exercise saw the group split into two and move into another contested ball movement exercise. Essentially the ball was brought in from one end of the ‘centre square’ (the exercise only utilised approx 25 x 10 in terms of a simulated centre square), by a ‘random’ player, and then a series of quick handballs were made in attempt to bring the ball to a coach on the other side of the ‘square’. Goodwin and Jones were the two ‘linesman’ for the group I observed. Petracca fully participated in this exercise, including contact, and was extremely vocal. He chased energetically, and once again his lateral movement was on full display. Several times the players were vocally reminded to ‘hunt the ball’ by Goodwin. I left not long after this exercise concluded. I’ll add more if anything pops into my mind, though I acknowledge this lacks a lot of depth like we see from our usual track watches. DITCHA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I attended some of the training session this morning. A lot of ball movement exercises, with Nathan Basset giving a lot of instructions to defenders. Rehab group including Melt, McAdam, and Seston doing some ball movement. GHOSTWRITER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Petts is happy to be a swing man. He likes that he’s useful in both areas of the ground. He has no lingering issues with his foot, it’s totally healed and healed well. He mentioned SpargiPants’s progress. He said “Charles” (that’s what the boys call him) is running at pace and is on a tailored program. Tomorrow is his running day (every Thursday) and so far he’s pulled up well after each session. Petts talked about foot/ankle injuries taking the longest recovery time with (in his opinion) achilles injuries being the “trickiest.” He said Charles is further along in his recovery than we think from just watching him on these whole-team training sessions. BUCK NEKKID'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Anyone who worries about the 3 ‘wantaways’ should get down to training- i have no doubt all 3 are focused, committed and in for a big year. Trac Coaching and leading from the sidelines. The tackle that Clarrie laid (see GW’s post above) and Kossie owning the footy in drills. Fullarton looked really good forward of the ball today and in contested drills - although he was brought down by Howes in one play like a lion about to feast on a gazelle. Also impressing(apart from the usual suspects): Billing’s, Kentfield, Johnson. Aim to use the corridor as first priority in drills. Melk running really fast repeat sets. Sestan also running, grabbed for hammy at one stage. All rehab boys doing agility and ball receiving work. Spargo kicking the ball to them. Seen chatting to Choco - Gary Lyon and Bill Browless’s boy (big lad with a mop of hair that his dad would die to have!) Choco sharpened up KW#34’s kicking at goal with a slight ball drop adjustment and momentum shift and he began toi hit them beautifully. Trac was frustrated with his snapos around the body, and Choco gave him a few gentle Tils and he was back on track again. A nice day for it THIRTY ONE'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS My first training session in 30 or 40 years! Last I went, Gerard Healy was still playing for us. That's a while ago! Didn't notice Roo out there. The players look both smaller and bigger than they do on tv. Like Ed Langdon is taller than I thought he was yet others look smaller/lighter. They say the camera adds 5 kilos and I'd believe it. Anyway, I've few comments as it was all new to me. Trac was doing a lot of yelling/leading, Max was hanging back a bit, Vines headed off early with this poop chute issue, Kalani is a stripling but looks a likely sort, Claz is nowhere near as fat as the media would like to have you think (might not be the skinniest either but he looks a lot leaner than he did last season). WHERE DEMONS DARE'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Quite a few players out there today on individual programs and training in and out of the main squad. In rehab we had the 5 regulars being McAdam, Lever, Spargo, XL and Sestan doing their thing. While May, Campbell, Melksham, K.Brown doing a lot of boundary running but also involved in lots of the main squad drills. Fritsch and Salem training fully with the main squad which was good to see. Today the group focused a lot more on ball movement and various kicking drills, working the ball from the back pocket diagonally across to the other side of the forward line. I think our players will start to get the hang of the new tactics soon as it looks as though we will be more attacking next season and understandably takes a bit of time to adjust. Last month I was there at training they were doing a lot more running drills, but now they are more focused on ball movement. Fullarton surprised me today, he was involved in quite a few things and outclassed his opponent. One to watch. Trac again continues to impress me and is in for a big year, showing great leadership and very vocal. Turner keeps getting better and better and will do nicely this year as the 2nd key forward to JVR. JVR was a no show today so hopefully he is okay. I was also surprised with Kentfield's speed. He raced Windsor over 80m from the centre square to the boundary line and they drew even going flat out. Gawny is really taking a step back this year and letting others lead the way. You can see he is much more relaxed and will ramp things up closer to next season. There's definitely a vibe in the air that everyone knows their role and is executing it to a good standard. Maybe a bit more maturity in the group. You can sense that whatever came out of the review a few months back is already in play. