Port Demons

Anyone see the similarities to our very own ex-captain, James McDonald ?

something about him reminds me of James McDonald.

For all the skeptics on here, keep skeptical. I on the other hand sway on the side of optimism for this trade to happen. I question as to why this trade is not possible? It can't be because of past trends as fellow demonlanders rarely seem to get early trade opinions right so why not this. It's reported that he is keen to get back to Melbourne (Victoria I should say). Gold Coast (as a club) are under the spotlight and with all due respect, are very ordinary without the messiah and are likely to lose players to the go home factor (there seems to be more light at the end of the tunnel for GWS than GC). He and his family are Red and Blue through. It breathes all the possibilities of something realistic. Now here's to hoping though if this was to occur, lets stop and think for a moment that if Dee-on was traded to Melbourne (for whatever it took, say a Howe or whoever + pick), our midfield would next year basically then see the additions of Dee-on, Trengove and Petracca. Not a bad nett gain to our starting 22 considering our current plight. Fingers crossed

And Paul Roos loves you Ron Burgundy (You stay classy Melbourne)

Any more spots available ? Keen to have a go

got to see my first session for the year. Awesome numbers on the field. Definitely 35+ in the main group. Looked like Riley, ANB, Stretch, Watts, Terlich, Spencer, White in the rehab group. Lots of effort and emphasis on and spread - push forward from the main group. Hopefully that leads to more natural attacking flair. I was impressed to see the fitness gains from last year pre-season to now. It's weird but I stood there impressed as a whole yet struggled to find standouts .........and I probably think this may be due to a more even spread of quality across the list and that the gap from weakest link to strongest is closing. (well i hope). Michie works hard and continues to go under the radar. As does Newton. (I'm kind of expecting Newton to have a year similar to Tyson from last year). Smooth mover that gets to contests and links up well. Petracca ball use early was solid until he tweaked his knee. Hogan just looks super strong and fit but then innocuously seemed to pull up tight by the looks of it and a longer ball movement drill. (he came off near me and was getting high hamstring/lower back loosening. He completed his run throughs after that but I think caution took over and off to the rooms). Interesting to see training partners learning good habits and bonding. Toumpas /Cross, Jetta /Garlett, Newton /Tyson. Anyone know where Wednesday's session will be held ?

CB , couldn't agree more. It gets a bit tired the same old drag that goes on in here (as much as I still return daily to read it). Seems as if people here can't see how good the nucleus of our coaching department and draftees over the last two years have become. Its a real shame. Yet for the sake of comfort rather than acceptance, they return to the same lines of days past and keep putting everything down. Successful clubs have good development structures. Successful clubs don't throw their young recruits straight in so as to learn their craft before their shot at the big time. We for so long haven't had that luxury. Now we have worked towards building this at MFC........ FFS can people take some time and allow it to unfold and get excited please! This will lead to sustained success.

I may be a typical cynical Dees supporter like most on here but "by gee, by jingo, by crikey", am I 'Super' excited or what with the recruitment team and draftees over the last two drafts. (I just had to get Roosy's favorite word 'Super' in there). It's been a very calculated and strategic approach which we have been screaming out for and just gives MFC (Roos and Goodwin) every chance for sustainable success. 'Super' happy

Just what I was thinking watching his highlights Georgiou (referencing Cotchin). He seems to be in similar positions and performs breakaways much like Cotchin does. Looks to plays others into the game which is team first mentality

I wouldn't say the Roos lost the players rather I would say the players lost the confidence in themselves purely through fatigue. What they had in the first half of the year was what a lot of clubs go through with a new coach and that is they're riding the high of improved work ethics and game plans. We have to remember that we were not fit enough physically and mentally for two-way running and it was inevitable that the players would fatigue in both these areas. This would be one of many contributing factors to the 2nd half season fade out. One other thing I remember after talking to Roosy (at my local coffee shop in port melbourne) was he did say he started to test the game plan (and personnel) to attack a little more. This opened us up to being scored against heavily in short spurts and we just didn't have the gusto (or personnel) to recover back into games. And then there were some of the games where we may as well have not turned up at all just gave the 4 points away (i.e. vs Brisbane at Etihad). Tough road ahead still but at least it's not backwards now and there is logic in the method of recruitment at all levels in the club. Small tick for me for 2014. Expect a slightly bigger one in 2015. 2016 is the season our list should start to be taking full shape and youth taking the future into their hands.

