Demonland

If they are playing golf today then I guess there is no training/Match SIM out at Casey today. In the YoPRO video Trac and Clarry were narrating their day and they mentioned that the day (presumably yesterday [Thursday]) they rocked up to Casey and trained with a Match SIM and then proceeded to do work in the indoor training center including gym work followed by a lunch where they were sampling the new sponsors product and then the announcement of the new sponsorship. I guess yesterday at Casey replaced the usual Friday session.

From the MFC Website on Wednesday 15/2 From the MFC Website Friday 10/2 From the MFC Website Wednesday 8/2 Many trackwatchers have given their thoughts on Jefferson over the Preseason. The common thread is that he has a lovely set of hands and is skillful by foot. He will benefit from a year learning the craft at Casey as was the case with van Rooyen. In addition he will most certainly benefit from another full preseason under his belt and another year in the gym building up his light frame. I have confidence that he and van Rooyen will form the nucleus of our forward line in the future.

They might not be an apparel sponsor. Perhaps they are just supplying the players with nutrients.

Coles and Woolies should have them. They are delicious and a good source of protein.

No but they have a peach flavour in their high protein perform range and mango flavour in their squeezy yoghurt range so you can mix them together.

I can personally vouch for this yoghurt as I eat it every day.

Dismiss Carlton at your peril. Sure they have been a joke for nearly 3 decades but I think they're on the right track and will be pushing for top 4. That's my hot tip.

It seems some very bad decision making in the late 60s and early 70s led to decades of misery for some on here. I at least had no choice. My black cloud was my birthright.

Lyon rarely missed from the MCC members side boundary.

I won't ask you for this week's lotto numbers then.

He's one of those guys that goes under the radar but when you do notice him he is doing exactly what is expected of him. He defends well, is extremely courageous (as evidenced by his injury against the Pies) and never takes a backwards step. He is a great intercept marker and spoiler. He is the next cab off the rank if one of the big three defenders gets injured. At the moment I would have him in front of Tomlinson who I feel for as he too is in excellent nick and is an extremely hard trainer. We are certainly not lacking in the depth department up back given the acquisition of Kye Turner.

Any reason you can think of is possible from injury to covid to personal day to being managed. We always expect the worst when player x isn't on the field. Luckily in most cases they have returned the very next session. The required rostered day off as part of the CBA is as plausible as any.

In addition we are definitely managing/nursing Ben Brown through the preseason. He takes part in some drills and not others and is often doing separate work with the trainers or in the gym. He is taking part and kicked bags of goals on at least 2 separate occasions during full match SIMs at Casey so it would seem he is match fit but given his knees and his age they are carefully managing him through preseason to maximize his longevity throughout the season proper.

Indirectly perhaps. It seems that at most sessions lately one or two random players have been missing for that session only to return to full training the next session. This is all just conjecture on my part based on some observations over the past few weeks. Players that have missed sessions have returned with no apparent injury concerns. They may have had a niggle or some awareness or they may just be managing their loads over a long preseason. Viney didn’t train last Wednesday after training Monday and returning Friday. May and Harmes weren’t at a session the week prior to that and returned the next one. I assume they give certain players a session off here and there to manage them. They can’t do every player at the same time so they probably stagger it. I wouldn’t be surprised if both Fritsch & Grundy are back training in full on Friday. Hopefully @picket fence can confirm or we’ll have to scour the club photos to prove this hypothesis.

Prized off-season recruit Brodie Grundy was not seen at Gosch’s Paddock for Wednesday’s training. Grundy is currently being managed and is expected to be back to full training on Friday

At the training sessions I have been to there has been no noticeable kick out strategies being worked on or performed that I was aware of. During any of the match SIMs or full or half ground work when play is restarted from the full back line it isn't really a kick in from a behind scenario at least to me anyway. Others trackwatchers may have noticed something. Perhaps they work on it at Casey.