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Clarry is fit, happy to outrun others in sprints. Getting heavily involved in the sims. They were getting them to make and hit leads over the back and running towards goal. They are hitting each other hard and willingly in the drills. Petty slammed Tracc backwards and onto ground with a don't argue. That got them going hard at each other with plenty of intensity, during one of the handball games. Goody's words, something along, doing like we ask you makes a much better, and easier drill. When doing the drills without shape it led to being caught in tight spaces. When following the correct patterns and structures they moved the ball to the open spaces, and with better completions. Wings in the sims, included Sparrow, Billings, Langers and Woey. Sparrow is running the rails without too much strain, looking trim. McVee was everywhere. I saw him start with ball on the defensive point post, then he finished the play off in the half-forward area inside the 50. Heading to being one of our elites. Petty was used forward and back. Kossie had the different coloured bib on (the linking player), later it was Tracc. Kossie got picked off few times, but got to the contest and impacted after the error. I like his ability to see ahead of himself. Working hard on being a playmaker. Jefferson had a great session, hands are sticky, kicking snaps with confidence, and finding separation out the back. Bowser is our best field kick, hitting some incredibly hard passes. Many are still floating the ball, not Bowser, gets to the ball to the player, flat and direct. Salem is not far behind, with beautiful kicks. Mentha likes to dance with the ball, got caught a few times, love his cheekiness/bravado to take them on. Rivers got picked off a few times as well. They were playing down the corridor, with high reward, high risk sims. Turner is another looking good. Moving fast, getting separation and appears set for a big year. Fritta is also playing well. Very fit, even strong as he cleans the defenders away from the contest. Goaling is a natural, effortless action. Adams and Howes are making a few errors. May is starting plenty of plays off the backline. His fitness is improving. Langford and Kolt (looking bigger), also made a few errors. Turnovers will kill us. JVR was not out there today. Tmac had some strapping on his right shoulder, moving well. Lever, a patella support on his left leg, running with intensity at times. Hard extensive session. They are being put through their paces. SLARTIBARTFAST'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I was at training today and the reports seem very accurate to me regarding how individual players went. Perhaps one that hasn't been mentioned enough is Clarrie. There have been lots of comments over the preseason saying he's out of condition and carrying too much weight. Well from what I've seen that's not strictly the case. He's not ripped like he was in 2021 but he's still in very good condition and he is working extremely hard and pushing himself to the limit. I reckon that as long as he maintains focus over the Christmas break by the start of the season he'll be really fit. He looks to have got that initial speed back and the ability to find a bit of space in congestion. His disposal today was very good on a day where a lot struggled to hit a target. On that, I reckon today was the first time I've seen them in a true contested situation and hence the disposal skills were down as there was a lot more pressure on the ball carrier. It was good today but it's early in the PS. Secondly, I've been to a lot of PS training sessions over the last few years and every year I read that we are going "more direct" and using the corridor more. I've not noticed any difference in the way we've used the ball in the full field drills so it will be interesting to see. On other players: Langford got caught a couple of times, a good thing I say, better to learn the pace of the game in PS than during the game. He works really hard around the ground. Concerns expressed about his pace don't seem evident and he's building nicely. Sparrow looks a lot more involved than he was last year, he's moving very well and kicking it well. Tmac was, again, very good today. Those thinking he'll play at Casey need to reconsider. I was also impressed with Fullarton today, he was strong and involved and kicked very well. Fritta looked a class above on occasions, strong in the contest an elite with his goal kicking. May had an opportunity to send Tmac into next year at one stage and thankfully made a decision to avoid contact. I reckon Tmac will buy him a bunch of flowers as a thank you! AJ has impressed but he learned a lesson today. In the handball drill he decided that the best option was just to run through Clarrie but he learned that's not all that easy. Lots of smiles and laughs when Clarrie helped him up. I like AJ, looks a ripper bloke and has lots of good attributes. It's a crowded forward line for talls but he's in the conversation. Looking forward to Friday, hope JvR is there, missed today but hopefully nothing in it.

Couple of Preseasons in the gym and a good nutrition plan and he'll be right to go.