I don't proclaim to know much about this kid but credit where credit is due. If you look at him as a pure footballer, his highlight clips represent a type of player for what MFC need. He may not get a lot of the ball but when he does it's actually really well used. He demonstrates confidence in his ability and sound composure. Wish we could say the same for similar players in our best 22 who only get 10-15 touches a games and fluff a significant proportion of them. It's a thought provoking avenue this to consider someone like Jayden. Could he be trained into a go-getter type midfielder role? Of course he can. Is he what our list needs? He's certainly up there for consideration. Tough job those picking the No 3 selection. I have greater trust whichever way MFC go with this one at the moment.

McCartin is definitely a full foward-esk type player which would complement Hogan (who IMO is clearly a CHF) who loves getting up the ground. I don't think McCartin will do much in year 1 when drafted (happy to be proven wrong). Comments saying he's 'ready to go' .......... Bollocks! He may have the size required but he doesn't have the tank to do what's required at AFL level straight up nor play out the whole year. This will mean his output will be restricted and game time limited. My gut feel is he could potentially be either of these two types of players ...... Plugger (Goal freak) Lance Whitnall (Who?) The 2nd options is a potential reality

Johnny Knoxville

I wouldn't be surprised to see Mitch Clark head to Freo next year. He was on his way there before we poached him. Why not use him as a bargaining chip to bolster our midfield with Fyfe. That way Freo will leave Hogan alone (hopefully) It's all pie in the sky though.

I am not expecting mountains being climbed in this Friday's game (although, I will be watching closely from my holiday at Byron Bay with my yobo Richmond mate). The big things I am interested in: Can we solidify and ride out those moments in games when things don't go our way? If we play a more free flowing game, how quick can we transition back (in number) to defend when we turn it over? Will the new structures hold up in these situations? and more importantly....... Will the players forget about their frail past and do what Roosy asks? ...... the non-negotiables, sacrifice the individualism for the greater good of the team. Will we play on instinct again?.......... and attack, attack, attack ! Results aside, if we see this happening (more often than not), then we are seeing that the players have already adopted the Roos philosophy quicker than what most would have anticipated and it should lead to some success sooner. Based on what I've read and the minimal amount of training I see, I hope we have a line up something like the following; B: Terlich, Frawley, Dunn HB: Grimes, McDonald, Cross C: Trengove, N.Jones, Watts HF: Tyson, Fitzpatrick, Toumpas F: JKH, Hogan, Howe R: Spencer, Vince, McKenzie I: Michie, Strauss, Blease, M.Jones, Salem, Georgiou (Dawes can replace one if available) S: Clisby - Kent - Evans - Pederson (don't care which 2)

Can't make training today unfortunately - damn work ! Really looking forward to people posting how the scratch match plays out. In particular, some insight into: match ups, styles of play, structure/set up's & who wins them etc Keen to hear how Roosy is playing with the squad in the lead up to pre-season games.

Cringe, "Elite"........The term should be void for eternity from the history books of MFC after it's relationship and overuse during the Neeld tenure.

Sorry Rosso, I probably should have clarified that. I obtained my Senior Cert in 2010 and coached Bayside FC in Div-1 VicSoccer (yep, different code. Hope I'm not outcast now because of that) for 2010, 2011 & 2012 seasons before my work consumed me yet again. I'm a SAP Training Consultant so I'm often consumed by projects and travelling for work, hence not being able to make pre-season this year (sadly). One day I hope to coach back at the grass roots level of AFL.