SLARTIBARTFAST'S TRAINING REPORT I was at training today and it's all been covered. There wasn't any real match sims which I find the most revealing so I thought I'd reflect on what I've noticed most over the training sessions I've seen. The intensity has been high and the skills have been good but I expect when the real stuff starts and real match pressure is applied we will see our fair share of skill errors. I'd like to think that we will be more direct and a lot of the drills in match sim have been moving the ball quickly from the backline forward with a focus on the key forwards running into space out the back. But this relies on the opposition letting us do it and I don't think that's likely to happen. We may be a little more direct but I'm guessing there will be many plays to the forward pocket in an effort to lock it in and create repeat entries. Our improvement forward will come from having fit KPF and better delivery. Over the PS journey there have been a few surprises for me. Steven may has been consistent and terrific down back, he's been in good form. Tmac has been good all preseason and isn't giving his spot up without a fight. JVR has been a real surprise. We've been told to be patient and not expect too much but JVR hasn't read the script. What sets him apart from the other KF is his intensity when the ball hits the ground. He's brave in the air and ferocious when it hits the ground in a way Tmac, BBB, Fritta and Gawny aren't. That makes him a pretty attractive option forward but of course with everyone fit someone is going to miss and from reports BBB is flying in the match sims at Casey. My best and most consistent performer goes to JJ. He's never flashy, never the best but just always good. He does the basics very well and is finding a lot of the ball particularly when playing inside mid. He suffers from being too versatile and hasn't made a position his own. But his PS form has him clearly in the best 22 and I'll be fascinated to see where he fits. The other player pushing really hard is Kade Chandler. He's too good for Casey but he needs to really take his chance when it comes. For me he takes ANB spot because in my view his skills are significantly better but of course there are those that argue ANB plays such an important structural role for us he's a lock. I don't see it that way. Kossie is another to catch the eye. He looks bigger, stronger and more involved. We know the talk, now it's a matter of seeing if he really does play meaningful midfield minutes and if he can perform. Of the young kids Judd McVee is the best performer for mine. Howes, DSmith, Laurie, Woey, and this years crop aren't close imo and will find it really hard to get a go. Howes looks to be the most dangerous with very good AFL attributes but he's a way off it in my book. I imagine they will have a full match sim at Casey on Friday and then go into the season proper training pattern from then on which means Wednesdays at Gosch's will be craft sessions and a bit of loosening up between matches and for Wednesday track watches that takes a bit of spice out. Anyway, I'd be interested in other track watches views and who their standouts of the PS have been. It goes without saying that the mature players all do well - Gawn, Trac, Clarrie et al. We know what they bring and all are doing well.

He is an insurance policy but from what I have seen of him I like. He will give it his all. He won't die wondering.

KEV MARTIN'S TRAINING REPORT J. Smith absent. B. Fritch on an exercise bike. Thought they wound back a bit on the work load today. Could have been due to the morning being hot. I think a few drank a bit before the session, as many had to squat and urinate. Tmac at the 50 meter arc. You really wouldn't want to be rolling around in it. Their concentration in drills was the worst I've seen this season, as plenty of simple drops and misses. When challenged, they did better. Our movement during the handball game is getting better as they run great lines to slice the defenders and break the tackles, though some tackling and herding is great. They are being very supportive of each other, and appear to be having fun. K.Turner played the sims well. Nothing like getting the thumbs up. He ran to space well, read the plays, got involved and made a few of rebounds out of the backline. JVR plays with a ferocity, though I thought Petty was starting to beat him, but not for long. D.Smith is a bit inconsistent and needs work on his tackling. Spreads well and has a good dance when he gets the ball. Schache has been dropping some marks, when in a contest but in the best position, unlike Max who works hard for the best position and was clutching them. McVee was looking strong and composed when he gets the ball. Lever, May, Oliver, Harmes, Spargo, Brayshaw, Langdon, Jordon, Rivers Sparrow, ANB, Chandler keeping the standards up during sims. Kossie, Tracc, Hunter, and Bowey, the best afield.

I concur with this. Both @george_on_the_outer and I noted that it seemed to be an easier session today. Not suggesting the intensity wasn't up but it seemed like a much lighter session than we've witnessed over the past few weeks. Some of the interludes in between the main drills seemed lighter (load wise not intensity). Having said that all the spectators would have been gassed if we'd trainined a 1/4 as much.