https://x.com/ClarkyHeraldSun/status/1866636825282089400https://x.com/ClarkyHeraldSun/status/1866636825282089400 Aidan Johnson spoke with his construction boss the night of the AFL national draft with a euphoric message. He wouldn’t be coming into work at the ABN Group the next day. The former plumber and bush footy star from the Ovens & Murray and Hume leagues had officially become Melbourne’s newest wrecking ball forward when the Demons selected him with pick 68 last month. It was the shock of the second night of the draft. One from the clouds. Only a few years earlier, Johnson was on the tools, kicking bags of goals in the country, and eating sausage rolls for lunch without really considering if he could ever make it to the AFL. But the Demons’ recruiters saw something in the hard-at-it goal kicker this year for Werribee in the VFL. It was his trademark hard edge. His desperation at the footy. The extreme effort at every contest. And a new-found dedication to the game off the field. The penny dropped for Johnson at the end of 2023 when the bruising big man overcame a patella tendon injury and dropped 13kg with the help of Werribee premiership captain Dom Brew and his meat-only diet. There were ice baths every morning and saunas every night to help get into shape. But at a time when AFL clubs are mining the bulk of their teenage talent from Melbourne’s elite private schools, the mature-age Johnson offers something very different. Simply, the 24-year-old is a brute at the ball. Johnson is a man who can help shake-up Melbourne’s forward line and add a distinctly new dynamic because of his athletic and aggressive edge. Recruiters say when the 193cm Johnson launches at the Sherrin and tackles opponents, he throws the kitchen sink at every contest. And he is unafraid to help out in the ruck, which will be music to Max Gawn’s ears. The new Demon knows his robust attack on the ball is his one wood. “I play an aggressive style of footy,” Johnson said. “I like to say I play on the line, or on the verge. “So I just compete. Never stop competing.” When coach Simon Goodwin walked up Johnson’s driveway and rang his doorbell on the night of the draft to welcome him to the Demons, he asked for more of the same in red and blue. Approaching a big year for Melbourne, the bargain-basement pick-up offers Melbourne something it arguably hasn’t got. Jacob Van Rooyen needs some key forward help and the race between Johnson, Daniel Turner and Matthew Jefferson is on. And Johnson is already ready to go for round 1 next season. Across three years playing country footy, Johnson starred for the Brock/Burrum Saints and Lavington Panthers before Covid-19 hit in 2020, shutting the game down in regional areas. But when Cats’ livewire Shaun Mannagh left the Panthers to give his AFL dream a shot at Werribee, he urged Johnson to do the same. So Johnson moved to Melbourne, only to be grounded by knee troubles in 2023 which left him unable to climb up stairs let alone take hangers. He was struggling to walk and hard days working as a plumber wasn’t doing his footy any favours. But through the setbacks and frustrations, he showed reliance and an enormous amount of persistence in the hope of becoming the AFL’s latest mature-age success story. “I was on the tools at the time and I would be walking in the trenches or whatever and my knee would just buckle and collapse,” Johnson said. “I was just always falling over walking around on job sites because my knee was that sore. “That was the darkest time. “I had moved my whole life down to Werribee but I just couldn’t get my knee sorted and I legit thought I wasn’t going to be able to run again because I was just always in this excruciating pain.” In his toughest moments, on the phone calls to his parents and his sister, they urged him to stick at it, even when the knee pain was unbearable. But then he met one of Melbourne’s physios, who shed new light on the patella problem, and with a new training program, the pain began to ease in preparation for the 2024 season. That is when Johnson buddied-up with Brew, the ultra-professional ballwinner currently on trial for a list spot at the Western Bulldogs. So meat pies were out and cans of tinned tuna were in. Every meal was lean meat. He also moved into an office role at work as a construction manager which gave his knee more of a rest. And after shedding 13kg, Johnson starred in the VFL as an aggressive and mobile forward despite rupturing his bicep mid-season. Johnson said meeting Brew and adopting his off-field approach – which included the meticulous diet – was the difference. “That was probably the biggest thing, just seeing how professional he (Brew) is and how he goes about it, and his eating habits,” Johnson said. “I had the typical tradie diet, eating pies and going to takeaway stores for lunch and he is eating tins of tuna and meat kind of thing. “So adopting that sort of lifestyle was the biggest thing that helped me. “So it was ice baths in the morning and saunas at night, the whole kit and caboodle. “I didn’t get offered a contract at Werribee or anything like that. They said you have got to work for it and get your body right and that kicked me into place. “Dom was a bit of a mentor and dropping 13kg helped hugely along with getting off the tools. “So we would go food shopping at the South Melbourne markets together, eating full meat, mince, making bone broth. “It just all happened at once.” This week at Melbourne training Johnson was already making an impression, desperately diving and scrapping for the footy as if his life depended on it. And then after training he has been heading out to car yards looking for some new wheels because he is still driving his boss’s ute. “I owe him a few beers, definitely,” Johnson said. But his circle of friends are ecstatic for the former country footy goal kicker who is ready to ramp up the hard work as practice matches loom next month. As far as he has come, Johnson said he is basically starting his footy journey all over again at Melbourne, with no real expectations on himself to play straight away. But his teammates already know, be careful getting in his way. “I just want to get in and work hard and learn the system,” he said. “I’m not pinpointing anything beyond that, or putting a ceiling on what I can do. “I just want to give it everything and see where things take me.” WHO IS AIDAN JOHNSON? Age: 24 Draft history: Chosen at pick 68 by Melbourne in the 2024 AFL national draft. Height: 193cm Position: Key forward/ruckman From: Werribee, Lavington Panthers, Brock/Burrum Saints 2024 season (VFL) Club: Werribee Games: 20. Goals: 17 2024 VFL premiership player

I’ve spoken with the guy and he posts the photos from the MFC website. He never claimed to have taken them himself.