Hi everyone, 1st post on DL and 1st pre-season training visit for me today. After watching the last 2 pre-seasons under Neeld, today's visit was a refreshing experience needless to say. They look fit. There is now a definite focus on gut (two-way) running the full length of the ground to support and give options and saw some really solid examples of it from Trenners, Michie, Cross, Vince, M Jones and N. Jones. There are some clear differences that I see already in the way we move the ball under Roos that I'd like to point out (from my perspective). It appears as if the transition from defence, going forward, is no longer slow, wide and within 5 metres of the boundary line (TFFT). In the game-sim drills I saw, it's evident that Roos wants the ball moved as close to, or through the middle as possible. If held up at half back, the switch across half-back takes place and it transitions along the opposite wing and the instinct is look to hit back into the middle of 50m arc at CHF or the edge of the square. Makes sense really being we have some good hit up forwards in (hopefully) Hogan, Dawes, Howe and Clark , no point going to the boundary. If you can imagine the game play taking place on oval within an oval (say 15-20 mtrs in from the outer boundary), that's the radius that ball movement takes place within. It is a couple of quick short, sure ball movements and then long to the spread (and this year when there is spread, there is more than one option). I'm sure the Roos mantra is, 'Don't Give It Away Cheaply, Hit A Target'. I've been reading anxiously for some weeks now (stuck at work) of all the posters giving their feedback on training and how this guy and that guy is up and about ... but I had trouble seeing that to be honest. Not in a bad way, let me explain. Last year, I saw N.Jones dominate everything, Grimes trying hard and most others..... well let's just say a big gap between those two and the rest. Today , N. Jones was no less of a shinning light. He was as manic as we have come to expect. But also at that level were Cross, Michie, M. Jones, McKenzie, Vince, Toumpas, Evans and Watts - they were all pushing hard. I think what Roos & Co is assembling is a workhorse midfield. I was quietly impressed today with: Michie: He appears to be the quiet, under the radar type. He is a ball magnet - always near it and I'm sure will develop just nicely under Roos and Stone's tutelage. Strauss: He was vocal, pushed hard on all drills and his kicking is super smooth. JKH: I've read a lot about him. Not much more to say - it's all true! He is super exciting and will get his opportunity when the time is right. But he is doing his chances no harm by his training intensity. There's a little 'Jeff Farmer' in his evasiveness. Salem: People have said how slim he is and he may need more time to develop, and rightly so. But, he was 5 metres away from me standing with Toumpas - they are almost identical in size and physique. He may get his chance at some point this year if his form warrants. I do think his tank will limit his opportunities however. His kicking ... well ... hits the target in a very 'Adem Yze' kind of way. Frawley & Dunn - Very vocal and leading the way. After the rehab group finished Jamar, Gawn and Dawes were all used as prop forwards in some full-length drills. All moving freely. I don't feel as concerned as others here about their return to the main group. Maybe being an ex-senior coach I understand individual workloads and working to a plan. I would say at this point Spencer is the clear front runner for Rd-1. But no doubt Roos sees Jamar as the No 1 and being he is an older player, he is preparing him for an early season return (if he warrants it on form). I wouldn't be surprised to see Dawes be back in full training, if not end of this week, definitely next. Hogan probably 1-2 weeks until full training, he is purely precautionary. Clark will be the same precautionary measure but I would say probably 2-3 weeks before a main group return. I'm basing this on their movement and how I would manage them in the same position, remembering there is a whole season ahead of us. We don't need to peak at Rd-1. All in all, I'm quietly impressed without being as excited as others on here. I would think the midfield additions will definitely be more sound and provide more link up and opportunity. What we do need is for some players to take a step towards or to the next level. (Watts, Strauss, Blease, Tapscott, Evans, McKenzie, Terlich). Based on what I saw, they're all training with more intent and enjoyment. Carn the DEES